It was obvious that Dumbledore had no intention of teaching Leonard this technique outright. Leonard didn't press the matter and instead chose to shift his attention elsewhere.
"Professor, could you spare me a phoenix feather?" Leonard asked, shamelessly.
The phoenix, which had been leisurely preening itself on its perch, snapped its head up and fixed Leonard with a vicious glare.
Some scoundrel dares to covet this sovereign's feathers!
Dumbledore looked at Leonard in mild surprise.
"What do you need a phoenix feather for?"
"Just some research. I actually studied with Mr. Ollivander for a while," Leonard replied vaguely.
He didn't lie outright, instead hiding the truth behind carefully chosen ambiguity. He had indeed studied under Mr. Ollivander for a time, but what he learned was magic, not wandmaking. And his desire for a phoenix feather had absolutely nothing to do with Ollivander.
To anyone else, though, it sounded like Leonard had spent time learning wandcraft and now wanted a phoenix feather to practice making wands.
A perfectly reasonable assumption.
"You studied under Garrick for a while?" Dumbledore mused. After a moment's thought, he decided Leonard had no reason to lie about this. After all, every phoenix feather used as a wand core came from his own Fawkes.
And he and Garrick Ollivander were old friends.
"While I do think this may not be the best time for you to spread your focus too thin, your progress has been recognized by all the professors. Even Severus once told me, with a very dark expression, that you surpass most Slytherins."
Dumbledore smiled kindly, looking like an old man admiring the fruits of his own garden.
"So I believe you deserve a phoenix feather as a reward," he said.
Leonard's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Headmaster."
"However, Mr. William," Dumbledore continued, gently soothing Fawkes as it let out an indignant cry, "while your progress is impressive, examinations are still the true measure of one's learning. I would not want to see your results suffer."
Leonard thought for a moment, then asked, "In that case, Professor, if I place first in the final exams every year, could I receive a phoenix feather from you each year?"
Each plant might not require much material, but Leonard had no illusions about phoenix feathers ever being abundant.
If there was an opportunity, he would take it.
"Caw!"
The phoenix instantly panicked, letting out a sharp, angry cry.
What did this mean? One feather every year? It already had to supply Ollivander with feathers regularly, and now someone else wanted to steal them too?
You villain! Take this!
Unable to endure the injustice, Fawkes lunged at Leonard's arm, ready to peck.
"Hahaha! This is quite a sight, Mr. William." Dumbledore laughed as he restrained Fawkes. "Your confidence is admirable, and as Headmaster, I'm pleased to see it. But I must remind you that you're not the only clever one here."
"I don't think it's about being clever," Leonard said with a shrug. "I just believe I should take first place."
"As I recall, Miss Granger of Gryffindor is a very bright young lady. Her grades are excellent, and the professors speak highly of her," Dumbledore said, giving Leonard a sideways glance. "Are you still confident?"
"Of course," Leonard replied, nodding.
The written exams were nothing more than tests of memory and theory. There was nothing to worry about there.
As for the practical portion of magic…
Forgive Leonard for being blunt, but every student involved was trash.
Quirrell included. He was trash too.
An informal wager was settled amid Fawkes' indignant cries, and Leonard slipped out of the Headmaster's office under the phoenix's hostile stare.
...
With no classes scheduled for the afternoon, Leonard quietly made his way into the Forbidden Forest. During the daytime, the young unicorn Claudia and Midgard were usually there. After sharing the snacks Leonard had brought for afternoon tea, he began inspecting his plants.
Spring had arrived, but thanks to repeated enhancements and the influence of nearby heat-producing plants, Leonard's crops had already entered their mature phase, producing fruit and seeds.
[Plants in your botanical garden: Common Chomping Cabbage (Dragon Blood Enhanced), Common Chomping Cabbage (Acromantula Venom Enhanced) have matured]
[You gained 150 + 150 Attack, 300 EXP]
[Current Experience: Junior Plant Expert (1741/2000)]
The Chomping Cabbages had bloomed.
These cabbages, which hadn't undergone Leonard's Optimize Growth enhancement, provided him with pure seeds. With them, he could freely choose different variants of Chomping Cabbages for the battlefield, adapting his tactics as needed.
Leonard now possessed a total of 340 seeds. Though they lacked the full suite of enhancements, these plants had still undergone Root Growth, a basic enhancement that increased yield.
Seeds, naturally, counted as yield.
For ordinary Chomping Cabbages, producing seeds meant their life cycle was nearing its end. But for Leonard, this was only the beginning of their prime.
"Next, I'll need you to serve as security for the botanical garden," Leonard said, looking at the five Chomping Cabbages with their mouths stretched wide. He raised his hand and enhanced them one by one.
Fixed defensive "turrets" were already in place. What he needed now were mobile guards.
Six Chomping Cabbages leapt from the ground, shedding their connection to the soil in the blink of an eye and becoming terrifying, free-moving hunters.
But it didn't end there.
Once Leonard finished enhancing them, a secondary trait activation triggered.
The Chomping Cabbages that had gained Swift Movement suddenly vanished. When they reappeared, they were already behind Leonard.
The secondary enhancement of their movement ability had evolved into teleportation, and with almost no warning at all.
These Chomping Cabbages had gone from disposable front-line fighters to lethal assassins, each carrying either deadly poison or blazing dragonfire.
[You enhanced six Chomping Cabbages, gaining 300 EXP]
[Current Experience: Intermediate Plant Expert (71/3000)]
[You gained 1 Enhancement Point]
[You acquired a new Innate Skill: Shared Vision],