Under Leo's ruthless supervision, Draco watched his silver needle become a match, then a silver needle, then a match again. Through repetition, frustration, and sheer humiliation, he finally began to grasp the proper feeling of Transfiguration.
"Leo, blond kid, look!" Rose suddenly announced. "I did it!"
She had successfully transformed her silver needle back into a match. Not satisfied with that, she immediately repeated the whole process, turning the match into a silver needle before reversing it again.
Leo congratulated her sincerely, while Draco stared in silence. He had only just managed to turn a match into a proper silver needle, while Rose had already learned how to reverse the transformation. Draco, who had barely climbed out of the pit of despair, immediately tumbled straight back in.
When Professor McGonagall finally dismissed the class, the lesson ended amid excitement and laughter. For the young witches and wizards, however, the experience would become a lasting memory, one that pushed them to continue exploring the endless wonders of magic.
"Leo, wait a moment."
Just as Leo, Rose, and Draco were about to leave, Professor McGonagall called to him from behind.
Leo stopped and turned back.
Professor McGonagall walked over with her usual graceful severity, though her gaze was calmer than before. "If you have further questions about Transfiguration, Mr. Nicholas, you may come to my office during your free time."
Leo immediately understood what she meant. This was practically an offer of private guidance from one of Britain's finest Transfiguration masters.
"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Leo said with a slight bow. "Thank you."
Professor McGonagall nodded, then added, "Headmaster Dumbledore also seems to wish to speak with you. You may go to him after your flying lesson."
Leo's pleasant mood froze instantly.
Dumbledore wanted to see him.
Even after saying goodbye to Professor McGonagall and leaving the classroom, Leo's mind remained filled with countless possibilities. Why was Dumbledore looking for him? Was it because of the magical outburst? The cave? Voldemort? Or something else entirely?
"Leo!"
Draco's strained voice snapped him back to reality.
Leo blinked and saw Draco leaning against the wall, struggling to stay upright. Only then did he realize that while he had been lost in thought, his mental pressure had accidentally leaked outward.
He immediately suppressed his magic and hurried to support Draco.
"Sorry, Draco. Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Leo anxiously checked him over, afraid he had injured his friend without meaning to.
"I'm fine," Draco said, shaking his head. "My legs just feel weak."
Even as he spoke, Draco's heart pounded with shock. He had known Leo was powerful, but the pressure that had burst from him just now was far beyond anything Draco had expected. Facing his father sometimes made him feel unable to lift his head, but Leo's aura had felt like a heavy club striking his heart.
For one brief instant, darkness had fallen over his vision. It had felt as if a mountain had dropped onto his shoulders.
"Are you sure?" Leo asked apologetically. "Should we go to Madam Pomfrey?"
"It's fine," Draco insisted. "Class is about to start. We'll be late for flying if we don't hurry…"
Then he froze.
"Rose, you're fine?"
Leo immediately turned as well.
Only then did he remember that Rose had been walking beside them the entire time. She stood nearby looking perfectly normal, completely unaffected by the pressure he had released.
"I don't know either," Rose said, confused. "I was talking to you, but you didn't answer. Then Draco suddenly looked like he'd been shoved into the wall."
As she spoke, her hand brushed against something invisible. A bracelet on her wrist glimmered faintly before the light quickly faded.
"It must be something your family gave you for protection," Leo said after studying the bracelet.
He knew enough about defensive alchemical items to understand that they usually had limits and conditions. Since his accidental magical pressure had activated it, he owed Rose an apology.
"I'm sorry," Leo said seriously. "Don't worry, Rose. I'll find a way to compensate you."
"Fine," Rose said after a brief pause.
At first, she had wanted to say it didn't matter. Then she remembered the bracelet had been a gift from her father when she was five. She had always thought it was merely pretty jewellery, but because her family called it a blessing charm, she had worn it ever since.
She looked at the bracelet, which seemed unchanged, then waved the matter off casually.
"I'll wait for your compensation."
Then her eyes widened.
"Oh no! Flying class is starting!"
