London, King Cross Station, platform 9 ¾, Night.
** Chussss **
Small clouds of steam escaped from the locomotive, which had just come to a stop at the station, as a stream of children and teenagers poured out of the train cars.
As he stepped off the train, Extimum let out a warm breath that formed a faint cloud of vapor in front of his face before quickly dissipating into the cold night air.
Hours earlier, heavy rain had accompanied the students on their journey back, causing the temperature to drop by several more degrees.
The contrast between the warm atmosphere inside the train and the cold outside did not take long to make itself felt. As the chilly night wind struck the students' faces, many of them shivered slightly and hurried to take their coats out of their luggage.
Ignoring the cold air brushing against his face, Extimum moved forward while pulling a single, albeit bulky, suitcase. He made his way through the crowd gathered near the train car exits with little difficulty.
After maneuvering through the crowd for a few moments, he finally managed to move away from the area near the train.
Extimum: 'Paying a few hundred more to have this suitcase enchanted with an Expansion Charm was definitely not a waste of money.'
The difference between Extimum, who was pulling a single suitcase, and the rest of the children, who were pushing carts loaded with several, was obvious.
Upon reaching a less crowded area, Extimum stopped, released the handle of his suitcase, and stretched his body slightly. Small traces of laziness and sleepiness slipping away from him.
The gentle tapping of the wind against the windows, the distant sound of the locomotive, the screeching of the wheels along the tracks, and the raindrops washing over everything beneath the night sky… All of it, blending with the long passage of the journey, had created a symphony perfectly suited for sleep.
After spending some time reading and talking with all his friends, the second half of the journey had been a brief trip into the arms of Morpheus.
As he brushed away the last traces of drowsiness still lingering within him, Extimum's gaze eventually fell, consciously or unconsciously, upon the train.
The stream of students descending from the train cars was growing smaller and smaller. Some pushed carts loaded with luggage, while others gathered in small groups alongside their families: mothers, fathers, siblings, and, in some cases, uncles and grandparents.
Everyone shared a warm reunion after months—or even an entire year—apart.
There were a few exceptions, of course: children reuniting with their orphanage caretakers or guardians. In those cases, the flame was less warm, but the warmth remained the same.
**~Fuuuu~**
A gentle gust of cold air swept through the station, stirring the trench coats and jackets of those gathered there.
** Breathing **
**Exhaling **
Along with the cold breeze, an imperceptible warmth flowed through the air. It carried a sweet, though fleeting, taste, filled with the happiness of reunion and familial love.
His brief blink lasted longer than usual beneath the breeze, as that feeling merged with the tranquil pond of his heart.
Extimum's figure appeared lonely, standing in the middle of the open space where he had stopped, with no one around him.
His silhouette, dressed in light clothing and without a coat despite the cold night, stood out noticeably and drew a few fleeting glances in his direction.
Bloom: 'UahhhYawn Are we here already?'
[This is strange, on three different occasions I read the yawn and I yawn :v]
Extimum: 'Yes, we are already on platform 9 ¾'.
Bloom: 'It's about time, the trip felt eternal. Well, what are we waiting for? Why don't we go home?'
'Even though you spent most of the trip sleeping...'. He thought to himself before answering:
'I was just observing the landscape a little, but it's time to go back.'
"Bo-"
???: "Oh, if it isn't Extimum. You've grown since the last time I saw you. I hope you've been well."
A familiar male voice came from behind Extimum.
Turning around, Extimum saw a tall, brown-haired man dressed in a suit, a gray overcoat, and a red scarf. He had a kind face and neatly styled hair.
Extimum: "Good evening, Mr. Granger. I've been well, thank you for asking. And yourself?"
Stuart Granger: "Hoho, always so formal. You're making me feel a little embarrassed. I've been doing quite well too. What are you doing here? Are you waiting for your parents?"
Extimum: "You don't have to feel that way, Mr. Granger. It's simply the way I am; there's nothing wrong with being a little more informal. By the way, are you looking for Hermione? She got off the train a little while ago."
Extimum subtly changed the subject.
Stuart: "Oh, no. Actually, my wife went to find her first while I parked the car. So, I suppose they must already be together by now.
"That said, I don't know exactly where they are, but they shouldn't be too far away. The platform isn't that large, and we agreed to meet somewhere nearby.
"By the way, aren't you cold? You're dressed rather lightly for this weather. If you'd like, I can lend you a coat. I brought two because I get cold rather easily."
