Back at the castle.
Extimum accompanied Harry and Ron to the common room. It had been a night full of emotions, and not particularly good ones for Harry and Ron.
Extimum hadn't planned to enter the Gryffindor common room—he had only intended to accompany them and continue on his way. However, Harry stopped him before he could leave.
Harry: "Wait, Extimum, why don't you come in with us for a moment and we talk more calmly about what happened?"
Extimum: "Alright." He had no reason to refuse, so he agreed.
Upon entering the common room, they found Hermione already there in her pajamas, waiting for them.
Hermione: "It seems, Ron, that whatever you forgot must have been really hard to find—considering how long it took you and that you even came back with Extimum." Hermione's voice came out slowly and deliberately as she gave them a judgmental look.
Hermione had stayed up waiting for them because, in fact, she had her suspicions about their suspicious behavior. She figured that if they had truly just forgotten something, they'd return quickly. She didn't expect to wait nearly two hours for their return—and at some point, she even fell asleep.
Ron: "Uh… well, you see…" Ron hesitated, trying to think of a plausible explanation.
Extimum: "Ah, allow me to explain. As you know, I went off to do my own things, and my friends here decided they were far too curious and followed me. But they ended up embarking on a very interesting and dangerous adventure from which we've just returned. As for the details, we'll discuss them cheerfully in a moment."
As he spoke in a seemingly cheerful tone—or at least what he thought was cheerful—he sat on the nearby couch and motioned for Harry and Ron to sit down as well. He seemed completely unfazed by Hermione's inquisitive glare.
Only once they sat did Harry and Ron realize that Extimum had completely washed his hands of any blame and shifted it all onto them—something that became clear when Hermione focused her gaze solely on them.
Extimum: "Well, with that cleared up, Harry, why don't you continue with what you wanted to discuss?"
Harry: "Ah, uh, yes." Harry and Ron were surprised by how easily Extimum was steering the conversation—and more importantly, how effectively he was containing Hermione's impending explosion.
They themselves couldn't even bear Hermione's piercing glare.
Harry: "Well, to sum it up a bit, we basically followed Extimum into the Forbidden Forest and—"
Hermione: "Wait, what? You went into the Forbidden Forest?!"
Harry: "Yeah… but then we got lost… we tried to find Extimum with no luck, and instead we ran into this terrifying creature that tried to kill us and… well, before the worst could happen, Extimum found us and helped. Then a centaur showed up and the creature fled, so… we're all okay."
Hermione: "What? How can you say that so casually? Didn't you just say you almost died in there?! Doesn't the word Forbidden in Forbidden Forest mean anything to you? It's incredibly dangerous to go in there. And Extimum—what were you doing there?"
Extimum: "More than asking what I was doing there, the real question is—why wouldn't I be allowed? You consider it dangerous, but from my point of view, it was quite a pleasant place."
Ron: "Pleasant? That place?" Ron couldn't understand what part of that gloomy forest could be considered pleasant—they had literally run into a dark creature there.
Hermione: "And what were you looking for in there? Even if you found it pleasant, that doesn't change the fact that it's a dangerous place."
Extimum: "That… I can't discuss just yet. But don't worry, it's nothing bad. I'll tell you in the future." Extimum excused himself in his usual emotionless voice and made it clear that he wasn't going to say any more.
Hermione: "Fine…"
Hermione reluctantly accepted it. The way he said it—with such calm seriousness—made it difficult for her to explode at him or scold him. Besides, though she was curious, everyone had the right to keep secrets, and if he didn't want to share, it wasn't wise to force it.
Extimum: "Now that everything's clear—Harry, why don't you continue?"
Hermione: "Yes, Harry… why don't you go on? I'd love to hear every single detail." Hermione spoke slowly, giving Harry and Ron a dangerous look—at least with them, she could vent her frustration.
Harry: "Uh, let me explain everything in detail first. I was a bit vague earlier, and unless you understand everything that happened, you won't get what I want to talk about."
