Cross returned to his room and let out his strings, 4 came out and the new one was purple for poison. He smiled and left Blue in the room before coughing out more blood and slamming face first into the ground.
Selena was alarmed and licked his skin anxiously, footsteps were heard and Selena acted like a bracelet, biting on her tail.
Daphne came down and saw Cross, pale on the ground, she ran over and said nervously "Cross! Are you okay?!" Cross was unconscious and Daphne started panicking before bringing him out of Slytherin to the nurse.
Selena followed along, looking around curiously, surprised that her petrification powers seemed to have vanished. Cross wasn't in any condition for questions so she held her tongue as Daphne brought him to the infirmary.
The nurse helped Daphne put Cross on a bed before looking him over and a serious expression appeared on her face as she said "Troublesome indeed..." Daphne said anxiously "What happened?!" the nurse said "Internal problems, seems like he tried to cast a spell he couldn't control. It's not an issue, but he will have to stay here for a while."
Daphne let out a breath of relief and thanked the nurse, who smiled in reply before administering treatment right away and sending Daphne back, promising Cross would be fine.
The next day
Cross was still in the infirmary and healing, but he was unconscious. Astoria, Draco, Daphne, Luna, and Hermione were around his bed and talking to the nurse. Luna was particularly concerned but when she heard that he got internal injuries due to practicing a spell that was above his level, she was angry instead. Though she kept a concerned look on her face through the nurse's explanation.
As the nurse left she dismissed them telling them to get to classes.
Luna looked at Cross with and angry look before leaving with a vacant expression as usual.
A few weeks later
Cross' hair turned red and he slowly opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around before hearing an angry voice say "Is it fun to make other people worry?" Cross looked over and saw Luna, he said "What are you doing here?" Luna said "Obviously watching over you. Who knows what you will do to prove you're an idiot next? Maybe you'll chop off an arm?!"
Cross was startled and said "Why are you so angry?" Luna pulled out a mirror and showed him his hair as she said "Its been 2 weeks, we leave school tomorrow. Everyone thinks you're an idiot for over estimating himself, are you satisfied now?"
Cross was silent and said "Actually, this was an accident.." he touched his arm and felt Selena before letting out a breath of relief. Luna frowned and said "What accident?" Cross shook his head and said "Not here." Luna rolled her eyes and said "Whatever. Let the wraiths have you for all I care." before stomping off angrily.
Cross was dumbfounded, they weren't that close were they? He didn't remember that they were at least.. He stretched his back and said "Selena, what happened?" Selena hissed angrily as well as she said "You're really just a madman aren't you? Why go through all the trouble?!"
Cross smirked and said "I saved you didn't I?" Selena was speechless for a moment before retorting "By severely injuring yourself! You should know that that girl has come every day several times a day. I don't see what's so special about a fool like you, but regardless. The rest of the Humans came by as well."
Cross was surprised and said "She did? We're not that close though.. What is her goal?" Selena was speechless and said "Honestly, are you an idiot? This girl clearly likes you." Cross ignored her and mumbled "It can't be so simple.. Why? My only physical quirk are my ears, otherwise I am practically worse than average."
He frowned and continued "It doesn't make sense." Selena sighed and stopped speaking, this guy gets dumber by the day.
Cross left the bed and walked back to the Slytherin house. He went into his room and was immediately attacked by Carl and Blue. Cross smiled and fed them all before introducing Selena to them. Selena looked at Carl curiously and said "What is this creature?"
Carl said "Hmph, I am the great Carl! The only Honey Badger to evolve past it's normal limits! A little snake dares to speak to me this way?!" Selena was stunned and looked at Cross, who laughed and said "Carl, she's around 20x stronger than you."
Carl coughed and sucked up to Selena saying "Ahh Big sister, do you need anything?" Selena was speechless and Blue landed on Cross' shoulder as she said "He's like this, you get used to it." Selena said "An Ice Phoenix, a strange Badger creature, and a Basilisk..."
Cross smiled proudly and said "Amazing isn't it?" Selena chuckled and said "What are you trying to do, Cross?" Cross said "Nothing. Carl was bought in a store, Blue was a gift and hatched from an egg, and you were found in the Chamber. I don't go looking for you all, you kind of just came to me."
Selena was silent, truly that seemed to be the case. Very strange.
Cross clapped and said "Alright, let's get ready to leave. Again." Carl shrank and entered his shirt pocket, Blue fixed her feathers and stayed on his shoulder, while Selena just coiled round his wrist. Cross packed up all his things in his storage bag and mumbled "I need some kind of space magic..." before teleporting to the Room of Requirement and collecting his string clone.
