Pomfrey: "Excellent, Mr Izorim. With this, you have now mastered all the concepts and the proper procedure for performing a magical blood examination. All that remains for me to say is that, although this particular skill cannot cause any harm, I hope you will make proper use of this knowledge."
Extimum: "Please don't worry, Madam Pomfrey. I'm truly grateful that you agreed to teach me. I wouldn't dare disappoint your expectations or the effort you've invested."
At Extimum's words, Pomfrey's previously stern expression visibly softened, and a look of appreciation seemed to flicker briefly through her eyes before her features relaxed.
Pomfrey: "Good. It's still early, and you've already helped me a great deal today. Off you go—make the most of your free time. Don't spend all your days wandering around here or burying yourself in books. Don't think I failed to notice those dark circles under your eyes. The season of endless assignments ended quite some time ago, yet your eye bags don't seem to be improving. If anything, they're getting worse.
"If you carry on like this, I'll have to keep you in the Hospital Wing—but as a patient."
As she finished speaking, Pomfrey's strict expression returned.
Extimum: "Thank you for your concern. I'll bear your words in mind and try not to overwork myself."
With that, Extimum bade her farewell and left the Hospital Wing.
Nearly a month had passed since Valentine's Day. Things had remained peaceful, and the excitement surrounding the events of that day had largely faded.
The professors had realised that continuing to bury the students under mountains of homework was hardly realistic and had finally decided to give them a break. Extimum had a faint suspicion that Lockhart was the one responsible for such an astonishing idea, but since all the professors seemed to agree on the matter, he couldn't be entirely certain.
Well, it wasn't as though it really mattered who had come up with the idea.
Putting that aside, Extimum had continued maintaining the same intense pace of study as before, this time devoting all his attention to deciphering, understanding, and experimenting with the runes that made up the amulet.
He knew he was biting off more than he could chew with this project. The amulet was far from an ordinary magical artefact; even among advanced magical artefacts, it could easily be considered one of exceptional quality and complexity. With knowledge that could barely be considered outstanding among apprentices, trying to replicate or repair such an advanced artefact simply wasn't realistic.
Furthermore, some of the runes had been completely destroyed, forcing him to experiment with possible replacements while hoping his prototypes wouldn't explode—or worse.
Of course, the possibility that some of the runes differed entirely from any he currently knew couldn't be ruled out. Even so, with his current abilities, it would be enough if he could restore at least part of the amulet's functionality. There was no need to repair it completely; that alone would grant him enough peace of mind to continue developing at a more relaxed pace.
Speaking of the classification of magical artefacts, there wasn't actually any official system for ranking them because there had never been any real need for one. Even so, it was still possible to judge that some artefacts were superior to others based on the overall quality of their craftsmanship.
By this point, Extimum had finished learning how to perform a magical blood examination.
The process had been somewhat more complicated than he had expected, but, thinking about it carefully, that wasn't particularly surprising. He was only just beginning to venture into the field of magical medicine; it would have been far stranger if he had been able to understand everything immediately.
Because of that, he had needed to learn a number of additional things—not only in theory, but also a variety of small, related practical skills—at least until his magical knowledge and understanding of medicine had become sufficient to carry out a magical blood examination.
It had been rather tedious, but no one could expect to excel at everything. After all, talent for understanding and talent for practical application were two different things.
Extimum: 'Now that I know how to perform the blood examination, one of my goals is nearly complete. I suppose I'll get some rest for now and then test it on myself. If the problem truly lies in my blood, I won't have to rely so heavily on the amulet.'
Even as he thought that, he knew there was little hope of finding anything truly useful in his blood. Whether it was instinct or simply his own perception of the situation, he felt it couldn't possibly be that simple.
After leaving the Hospital Wing, Extimum wandered through the castle corridors. He had no particular destination in mind and simply took his time as he observed his surroundings, letting his thoughts drift.
As he strolled through the corridors, he sensed someone quietly approaching from behind.
Well, at least they seemed to be trying, but it was difficult for him not to notice.
It was Sunday, so there were no classes, and it was close to three o'clock in the afternoon. The atmosphere was pleasant. Spring had only just begun, yet the weather had already turned warm—a welcome change from the cold days of winter—and the students all seemed to be in high spirits, surrounded by an easygoing mood.