From there, Harry organized his thoughts and recounted everything from the beginning. His effort was successful—it distracted Hermione from her anger over their recklessness and got her thinking deeply about the story he was telling.
Hermione: "So… do you think that dark figure was Voldemort?"
Harry: "That's right. Plus, he's weak—otherwise, he wouldn't be drinking unicorn blood." —He paused for a moment before continuing— "So, Quirrell—or maybe Snape—must be trying to get the Stone to give it to Voldemort, so he can make the Elixir and recover."
Ron: "But if he comes back… don't you think he'll try to… you know, kill you or something?" Ron asked nervously, already imagining the consequences.
Harry: "He probably will. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so determined to catch us tonight. Still, he can't do anything right now."
Ron: "Ugh, I'm not even sure if I care about the final exams anymore…"
Extimum: "You shouldn't worry so much about that. Like Harry said, he can't do anything for now. You even saw how I managed to strike him and make him run."
His comment once again reminded them of that moment and reignited their curiosity—how had he managed to land a blow on such a creature? But in the end, they decided not to press further, knowing Extimum wasn't willing to explain.
Hermione: "Yeah… plus, Dumbledore is still here, and it's unlikely Voldemort would dare do anything while he is—especially now that he's weakened."
Extimum: "Alright, we shouldn't be dwelling on such negative thoughts. Besides, it's late—why don't we just go to bed?"
Hermione: "You're right. It's really late, and we've got early classes tomorrow."
Extimum: "See you later." With those words, Extimum disappeared from everyone's sight and headed toward his dormitory in Ravenclaw Tower.
A few days after the encounter in the Forbidden Forest passed.
Things seemed to have returned to normal. No more terrifying encounters or anything of the sort—just the typical student life at Hogwarts, as normal as a magical school could be.
Harry and Ron continued to keep an eye on Quirrell, while Hermione and Extimum focused on watching Snape. Though Extimum took his task a bit more casually—Snape was many things, but he didn't seem like the main suspect this time.
Today, after finishing all his homework and feeling little motivation to study anything in particular, he decided to do something different:
Sneak into the Slytherin common room.
The reason? He had several. The simplest was that he wanted to see what it looked like inside. Besides, if he succeeded, the only common room left for him to visit would be Hufflepuff's—and then he could proudly say he had visited them all.
Not a small or common achievement for a student.
The location wasn't an issue—it wasn't exactly a secret that the entrance was located in the dungeons of the castle, and according to rumor, part of it extended beneath the Black Lake.
He had also heard that the entrance was hidden behind a stone wall.
As for threats or risks, the only real concern was Snape himself. As head of house, he made occasional rounds—but Extimum already knew he would be very busy today. Besides, despite his obvious favoritism, Snape wasn't the type to closely monitor the movements of his house's students.
With all that said, Extimum remained hidden beneath an illusion cloak, pacing here and there, waiting for a Slytherin student to either enter or leave. He didn't know the exact location of the entrance, but he was familiar with the area, so he didn't have to wander the entire dungeon hoping for luck.
With a bit of luck, he might overhear the password—and just as he did now with the Gryffindor common room, he'd be able to enter more easily, at least for a while.
He didn't have to wait long. After about fifteen minutes, a boy wearing the Slytherin uniform appeared, walking down the hallway. He stopped in front of a flat wall.
Extimum quickly stopped a few steps behind him, just as the boy murmured a few words that caused a door to magically form in the wall.
After entering, they passed through a corridor filled with cobwebs and arrived at a rather empty library, beyond which lay the common room.
Just like the other two common rooms he had visited, Slytherin's common room was quite spacious, though the temperature here was notably colder—likely due to its underground location and proximity to the lake.
The floors and stone walls were dominated by dark tones, and the space had a dim greenish glow reflected from the lake through the windows, along with several glass lamps hanging from the ceiling and walls.
In the central area, near the windows overlooking the lake, a large fireplace crackled with flames, warming the room.
There were several black and dark green tufted armchairs scattered throughout, along with dark wooden cabinets and skulls. The walls were adorned with tapestries depicting the adventures of medieval witches and wizards.
