Leon, along with Colin, Ginny, and Luna, sneaked into the Hogwarts kitchens.
They were greeted with enthusiastic cheers from the house-elves.
Leon gifted the elves a collection of cookbooks: one for French cuisine, one for Italian, one for Spanish, and a special edition from Kreacher himself.
This earned them treatment fit for visiting dignitaries.
The group was nearly overwhelmed by a flood of delectable desserts.
Leon planned to wait until the elves had mastered these recipes before upping the ante with a cookbook.
Taking advantage of having his three future "employees" present, Leon laid out the details of his grand project.
He painted a massive picture of opportunity—so big it left the wide-eyed trio practically bursting with excitement.
Leon wasn't just spinning dreams to get free labor. He knew all three of them could use the extra help.
Colin, a Muggle-born, came from a humble background—his father was a milkman with no connections in the wizarding world. In a couple of years, his younger brother would start at Hogwarts, adding to the family's burdens.
Luna's family had suffered a devastating loss two years ago when their home was destroyed in a magical fire explosion (Leon's inner voice screamed, Grindelwald's doing!). The Lovegoods hadn't recovered financially, and they were scraping by.
And Ginny? Well, she was a Weasley—enough said.
If they joined Leon's big project, they might not become filthy rich, but they'd at least earn some pocket money.
The trio was sold. They jumped at the chance to be part of this grand venture.
With impressive initiative, they started brainstorming how to establish the Harry Potter Fan Club—discussing setup, promotion, and recruitment.
Leon nodded approvingly. Yes, yes, yes! He loved employees who'd work overtime without expecting a raise.
As the time for Herbology class approached, Leon, Colin, and Ginny headed to the Entrance Hall to meet Professor Sprout, who'd take the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff first-years to the greenhouses.
Luna, who had no classes that afternoon, wandered off to the Ravenclaw Tower.
During Herbology, Leon ran into that Hufflepuff boy, "Hambo Aina."
Leon deliberately chose a spot next to him.
During a break, he struck up a conversation, subtly probing for information.
Hambo seemed a bit slow on the uptake, maybe a touch dim, but otherwise normal.
The only odd thing was his suspiciously perfect Muggle orphan backstory—too clean, too convenient. Still, nothing else stood out.
Leon decided to shelve the "Hambo mystery" for now. He had too much on his plate, and observing Hambo wasn't exactly a priority.
After Herbology ended early, Leon decided to visit the Owlery to check on Tom, his parrot.
Why hadn't Tom come looking for him today? Was the chocolate losing its appeal? Or had his bird grown too bold?
The Owlery was perched at the top of Hogwarts' West Tower.
Instead of heading back to the castle with his classmates, Leon took a longer route.
Partly to explore and get a feel for the grounds, but mostly to catch a glimpse of the legendary Whomping Willow.
He hadn't gone far when he spotted Tom, his vibrant, multicolored feathers unmistakable, cozying up in the arms of a blonde girl.
They say looks reflect the heart, Leon thought. With feathers that flashy, Tom's heart must be downright dazzling.
"Tom! What are you doing? Where are your manners? Get over here and stop bothering her!" Leon called out sternly, quickening his pace.
"Such a gorgeous bird, and you named him Tom? That's a bit ordinary, isn't it?" the girl said, looking up with surprise as she saw Leon.
Leon was equally surprised. He recognized her: Astoria Greengrass, the girl sorted into Slytherin just before him at the Sorting Ceremony.
"Hey, Miss Greengrass. Tom's a common name, sure, but he picked it himself," Leon said with a grin.
"Squawk! Tom Haute! Tom Haute!" Tom chirped, no longer playing mute now that his owner was here. He flapped his wings and left the girl's arms to perch on Leon's shoulder.
"Hi, Mr. Green," Astoria replied, tapping Tom's head playfully, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "Naughty bird, staying quiet while I held you but chatting up a storm for your owner."
"Squawk! Tom shy! Tom shy!"
"Ha, you're adorable," Astoria laughed, giving Tom's head another pat.
Then she tilted her head, studying Leon. "You look kind of familiar."
Was Leon being vain, or did that sound like a pickup line?
He was a humble, shy guy, after all.
"Really? Maybe I just have one of those faces," he said, striking a deliberately charming pose, practically zooming his heartthrob face into her view.
Astoria studied him openly, then nodded. "Yup, you've got to be some distant cousin of mine. I'm not sure if I've met you before, but I've definitely seen that face somewhere."
"Oh, is that so?" Leon replied casually, brushing it off. Then he shifted gears: "No classes for Slytherin this afternoon?"
"Oh, I've got History of Magic soon. I was heading back to the castle when I ran into Tom. But it's fine—my sister says Professor Binns never remembers anyone's name, so skipping's no big deal."
Astoria's rebellious streak seemed at odds with her prim appearance.
Leon wasn't sure how to respond. They weren't close enough to keep joking about family resemblance, and the conversation fizzled into an awkward silence.
That's when Leon noticed something.
Thanks to his knowledge from Voldemort and his own experiences, Leon had always been fascinated by the study of souls. But the subject was so complex and obscure that, beyond refining his own soul-devouring talent, he'd made little progress.
Yet, in this moment, he sensed something unusual.
Harry had been a unique case, too subtle for Leon to notice anything specific before.
But Astoria's presence gave him a second point of comparison, and he picked up on a similarity between her and Harry.
In Leon's perception, both Harry and Astoria's souls felt… slightly heavier than others'. Just a faint, almost imperceptible weight.
With only Harry as a reference, he hadn't noticed it. But now, with Astoria, he could sense their shared anomaly.
They were both one body, two souls.
Harry's case was obvious: he was the sixth Horcrux, carrying a fragment of Voldemort's soul.
But Astoria? What was her deal?
Feeling a bit intrusive, Leon lightly skimmed her memories.
To his shock, he found she was a blood-cursed beast-person—a hereditary family curse, passed down through the women, causing physical weakness and a shortened lifespan.
The same curse as Nagini's.
So, was Astoria's extra soul fragment that of a beast?
"Ahem, well, I've got to get to class. See you later, Mr. Green. Bye, Tom!" Astoria said, perhaps unnerved by Leon's prolonged stare. With a small cough, she waved and left.
"Squawk! Pretty lady, come back! Come back!" Tom flapped his wings excitedly.
Leon, meanwhile, was utterly lost in the enigma of souls, unable to tear himself away from the mystery.
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