Although the weather had long since ceased to be one of his concerns, the combination of the gentle warmth, the peaceful atmosphere, and the faintly cool breeze still created a soothing balance for both body and mind.
Speaking of the breeze, it carried a familiar scent to his nose.
The combination of his memory and his keen senses was remarkably effective when it came to identifying people or things he had interacted with before. He didn't even need to turn around; his mind had already conjured that person's image.
Such awareness of his surroundings through details so subtle had long since stopped surprising him. He no longer found it strange how the heightened sensitivity of his senses seemed to merge into something unique, providing him with what almost felt like a sixth sense.
Extimum: 'Hermione, huh... Come to think of it, I haven't spoken to her much these past few days...'
With that thought, he decided to surprise her instead.
He quickened his pace slightly and turned at the next intersection. Throughout it all, his face betrayed not the slightest change in expression. Then again, even if it had, the person following behind him most likely wouldn't have noticed.
The moment he rounded the corner, he immediately spun around and stretched out his arms to catch the person pursuing him.
Hermione: "** Kyaah **"
Hermione let out a startled cry as two arms suddenly grabbed her and lifted her clean off the ground.
Had any of the nearby students witnessed the scene, they would have been astonished that Extimum could lift Hermione entirely off the floor using only his arms, especially considering there wasn't much difference in their size.
Hermione: "* Sigh *, you nearly made my heart leap out of my chest, that was far too sudden."— She pressed a hand to her chest. —"How did you know I was behind you? I never saw you turn around. And... would you mind putting me down now?"
She certainly hadn't expected to be the one caught off guard while trying to ambush him.
On the other hand, Hermione wasn't particularly surprised by Extimum's display of strength. Although she had never experienced it firsthand before, she had already pieced together certain things from the time they had spent together—his extraordinary physical strength being one of them.
Extimum: "Well, I don't think your intentions in sneaking after me were all that innocent either, so I think a little payback is only fair."
Taking a step back, he spun around a couple of times with Hermione still in his arms before gently setting her back on the ground.
Extimum: "Besides, I managed to detect Ron even under the Invisibility Cloak. Why would this be any more difficult?"
Hermione: "That's different."
Hermione smoothed out her clothes a little.
Extimum: "How is it different?"
Hermione: "Well, that time you already knew we were coming. You were specifically waiting for us, and you knew which direction we'd be arriving from. So even if you couldn't see us, you could have heard us. After all, there wasn't anyone else in the corridor, and it was completely quiet... or maybe you were simply pretending and never showed that you'd noticed us."
Extimum: "Fair enough, that does make sense, but..."
He took a step forward, closing the distance until only the slightest gap remained between their faces.
"...how could anyone possibly ignore such a sweet fragrance?"
Hermione: "Hmph."
Hermione let out a soft huff and gently pushed Extimum away to put a little distance between them, though a faint blush, gone almost as quickly as it appeared, was still noticeable to anyone paying close attention.
Of course, it was mostly because Extimum allowed himself to be pushed. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for her to move him with so little effort.
Hermione: "You certainly know what to say. But a few days ago, anyone would've thought you'd forgotten all about us. If it weren't for the occasional moment during class or at dinner, people might've forgotten we were living in the same castle."
Extimum: "Oh? So you missed me?"
Hermione: "That's not the point. The point is that you've become far too elusive and absent-minded. And I'm not just saying that from my own perspective—I'm sure everyone else thinks the same."
Hermione softened her tone before asking,
"What's been keeping you so busy?"
Her question wasn't a casual one. Extimum had become noticeably withdrawn lately, a change that had only become truly apparent once the dreadful period of relentless assignments had finally come to an end.
Because he had continued maintaining at the same pace, it had become difficult to run into him or even speak with him, except when his presence was absolutely necessary. Even during classes and meals, he seemed distracted, as though his mind was always elsewhere, paying less attention to the people around him.
Sometimes he even skipped meals altogether, and all anyone saw was Bloom collecting food before bringing a portion back to him.
It wasn't that Extimum ignored them; he simply seemed less attentive and more distant whenever he was with the others.
Extimum: "It's just a few matters that were too important to put aside. But don't worry. I'm rather tired myself, so I was already planning to slow down."
