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Bella doesn't hear anything from the librarian, and, when she checks in, is told that there is nothing - no expert faculty, no further available books, no correspondence course, nothing. The librarian does at least seem sympathetic. Bella is unhappy. She reads all the books on Occlumency, finds no clues, and tentatively gives up in the face of so much else to do. Her theory teacher, a Scottish import who takes a liking to her, calls her "his little Ravenclaw", which Bella looks up and determines to be a compliment.
She meets the library elves - Mith, Kay, and their small child who nonetheless does a prodigious amount of work, Hazzy. They are friendly, but don't seem to really understand her questions about them; at any rate no one seems to be gratuitously abusing them beyond allowing them their work, so she solicits their invaluable services in book-hunting.
Meanwhile, Sherlock settles into an unschedule. He's allowed the sleeping potion twice weekly to avoid dependence and excess side effects, and uses it Tuesdays and Thursdays; on weekends, Bella tries to absent herself from the room as much of the day as possible to let him catch up, and she does the same thing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in the afternoons. Sometimes she sleeps over in Tony's room, but this leaves her with an awful crick in her back even after she learns a Cushioning Charm, and she doesn't like to do it more than once or twice weekly.
Bella's birthday arrives, and Euterpe comes in with gifts from home - arm-warmers and candy and a calligraphy kit from Renée, a book and money "because I don't know what you need where you are" from Charlie. She does not get a broom from Tony. She did not really expect a broom from Tony, especially after ceasing to be her roommate, so she doesn't sulk or even comment.
Sherlock gets her a present, though, and if it's not quite better than a broom it's at least close. It appears on her desk, which narrows down the suspects, and he admits it when she asks, and it's a book on something called -
The Philosopher's Stone.
It doesn't have a recipe. No one knows the recipe. But it has lots of stuff about it.
Bella makes up her mind to become much more attentive in Potions.
And Sherlock gets very, very hugged.
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occluminous
occluminous
"Well, I mean, I could think of something! Or you could tell me something you want," Bella says.
"I don't think I really want any stuff," says Feral. "But I'll let you know if I think of anything."
occluminous
"Okay," Bella says. "If nothing else, Christmas is the same for everyone!"
"...who celebrates it," he tacks on.
occluminous
"Even people who don't celebrate it are not-celebrating on the same day," says Bella. "I just meant the date."
"Okay," says Feral. "Don't get me Christmas presents."
He smiles at her. "Thanks."
"'Cause I don't," he says. "I don't really like Christmas."
"I just don't."
occluminous
Bella shrugs. She writes down no Christmas present for Feral in her notebook. "Okay. Guess what Sherlock got me!"
"No idea!" says Feral.
occluminous
"It's a book about a thing called the Philosopher's Stone and it does immortality! It doesn't say how to make it, but it has lots of other stuff about it, and it sounds like it's probably real," says Bella.
"Cool. I wonder what's wrong with 'em."
occluminous
"It does say they're very hard to make and the only known maker gave it up and died a few years back," says Bella. "So it doesn't do immortality immortality, just, like, eternal youth if you keep using it. But he lived to be more than six centuries old first, with his wife, so I don't think it can be too bad."
"Six centuries ain't bad," he agrees. "Think you can make one?"
occluminous
"I don't know, but I'm going to work really hard in Potions."
He laughs. "Good luck!"
occluminous
"I don't think making soap and boil cures is going to be all that applicable to making a Philosopher's Stone but there's probably some underlying principles that will be handy," says Bella.
"Yep," says Feral. "Plus, if you live forever, you're gonna need a lot of soap."
"Yeah, but if you get good at making it yourself you'll probably like it better than stuff you just buy, right?"
occluminous
"Yeah, there's that, all kinds of stuff I could custom-make instead of having to find a kind I like in the store," says Bella. "I like the shampoo we did, it makes my hair behave itself really well. Magic in general is really convenient, I'm gonna be upset when it's summer and I'm not allowed to do any, I think that's a dumb rule."