Eventually, they agreed to do the Charm on Bloom - mainly because she threatened to do it on her own.
Nobody but Ron, Harry, and Hermione could believe she was serious at first, until she marched over to a bookshelf and started looking through books.
When she found the one she was looking for, Hermione said she'd help her do it - on the condition that she keep herself safe.
So now, literally nobody but her can say they're meeting in the Room of Requirement to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Bloom says "Wait, I think I should do this.
She makes a stack of coins appear in her hands.
"Everybody take a coin! They've got a powerful protection spell on them, and they can summon everyone if you heat it up. Won't melt, won't even get hot for you, but everyone else will get the feeling that they have to find the others. Just in case. Also, they'll multiply according to how many you need. Keep them on you though, won't do you any good if they're in your trunk."
Nobody notices, but Bloom doesn't take a coin - she's more worried about everyone else having some.
Bloom puts the rest of the coins in a small drawer – and then she sways and conjures an apple to eat.
Hermione says "Bloom's magic should feed the spell, so it'll get boosted back to full strength whenever we meet again - and passing her by in the corridors or being in the same class as her should help as well. The spell shouldn't fail unless Bloom seriously drains herself enough to pass out - like she did last year."
Seamus asks "That's why she slept for three days straight?!"
Ron says "Yeah, year one as well."
Bloom says "Sorry, but that's the price I have to pay for using these powers. I get really hungry, I get really tired, and I get really snappy. You know, heads up."
As the year goes on, they all get better and better at their defensive spells.
Nobody's ever caught going to or from the Room of Requirement, but they can tell Umbridge is getting suspicious - she's made an Inquisitorial Squad, which is made up mainly of Slytherin students.
Draco is the head of the squad, unsurprisingly, and they can all tell he's going to take full advantage of it.
The look on Umbridge's face every time Bloom comes back into class after another detention with no marks or scars on her hand gets better every single time - and she gives Bloom detention a lot.
True to her word in the first class, Bloom doesn't duel anybody - so Harry and Hermione are the first demonstrations.
When Parvati asks why she won't duel anybody, even her friends, she says "Because I can beat anyone."
All the kids in the class have gotten detention at least once by the time winter break comes around, but Bloom keeps healing the marks on their hands in class.
Bloom does offer to be a sparring partner where she's purely on the defensive role - everybody thinks beating another student will be easy after having to struggle and use so much magic to push Bloom back three inches.
They've all gotten excellent at spells by now, in and out of combat spells.
Maybe a week before winter break actually starts, Bloom gets an incredibly disturbing, and very realistic, dream: she's a snake, and she bites Arthur Weasley four times.
The first and second times, he falls on the ground - looking helpless.
The third time, blood appears on his face - and he slips into unconsciousness at the fourth bite.
Bloom is sweating and shaking, and sees the reflection of a massive snake in a mirror - its Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake.
Right before Arthur got attacked, he was saying something about a weapon Voldemort wants and didn't have the first time.
She can hear someone whispering her name, but it's only when her eyes open and she sits up that she realizes its Hermione.
She's taken to Professor Dumbledore's office by Hermione and Professor McGonagall, and she hardly says a word the entire way through.
As they go, they notice pictures and furniture are shaken and disturbed - the entire school must have started shaking.
Most people think it was an earthquake, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, and Bloom know better - along with Harry, Ron, and all the kids they're teaching to defend themselves.
Bloom would sometimes do demonstrations of her own powers in breaks, then they all got back to work with a will.
When they get to Professor Dumbledore's office, Fred, George, and Ginny are already there - and in moments Harry and Ron run in as well.
Ron goes to his siblings, while Harry moves close to Bloom.
Dumbledore himself is facing a wall, and is asking if Bloom was watching the scene from above or by the victim.
"Neither, it's like I was the…will someone tell me what's happening already?!"
Dumbledore doesn't answer, and starts talking to portraits instead.
One called Everard is sent to find Arthur and make sure the right people find him, another named Phineas is sent back to 12 Grimmauld Place to tell the others what's happened.
Bloom is still sweating and terrified, and Harry holds her hand - and immediately gets it crushed.
Ron tries to comfort Ginny, and soon Everard comes back with the news that Arthur is alive and will pull through.
As Dumbledore starts making preparations, Bloom gets fed up with the silent treatment and yells "WILL SOMEBODY ANSWER ME ALREADY?!"
Most everyone is shocked to hear her voice that loud and angry, the professors are used to seeing her kind and quiet in class.
Fred and George have seen more of this side of her, but Harry isn't all that shocked, she's just never yelled at Dumbledore and McGonagall like this before.