Cross said "I need beast space magic!" two books fell from the air, Cross caught them and read the titles 'Undetectable extension charms' and 'Atmosphere charms' Cross brought out his clone and started blowing through the books quickly, not having much time to read them as when he leaves the Room of Requirement, he can't take the book with him.
The next day
Cross looked tired but finally finished both books. He collected the string clone and left the Room of Requirement, going to his room before leaving and reappearing in the common room of Slytherin house.
He dragged his tired body to breakfast and started eating, lifelessly. He was ready to leave and experiment at home. Daphne, Draco, Astoria, Luna, and Hermione joined him and started asking him several questions, with the only exception being Luna, who still looked angry as she ate silently only sparing Cross the occasional glance.
Cross answered all their questions as he ate, looking like a zombie. His answers started getting sloppier and they stopped talking to him, thinking he was still injured.
The day went like this until they got to the train.
Cross sat in an empty train cart and leaned his head on the window. Daphne, Astoria, Draco, Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Luna joined him. Cross looked over and thought this was definitely against Hogwarts Express Railways regulations. Too many in a single cart.
He looked around with tired eyes, didn't Draco hate Ron? Why are they friends now? Can't a boy just sleep? Was that so bad?! Luna looked at him and scooted towards him, giving the rest more space as she 'graciously' sacrificed her own space for the others.
Sneaky Luna just wanted to get closer to Cross, who was looking at her. Luna looked back and snorted before turning her head, Cross was amused but too tired to say anything and just groaned before closing his eyes, falling asleep in the noisy illegal train cart with his head on the window.
A while later
Cross woke up and left his shoulder was heavy, he turned his head to see Luna leaning her head on his shoulder and sleeping with a small smile. Cross felt awkward, they still didn't really know each other at all, maybe when he was strong enough to protecting himself they could talk.
But even now, Cross didn't know who she really was. She acted just like he did and put up layers or barriers around herself, confusing people of her true self. Cross could see right through her, as could she. So there was a subtle competition of who will tear their mask off first.
Until one of the Masks came off, there would be nothing more than acquaintances.. or even friends.
Cross shook his shoulder gently, waking Luna up. Luna opened her eyes and blushed for a split second, remembering her actions, before snorting and turning away from him, getting off the train without a word. Cross felt his mouth twitch, what kind of attitude is that? He sighed and shook his head before leaving the train, going back home with Daphne and Astoria.
Cross talked with Marcus, deciding to leave out that he now had a Basilisk with him. Really it wasn't something that needed to be said. It would just cause unnecessary panic, even though Selena was relatively harmless.
Sometimes.
Cross went directly to sleep after getting home, he was still tired from the night before.
The next day
Cross went out and bought several dozen bags and started practicing his Undetectable expansion charms and Atmospheric Charms with them. He was getting to many beasts, soon his wouldn't have enough limbs to hold them all.
He summoned his clone to practice with half the bags as he started the rest.
A month later
Cross was ready to make his own bag. He went out once more and grabbed a two strapped black school bag from a Muggle store before bringing it home. He set down a ritual and cast the Undetectable Extension Charm before chanting in Elven "Protect and cleanse!" a gold aura fell on the bag and the Extension Charm integrated with the bag as well as a blessing from the Tree of Life.
Cross held the bag and nodded, it was untraceable, untrackable, and unnoticeable! Cross held his beasts and stepped inside the bag coming to a giant space, the Tree of Life blessing also expanded the Extension Charm by a large margin.
Cross threw Carl out and cast an Atmospheric Charm on him. The part of the space Carl landed at transformed into a warm rainforest.
Cross let Blue fly to where it wanted to be, which was far away from Carl, before casting an Atmospheric Charm on her as well. The place she chose was turned into a giant frozen Tundra with Ice mountains and some occasional snowfall.
Cross smiled and let Selena choose her own place, she slithered to a nice place near Blue and far away from Carl, the mentality unstable masochistic badger, and Cross threw an Atmospheric Charm on her as well. Selena's habitat was revealed, a large mountain with a giant hole in it leading to a cave system underground.
Cross looked under him and cast an Atmospheric Charm on himself. The entire space, except the already established habitats, turned into a beautiful plain populated with sparse trees. Cross smiled before leaving the bag after telling the three to keep practicing hard and if he says their name they should come out of the bag, or if they wanted to go out to telepathically call him.
The three nodded and returned to their habitats as Cross left the bag.
Cross zipped up the bag and left it to the side of his bed, while he meditated on top of it, determined to unleash the hidden element in his body before he returns to Hogwarts.