Chapter 30 – A Different Kind of Pride
"Spicy, spicy, spicy..."
Leo hummed happily as he walked through the corridor with light, bouncing steps.
After Dumbledore's Patronus treatment, he felt as though he had finally recovered from a terrible illness. His mind was clear, his body felt light, and even the old stone corridors of Hogwarts looked brighter than before.
Several older students from different houses passed by and looked at him curiously.
None of them understood the strange tune he was singing, but it was oddly catchy, and his cheerful stride made the whole scene strangely adorable.
"Hi!"
A few older Hufflepuff girls smiled and waved.
"What a unique little Slytherin," one blonde Hufflepuff whispered with a laugh. "He's actually quite cute."
"Right?" another agreed. "And what language was he singing in? I've never heard it before, but it sounded nice."
"I remember seeing him at the Sorting Feast," the first girl said regretfully. "Such a pity he ended up in Slytherin. Are we sure the Sorting Hat isn't broken?"
Leo heard them perfectly.
At first, he felt pleased.
These senior girls clearly possessed excellent taste.
But the moment they mentioned the Sorting Hat, his smile faded slightly.
He had only just been rejected from transferring houses in the Headmaster's office, and now even random Hufflepuffs were bringing up that battered old hat again.
How irritating.
"Meow."
A familiar sound came from the side of the corridor.
Leo turned and immediately spotted Mrs. Norris crouching beside the wall, staring at him with her bright amber eyes.
"Hello again, little kitty," Leo greeted softly.
Mrs. Norris's gaze remained fixed on the enchanted pouch hanging at his waist.
"Hungry?" Leo asked knowingly. "Did Filch take your jerky?"
He sighed inwardly and pulled several pieces of dried meat from the pouch.
"Here."
He carefully placed them on the floor in front of her.
The thin cat stared at the familiar treats, then looked up at Leo.
A soft meow escaped her throat before she lowered her head and began eating.
Leo watched her politely thank him before eating and immediately felt even more dissatisfied with Filch's pet-care skills.
"Was that a thank-you?" Leo asked. "You're welcome, Mrs. Norris."
At that moment, his stomach growled.
Mrs. Norris froze.
Her ears twitched.
She looked at Leo.
Then she looked at the jerky.
After a long internal struggle, she slowly pushed the remaining pieces toward him with her paw.
"Meow."
It was almost as if she were saying:
You're hungry too. Take them.
Leo was instantly moved.
"No, no," he said solemnly. "You eat. I'm going to dinner anyway."
As he spoke, he instinctively reached out to pet her, only to stop halfway.
They had only met twice.
He wasn't entirely sure whether she would allow it.
Mrs. Norris looked at his suspended hand.
Then she slowly leaned forward and bumped her head gently against his palm.
Leo's expression softened.
He carefully stroked her from head to tail.
Feeling the tangled roughness of her fur and noticing how thin she was, Leo's irritation toward Filch deepened even further.
Without taking out his wand, he unconsciously raised two fingers and cast a silent Cleaning Charm.
Warm magic flowed through Mrs. Norris's coat.
Soon, her fur became clean and soft beneath his fingers.
"Purr..."
A low rumble escaped her throat.
She was clearly enjoying both the petting and the magic.
"All right," Leo said after a while, withdrawing his hand. "Eat properly, and hide the rest. Don't let Filch find it. If you're hungry next time, come find me."
He stood, dusted off his robes, and waved.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Norris."
"Meow."
Before he left, Mrs. Norris walked over and rubbed lightly against his ankle as though saying farewell.
Not far away, half-hidden inside a wall, Peeves silently watched Leo leave.
Fear flashed across the poltergeist's face.
Then came resentment.
Then a burning desire for revenge.
In the end, however, he quietly retreated deeper into the wall without daring to make a sound.
The corridor ahead was bathed in the warm glow of sunset.
Orange, violet, and pale blue light streamed through the windows, painting the ancient stone walls in dreamlike colors.
A cool breeze carried the faint scent of flowers.
Leo's mood improved even further as he headed toward the Great Hall.
But near the entrance, something unusual was happening.