Extimum: "That won't be necessary, but I appreciate the offer. I'm not cold, actually. On the contrary, I feel quite comfortable. You could consider it a family trait."
Stuart: "Oh! I see."
Stuart showed a sympathetic smile, the moment his mind moved to magic, everything made sense and he didn't ask any more questions.
Extimum could see at a glance what he was thinking and although it wasn't exactly like that, he didn't bother to correct it either.
Stuart: "Ah! I hadn't noticed Bloom was with you too. Good evening to you as well, Bloom."
** Ting Bell-like chime **
"The last time I saw her, I didn't get a chance to look at her very closely, but now that I can see her up close, she seems even brighter and more beautiful than before. I still find it magical and fascinating that she's a real fairy… and that fairies exist at all.
You know, my grandmother used to tell me stories about fairies when I was little. There was one in particular that she always told me.
It was a story from her childhood.
She told me that one day, while she was playing in the woods near her parents' farm, she saw a small, flickering light fly past her. At first, she thought it might have been a firefly or a butterfly. She even began to wonder if she was hallucinating because of how intensely hot it was that day.
Even so, driven by curiosity, she decided to follow the direction in which she had seen the light disappear and ventured deeper and deeper into the woods.
Every now and then, she caught sight of another brief flicker among the trees. The shade cast by the forest made the light stand out more clearly, and the longer she followed it, the more convinced she became that it was real.
At some point, she lost sight of the light and began searching around, hoping to find where it had come from. She continued looking for a while, but found nothing and eventually grew bored.
She was about to head back, afraid that she might get lost, when she finally saw it.
Resting atop a fallen log covered in moss was a small creature with butterfly-like wings. Its body gave off a faint, magical glow.
It was a fairy.
It was unconscious, with visible injuries all over its body.
My grandmother picked it up and took it home. She hid it in her room and cared for it until it recovered. She used to tell me little stories about the time she spent looking after it, until the fairy felt well enough to leave.
But what she loved remembering most was how the fairy would return from time to time to visit her. It continued doing so even after my grandmother grew into an adult and, later, throughout her old age.
Sometimes, it brought her gifts. Other times, it simply stayed to spend time with her.
Back then, I didn't believe her. I thought they were just the usual stories grandparents told, or that my grandmother simply enjoyed making up tales to keep me entertained while I spent time with her.
But now, after seeing a fairy here and discovering the magical world through my daughter, I can't help but wonder whether my grandmother might have been telling the truth…
Although I also realize that perhaps the story wasn't entirely true. After all, according to my grandmother, that fairy could speak just like we do."
Stuart fell silent for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.
"Anyway, forgive me if I've gone on for too long, Extimum."
Bloom: 'Extimum...'.
Extimum: 'I know.'
"Don't worry about it. A pleasant conversation is always worth listening to, especially when the company is good. Besides, perhaps the fairy from your grandmother's story really was real. While it's true that modern fairies can no longer speak as we do, some records confirm that a few of them could in the past. Perhaps your grandmother truly did meet a fairy like that."
Stuart: "Really? Is that so? I'm very happy to hear that. It could mean that the fairy from her stories was real after all. It's truly comforting…" — Lowering his voice until it was barely more than a murmur — "to know that during her final days, she was never alone, just as she wrote in her last note."
A complex look briefly crossed his eyes, filled with what seemed like relief and regret.
Extimum: "If I may ask, where did your grandmother live?"
Stuart: "Ah, it's not inconvenient. She lived in a somewhat remote area of the city, in...".
Extimum carefully remembered the address, perhaps thinking of stopping by at some point during the holidays. He knew that the premise that there might still be other ancient fairies was important to Bloom, even though she knew that even if there were, it was impossible for her to meet someone she knew.
???: "Stuart! I finally find you, where have you been? I thought you would find me before or we would meet outside the entrance to the platform."
Stuart: "Oh, Wendy dear, I'm sorry, I ran into Extimum on the way and stopped to chat with him for a moment."
Wendy: "Extimum? Oh, Extimum, Hello! I haven't seen you. How have you been? Did you do well this school year?"
Extimum: "Hello, Mrs. Granger, I've been doing well, thank you. As for my studies, I did well, it was a pretty productive year."
Wendy: "That's good, that's good, but-Oh, why are you going so light? You should cover up better, it's getting really cold. Stuart, dear, didn't you say anything to him or did you lend him one of your coats?"