There were a few students in the room at the moment. Some were playing wizard chess; others were simply chatting.
Speaking of which, another reason Extimum had come here—besides his curiosity—was to meet with Draco.
Extimum had a good impression of him based on what he had seen. Perhaps he held some "purist" ideas, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing—after all, he was still just a child. Moreover, though it wasn't a great favor, Draco's actions a few days ago had earned enough of his respect to warrant an attempt at friendship.
So, a small gesture of gratitude and an effort to get closer didn't seem like a bad idea. He had been a bit busy in the past few days, so he took the opportunity today.
And who knows? If they ended up becoming good friends, he might influence Draco's future—perhaps guide the birth of a better Draco. If not, it still didn't hurt to strengthen bonds; having more friends and fewer enemies was always useful.
Using transfiguration, he changed the blue of his uniform to Slytherin green and altered his facial features a bit—especially his hair color, which was far too eye-catching.
After adjusting his appearance, he looked just like any other Slytherin student, so he casually strolled around the place, looking especially to see if there were any unique books or anything of interest. He also admired the historical decorations and tapestries displayed throughout the room.
The Slytherin common room certainly had its own unique style.
While staring into a giant eye floating in strange liquid inside one of the cabinets—as if in a staring contest—he noticed a familiar silhouette in the corner of his vision that stopped not far away.
Giving up on his battle of stares, he turned his head.
Blond hair, a neatly pressed uniform, the profile of a face with a stone-cold expression, and a somewhat distant gaze looking out the lake-side window came into focus as he set his eyes on the figure that had passed by him.
She seemed completely absorbed in her thoughts. She didn't even blink when Extimum approached to greet her.
Looking more closely, he noticed she was holding a letter in one hand.
Her total detachment—even as he waved a hand in front of her face to get her attention—piqued his curiosity about the contents of the letter.
Taking a bit of liberty, he gently took the letter from her hand and brought it up to his eyes to read.
The letter read:
"Dear Sister,
I have bad news to share. I wish I could tell you in person, but there's still a considerable amount of time before you'll be able to leave Hogwarts. The results of the test our father arranged have come in. Father said that just like our mother, I too suffer from our family's blood curse.
I wish you could be with me now, but I know you must continue your studies. Still, I wanted to share this news with you.
With love,Your sister, Astoria Greengrass."
That was the content of the letter. It wasn't long, but its meaning was very clear.
Just at that moment, realizing the letter was no longer in her hand, Daphne finally reacted. Her usually serene blue eyes took on a steely look as her hand trembled with anger and a wand appeared in it.
She turned sharply, searching for the bold magician who had dared to meddle in her affairs, a spell already at the tip of her tongue, ready to be cast.
Naturally, her reaction alerted Extimum, especially after realizing the delicate nature of the letter's contents. Without hesitation, he undid the transfiguration on his face and hair so she could recognize him.
Sure enough, the moment his face became clearly visible, Daphne froze. Her wand was practically pointed at his nose—just a second away from cursing him if he'd been any slower.
Extimum: "Sorry, it was inconsiderate of me to take your letter." Extimum held out the letter and apologized.
He didn't mind the wand pointed at his face—he knew he'd crossed a line. At the very least, the wand began to lower, no longer aimed at him.
Daphne: "It's you… sorry, I'm not feeling well right now. I'm a bit unsettled." Daphne accepted the letter, tucked it into her pocket, and fully lowered her wand.
Her tense body relaxed a little, having retrieved the letter and trying to calm her chaotic emotions.
Extimum: "It's alright—it was my fault anyway. Want to sit down and talk about it?"
Daphne thought for a moment, then nodded. Together, they walked to a nearby sofa and sat down.
Daphne: "How did you even get in here?" Now that her mind was a bit calmer, Daphne asked a rather relevant question.
Extimum: "Oh? Can't you see my uniform? I'm clearly a Slytherin—why wouldn't I be allowed in?"
Daphne: "Tch… you really have no house loyalty if you can say something like that. But fine, if you don't want to tell me."
