Leo found himself wondering why he had acted so impulsively earlier and rushed off to save Neville.
With Madam Hooch present, Neville probably would have been rescued eventually. There had been no real need for him to risk flying so high on a broken school broom.
Still...
His flying skills really had been impressive.
The posture he had used on the broom looked completely different from conventional flying techniques, yet somehow it had seemed incredibly cool at the same time.
If he had been the one up there instead...
Draco's thoughts became increasingly tangled.
He could have done it too, couldn't he? He should have been able to charge forward and help as well.
So why hadn't he?
Why hadn't he found the courage to move?
Meanwhile, Harry and the others remained completely unaware of Draco's internal struggle. Everyone was far too busy laughing at Ron's anxious expression.
Time passed quickly amidst the cheerful noise and lively conversation.
Since they still had evening classes ahead of them, Leo, Draco, and Rose soon said their goodbyes and prepared to return to their dormitories first.
Before leaving, Leo solemnly declared that he would treat everyone to real food another day. The fact that those horrifying abominations disguised as wontons had actually received praise was a tragedy he simply could not accept.
Under everyone's curious gaze, the three of them left the Great Hall.
The area around the table suddenly felt noticeably emptier with only Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Neville remaining behind.
Hermione sat upright with a book that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Although her eyes were fixed on the pages, it was obvious she was no longer truly reading. Her attention drifted constantly while Harry, Ron, and Neville continued discussing the mysterious food Leo had mentioned.
Even Hermione found herself growing curious.
After all, there were countless dishes from both Britain and the East that she had never tasted before.
As for Fred and George, they had already vanished after stirring up trouble. No doubt they were hiding somewhere in the castle, enthusiastically plotting their next great disaster.
Meanwhile, Leo, Draco, Rose, and the other Slytherins made their way through Hogwarts' ancient stone corridors.
Cold drafts slipped through cracks in the walls, causing everyone to shiver slightly as they walked.
The candles mounted along the corridor flickered softly in the darkness. Portraits chatted among themselves, occasionally calling out greetings to passing students or loudly arguing over stories that were centuries old and of questionable accuracy.
Every now and then, a ghost would burst through a wall or floor simply to frighten unsuspecting students before drifting away laughing.
Even the suits of armor lining the hall occasionally bowed stiffly as students passed.
"Should we shower first or go straight to class?" Rose asked, tilting her head thoughtfully.
A second later, she reached a decision.
"Nope. I'm sweaty after flying lessons. I'm definitely taking a shower first."
Without waiting for a response, she hurried off toward the girls' dormitories.
Draco nodded immediately.
"Same here. I'm exhausted already. If I wait until after class, I'll lose valuable sleeping time."
Leo considered the matter seriously.
Astronomy classes took place high up in the tower, where the wind was cold, the air was dusty, and the temperature seemed determined to freeze students alive. If he skipped a shower now, sleeping later would be miserable.
"Fair enough," Leo agreed. "I'll wait in the common room."
Just then, Draco suddenly remembered something.
"Leo," he asked curiously, "what exactly was that delicious food you promised everyone before we left the Great Hall?"
His eyes immediately lit up with interest.
Although the so-called wontons had tasted incredibly suspicious, the beef and potato stew Leo had introduced before had genuinely been excellent.
Just thinking about it made Draco feel strangely hungry all over again.
More importantly, if Harry and the others learned about it first, they would absolutely spend weeks bragging about it.
At that moment, a ghost drifted through the corridor beside them, letting out a dramatic sigh.
"Oh dear... little children worrying about food..."
The ghost shook his head mournfully.
"I have sampled every delicacy the world has to offer. Sadly, you mortals can never understand the true joy of being dead."
Then he floated away laughing to himself.
Draco stared after him.
His expression was one of complete disbelief.
Even ghosts were joining the conversation now?
Leo chuckled and patted Draco lightly on the arm.
"Forget the ghost. Hurry up and get ready, or we'll be late for class."
He grinned.
"And if we're late, nobody gets food."
Draco looked deeply dissatisfied by that answer.
"Leo, just wait. I'll definitely figure out what this mysterious food is."
The moment he finished speaking, his mind immediately began working overtime.
There had to be clues somewhere.
If he asked enough questions, maybe Leo would accidentally reveal something important.
As a result, Draco remained glued to Leo's side for the entire walk back to the Slytherin common room, trying every method he could think of to uncover the identity of this supposedly incredible dish.
....
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