Stuart: "Dear I-."
Extimum: "I appreciate your consideration, Mrs. Granger, but there's no need to bother. Mr. Granger had already made me the offer before, however, despite the weather, I don't feel cold and if necessary, I still have a coat in my luggage".
Wendy: "Still..." She didn't seem entirely convinced.
Stuart: "Wendy."
Sensing that his wife was being too pushy, Stuart called her softly and gave her a suggestive look.
Being too insistent would turn good will into annoyance.
Wendy: "Okay, by the way, aren't your parents here yet, Extimum? It's already a little late."
Extimum: "Ah, don't worry about it, I was actually leaving, I just stayed a little longer since I was a little lost in thought and then I entertained myself talking to Mr. Granger. But looking at the time, it's like you say, so it would be best to say goodbye here. I hope to see you again later if there is the opportunity, Mr. and Mrs. Granger."
Wendy: "Always so polite. In that case, I hope I didn't keep you too long, it would be rude of us if we actually made you keep your parents waiting."
Extimum: "Ah, you don't have to worry Mrs. Granger. My parents couldn't be present today, so it's no problem. Well, if you'll excuse me." Finishing there, Extimum turned to go to a secluded place and call Bob.
He could call him here, but it would be a little too flashy.
Wendy and Stuart shared a look with each other upon hearing his words. For a few seconds it was like they were having a tough silent battle, before finally Stuart sighed as if he had lost and Wendy smiled slightly.
Extimum had only turned and taken two steps forward when he stopped.
Stuart: "*Ahem* Extimum, if you want, can we take you home?"
Extimum: "Huh?" The offer caught him by surprise.
Stuart: "It's getting a bit late. If your parents can't make it right now, why not let us give you a ride home? We can call your parents to inform them. After all, heading out alone in the city at this hour can be risky, and I'm sure your parents would feel much more at ease if you could get home earlier."
Extimum: "I appreciate your offer, but I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible. My house is in Northumberland, and it's quite a distance from here. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. Also, I'm guessing you haven't had dinner yet, so I wouldn't want to impose."
Stuart: "Northumberland Eh… it's certainly far away, in that case it would be-."
Wendy: "That being the case, why don't you come have dinner with us Extimum? We don't live that far away, you can stay at our house tonight. This way, tomorrow we could take you to your house or even your parents could come pick you up and considering the distance, I don't think your parents would refuse, after all, I would be worried if my son had to travel so far alone."
Extimum: "Thank you, but it's not necessary, I can go back easily, besides, my parents don't use phones...".
Stuart: "Ah! That's right, for a moment we forgot that wizards don't use phones. Well, in that case, it would be difficult to get your parents' permission-."
Wendy: "Okay, in that case we won't insist any further, however, Extimum, you should consider it well, after all, it is just as you said, the trip is a bit long and you haven't had dinner either, besides, it's already quite late and the streets can be dangerous.
We don't live too far away in comparison and if your parents don't use phones we could just send them a letter right? You can also keep Hermione company, plus we have a guest room that we rarely use and my kitchen is pretty good. I'm sure your parents will be more relieved if we take you early tomorrow instead of having you travel alone at night."
Extimum: "This..."
Extimum was somewhat speechless. Wendy's words seemed quite rational and objectively he had no reason to so insistently reject their kindness, well, that was of course, if you discounted the fact that he only needed to make the call and in a few seconds he would be in front of his house.
Bloom: 'You shouldn't have said you were going alone.'
Extimum: 'I did not think that my lighthearted comment would lead to this development...'.
He thought for a moment.
He didn't want to come across as rude by repeatedly rejecting their kindness, especially when he could clearly sense their good intentions in the offer. This was particularly true for Wendy, who made no effort to hide her concern for him. After all, from a non-magical external perspective, they had reasons to worry.
Hermione: "So here they were! Mum, Dad, what's taking you so long?"
Just as Extimum was about to make a decision, Hermione's voice interrupted the words that were already on the verge of leaving his mouth.
After reuniting with her mother and getting ready to leave, they realized that her father was nowhere to be found. Because of that, Wendy left Hermione sitting on a bench with the luggage while she went to look for him.
However, several minutes had already passed and she still had not returned, despite the fact that the platform was not very large and her father was supposed to have arrived already.
Feeling her impatience beginning to grow, Hermione took hold of her luggage cart and followed the path where she had seen her mother disappear.
