Leon took a quick breather and headed to the Great Hall, catching the tail end of breakfast.
"Leon! Over here!"
Before he even reached the Gryffindor table, he spotted the mysterious bespectacled boy waving him over.
"Morning, Harry."
Having just done something behind Harry's back that wasn't exactly noble, Leon felt a fleeting pang of guilt—one second, tops—before brushing it off.
Voldemort only ever went after those British blokes.
Leon, Irish through and through (well, at least on the outside), could only think Voldemort hadn't gone far enough.
Take Queen Victoria, the Famine Queen—she managed to wipe out a quarter of Ireland's population in just five years.
Voldemort, stirring up trouble for fifty years, couldn't even shave a quarter off Hogwarts' numbers.
Because he was kind, right?
Surely not because he was a total failure.
Leon was certain that one day, the Chosen One, Harry, would see the good in the Dark Lord Voldemort.
Two rival leaders, finding common ground, shaking hands, and bringing love and peace to the wizarding world!
Perfect. Leon spun a quick little fantasy to justify himself.
With zero guilt, he plopped down next to Harry and his crew, slinging arms around Harry and Ron as he dug into his food.
He casually dropped his grand idea: getting Harry and Ron on board to start the Harry Potter Global Fan Club and publish a monthly Harry Potter magazine.
"Now, don't say no just yet," Leon said, spotting Harry's embarrassed, almost annoyed expression. He quickly rolled out an argument too good to refuse.
"The whole idea came from a simple goal: compensating Mr. Weasley for his car."
He held up a hand to stop Ron from interrupting.
"Hear me out. I get it—you don't want me covering the cost alone. Money between mates can get messy, I know."
"But we can't just let Mr. Weasley eat the loss for that car."
"We three got into that mess, and it's not right to let Ron's dad take the hit."
"So I thought, why not start a little venture together, make some cash, and pay Mr. Weasley back?"
"The inspiration? Lockhart, of all people."
"That fraud's managed to package himself into a goldmine. If a prat like him can rake it in, then with Harry—stronger, more famous, and better-looking—there's no way we won't make bank!"
Ron was trying not to laugh, clearly torn between amusement and restraint.
Harry, meanwhile, looked like he wanted to dive headfirst into his soup bowl, his forehead glowing red.
"B-but…"
Leon ignored Harry's feeble protest, piling on more reasons.
"Originally, I thought we'd do a one-off project, just enough to cover the car."
"Like Lockhart with his books, we'd put out a special edition about Harry."
"I'm no expert in publishing, but Luna Lovegood's dad runs The Quibbler, so I figured we'd loop her in to help."
"Colin and Ginny were there when we talked, and since they're all a bit strapped for cash, I thought, why not bring them in too? It'll speed things up."
"They got really excited and suggested we go big—make it a monthly magazine for steady income."
"The fan club? It's a way for Harry's supporters to connect."
"Plus, club members are our built-in audience. They'd get the magazine free while at Hogwarts, but their families—and Harry, after graduation—would pay for subscriptions."
"It's like Lockhart answering fan mail, but Harry doesn't have to do the heavy lifting."
Leon tied the whole project together: paying back Mr. Weasley, helping their friends make some coin, and improving everyone's lives.
With Harry's big heart, how could he let Mr. Weasley take the loss or ruin his friends' chance at a paycheck?
Leon had played the moral card perfectly.
Ron was hooked but had his doubts.
"It sounds great, but what can I do? Colin and the others have skills, but I don't know anything about this stuff."
Leon grinned—Ron was already reeled in.
"What are you talking about? You're our special correspondent!"
He clapped Ron's shoulder hard.
"You might end up doing more interviews than Harry. Or, if you hate being interviewed, you could write articles yourself."
Ron was instantly lost in a mental debate over which was worse: writing or being questioned.
Ron, sorted.
Leon turned to Hermione, pitching her as editor-in-chief.
"Hermione, the second this idea hit me, I knew you were the only one for the job. If you don't sign on as editor, this magazine doesn't happen."
Hermione wasn't thrilled—she'd been frowning the whole time.
Ron, raised in a wizarding family, and Harry, with his messed-up childhood, didn't quite get it.
But Hermione saw it clearly.
This project was basically turning Harry into a celebrity, cashing in on his image.
She didn't think Harry's personality fit that mold.
Before she could say no, Leon played another heavy card.
"Plus, Gringotts puts such a tight cap on Galleon exchanges for Muggle-born witches and wizards."
"That tiny allowance barely covers anything. If you grow too fast, you're spending it all on robes alone."
"I asked Colin, and even he said it's not enough. Imagine how tough it is for you, Hermione."
"You love books, and your family's well-off, but you can't buy every book that catches your eye."
"What a shame…"
"Fine! I'm in!" Hermione blurted, worried she'd back out if she hesitated.
She felt a twinge of guilt toward Harry.
Those magical books were just too tempting.
Sure, Harry's personality wasn't suited for stardom now, but that didn't mean it never would be.
Hermione believed in his potential.
Hermione, sorted.
Harry couldn't believe it—Hermione had caved so fast.
With two of their trio already on board, his resistance was pointless.
Just as he was about to nod reluctantly, Leon delivered the final blow.
"And, Harry, here's the best part."
"Your fame comes from surviving Voldemort's attack and defeating him, giving the wizarding world over a decade of peace."
"But it's only been a little over ten years, and when people talk about that night, they only mention you, the survivor."
"They're starting to forget your parents, who died that night."
"That's not right, Harry. Your parents deserve to be remembered."
"I heard once that a person dies three times."
"The first is when their body dies."
"The second is after their funeral, when friends and family leave and spread the news, and they fade from society."
"The third is when no one remembers them anymore—that's when they're truly gone."
Leon looked at Harry, who was visibly moved.
"By sharing your story and mentioning your parents over and over, we can keep their memory alive. That's a big reason for this magazine."
And that was it—a critical hit.
Harry, sorted.
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