Extimum: "So… are you going to tell me what the letter was about?"
Daphne:sigh "My family has been afflicted by a blood curse for generations." Daphne sighed and began explaining the context of the situation.
"The curse randomly affects one member per generation. In the previous one, my mother was the one afflicted—and now, according to this letter, my sister will suffer from it in this generation."
Extimum: "What are the effects of the curse?"
Daphne's face darkened slightly at his question, and she answered in a slightly heavier tone.
Daphne: "The curse gradually weakens the afflicted from the moment it manifests—and eventually, they die. Though the effect is slow, no one who's ever suffered from it has lived to old age."
A brief silence fell over them as Daphne finished her words.
The mood, which had lightened slightly, sank once again.
Given his past experiences comforting others, this time, Extimum took a gentler approach.
He released his natural aura in an attempt to soothe the gloomy atmosphere. He had improved a lot at this since strengthening his connection with his lineage.
As his aura wrapped around Daphne, Extimum extended his hand and placed it gently over hers, giving it a light squeeze.
Extimum: "It's still early—you shouldn't lose hope so quickly. Even if there's no guaranteed solution, that doesn't mean one doesn't exist. Every spell must have a counter-spell. And besides… this isn't like you. You can't just let yourself fall apart. You'll make yourself sick."
Daphne: "You're right… but who's falling apart? I'm just a little worried. The letter was a bit of a shock, that's all." She responded, having recovered some of her usual serenity and elegance.
Extimum: "Really? Because no matter how indifferent your words or expression seem… I can still see it. I can feel it. Sadness… despair… helplessness… loneliness… You can't hide that from me. How can you live like that?"
"You know, I really can't promise you anything—I wish I could, but that would be dishonest. Still, if you'll let me, I can try to help. Find a cure, a counter-spell. So… cheer up. Stand tall and fight. Because you don't have to face this alone."
Extimum spoke slowly, carefully, each word carrying more emotion than his typically neutral voice usually allowed.
Perhaps he had let himself be influenced by his emotions more than usual—or maybe he had seen parts of himself reflected in her situation.
Daphne seemed to calm her chaotic emotions as she felt herself suddenly enveloped by a wave of peace and understanding. Even so, she still felt sadness—but when she heard Extimum's words, her previously stone-like expression seemed to crack. And though she really wanted to, she didn't cry.
The soothing aura and her own pride wouldn't allow it. That said, she couldn't stop her eyes from becoming glassy and slightly red. So, she hid her face against Extimum's chest, refusing to let anyone see her in such an emotional state.
While she kept her face pressed against his chest, the scene remained silent and serene between them. Even the surrounding sounds seemed to fade, and the presence of both figures blurred in the perception of the other students.
Extimum, for his part, said nothing more—he simply stayed with her in silence. It remained that way until Daphne finally lifted her face a while later, much calmer.
Daphne: "Thank you. You're right—I can't drown in these depressing thoughts. I have to find a way to help my sister. I'll take my leave for now. We'll talk later." Daphne left quickly after that.
Extimum (thinking):Well, that wasn't exactly what I had planned when I came here, but at least I was able to help her.
Extimum still had his doubts about such a curse.
It wouldn't be an easy task to break it. If the curse had existed for generations, it would be impossible to believe that no one had ever tried to break it before. The fact that it still existed to this day said a lot about the strength and skill of its caster—as well as its complexity.
On the other hand, time itself might work in their favor. Perhaps the curse had weakened, or maybe new methods had been discovered as times changed. Or so he hoped. Curses had always been one of the most tightly guarded and feared branches of magic.
Looking around, Extimum wondered when Draco or someone else he knew would arrive. Since Tracey wasn't with Daphne, she was likely somewhere else. As for Pansy, she was probably with Draco—and although she wasn't yet madly in love with him, Extimum had already noticed a bit of fanaticism on her part. As for other Slytherin students... he wasn't very close to them.
Luckily, it seemed his thoughts were heard, because a few minutes later, Draco entered the common room from the dungeons, accompanied as always by Crabbe and Goyle, and with the addition of Pansy trailing not far behind.