Wendy: "Ah, Hermione, it's just that we ran into Extimum and found out that he was actually going off on his own and we're kind of worried, so I wanted to invite him to our house for dinner and spend the night."
Hermione: "Extimum?"
Turning her gaze, Hermione noticed Extimum's figure a few steps away from her parents.
Extimum looked at her with what he thought was an awkward smile, though outwardly he appeared unchanged. He had already bid her farewell before getting off the train, and they had taken separate paths as she, like the others, headed to the cargo area.
Hermione: "Will he go away on his own? Is that true?" Hermione looked at Extimum strangely, thinking about it, she had not seen Extimum leave before, nor her parents.
Extimum: "Yes, but-".
Hermione: "In that case, why don't you accept the invitation? We could spend a little more time together before we go our separate ways for the summer holidays. Besides, my mom's cooking is delicious, I assure you!"
Extimum: "...Okay." Although he had been about to tell them that he simply had to call his house elf, he finally gave up, anyway, it shouldn't be a bad experience.
Upon seeing Extimum agree, Wendy winked at Hermione with a smile.
Hermione looked at her with some confusion in response to her gesture.
…
After agreeing, Extimum followed them mostly in silence, occasionally exchanging a word or two as they walked out of the station and into the parking area.
Meanwhile, Hermione spoke to him excitedly about something called a sleepover.
After waiting for a few minutes at the parking lot entrance, Mr. Granger emerged driving a Bentley Continental R.
Stuart: "What do you think of our car, Extimum? Not bad, right? Although it doesn't fly, it's one of the fastest on the current market."
Wendy: "Here we go again..."
Extimum: "It's a nice car." Giving him a brief glance, he commented.
The car was black and seemed perfectly polished, demonstrating the great passion of its owner for it.
Stuart: "Right?" — While everyone was getting into the car, he continued talking. — "And the best part is that I got it at a low price. A friend of mine bought it as soon as it came out at the dealership, but after driving it for a few months, he realized he didn't really like it. So he called me and offered it to me at a low price as long as I took it off his hands. Sigh What a waste. Anyway, this vehicle has the latest engine technology, with a turbocharged V8 engine, and that's not even mentioning..."
Extimum blinked slightly. While driving, Mr. Granger seemed tireless in his explanations and admiration of the car. Mrs. Granger, sitting beside him, already seemed used to it and simply looked out the window.
Bloom: 'What is a turbocharged V8 engine?'
Extimum: 'I have no idea.'
Hermione: "Dad... cars aren't really a thing in the wizarding world, and even outside of it, I doubt many kids our age would even know what you're talking about..."
Extimum did not comment on it, but gave his silent agreement.
Stuart: "Oh, that's..." Stuart stopped talking somewhat awkwardly, seeing how Extimum actually seemed quite silent and that his wife next to him gave him a tired look.
Wendy: "I better put on some music, I have some pretty good ones here."
…
Between listening to Mrs. Granger occasionally sing along to some songs from the tape she had put on, gazing out the window, and chatting with Hermione, time flew by in the blink of an eye.
The car finally slowed down on a residential street, and shortly after, it parked in front of a house's garage.
Extimum opened the door and got out of the car. The street was silent, a sign of the depth of the night and only some houses still had their lights on.
Hermione: "Come on, Extimum, let's go inside, it's getting really cold out here."
Extimum: "Yes, just wait under my suitcase."
Hermione: "Don't worry, just leave it there, my dad will take them down right now, better let me show you my house."
Extimum: "Alright."
After thinking about it briefly, he didn't believe it was the most appropriate choice, but Hermione didn't give him enough time to even approach the trunk of the vehicle before pulling him toward the house.
Wendy had already opened the door, so they entered immediately.
The entryway was softly illuminated by a modern chandelier that cast small golden reflections across the warmly painted walls. The tall windows framed the dark night outside, adding a sense of serenity to the atmosphere.
A subtle scent of vanilla and cinnamon lingered in the air, coming from a scented candle burning on a nearby small table. Extimum could sense the warmth of a home prepared to welcome them back.
Hermione guided him through a side hallway decorated with carefully framed family photographs and a small collection of paintings. Each image seemed to tell a story, and Extimum couldn't help but slow his pace slightly to observe them in greater detail.
At the end of the hallway, they reached a smaller room where the dining area was located, while part of the kitchen could be seen through a nearby opening.