Before Leo could react, Rose grabbed his hand and sprinted toward the grounds.
Unfortunately, Leo had still been supporting Draco.
The moment Rose dragged Leo forward, Leo's hand tightened reflexively around Draco.
And so Rose ran ahead, Leo was pulled along behind her, and poor Draco was dragged after Leo like an unwilling sacrifice.
The three rushed through Hogwarts' corridors and passageways before finally reaching the large open courtyard leading toward the flying lesson grounds.
The moment Leo stepped into the square, his gaze was drawn to a group of students gathered ahead.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron stood on one side, their expressions tense and guarded. Opposite them were several Slytherin students in green-trimmed robes, silver serpent badges gleaming on their chests. Their eyes were full of provocation and disdain.
Between the two groups, a glass ball glowing faintly red looked especially conspicuous.
Leo looked closer and saw the Remembrall held tightly in the hand of a tall, thin Slytherin boy. The boy wore a smug smile and kept glancing toward Neville, who stood pale and anxious behind Harry.
Neville's fists were clenched tightly. Anger, fear, and helplessness filled his eyes, clearly marking him as the Remembrall's true owner.
"What are you doing?" Rose's voice cut sharply through the tension.
She strode forward and stood beside Harry and the others, her gaze sweeping coldly across the Slytherins opposite them.
"Rose, Leo, you're here," Hermione said quickly, glancing at them in relief. Then she noticed Draco panting behind Leo and briefly looked confused.
"That belongs to Neville," Harry said fiercely to the Slytherin holding the Remembrall. "You've got no right to take it."
The tall Slytherin sneered.
"Oh? Is that so? We just thought it looked like an interesting toy. We were going to borrow it for a few days."
He deliberately shook the Remembrall in his hand, making the red light inside flicker ominously.
Hermione immediately snapped back, "It's Neville's property. It's important to him, and you can't just play with it."
Her clear, firm voice carried genuine protectiveness.
"Hey, lanky," Rose said, stepping forward angrily. "Give Neville his things back."
Her eyes burned as she looked at the boy in Slytherin robes.
"You call yourself a pure-blood? A noble wizard? Don't make me laugh. All you do is bully people weaker than you. What kind of pride is that?"
The surrounding Gryffindors and Slytherins went silent.
Rose's anger only grew as unpleasant memories stirred beneath the surface.
"I'm embarrassed to be in the same house as you," she said coldly. "You talk all day about Slytherin pride and dignity, but is this how you protect it? By stealing from people and acting superior?"
Her words landed like a barrage.
The tall Slytherin's face twisted with humiliation, and several others behind him shifted uneasily. The Gryffindors stared in astonishment, clearly not expecting a Slytherin girl to defend Neville so fiercely.
But Rose still wasn't satisfied.
Staring at the boy's smug face, she began rolling up her sleeves.
Leo immediately moved.
"Rose, don't hit him here," he warned quickly. "There are too many people watching. It'll look bad if everyone sees it. Find a chance later."
Hermione reacted a heartbeat later and grabbed Rose's other arm.
"Yes, Rose, Leo is right. We can't fight here, or we'll lose points. We need to find a chance."
The entire square fell into deeper silence.
A gust of wind swept past, carrying the distant sound of owl wings. Every Gryffindor and Slytherin student stared at the small, harmless-looking boy who had just said something utterly terrifying in the calmest possible tone.
Rose glared at the tall Slytherin. If Leo's words hadn't made sense, she would already have punched him.
"You're right," she muttered. "But I'm getting revenge today."
The tall, thin Slytherin's expression changed. Between Leo's calm suggestion and Rose's obvious willingness to act on it, his arrogance began to crumble.
Slowly, carefully, he placed the Remembrall on the grass and backed away.
"Oh, children, you all seem very lively today," a woman's voice suddenly called. "What are you doing gathered together?"
As the Slytherin boy stepped back, the conflict seemed to reach a temporary end.
Leo glanced at the Remembrall lying on the grass and quietly thought that arguing alone clearly wouldn't solve the problem.
They needed a peaceful solution.
....
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