Leonard was lost in thought, and Claudia, who had begged him to come shopping with her, was not pleased.
"Leonard..." Claudia barreled straight into him with her chest, threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and looked up at him pitifully. "Don't zone out when you're shopping with me."
Leonard's expression stiffened a little, because Claudia had developed. And she had developed very well.
Even through their clothes, he could feel that captivating softness and springy fullness.
Already plenty developed himself, Leonard awkwardly took her by the shoulders and carefully pushed her back. "All right, I know. I'll focus on shopping with you."
"Yay." Claudia bounced on her feet, once again proving to Leonard that she was indeed very generously endowed, and making him start to wonder whether he should take her to the Muggle side to buy clothes.
Wizard clothes really had nothing worth looking at...
Claudia seemed to have an undying passion for bustling Knockturn Alley. No matter how many times she wandered around it or how thoroughly she visited every shop, she never got tired of it.
At the moment, with her hair pinned up and tucked into her hat, Claudia was staring at a candy peddler by the street, her eyes sparkling like stars.
Leonard casually bought her a few sweets. Watching Claudia stuff them all into her mouth until her cheeks puffed out, he smiled gently and patted her head.
"Claudia, you know, you don't actually have to wear the hat." Not being able to touch Claudia's satin-like hair left Leonard feeling a little regretful.
"No way." The moment she heard that, Claudia clapped a hand over her hat to stop Leonard from lifting it off.
She was in the awkward stage of her hair changing color, and even Claudia, who normally was not especially sensitive about beauty, cared a lot about it. She felt that her long gold-and-silver mixed hair looked messy, so aside from when she bathed, she absolutely refused to wear it down.
Judging by the way she acted, she probably would not be willing to let it down until she was fully grown.
The two of them continued strolling. As they were walking, Leonard suddenly heard someone calling his name.
"Leonard, long time no see." From the herb shop nearby, Giggs waved at him.
"It hasn't been that long." Seeing that Claudia wanted to browse the candy shop next door, Leonard gave her a few Galleons and slipped a Parasitic Pod seed onto her before letting her go off and have fun. Then he stepped into Giggs's shop.
"Tch, you haven't supplied my shop with potions in ages. Don't tell me you forgot all about me?" Giggs said resentfully.
"Yeah, I forgot." Leonard answered with complete confidence. "It's not like I need the little bit of money from you."
"You're way too realistic." Giggs clutched his chest like he had been struck by heartbreak.
"Cut the nonsense. What do you want with me?" Leonard said casually, leaning against the counter.
"Oh, I just wanted to ask whether you'd consider entering a potion competition," Giggs said.
"A potion competition?" Leonard looked surprised. "That's what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Don't underestimate it. The competition isn't huge, but it's organized voluntarily by some of the most respected potion masters in Europe. It's aimed at underage young wizards, and the rewards are generous."
Giggs waggled his brows. "On the surface, it's supposed to be a channel for young potion makers to make a name for themselves. In reality, it's a way for those people to pave the road for their juniors."
"Oh..." The moment Leonard realized there was political maneuvering involved, he lost interest. "Not interested."
"Hey, I think you've got a huge advantage. With your level, getting into the top three shouldn't be a problem. The top three get at least two hundred Galleons," Giggs called out.
"Sorry, is two hundred Galleons supposed to be a lot?" Leonard yawned, unimpressed.
First, Leonard did not care about that little reward. Second, he had no interest in showing off in that kind of way now.
And on top of that, while Leonard's skill in potions surpassed that of ordinary students, against those talented young wizards from scholarly families who had been brewing potions as daily training since childhood, he was still outmatched.
His strength was in plant cultivation. If he had to brew potions using the exact same ingredients as everyone else, there was no way he could beat those people.
Going would just be asking to get embarrassed.
"I see? That's a shame." The moment Giggs heard Leonard had no intention of entering, his enthusiasm dropped at once. "Then who am I supposed to give my spot to? I can't just waste it."
"What, you've actually got a fixed slot in this thing?" Leonard was a little surprised. "I wouldn't have guessed. So you count as some kind of important figure among potion masters?"
"What kind of talk is that? I'm someone who can open a shop in Diagon Alley. I'm miles ahead of people my age, all right..." Giggs rolled his eyes. "You don't have to go, but don't slander me."
"All right, all right, I won't slander you. Seriously though, you still don't have kids, do you? Who are you planning to send?" Leonard asked with a smile.
"A friend recently asked me to look after his daughter. She comes by my place from time to time to learn potion brewing. I've had a look, and her level is pretty decent. If I don't have a better option, I'll give the slot to her," Giggs said.
"A friend? Isn't your friend a potion master? Why would they still need a slot from you?" Leonard asked with a laugh.
"I already told you, I count as a potion master with my own business. Sure, my friend's business is much bigger than mine, but he only counts as half an insider, so he doesn't get a slot."
"Half an insider?"
"Yeah. Her father's a Herbology expert. Let me tell you, that girl's a real beauty in the making. Want me to introduce you?"
As he said that, Giggs put on a gross, lecherous grin that practically shouted, you know what I mean.
"Can you act normal? Looking at you like this makes me sick." Leonard looked disgusted.
Still, something about the person Giggs was describing sounded oddly familiar.
Just as Leonard was wondering who it could be, he heard Giggs say, "Perfect timing. She's here."
Leonard lifted his head, curious to see just how pretty the girl Giggs called a beauty in the making really was.
Then he saw a tall girl with silver hair. She wore a lake-blue long dress that traced the curves of her body. Her silver hair was pinned up behind her head. Her emerald-green eyes were bright and lively, and her beautiful face carried a natural allure that drew everyone's gaze like a magnet.
"Fleur?"
Leonard stared at the girl in front of him in surprise, while inwardly marveling at how tight-knit the wizarding world really was. Sparse in population as it was, the network of connections ran deep.
Anyone with even a slight overlap in profession probably knew each other.
Clearly, the Herbology expert friend Giggs had mentioned was Lehende Delacour.