Wendy: "Sweetheart, I'll go ahead to heat up dinner. Don't forget to bring down all of Hermione's suitcases, not like the last time when we spent a whole week looking for where her books ended up."
Stuart: "I'm on it." Mr. Granger entered the house with his arms full of suitcases. Two large suitcases, one in each hand, and two smaller ones hanging from his neck by their straps.
Extimum: "Do you need help, Mr. Granger?"
Stuart: "Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm used to it anyway. Hermione always brings a lot of stuff, which translates to more suitcases."
Hermione: "Come, Extimum, I'll show you the rest of the house, and then the room where you'll be staying."
"This is the backyard; here, I planted some potion plants to see if they could grow... though, as you can see, I haven't had much luck."
Following Hermione, Extimum took a quick tour of the two floors of the house before finally stopping in front of one of the bedrooms on the second floor.
Upon entering, he noticed that Mr. Granger had already left his suitcase there. The room was not particularly large, but it had enough space for what was needed: a bed, a nightstand, a wardrobe, and a small desk.
As he looked around the room more carefully, he finally understood the strange feeling he had been experiencing since he arrived.
Everything was… too small.
Not that the place was cramped or genuinely small. It was simply that even the bathroom in his own house was larger than this room, and from what he had seen, the difference between this one and the other bedrooms was not that significant either, with the exception of the master bedroom.
Hermione: "What do you think?"
Extimum: "It's...cozy."
Hermione: "Right? I helped myself when we were decorating and organizing the furniture in this house, what do you think Bloom?"
Bloom: "Your house is very pretty, I especially like the relief on the walls, it gives it a modern feel."
Hermione: "Yes, I thought the same, that's why I insistently suggested it to my mom, although she was quite reluctant to listen to me."
Wendy: "Hermione, Extimum, come down to dinner!"
Hermione: "Dinner's ready, let's go."
Leaving the room they walked down a short hallway until they reached the stairs.
Bloom: 'Aren't you a little quiet?'
Extimum: 'Hmm? Seem to you?'.
Bloom: 'Yes, you usually talk more, especially when you go to new places, maybe you have something on your mind?'
Extimum: 'It just seems to you, I'm not thinking about anything.'
Bloom: 'No, there's definitely something... Is it the house?'
Extimum: 'What are you talking about?'
Bloom: 'On second thought, it can be considered quite small in comparison. Both the house here in the UK and the one in China were quite large and in fact using the term 'house' to describe them is not appropriate.'
Extimum: 'I tell you that's not it'
Bloom: 'No, it has to be that, there can't be anything else here that's making you uncomfortable.'
Extimum: '*sigh* You're getting a little too perceptive, I'll have to keep you away from Luna for a while.'
Bloom: 'What? Why?'
Extimum: 'You know too much'
Bloom: 'So what? What will you do?'.
Extimum: 'Hmm, I wonder...'.
Bloom: 'Wait, that phrase, I think I've heard it somewhere.'
Extimum: 'Which phrase? Are you imagining things now?'
Bloom: 'No, I'm sure I heard it somewhere, but I don't remember...'
Extimum: 'So, you don't feel uncomfortable with the house?'
Bloom: "Where? Where have I heard it before?... No, I'd say a house like this actually feels more familiar, more like mine before..."
Stuart: "Extimum, take a seat, my wife will be here shortly with the dishes."
Extimum: 'Don't think too much about it, now you're here and you have me'
Bloom: 'Yes.'
Wendy: "Alright, it's done. My best dish, I prepared it in celebration of Hermione's return today, and now with you here, Extimum, it will be a welcome for both of you."
Hermione: "Lasagna!"
A fragrant aroma of cheese and condiments filled the dining room as plates with portions of lasagna were served in front of everyone.
Stuart: "Ah, I can already sense it from the smell; it turned out magnificent as always, dear."
Wendy: "Thank you, but tell me that after trying it. Well, let's have dinner."
Bloom stared at the portion of lasagna served on a small plate where desserts were usually served.
Extimum: 'Stop looking at him that way or you'll start drooling.'
Bloom: 'Don't talk nonsense, I don't drool.' Bloom complained and rushed to grab some plastic cutlery like the ones children used to play with.
'Hermione's mum is very thoughtful, she even got these little cutlery'
Wendy watched the scene with an amused smile from her seat.
Focusing on his meal as well, Extimum picked up the knife and fork, cut a bite, and brought it to his mouth.
A taste of pasta, sauce, and cheese filled his senses.
