Thump… thump…
Leon's heart pounded wildly in his chest.
Tom Riddle's diary.
Voldemort's first Horcrux.
For Leon, this thing was both deadly dangerous and irresistibly tempting.
He'd originally thought he'd have to wait until starting at Hogwarts to get anywhere near it through Ginny.
But today, out of nowhere, the perfect opportunity had landed in his lap.
Leon's eyes locked onto Lucius Malfoy inside the shop.
His mind raced, spinning plans to steal the diary.
The Malfoys didn't Leon long in the Quality Quidditch Supplies store before stepping out.
Leon shoved his half-eaten ice cream into the hands of a nearby young wizard and hurried after them.
"Thanks, Dad!"
From a few steps behind, Leon overheard Draco Malfoy's excited voice.
"Brilliant! The Nimbus 2001's got better specs than the 2000—it's gotta be faster!
"This year, I'm definitely making the house team and wiping the floor with Harry Potter!"
Lucius Malfoy stopped in his tracks, pulling his son into a quieter corner away from the crowd.
Two pale, pointed faces—eerily similar—faced each other as Lucius leaned down slightly.
"I'll say this once more, Draco Malfoy, and you'd better remember it, whether you understand it or not.
"You can dislike Harry Potter all you want, but keep your hostility under wraps."
Lucius straightened up, his gray eyes cold as ice.
His voice dropped low:
"Not now… and later…"
Leon didn't catch the rest.
Judging by Draco's confused expression, he didn't fully grasp his father's meaning either.
The Malfoys didn't walk quickly, but Leon could tell Lucius had a clear purpose.
Sure enough, they stopped outside Flourish and Blotts.
Lucius didn't spare a glance at the crowd buzzing around Gilderoy Lockhart's book signing.
Instead, his eyes zeroed in on a few distinctive redheads in the throng, and he paused.
"Draco, go say hello," Lucius said, nodding toward the group of redheads mixed with one dark-haired boy.
Draco obediently sauntered over to stir up trouble.
With Lucius's attention elsewhere, Leon slipped behind him.
No reaction. Nothing.
That couldn't be right.
Every Horcrux has powerful magical protections, sure, and they might not sense each other. That's understandable.
But a fragment of Voldemort's soul should at least twitch in the presence of another piece of the same soul.
The Voldemort soul fragment Leon had consumed years ago was tattered and worn, but it still fed on his negative emotions, slowly rebuilding itself and gathering strength.
If it sensed a prime delicacy—another piece of Voldemort's soul—it should at least stir, right? Maybe let out a little hum?
Maybe Lucius hadn't pulled the diary out yet.
Or perhaps he was using some high-level magical item to shield the Horcrux from detection.
Leon studied Lucius closely. Even in the summer heat, the man was wrapped in an elaborate, tightly buttoned wizarding robe.
Not a single pocket in sight.
Where was he hiding the diary?
In his socks? His… pants?
A magical storage item?
What could Leon do to snag it without getting caught?
Before he could figure it out, Lucius waded into the fray to back up his son.
First, he exchanged heated words with Arthur Weasley. Then it escalated to physical blows.
Crash!
Clatter, clunk…
"Ow!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley—two grown wizards, wands at their disposal, capable of casting spells—were throwing punches like Muggle brawlers.
Fists and feet flew, balance faltered, and they slammed into a heavy bookshelf.
Stacks of books toppled, crashing onto their heads.
Both men were momentarily dazed.
The bookshelf tipped, knocking over the one next to it.
Like dominoes, more shelves fell, one after another.
Screams erupted in Flourish and Blotts. Chaos reigned.
Customers darted about, shouting, as the shop descended into madness.
The Weasleys tried to push through to help but couldn't get close.
Buried under a pile of books, the two wizards snapped out of their daze and went right back to brawling.
The shop's staff yelled desperately, their pleas falling on deaf ears:
"Please, stop fighting! Stop! Don't run around! Have mercy—our books! Our books!"
The chaotic scene was a gift for Leon.
He ducked low, weaving through the crowd with nimble steps.
In moments, he was near Lucius Malfoy, who was still in the thick of it.
Hiding behind a fallen bookshelf, Leon crouched, ready.
Then a booming voice cut through the noise:
"Everyone, clear out! Let me through! Gentlemen, enough—stop fighting!"
Through a gap in the bookshelf, Leon saw a massive figure stride in, stepping over the wreckage.
It was none other than Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts' gamekeeper and keeper of keys.
With a few strides, he reached Mr. Weasley, grabbed both men—one in each hand—and yanked them apart.
The main event was about to begin.
Leon's eyes didn't leave Lucius for a second.
He watched as Lucius clutched a tattered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration in his left hand.
As he stood, his right hand brushed his left wrist, hidden by the wide sleeve of his robe.
A black leather notebook flashed briefly.
In the next instant, Lucius slipped the doctored textbook into Ginny's hands.
"Here, little girl, hold onto this. Don't lose it—it's the best thing your father's got for you."
Lucius shot Ginny Weasley a venomous glare, his malice plain as day.
In that moment, Leon saw the striking resemblance between Lucius and Draco.
Lucius had just lectured Draco about keeping his dislike for Harry under control.
Yet here he was, failing to follow his own advice.
But none of that mattered now. Leon's focus was entirely on the tampered book.
It… it smelled so good.
Not a scent you'd pick up with your nose, but a feeling.
The kind of feeling that screamed, This is delicious.
Huh?
Was that… normal?
Leon could tell this strange sensation wasn't coming from the half-digested Voldemort fragment inside him.
This was purely his own perception.
Just him—HIMSELF—sensing the other Horcrux like it was some kind of gourmet meal.
No time to overthink it. Lucius, having planted his poison, was already leaving with Draco.
The Weasleys, including the Horcrux diary, were about to exit the shop.
Leon hissed softly, opening his locket.
A slightly different hiss followed.
A small snake slithered out of the locket.
As the Weasleys, Harry, and the others walked down the street, the Granger parents—shaken by the wizard brawl—were slowly calming down under Hermione's reassurance.
Then—
"AHH! Snake!"
A glossy green snake, over two meters long and as thick as a bowl, slithered past Mrs. Granger's feet.
The poor woman screamed, leaping into her husband's arms.
Her cry drew attention, sparking more screams.
Those terrified of snakes ran around like headless chickens.
Those unbothered by snakes moved to shoo it away.
The bookstore entrance erupted into chaos once again.
Leon slipped through the crowd, brushing past Ginny, and swiped the fragrant book from her cauldron.