Hermione: "Those matters... do they have anything to do with what happened before?"
Extimum blinked slightly at her question.
'That's quite a perceptive guess.'
Extimum: "No. It's simply a project that's of vital importance to me."
Of course, he lied. He had no intention of causing unnecessary worry for the people around him. The matter was already stressful enough for him, and he didn't see any benefit in making them share that burden.
Hermione: "Mmm."
Hermione held his gaze for several seconds, as though searching his face for an answer. In the end, she found nothing and quietly sighed to herself.
It wasn't as though Hermione had no suspicions. Extimum was naturally a reserved person, and perhaps Bloom was the only one who truly understood what was going on. Even so, she also seemed completely determined not to say anything.
Hermione had already tried both gentle and forceful approaches, yet she still hadn't managed to get any answers.
Of course, from everyone else's perspective, Bloom could do little more than nod or shake her head. Even so, they had happened to see her writing on paper once or twice, so although she couldn't speak, communicating with her wasn't particularly difficult.
Curiously enough, despite knowing perfectly well that Bloom could understand everything they said and even write in the same language, it never occurred to any of them to wonder whether she could actually speak.
With the exception of Luna, of course.
Hermione: "Just don't forget that you have us. If it's really that important to you, you can ask us for help. You don't have to carry everything on your own."
Extimum: 'I have all of you, huh... I suppose that's true. But it isn't that I look down on any of you. It's simply that even I can only do so much, and I already have certain advantages over you. My problem isn't one that can be solved simply by having more hands, nor is it something I can easily tell anyone about.'
He remained silent for a few moments, reflecting on Hermione's words.
Then, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
So faint that it didn't disturb his usual impassive expression, yet noticeable enough to add a subtle warmth to his face.
Which, for someone like Extimum, was already saying a great deal.
Extimum: "You're right. Thank you."
"Then, would you grant me the honour of enjoying your company for the remainder of my walk?"
He gave a slight bow and offered Hermione his left hand.
Hermione: "Of course. I'd be delighted to accompany you."
With a playful smile, she answered with the same formal courtesy before taking his hand.
Seeing that Extimum seemed well enough to joke again, Hermione felt that the situation was probably not as serious as she had feared—or, at the very least, that it had improved.
.
Bloom: "You're back... and you seem much more relaxed."
Extimum: "Yes. Today I finished learning everything I needed to perform the blood examination, so the burden on my shoulders has eased a little. Besides, I think it's time I slowed down. On the other hand, I wasn't expecting you to be here as well."
After taking a walk around the castle and its grounds with Hermione, Extimum returned to his room. Although he had originally intended to get some sleep and rest, spending time with Hermione had gradually eased his mind and dispelled much of his fatigue, to the point that he had completely forgotten how tired he had been and felt refreshed once more.
Extimum's room had changed considerably from the orderly state it had once been in. It was still spacious, illuminated by the pale blue glow of the torches, but now most of it was covered with every sort of paper and chart pinned to the walls.
Even the ceiling had not escaped. Every one of those sheets and charts contained experimental rune derivations he had been researching over the past few weeks.
The only place that stood in contrast to the rest of the room was the floor.
Despite the room being flooded with papers, not a single one was lying on the ground. In fact, it was far more likely to see a sheet floating through the air than resting on the floor.
It made one thing perfectly clear: despite the apparent chaos, Extimum had never truly lost the order within his room.
Bloom: "Ouch, that hurts. Isn't this my room as well?"
Bloom said it in an exaggeratedly dramatic tone.
Extimum: "Yes, but I thought you'd be with Luna."
Since Extimum had been so busy recently, Bloom spent part of her time helping him however she could, then devoted most of the rest of the day to keeping Luna company. Naturally, she never forgot to return each night to sleep beside Extimum.
Bloom: "Are you jealous?"
Extimum: "Oh? Should I be?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he fixed his gaze on Bloom, who was still sitting atop the desk.
Bloom: "Mmm... maybe?"
She rested a finger against her cheek, looking thoughtful.
Extimum: "What is mine, I have no fear of losing."
Extimum's words weren't spoken loudly, yet they carried such confidence and quiet certainty that the feeling seemed to spread throughout the room.