Several young witches and wizards stood outside the doors, craning their necks and peeking inside.
Leo's eyes brightened.
Gossip.
His instincts awakened immediately.
Using his small size to his advantage, he slipped through the crowd and looked inside.
Then his good mood vanished.
Inside the vast Great Hall, Draco stood before several Slytherin students, his face dark and tense.
Behind him, Hermione was crying into Rose's shoulder.
Opposite Draco stood Carol, wearing a smug and malicious expression.
The word that had just left his mouth still seemed to linger in the air like poison.
Mudblood.
"Shut up!" Draco snapped.
His voice was low but powerful.
For once, he didn't look like the arrogant boy who enjoyed flaunting his family name.
His eyes burned with a determination Leo had never seen before.
"What gives you the right to call her that?"
Draco's fists clenched at his sides.
His body trembled faintly with anger.
Part of that anger came from the confusion and self-reflection that had plagued him over the past few days.
Another part came from disgust.
Disgust toward Carol, who also came from a pure-blood family yet possessed no manners, no restraint, and no real dignity.
Then Draco thought of Leo.
Leo Nicholas, who clearly came from a remarkable family background and yet treated people with kindness and respect.
It was as though those pure-blood prejudices had never touched him at all.
"Hermione Granger is smarter, braver, and more talented than you," Draco said coldly. "She is not weak, and she is not someone you have the right to insult. Your ignorance and arrogance only make you look ridiculous."
The Great Hall fell silent.
Draco lifted his chin slightly.
"As a Slytherin, I am ashamed to be associated with someone like you."
The students around them stared in shock.
None of the children from the other houses had expected a Slytherin to publicly denounce another Slytherin over a Muggle-born Gryffindor.
Even Rose, who had been comforting Hermione, looked stunned.
Carol's face turned white.
Then red.
For a moment, he couldn't find a response.
"Draco Malfoy!" he finally shouted. "Your father, Lucius Malfoy, supports pure-blood ideals too! You—your family—"
Draco inhaled deeply.
He knew what this might cost him.
He knew he might lose support inside Slytherin.
He knew he was condemning parts of himself as well.
But some principles could not be trampled.
Some dignity had to be defended personally.
"Remember this," Draco said coldly. "Everyone has something worthy of respect, regardless of their birth."
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
The sound of applause echoed from the entrance.
"Well said, Draco."
Leo stepped out from the crowd.
"Bullying people weaker than you won't earn dignity or honor," he continued calmly, "and it certainly won't earn anyone's respect."
A moment later, more applause followed.
Then the entire Great Hall seemed to erupt.
Students who had been moved by Draco's words began clapping one after another until the applause rolled through the hall like thunder.
Draco turned and immediately spotted Leo's small figure emerging from the crowd.
"Leo? When did you get here?"
Then, after a brief hesitation, he added quietly,
"And... thank you."
Leo blinked.
"Thank me? For what?"
He knew some of his actions might have influenced Draco.
But this was only the beginning.
How had the little dragon already grown this much?
Before he could think further, Leo's attention shifted toward Carol.
He drew his wand and walked toward him.
Carol's face instantly changed.
"What do you want, Nicholas?" he shouted in panic. "I already told a professor about what happened in flying class. You can't hit me!"
As he backed away, he instinctively touched his healed cheeks, as though the memory of Leo's wand still hurt.
Eventually, he bumped into a chair and collapsed into it.
His companions didn't dare make a sound.
"Oh," Leo said softly.
At that moment, he noticed a familiar figure passing by the entrance of the Great Hall.
A meaningful smile crossed his face.
"Oh."
He pointed his wand at Carol.
"Scourgify."
The fruit stains, vegetable juice, and meat sauce covering Carol's robes vanished instantly.
After casting the Cleaning Charm, Leo calmly turned and walked back toward Draco and the others.
Carol and his companions sat frozen in astonishment.
Of course Leo wasn't going to teach him another lesson here.
Draco had already defeated him.
Besides, starting a fight in such a public place would be inappropriate.
It definitely wasn't because Professor McGonagall had just walked past the entrance.
Absolutely not.
....
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