**Munch munch mun...ch...** **Gulp**
Extimum's hands, which had already hurried to cut another piece, stopped for an almost imperceptible moment... before moving again and bringing another portion to his mouth.
His eyelids trembled slightly as he chewed the new bite.
Wendy: "How is it? Is it tasty, Extimum?"
Extimum: "Yes, it's delicious."
Wendy: "I'm glad to hear you like it."
Wendy showed a pleased smile upon hearing his compliment.
Although she was quite confident in her cooking, it was always nice to receive an opinion that did not come from her own family.
Briefly lost in her satisfaction, she observed the strangely elegant and measured way Extimum ate.
'Wow... I didn't know someone could actually look good just by eating.'
There was nothing particularly special about it, but his simple manners somehow appeared refined and harmonious.
Under Wendy's attentive yet unnoticed gaze, Extimum continued eating. A small drop of sweat slid down the side of his forehead, while the slight tremor in his eyelids gradually turned into a faint wrinkle on his brow.
**Mun…ch… mun…ch… mun…ch…**
Since everyone was focused on their meals and the reaction had been so subtle, no one noticed the small changes that were beginning to become apparent in Extimum's behavior.
Although the movement was gentle, the pressure his hand exerted on the fork was beginning to approach the limit of what was tolerable.
Slightly narrowing his gaze, Extimum looked seriously at the plate of lasagna, of which he had barely eaten a quarter.
Extimum: "Excuse me for a moment."
Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he placed his cutlery on the plate and stood up from his chair.
At a moderate pace, he walked toward the bathroom located near the stairs leading to the second floor. Upon reaching the door, he entered and closed it behind him.
The moment the lock made a click, it was as if a switch had been activated.
Extimum's face went from green to pale. An acidic taste began rising at the back of his throat, and his expression twisted slightly.
Completely abandoning his previous composure, he hurried toward the toilet, lifted the lid, and...
**Bluerghh** **Guack** **Bluerghh**
"Haaa... Haa..."
**Bluerghh**
**sigh**
Without lifting his face from the toilet, he took a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and wiped his mouth before finally stepping away.
After taking a couple of steps, he leaned against the sink and turned on the faucet.
**Chhh**
Only after splashing some water onto his face and rinsing his mouth did he finally begin to feel calmer.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he couldn't help but show a strange, miserable smile.
Amid all the excitement of something new and the thousands of thoughts running through his mind, he had completely forgotten a small detail.
No matter how delicious the surface aroma seemed or how well-presented the food was, he was incapable of consuming food whose ingredients did not come from the magical world.
To him, food from the Muggle world was comparable to eating something unpleasant, and in large quantities it could even act similarly to a weak poison.
His sickly appearance was proof of that. He had forced himself to eat because he was being watched, but he could no longer keep pretending. If he continued, he might have ended up unable to hold back the nausea or even becoming seriously ill.
It was only after his body had fully processed what he had consumed that the apparent illusion caused by the deliberate reduction of his senses disappeared, causing the full impact of the taste and aroma that only he could perceive to become completely evident.
"Damn, I thought I could hold out and at least finish dinner, but clearly that's not possible. I haven't eaten anything from the muggle world since last time, so I haven't been paying attention to it. Now I have to find a way to get rid of the food unless I want to become intoxicated.
An illusion won't do, although it would get the effect at first, removing the plates would make the illusion disappear and clearly I can't just cast a spell that will make the food disappear."
Several options quickly ran through his head as he analyzed his situation. It wasn't anything too complicated, but he didn't want to seem rude, plus saying that he wasn't hungry or that he had already had his fill clearly wouldn't work with Hermione there.
He hadn't eaten anything on the trip other than some sweets and although he wasn't someone who devoured dishes disproportionately, his appetite wasn't small either.
'Bloom'.
On the other side, in the dining room.
As she continued to enjoy the delicious lasagna, Extimum's voice rang in her head.
'Bloom'.
'Extimum? What happen? Didn't you go to the bathroom?'
Extimum: 'I need your help with something.'
Bloom: 'What's wrong?'
Extimum: "I need you to help me in a small act... I will not return to the dining room, not at least immediately, instead, I will create an illusion of myself which will be the one that will return and continue eating dinner, although it will seem that I am eating and the food will decrease, it will of course be just an illusion. This is where you-"
Bloom: 'Wait, wait, I'm not understanding. Why won't you come back? No, rather, why should you make an illusion of yourself that pretends to eat? Didn't you say before that the food before was delicious? You don't usually waste food like that-'
Extimum: 'I can't eat.'