However, the moment the words left his mouth, both Bloom and Extimum were left completely dumbfounded.
Bloom: "W-What?"
She was the first to recover from the shock, asking in obvious surprise.
Extimum: "..."
An awkward silence settled over the room.
Extimum's silence wasn't born of embarrassment, but rather because he was just as startled by his own words. They had come out with unsettling ease, as though they were nothing more than the simple statement of an obvious fact.
The strangest part was that he hadn't truly been aware of what he was saying until after the words had already left his mouth. If his state at that moment had to be described, it would be that of someone rubbing his temples while trying to grasp the troubling implications of what had just happened.
Extimum: 'Clearly, that's not something I would normally say. And yet... the more I dwell on those words, the more they feel true. It seems I've overlooked something. Sigh... Should I be worried?... Forget it. That's enough for today.'
Extimum: "Ahem, let's ignore that for now. I'm going to sleep until dinner."
Bloom: "W-What!? How am I supposed to just ignore that? I want—"
Extimum: "Then come sleep with me."
He didn't give her the chance to continue. One of his tails shot out immediately, wrapped around her, and pulled her towards him before she could protest.
In the process, Extimum had already set his things down on the bedside table and loosened part of his clothing on his way to the bed, so he didn't even need to stop before letting himself fall onto the mattress.
Bloom, of course, still wanted to continue that conversation, but she couldn't free herself from the tail holding her before ending up lying across Extimum's chest.
In the end, she stopped struggling. The fatigue she had accumulated over the past several days finally caught up with her, and she quickly fell asleep.
Although her routine had been far more relaxed than Extimum's, she had also spent the past few days waking early and going to bed late so she could help him however she could.
As for what had happened only moments before, Extimum was still somewhat concerned by the strange turn the conversation had taken. Even so, it wasn't an urgent matter, and it could wait until later.
To tell the truth, the situation wasn't entirely new.
He had never before said something that had felt so foreign to himself, but on previous occasions he had already noticed how certain emotions or thoughts seemed to be trying to seep into his mind, slowly altering his personality.
Fortunately, both his mind and his heart were difficult to sway. Thanks to his Occlumency, he could easily recognise and eliminate those intrusive thoughts, so although the incident had caught him by surprise, he didn't consider it an immediate threat.
...
Despite having slept for less than two hours, Extimum woke just in time for dinner.
Only a few minutes had passed since it had begun, so it could still be considered early.
He straightened his clothes and left his room, making his way towards the Great Hall.
Naturally, Bloom went with him. He let her sleep atop his head; there was no need to wake her when the bustle of the Great Hall and the aroma of the food would do that for him.
...
In fact, not long after they entered the Great Hall, Bloom woke up. Still somewhat drowsy, she shifted slightly as she looked around. In any case, given her tiny size, it was difficult for anyone to notice her at a glance.
On the way there, Extimum had already decided where he would sit. Upon arriving, he took a seat at the Gryffindor table beside Hermione. After all, he could easily imagine the commotion Steve and Mitchell would cause if they realised he had finally returned to normal.
As much as they were his friends, those two could be far too enthusiastic and boisterous at times.
Trudor wasn't much better. The only truly calm members of that group were Luna and Padma. As for the Slytherin table, he would probably encounter a similar situation there as well, leaving Hufflepuff and Gryffindor as the only tables where he could enjoy a bit of peace and quiet.
Harry and Ron were already seated there. Both greeted him as usual, assuming that before long he would once again disappear into his own thoughts during dinner.
Ron: "** Psst **, oi, Harry. When d'you reckon Extimum'll come back from wherever his mind's wandered off to? I think he's acting even dreamier than Luna these days."
Harry: "Mmm, well—"
Extimum: "Actually, I haven't been completely unaware of anything either of you has said while I've been sitting with you. I simply keep it in the background most of the time. So yes, I've been fully aware of everything you've said when you thought I wasn't listening."
Ron: "W-What!? A-all of it?"
The colour drained slightly from Ron's face as he asked, a trace of panic creeping into his voice.
Extimum: "Of course. Bearing that in mind, I've already set aside a day to settle all outstanding accounts. After all, you broke the agreement, so I suppose a little experimental volunteering will help set you straight."
