Chapter 86: Unoriginal School Bullying

After Transfiguration class ended, the students, stifled under Professor McGonagall's stern presence, finally let out a breath of relief.

"Leonard, Ernie and I are heading to the Great Hall. Want to come?" Justin asked.

"The Great Hall again?" Leonard paused and checked his pocket watch.

Oh, a little past eleven—time for lunch… Except, damn it, hadn't they just come from the Great Hall before class?

"I'll pass. I'm going back to tend to my plants," Leonard said.

He still had a reinforced Dittany and a malnourished Chomping Cabbage sitting in the dorm.

"Are you sure? Leonard, I really think you shouldn't go off on your own lately. Those Slytherins might try to ambush you," Ernie warned.

"It's fine. The common room isn't far from here. You don't need to worry about me," Leonard replied casually.

In truth, he was itching for those Slytherins to make a move already. Being stalked by a bunch of kids was starting to interfere with his plans.

He brushed his sleeve where the Ancient Sprout rested.

Hogwarts was a strange place. Once, when Leonard opened his Magical Sight here, he'd seen the entire castle wrapped in streams of magic.

Within those hues were many silver traces—marks of ancient magic.

The chance that Hogwarts was tied to ancient magic was very high.

The castle had stood for centuries, and beneath it lay ruins of ancient magic. That the castle itself might be linked to it wasn't surprising at all.

Leonard had recently decided to search for another such ruin. But if someone kept tailing him, that would only complicate things.

"Just be careful, alright? And don't wander into any deserted spots," Justin reminded him before leaving with Ernie, the two chatting and laughing as they went.

Watching them go, Leonard quietly packed away his textbook.

Justin and Ernie's friendship had grown closer, thanks in no small part to the bubble-blowing incident before Herbology.

For kids their age, sharing an embarrassing moment drew them closer. But if one person stayed out of it, it could just as easily create distance.

If Leonard hadn't run off then, and instead joined them in spitting bubbles like an idiot, the three of them would no doubt have built a strong friendship.

But it wasn't necessary. Leonard's mind wasn't that of a real child. Joking around casually was one thing, but deliberately humiliating himself just to make friends? Forget it.

At least, he felt no one was worth lowering himself for.

Children needed friends because growing up meant needing bonds and validation.

Leonard was a child past his expiry date. His mind was already fully formed. He had no use for that kind of childish friendship.

What he needed were allies—people who could stand on their own and fight beside him. Someone like Midgard.

After tidying away his books, Leonard left the classroom and headed for the stairs, turning over his assignments in his head as he walked.

Transfiguration homework was no issue. After mastering wand control and magical output, he could already handle new spells with ease.

Herbology, however, was more of a hassle. He had to hand in a two-foot essay on Devil's Snare, written neatly on parchment of specific dimensions.

The word "essay" had come straight from Professor Sprout's mouth, as had the exact measurement of two feet.

Leonard still couldn't figure out what was so magical about that unit of measure. If someone wrote larger letters, could they get away with writing less? And if they wrote smaller, would they have to write more?

Footsteps echoed through the corridor. Along the way, he passed plenty of students, mostly Slytherins and Hufflepuffs.

That was normal enough—this hallway led to the staircase down to the dungeons, where both houses had their common rooms.

Leonard kept his gaze lowered, mulling over how to approach the Herbology essay, while his ears remained fixed on the sounds behind him.

Someone was following. Judging from the rhythm, there were about five or six of them. They tried to slow their pace as if to be stealthy, but without proper training their steps thundered in Leonard's ears like claps of lightning.

Finally.

Leonard let out a quiet breath of relief. That meant they wouldn't be interfering with his plans to search the castle for ancient ruins.

And as for this little welcoming committee, he'd be sure to give them their "reward."

He reached the stairwell. By coincidence, no one else was around.

Sensing the opportunity, the footsteps behind him sped up, no longer bothering to stay hidden.

Several figures darted past, and Leonard had to fight the urge to drop them all right then and there.

So many openings!

Blocking his path ahead stood Draco Malfoy and his two cronies.

Behind him came the slower, deliberate steps of another group.

"You're Leonard, aren't you? Heard you've been acting real cocky," croaked a voice deep in puberty, harsh and grating like a duck's quack.

Leonard turned and saw the buck-toothed boy who had flashed him the "V" sign in the Great Hall.

The word "essay" had come straight from Professor Sprout's mouth, as had the exact measurement of two feet.

Leonard still couldn't figure out what was so magical about that unit of measure. If someone wrote larger letters, could they get away with writing less? And if they wrote smaller, would they have to write more?

Footsteps echoed through the corridor. Along the way, he passed plenty of students, mostly Slytherins and Hufflepuffs.

That was normal enough—this hallway led to the staircase down to the dungeons, where both houses had their common rooms.

Leonard kept his gaze lowered, mulling over how to approach the Herbology essay, while his ears remained fixed on the sounds behind him.

Someone was following. Judging from the rhythm, there were about five or six of them. They tried to slow their pace as if to be stealthy, but without proper training their steps thundered in Leonard's ears like claps of lightning.

Finally.

Leonard let out a quiet breath of relief. That meant they wouldn't be interfering with his plans to search the castle for ancient ruins.

And as for this little welcoming committee, he'd be sure to give them their "reward."

He reached the stairwell. By coincidence, no one else was around.

Sensing the opportunity, the footsteps behind him sped up, no longer bothering to stay hidden.

Several figures darted past, and Leonard had to fight the urge to drop them all right then and there.

So many openings!

Blocking his path ahead stood Draco Malfoy and his two cronies.

Behind him came the slower, deliberate steps of another group.

"You're Leonard, aren't you? Heard you've been acting real cocky," croaked a voice deep in puberty, harsh and grating like a duck's quack.

Leonard turned and saw the buck-toothed boy who had flashed him the "V" sign in the Great Hall.

He wore the black robes lined in green of Slytherin, arrogance plastered across his face, with two lackeys at his back.

The lines he delivered, paired with that expression, almost made Leonard feel like he'd stumbled into some overdone schoolyard drama.

The script was tired, and even the sneer looked like it had been rehearsed.

"You embarrassed our young Master Malfoy the moment he set foot in school. Now we expect you to apologize," the buck-toothed boy said. "That way, you'll suffer a little less."

Leonard, who had been curious about how bullying at Hogwarts might differ, lost all interest. If they'd at least brought something fresh to the table, he might have humored them, maybe even toyed with them for a while.

But no—it was the same old act. Empty threats, violence to follow. The only difference was that Muggles used fists while wizards waved wands.

Still, Leonard thought it wouldn't hurt to show these little wizards what real violence looked like.

"Marcus, why waste words on him? I'll make him pay for disrespecting the Malfoy name!" Draco Malfoy shouted.

"Alright, alright." The buck-toothed Marcus smirked, raising his wand at Leonard. "Then let me be the one to teach you a lesson."

...