Wanting to lighten his own mood, Extimum decided to have a little fun. He waited until they were all seated and then, using his illusion magic, sat silently next to Draco.
Extimum wondered when he had started to enjoy startling or surprising people so much—he wasn't someone known for playing pranks. Yet lately, it seemed he was getting a kick out of it.
Pansy: "Hey, Draco, when are we going to bother Longbottom again?"
Draco: "Later. We've been a bit too intense these past few days. We should let him rest—otherwise, how could we keep bothering him?"
Extimum: "Wow, you really are mean to poor Longbottom."
Ahhh!
Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle all nearly jumped out of their seats the moment they heard and felt someone right next to them. Draco and Pansy, being closest, couldn't help but leap in shock and surprise.
Draco: "Merlin! Are you trying to give us a heart attack?" Draco quickly recovered, ignoring his earlier scream and exclaimed,"Wait—how did you get in here, Extimum?"
Extimum: "Ah, I dressed like a Slytherin and they let me in."
His answer clearly didn't convince anyone, but before they could respond, Extimum spoke again.
Extimum: "Alright, setting that aside—I came to thank you for last time. It would be rude of me to have delayed it any longer, but here I am today."
Draco: "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. After all… we're… friends… right?" Draco said hesitantly, unsure of his own statement but with a touch of hope.
Extimum: "Of course. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here otherwise."
Crabbe: "Huh, but you hang around with Potter and his group."
Goyle: "Yeah, how do we know you're being honest?"
Draco: "You two…" Draco was a bit annoyed at his friends' comments but was interrupted before he could say more.
Extimum: "It's a fair point—I might seem untrustworthy if you judge me by my relationship with them. But don't forget, I'm actually a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor. And on the other hand, there isn't much I'd gain by pretending to be friendly with you all if I had some hidden motive."
From one perspective, Extimum's behavior could be seen as hypocritical—after all, he was socializing with both Gryffindors and Slytherins. But Extimum saw things differently. To him, house rivalries were just traditions taken too far.
They were all Hogwarts students in the end. The purpose of the house divisions should be to group students with similar values and worldviews—and to foster competition and school spirit.
Besides, Hogwarts was one of the few schools that even had house divisions. It might be the only one, except for Ilvermorny or another unknown one. And while the division had its benefits, it also weakened their unity as a magical school.
On another note, while his behavior might not be well received by all house members, that's where politics and charisma came into play.
Extimum, in one way or another, was influenced either by his family's reputation or their teachings. The same could be said for other students—many maintained good relationships for political reasons. But it was Extimum's charisma and cleverness in dealing with everyone that kept people comfortable with his cross-house friendships.
Pansy: "Alright, don't fight about that. What matters is that Extimum came here to be with us—which means he's one of ours."
Draco: "You're right."
After that, Extimum spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with the group and playing a few games.
--Dracos's Pov--.
As the only son and heir of one of the oldest and wealthiest pure-blood families, Draco Malfoy was raised in an environment where it was lamented that the Dark Lord had not succeeded in taking power in the wizarding world. Since he could remember, he had primarily associated with the children of his father's ex-Death Eater friends.
Draco's role model was the most impressive person he knew—his father—and he based most of his behavior on him.
Like any other child Harry Potter's age, Draco grew up hearing stories about "The Boy Who Lived."
Given Potter's great fame and mysterious background, Draco's father, Lucius, hoped that Harry Potter could become a great champion of the pure-blood cause and help reestablish control over magical Britain.
This hope was fueled by rumors and theories that had spread for years—claiming that Harry Potter had survived a surely fatal attack, and that perhaps he was a great dark wizard who had withdrawn from magical society for that very reason.
Such rumors and fame could be quite advantageous if used properly. That was why, knowing he wouldn't be doing anything his father would disapprove of, and hoping to have interesting news to send home, Draco Malfoy had always wanted to meet Harry Potter once they arrived at Hogwarts.