Ron: "Oi, no, Extimum. You know... I didn't really mean any of those things. I was just... just thinking out loud."
Hearing Ron's excuse, Harry could barely suppress a smile. Ron didn't seem to realise that he had just dug his own grave a little deeper.
Extimum: "You're right. That's precisely why you need to learn to keep certain thoughts to yourself. Fortunately for you, I'm sure a few more experiments will solve that problem."
Hermione: "Hahaha."
Ron: "What's so funny, Hermione? You're not innocent either. You broke your side of the agreement as well, so you ought to go through the same thing I do."
Hermione: "Of course I didn't. I never—"
Ron: "Harry saw it, so you can't deny it."
Harry: "It's true. Both you and Ron failed to stick to your personal improvement goals."
Hermione shot Harry a look filled with betrayal, making it abundantly clear that she wouldn't let that go unpunished.
Extimum: "As a matter of fact, Hermione will be punished as well—but not as a test subject. You alone will be enough for that, Ron. She'll receive a punishment of her own."
Although Extimum spoke as casually as ever, his words made Hermione shiver for reasons she couldn't quite explain.
Ron: "Ah, that's not fair. You're giving her special treatment."
Extimum: "Mmm, in fact, I am giving her special treatment. Whether that treatment is actually better than your punishment, however, is something only she could answer."
The personal improvement goals they were talking about had come about after a casual conversation had turned into one of Ron and Hermione's usual arguments, with each of them pointing out the other's flaws.
Caught up in the heat of the moment—and thanks to Extimum's interest in the matter—they had agreed to let him act as the judge to determine who could overcome their bad habits first.
Of course, a simple agreement was hardly enough to keep either of them committed, so Extimum had proposed punishments for failing to uphold their end of the bargain. Punishments that, at the time, neither of them had taken particularly seriously—at least not until they were actually enforced.
Ron's goal was, above all, to stop saying things that were hurtful or inconsiderate.
Hermione's was to stop using her usual bossy tone.
It had sounded simple enough, but they had quickly realised it wasn't, simply because they were far too accustomed to behaving that way.
The punishment for failing?
Serving as one of Extimum's experimental subjects.
Specifically, for some of his projects, with his potions being the most notable among them.
Of course, nothing extreme. They were all things he had already tested successfully—just on subjects that had been somewhat... less human.
For Ron, who had initially underestimated just how seriously Extimum had taken the challenge, combined with his own reckless nature... well, it hadn't taken him long to experience the punishment firsthand.
As for Hermione, she had managed quite well at first, at least until Extimum's distracted state caused her to lower her guard. She hadn't expected it to become a problem, only to discover that Harry had exposed her without the slightest hesitation.
What she didn't know was that, whenever Extimum wasn't around, Harry had become his referee.
That said, there was also a reward—one that Extimum had improved himself, seeing as he benefited the most from their punishments.
For Ron, it consisted of various Quidditch-related items, ranging from a new broom to other equipment.
As for Hermione, her reward was access to books or subjects she was interested in that weren't available in the Hogwarts library.
Harry: "Let's leave that aside. Extimum, what was it that had you so absorbed? I didn't want to ask before because you genuinely seemed focused on it, but now that you're finally back to normal... does that mean you've solved it?"
Harry's question drew Hermione's and Ron's attention to Extimum as well, both waiting for his answer.
Well... only part of it. Ron never let his true objective during dinner—eating—take a back seat.
Extimum: "I wouldn't say I've solved it completely, but I have resolved an important part of the problem, and now I can afford to take things a little more slowly."
'Well, it's more that I can no longer afford to keep going at the same pace. Even so, it isn't a lie to say I've made progress. Repairing the amulet is only one of the many matters occupying my mind at the moment.'
Harry: "Then I'm glad you've made progress. It was a bit worrying to see you so absorbed that you barely seemed aware of what was happening around you. And every time there was any free time, you'd disappear."
Harry had been worried about Extimum as well. Even so, from everything he had come to understand during the journey they had shared, he found it difficult to imagine a problem that could truly overwhelm him. After all, he had a large family to support him.
With the subject of Extimum finally put aside, the rest of dinner passed in a much livelier atmosphere. Between bites, the conversation drifted towards everyday matters and the various things that had happened over the past few days.