They're all staring at her, and she demands "What's happening to me?"
Before anyone can answer, Snape comes in.
"Sorry I'm late Professor Dumbledore, my lab was quite shaken up."
"Severus, we can't wait. Not even till morning, all of us might be vulnerable."
Snape leads Bloom and Harry down to his lab, and sits them both down in seats beside each other.
He's taking out a leather-bound case and says "It seems there is a connection between the mind of the Dark Lord and your own. At least, with Bloom there is. Whether Mr. Potter here has one is unknown at the moment. It is clear though, that he is, for the moment, unaware of the connection."
He takes out a tool-like instrument, and Harry asks "So, if he figures it out, he could…"
"Read your mind, control it…unhinge it. In the past, it was often the Dark Lord's immense pleasure to invade the minds of his victims. Create visions designed to torture them into madness. Only after he squeezed the last exquisite ounce of pain from the victims was gotten, and they were literally begging for death, would he kill them - and he didn't kill them slowly either."
Bloom eyes the instrument in Snape's hands warily, as he steps closer.
"Used correctly, the power of Occlumency will help shield you from access or influence. In this exercise, I will attempt to penetrate your mind - you will attempt to resist."
Snape pulls Harry away from Bloom, and says "I will start with Bloom, seeing as she is the one unconsciously connecting with the Dark Lord at the moment. I don't want to use binding charms or petrifying charms on you unnecessarily Mr. Potter - so whatever happens, don't interfere."
Bloom gives Harry an encouraging smile, though it's a weak one.
"Concentrate, focus."
Bloom closes her eyes for a moment, then nods.
Snape points his wand at her, and says "Legilimens."
She gasps, then her fingers start twitching and her eyes squeeze tighter.
Snape's look turns to concentration, as he clearly tries to make his way into her head.
Harry would move to help, except he's seen Bloom angry and has no wish to face an angry Bloom - she scared off a dragon, that's deterrent enough for most people.
After about five minutes, Bloom suddenly relaxes and pants for breath.
Snape says "Well, it seems Bloom here has a certain talent for Occlumency. Her sheer stubbornness and iron will are a natural, and impenetrable, defense when she calls on them - and her temper can disrupt and even attack anyone attempting to invade her mind."
Harry asks "Really? How do you know?"
Bloom grins while breathing hard, and asks "How do you think? I felt his mind touch mine and instantly got mad that someone was trying to invade my head - then I remembered he's trying to teach us how to stop people from getting into our heads and reined it in."
Snape says "Not before you gave me a decent stab with it. Well done."
Bloom gets up off the chair, and Harry sits down.
When Snape uses the spell on him, it's like someone's stabbed a knife into his very mind - he can feel Snape in his head, disinterestedly looking through memories.
Harry tries to push him out, but the experience hurts with every moment.
"Focus Potter, concentrate."
Harry really wishes he could get angry at Snape, but it's a lot harder when Snape's trying to teach Harry how to keep people out of his head.
He focuses on Umbridge instead, along with his aunt and uncle and cousin and Draco - everyone he's ever hated, aside from Snape.
It pushes Snape out, somewhat, and the anger Harry feels serves to make a wall to keep Snape from getting back in.
After what seems like forever, Snape finally recedes from his head.
"Hm, you seem to have some idea of how to do it, Potter. For this, I'd suggest taking a few cues from Bloom. Determination and stubbornness tend to make excellent shields, as well as stopping someone in their mental tracks so to speak."
Harry nods, and Snape says "Even so, not the worst attempt for a first-time."
Harry's shocked, Snape has complimented both of them in less than forever - less than an hour, in fact.
Bloom's eyebrows are raised as well, then she looks over at Snape.
"You. You know this stuff. You can read minds."
Snape stares at her in shock, then says "Of course, how else would I know what to do to teach you two to defend yourself?"
"You've been doing it all this time!"
Harry stares at Snape, who's staring at Bloom in shock.
"How did you figure that out so fast?"
"Because I've noticed that you seem to have an uncanny good guess at the truth most of the time. When I started pretending to not pay attention, calling up surface daydreams, you started giving me the surprise quizzes instead of Harry."
She smirks and adds "The looks on your face when I correctly answered all the questions were classic though."
Snape glares at her for a minute, but Harry swears he's fighting not to smirk.
"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a Legilimens yourself."
Bloom shrugs, and says "Maybe, maybe not. But I apparently have a great aptitude for Occlumency."
AN: Bloom's so stubborn and iron-willed that nobody can invade her mind - a reference to Secret of the Lost Kingdom and Oritel. How do you think that'll play out later? Or with the connection between Bloom and Harry? Keep reading and find out!