Leonard took the matter of flying devices seriously. He wasn't about to get carried away with the kind of sword-riding nonsense from those fantasy dramas he'd watched in his previous life.
Flying while standing on a sword was even dumber than riding a broomstick. Forget balance—standing meant slower flight speed, and to other wizards, you'd just be an easy target.
This wasn't some cultivation show where he could summon protective aura shields.
What Leonard wanted was a stealthy, practical flying device.
That was his request for George and Fred; how far they could take it was up to them.
Leonard was confident that two hundred Galleons were more than enough to motivate the twins. He wasn't in a rush, either—Hogwarts had plenty of mysteries to explore, and his Botanical Garden demanded attention as well.
Recently, Leonard had noticed an increase in the strange black footprints near the garden. More black fur and traces of blood clung to the thorny fences.
What alarmed him most was that these signs were now appearing inside the camouflaged entrances within the brambles, meaning the creatures were deliberately testing their way deeper into the garden.
Still, the defenses he had set up inside weren't exactly fragile. They were strong enough to be considered a "boss-level lair" capable of soloing an entire team of adventurers. So Leonard saw no need to go on a massive cleanup.
Besides, part of him worried that a large-scale slaughter might disrupt the local ecosystem and draw unwanted attention from other wizards. The other reason was simpler—he usually went there early in the morning, a time when most animals stayed away, except for the occasional unicorn passing through.
As a "good student" who still had classes to attend, Leonard didn't have time to guard the garden all day except on weekends. Even then, he couldn't linger long.
If only he had a Time-Turner—then one person could do the work of two.
As for why Leonard had no time on weekends—well, he wanted to explore Hogwarts.
But dreams are full, and reality falls short.
Before he knew it, his third weekend at Hogwarts had arrived. After returning from the Botanical Garden, Leonard planned to stop by his dormitory to change clothes—but just as he reached the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room, someone blocked his way.
"Leonard, want to go to the library later to do homework together?" Padma asked, looking up at him expectantly.
"Padma?" Leonard blinked at her and instinctively checked his pocket watch. "When did you get here?"
"I've been waiting for a while," Padma pouted. "I was worried you'd sneak off again for the weekend, and I wouldn't be able to find you. Luckily, your roommate told me you usually go out early to exercise and come back to change afterward."
Hearing that, Leonard wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The girl had impressive determination.
"You're not avoiding me, are you?" Padma asked suspiciously. "You just started school—how could you be so busy already? You're not like Gryffindor's Harry Potter, who joined the Quidditch team right away."
"I'm not avoiding you," Leonard said. "It's just that sometimes, when I'm practicing magic, I lose track of time."
"Lose track of time? You even forget to eat?" Padma asked, unconvinced.
"How could I forget to eat? I always show up in the Great Hall right on time. If you go there during meal hours, you'll definitely find me. I'm a true Hufflepuff—nothing gets between me and my food," Leonard said with mock seriousness.
Padma burst into laughter. "You make Hufflepuff sound like a bunch of gluttons!"
"Because we are!" Leonard grinned. "Hufflepuff's true motto is 'Let's eat!'"
"What are you talking about? I remember Hufflepuff's virtues being integrity, loyalty, honesty, and perseverance," Padma said, covering her mouth as she giggled. "That's a lot more noble than what you said."
Leonard's mouth twitched, but he stayed silent.
Sorry, girl, but none of those words apply to me. The only one that fits is "eating."
That said… I'm getting sick of Western food lately. I really want something different… Ah—no, focus, not the time for that.
"Alright, enough joking around. Are you coming to the library with me or not?" Padma asked.
"Of course I'm coming. Why wouldn't I? Wait here for a bit—I'll go change, and we'll head over together," Leonard said before darting into the Hufflepuff common room.
As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted Cedric Diggory holding a broom.
"Huh? Leonard, you're back?" Cedric asked in surprise. "Oh, right—someone was looking for you outside. Did you see them?"
"I did. We've already made plans," Leonard replied.
"That's great," Cedric said, a look of envy flickering across his face as though he'd suddenly thought of something.
Leonard glanced at him. "What's with that look? Got someone in mind?"
"No… no one. I don't know what you're talking about," Cedric said quickly, clearing his throat in embarrassment. "Anyway, I've got to head to the Quidditch Pitch. We're practicing all day today. The captain says we're taking the Quidditch Cup this year."
"Alright then, good luck," Leonard said with a shrug.
It seemed that even at this point—or perhaps earlier—this Hufflepuff prodigy had already taken a liking to Ravenclaw's Cho Chang. He just hadn't made a move yet, whether out of shyness or for some other reason.
Not that Leonard cared. He honestly found Cho Chang's looks unappealing.
Back in his dorm, Leonard quickly peeled off his sweat-soaked undershirt, changed into clean clothes, and threw on his uniform robes. Grabbing his homework and a stack of parchment, he stepped out to find Padma still waiting by the entrance, patient as ever and showing not a hint of irritation.
"Padma, let's go," Leonard said.
Padma looked him over, her eyes curling into crescent moons. "Mhm. Let's go."
The two of them set off for the library together. It was clear Padma was a little nervous, while Leonard remained perfectly composed—after all, this body wasn't even old enough for romance yet.
His thoughts were calm, even leisurely enough for him to notice the reactions of the people they passed.
Along the way, Leonard realized just how well-known he'd become thanks to those two Special Contribution Award trophies. Almost every student recognized him. Even those who didn't would, after a classmate whispered in their ear, exclaim, "Oh, so that's Leonard William!"
The attention wasn't exactly unpleasant—but it wasn't something he welcomed either. After all, it went completely against Leonard's personal philosophy of quiet growth.