...
After leaving the Great Hall, Extimum eventually ran into Steve and the others. Just as he had expected, they made quite a dramatic fuss as they walked towards the Ravenclaw common room. Even so, it was obvious that they were all happy to see him back to his usual self.
Because of that, Extimum spent some time with them in the common room before finally returning to his room.
Bloom: "So... about what you said earlier..."
The question came almost as soon as they stepped through the door.
While they had been out, Bloom hadn't brought the subject up again. Besides maintaining the appearance of an ordinary fairy in front of everyone else, she had also preferred to simply enjoy dinner and the atmosphere alongside Extimum.
Naturally, if she had wanted to, she could have asked him at any moment through the mental connection they shared. Even so, she had chosen to wait until they were alone.
And now that they finally were, she could no longer hold back her curiosity.
Extimum: "I don't know... To be completely honest, I was just as surprised as you were to hear myself say those words. Even so... after thinking about it for a while, I can't say I completely disagree with them."
He spoke slowly, as though each sentence had been carefully weighed before leaving his lips.
"But the real question is... are you mine?"
Those last words carried an entirely new nuance. It wasn't an emotion Bloom had ever sensed from Extimum before... nor one he himself had ever expressed.
Silence returned to the room for a few moments.
Bloom: "Haven't I been yours ever since I awakened in this world?"
She said it with a faintly teasing tone.
After all, the two of them were bound by a master-and-slave contract. Although the nature of that bond had become far more complex than either of them could ever have expected, it remained true that, at least in theory, Bloom belonged to Extimum.
Even so, that had never meant very much to her. Extimum had never treated her as an object or as a slave, so her answer was nothing more than a small joke.
Extimum: "Even so, that only extends to your body and, to a certain extent, your will, as governed by the contract. So I possess you... but are you truly mine?"
Bloom: "Can't you tell?"
Her voice was quiet, though still perfectly audible.
Extimum: "Is that so?... Even so, I still find myself feeling a little greedy. What I have now simply isn't enough for me. What I want... is all of you."
Bloom remained motionless for a moment.
His words startled her a little, but more than the words themselves, it was the feelings and intentions behind them that reached her—something only she could perceive.
There was no lust, greed, or possessive desire like the one that had accompanied his earlier words. Nor was it love; it was still far too soon for something like that to have taken root. It was a feeling that, in a way, transcended all of those things while, at the same time, not being entirely separate from them.
Whether it stemmed from the peculiar bond the two of them shared through the magical contract or from the eccentric nature of Extimum's heart and way of thinking, the feeling itself was difficult to put into words. Even so, while it was not yet love, it certainly did not seem very far from becoming it.
As a result, Extimum's words unsettled Bloom somewhat. Throughout the entire conversation, she had remained perched on his shoulder, accompanying him as he spoke and wandered around the room.
It took her only a brief moment before she answered, her voice calm and filled with emotion.
Bloom: "The journey has been short, and these feelings are indescribable. So much so that time itself has been unable to define them. You want all of me, yet all I have left to give is my heart. It holds no doubt, only fear. Will there truly be a place for my heart?"
The sincerity and emotion behind those words caught Extimum slightly off guard.
To be frank, he had been guided more by instinct and feeling than by reason when he had asked his question. Even so, he did not hesitate for long before replying.
Extimum: "Then simply give me all of yourself. I'll destroy your fears, and I'll keep your heart beside my own."
There were not many words, yet their meaning was perfectly clear to both of them, extending far beyond the words themselves.
After that, silence once again settled over the room, as though the conversation had never happened and nothing had changed. Yet something invisible and intangible between them had undeniably shifted.
Even so, that night did not continue with the sort of passionate aftermath their heartfelt confessions might have suggested. That feeling still needed time to grow, and both of them carried far too many burdens upon their minds and hearts.
So, that night, Extimum did no further research into runes and simply went to bed early with Bloom beside him.
.
.
.
The following morning, Extimum woke early, as usual.
The only difference was that, instead of rising before dawn to exercise, he did so with a far more important objective in mind.
So important, in fact, that rather than taking his usual bath, he cast the quick-cleaning spell on himself so he could begin his work as soon as possible.