However, reality turned out differently. When he finally introduced himself formally to Harry Potter, he was rejected—in front of everyone—and for someone from a poor, blood-traitor family like the Weasleys, no less.
That act naturally sparked a deep hatred toward Harry Potter.
On the other hand, not everything seemed to be going badly for Draco. Though he had some conflicts with Potter, there was still the heir of the Enoch family.
He had already had a chance to meet him earlier, so getting close to him might not be too difficult. And although his father had no connections—and wouldn't dare to seek any—with the Enoch family, he would certainly be pleased if Draco managed to establish a good relationship with them.
However, it was both a surprise and an annoyance to see that the Enoch heir, Extimum, was spending time with Potter and Weasley—the same Weasley with whom Draco already had a strained relationship.
That situation only made him more irritable. Why would someone from a great family like Extimum associate with a Weasley and with Potter, who had dared to reject him?
Beyond that, Draco hadn't really made many real friends—at least none that truly felt genuine.
Crabbe and Goyle had gravitated toward him easily, and although they were his friends, they were also incredibly dim-witted and seemed more like followers. Draco sometimes doubted whether they were truly friends or just following family instructions.
He also had a connection with Pansy Parkinson, but she, too, was a bit foolish—and a little crazy. She seemed to have an obsessive admiration for him that Draco found exhausting.
He had tried forming connections with others, but it hadn't gone very well. A good example was Daphne Greengrass, who treated him coldly and indifferently, ignoring him outright—which annoyed him.
His general relationship with the Slytherin house was good, thanks to his family's fame. He might not have been the most respected due to being a first-year, but given his personality and alignment with house ideals, he quickly gained influence and recognition. This led him to associate with others like Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, who were also pure-blood supremacists.
All that said, Draco wasn't truly alone and was quite well established within Slytherin. However, he still hadn't found a friend he could consider real or trustworthy.
His current relationships didn't bother him, since they were with people who shared his views or offered useful political and social connections—but none of them felt like equals.
That's why he had originally wanted to befriend Potter—he saw him as worthy. But after being rejected, there weren't many other options.
However, before Christmas, Extimum had suddenly begun interacting more with Slytherin students and seemed to have a good relationship with Daphne's group—which included Pansy.
After that, he even socialized with others—and eventually approached Draco himself.
That development surprised him. Since Extimum had been sorted into Ravenclaw, Draco had expected it to be harder to get close to him. And when he started spending time with Gryffindors—even worse, with Potter—Draco was convinced he'd be ignored.
Draco fully expected to be given the cold shoulder, but to his surprise, Extimum didn't seem to care about those things. He treated him normally—as if none of that mattered. In fact, day by day, he seemed more willing to ease the tension between them and even become friends.
Draco had accepted at first with considerable suspicion, doubting his motives—but over time, he realized that Extimum integrated into Slytherin far too easily once Draco let him in. Not only had he gained the recognition of most of the house, but the overall atmosphere among them had become more pleasant, too.
As the days passed, Draco slowly lowered his guard and began considering whether he should also try becoming his friend. He even sent him a nice Christmas gift—he had asked Pansy for advice, and she gave him a good suggestion.
Finally, the chance to strengthen their friendship came when he had followed Potter's trio and discovered the dragon. At first, he had decided to report them to McGonagall, the Gryffindor head of house. He knew Extimum wouldn't personally care if they got caught, and he'd seen Extimum's methods—he could easily disappear and not get into trouble.
However, just as he was preparing to flee the scene, he changed his mind. This would be a good opportunity to show good will and secure the chance of becoming Extimum's friend—even if it meant forgiving Potter this one time.
So today, when Extimum suddenly appeared and explained the reason for his visit, Draco had been genuinely excited.
--End Pov--.
[This POV was more of an introduction to Draco, so there was no first-person comment.]
[This chapter is a test. Do you think it looks better with boldface on the names of the people speaking? I feel like the emphasis isn't bad at all, but there are already too many chapters to change that. Still, since this came up by chance, I wanted to leave it here to get your opinion. The new chapters (60+) could be like this.]