Bloom: 'Huh? Why not?'. Bloom stopped her hand that was about to put another piece of lasagna in her mouth, clearly taken aback by Extimum's words.
Extimum: 'I can't eat that food'
Bloom: ''What? Why? It's delicious, and besides, we only had some sweets on the train. Aren't you hungry? Are you feeling unwell?''
Extimum: 'It's not that. I hadn't told you before because the opportunity hadn't arisen, but for some reason I can't eat the food of the non-magical world. My body just can't tolerate it, it's almost as bad as eating poison, only incredibly repulsive.'
Bloom: 'How can it be? A few seconds ago, weren't you eating comfortably? Besides, I feel almost no difference with the food we usually eat.'
She did not doubt his words, but she couldn't understand why it was that way.
Extimum: 'I was just pretending. I couldn't just throw up or walk away after just one bite, right?'
Bloom: 'Certainly not...'
Extimum: 'So you understand, now, I'll tell you the details later, for now I need you to listen to me...'.
...
The figure of Extimum returned to the dining room and sat down at the table again, resuming his eating activity.
Bloom glanced briefly at Extimum before returning to her food.
Bloom: 'Your illusions have improved... If you hadn't told me, it's likely that I wouldn't have realized until much later that the Extimum in front of me is fake.' Bloom commented somewhat surprised.
While Extimum's illusions were already highly convincing, it was still easy for her and other magic-sensitive creatures to detect the abnormality. However, now there was no apparent anomaly in the illusion at first glance. As long as no one interacted with him directly, it was likely that no one would realize it was an illusion.
Extimum: 'Yes, after what happened that day...my illusion magic had a slight qualitative improvement, it doesn't seem much different than before or it became stronger, but it definitely now emulates something of the person's essence, as if really was a living being."
Bloom: 'Luckily I can still recognize you if I focus on our bond... '.
Extimum: 'Did you say something?'
Bloom: 'Huh? That? Nothing, I didn't say anything'
Extimum: '…'
Bloom: '…'
After a few minutes, dinner was finally over.
Stuart: "*sigh* See, I told you dear, I don't need to try it to know it was going to be delicious and as satisfying as ever, you should make dishes like this more often."
Wendy: "Hah, you wish, this is only for special occasions. Plus you know that I usually don't have that much time during the week"
Stuart: "Ha... it's true, the dental clinic is very busy these days. But that's good for business"
Wendy: "Alright, I'll gather the plates. Extimum, Hermione..." —Pausing to glance at the watch on her wrist, she continued—" You have one more hour of free time, after that, you must go to bed. Even though you slept during the journey, it's already late."
Hermione: "It's okay, mom."
Extimum: "No problem."
Waving one of his hands, the dining plates floated into the air and were stacked on top of each other with the cutlery on them.
Wendy: "Wow!"
Hermione: "Extimum, we can't do magic outside of Hogwarts!"
Extimum: "Correction, we can't do magic with our wands, but there's nothing stopping you from being able to do it without it. Well, why don't you show me the collection of books you mentioned? Or should we play a board game instead?" .
Bloom took advantage of Wendy's moment of surprise to approach the stacked plates and spilling a little fairy dust, they levitated again, as they headed to the kitchen.
Stuart: "How amazing."
The wonder of the scene pleasantly surprised Stuart as well while he followed Bloom, who was carrying the floating plates toward the kitchen.
Although they had had the opportunity to see magic before, they did not witness it very often. Hermione was not allowed to perform magic at home after leaving Hogwarts, so they only saw the occasional display when they visited Diagon Alley.
Despite how surprising the scene was, Wendy's fingers couldn't help but move unconsciously. Deep down, she was slightly worried that the plates might stop floating due to the strange invisible force holding them up and fall to the floor, breaking. Because of that, she followed her husband into the kitchen, caught between fascination and concern.
The couple's focus on the floating plates completely distracted them from the fact that one plate was missing from the stack.
Hermione: "It's not fair, how can you use magic so well without a wand? I've tried and even getting a slight reaction from magic is incredibly difficult."
Extimum: "You'll learn. With time."
Soon, both of them left the dining room, leaving the place empty.
At some point, a plate of food appeared on the table where there had previously been nothing, before mysteriously disappearing again.