He then drew his wand and, almost like the conductor of an orchestra, swept it back and forth across the room. At the same time, all manner of papers rose into the air and fluttered about before gathering themselves into a neat stack and slipping into an enchanted filing cabinet he had recently added to the room. Afterwards, some instruments emerged from his bag and others from his wardrobe, arranging themselves neatly across the desk.
It was a truly fascinating sight. Every object seemed to move of its own accord as it drifted through the room until it reached its proper place.
Extimum: 'Good. I believe I have everything I need.'
Naturally, the entire process was carried out in relative silence, so it didn't disturb Bloom, who was still sleeping peacefully on the pillow.
Extimum: "Let's begin."
He returned his wand to its holster and held one hand over a shallow glass vessel. Then, with the other, he lightly brushed the tip of his index finger.
The movement appeared completely casual, but the instant his hand passed over it, his nails briefly lengthened and sharpened, leaving a thin cut across the outstretched finger.
Once that was done, he applied slight pressure until several drops of blood began to fall into the vessel.
Extimum simply prevented his body from closing the wound. Of course, he could have sped up the process by cutting the palm of his hand to draw more blood, but for such a small amount, that struck him as an unnecessary and excessive method.
He allowed the blood to flow for a few moments until he had collected enough, then let the wound heal.
Although he had long since grown accustomed to the peculiar nature of his blood, he still couldn't help lifting the glass vessel and examining its contents closely.
A crimson liquid interwoven with fine shimmering streaks and tiny particles of a golden-violet hue. The contrast between those colours was remarkably striking.
Compared with before, the golden-violet streaks seemed to have grown thicker and even more vivid. Yet the observation that caught his attention the most this time was, oddly enough, the red.
The red had always been there as proof of his human side. During his previous observation, however, it had somehow seemed subdued compared with the other two colours. It wasn't that it had become weaker; rather, that was simply the impression it conveyed to the observer.
Now, however, it was difficult to say the same.
The red seemed to have drawn strength from somewhere unknown and now appeared noticeably more vibrant and alive. Although it still couldn't compare with the golden-violet, it possessed a vitality that allowed it to stand out despite the disparity.
Of course, all of this was nothing more than an impression born from continuous observation, and it might—or might not—actually mean anything.
Extimum: 'An interesting development, but we'll see whether it's relevant.'
With that thought, he stopped studying the vessel and began moving between the various instruments arranged across the desk.
Using a tool similar to a dropper, he extracted small amounts of blood and distributed them accordingly: one sample for microscopic observation; several into different containers where they would react with various substances; a few more into different measuring devices; and the remaining portion was set aside for later observations.
For a few moments, the previously silent room was filled with the sounds of instruments shifting into place and glass containers softly clinking and rattling.
Fortunately, the noise wasn't loud enough to disturb Bloom, who continued sleeping peacefully.
Extimum: "Almost... There."
The analysis he was performing covered several different fields, which was why it required so many different kinds of experiments. It was also entirely different from the superficial results that could be obtained simply by casting an ordinary spell over the blood.
Of course, in Extimum's opinion, this was mainly a matter of optimisation. Although the current method was fairly effective, the entire cumbersome process could be avoided by approaching the problem differently.
A blood examination required observing, combining, and comparing the various pieces of data gathered through different magical instruments. But since magic existed, why was it necessary to go through so many separate steps just to obtain that information? Magic was capable of achieving extraordinary things, so why did this particular task require such a complicated procedure?
The answer was simple: up to that point, no one had truly attempted to develop that particular field. And as for why—or why that path had been followed from the very beginning—the explanation was equally straightforward.
There were many things that had to be examined in blood. Was there evidence of potions? Were there traces of curses? Was the subject under the influence of a spell? Did the blood contain any foreign substances? Were there signs of disease?
Quite simply, there were far too many variables that could be present. Naturally, not all of them were reflected in or affected the blood directly, but for those that were, different methods had to be used to identify them.
Furthermore, despite certain similarities in procedure, magic was not the same as science, and the behaviour of some phenomena could be remarkably abstract and unpredictable given the limited understanding that currently existed.
That said, the real issue still lay in the original path that had been taken to tackle these problems.
The most common and straightforward approach was to check every visible possibility individually. It was essentially a checklist: Is it present? Yes? No? What comes next? However, that method was simply too slow and, as the field of magic continued to develop, it would inevitably become more and more inefficient in the long run.
The proper approach would instead be to identify the underlying principles behind each of those possibilities and consolidate them into a single method capable of detecting and classifying everything the previous procedures accomplished, without requiring so many separate experiments.
Naturally, achieving something like that would not be easy. However, building upon current knowledge and with several years of development, it wouldn't be impossible to condense that long list of procedures into just a handful of simpler ones, gathered into a few spells.
Of course, Extimum currently had neither the time nor the interest to embark on such a complicated undertaking.
Creating a new spell was nowhere near as simple as deciding what you wanted and waving your wand. There was an entire field of study behind it, governed by its own principles that had to be understood and applied before an idea could become a functional spell.
If it were that simple, spell creation would never have become such a dangerous pursuit—one that very few witches and wizards of the current era dared to attempt, especially with the far from short list of reports detailing those who had lost their lives trying.
Extimum's achievements in the field of spell creation could already be considered quite remarkable, particularly considering he had worked within a discipline as dangerous and complex as spatial magic.
But setting the subject of spellcraft aside...
Before long, the results of most of the experiments spread across the desk began to appear.
The contents of some containers changed colour, others dissipated completely, while some remained exactly as they had been from the start. Meanwhile, several magical instruments came to a halt and automatically transcribed their findings onto a nearby sheet of parchment.
The scene could still be considered fairly ordinary by magical standards, but there was little doubt that, to anyone from the non-magical world, it would have looked like a bizarre cross between a scientist's laboratory and the workspace of some mysterious cult with, quite possibly, less than admirable intentions.
Extimum: 'All right... let's review the results and then... the verdict.'
Afterwards, Extimum recorded the changes observed in the various containers, along with the readings produced by several of the instruments, before sitting down to analyse everything.
It had to be said that, although setting all those instruments and experiments in motion had taken him no more than ten minutes, the process itself had placed a certain amount of pressure on him.
After all, although Madam Pomfrey had taught him how to perform most of those tests, there were several that he had never had the opportunity to carry out himself.
The scope of the examination he was conducting was exceptionally thorough and, under normal circumstances, such tests were requested only at St Mungo's Hospital.
For that reason, Madam Pomfrey had only been able to teach him the procedures that could be practised using the materials available at Hogwarts, supplementing her lessons with a few instruments that, fortunately, she still kept among her own belongings.
As for the rest, she had only been able to explain them in theory, using illustrations from various books, since she herself didn't possess those instruments either.
Because Extimum wanted to be as thorough as possible, he had naturally acquired all the missing instruments, having ordered them well in advance. Even so, showing too much interest and persistence in the subject could easily be interpreted as something more than the curiosity of someone who simply wished to learn.
So he had remained cautious, taking care not to appear overly insistent about his intentions. He trusted Pomfrey to a certain extent, but this was not a matter he was willing to share with anyone just yet.
The mere fact that she saw his blood would raise far too many questions. After that would come the possible results and, inevitably, the question of why someone like him felt the need to perform such an exhaustive examination.
Of course, Pomfrey could draw her own conclusions, but she would most likely assume that Extimum was simply especially interested in the subject and wanted to learn it for the future.
It would be an entirely different matter if she discovered that he intended to use that knowledge to eliminate potential threats. Although he appeared remarkably mature for his age, it was unlikely she would see him in the same light or allow him to conduct such experiments on his own.
After all, although those procedures appeared harmless at first glance, they did carry a certain degree of risk if the instruments were handled incorrectly or if the reactive substances inside some of the containers were mixed together—or came into direct contact with the skin.
So, to avoid unnecessary suspicion and future complications, he had never mentioned that he already possessed the remaining instruments.
As for how he had obtained them, he had commissioned the easier ones through the Weasley twins, who had proved quite accommodating after he offered them a generous commission.
The more difficult ones, however, required him to ask Professor Flitwick once again for permission to send Bloom through the Floo Network to retrieve them.
Extimum: "So then... curses: negative; foreign substances: negative... negative... negative..."
"...Positive."
--------------------
discord.gg/ZZrUfk3msj