Leon Green didn't believe Gellert Grindelwald was some kind of reborn time-traveler. The old wizard had mentioned twice that "we're the same kind," which felt more like he knew something about the future—and had figured out Leon did too. Grindelwald was famous for his Seer abilities, after all. Did he think Leon was a Seer like him? He'd even said Leon had a knack for prophecy. But how had Grindelwald zeroed in on Leon in the first place? Was that through a vision too?
Leon was curious about what Grindelwald had seen in his prophecies. Maybe he saw Leon slicing Voldemort into so many pieces that his old enemy kept bouncing back, refusing to die. So, Grindelwald rushed to mentor Leon, hoping he'd take down Voldemort properly this time and not accidentally make him immortal. Okay, that theory was a bit silly—Grindelwald's ambitions were probably bigger than that. Still, the man was hiding too much, and Leon was sure his intentions weren't entirely friendly. The human wand experiment had to stop.
Leon's already transformed right hand needed a thorough check to purge any trace of Grindelwald's magic. Another urgent task added to his endless to-do list.
On Sunday morning, Leon and the senior members of their club gathered in an empty second-floor classroom at Hogwarts to plan their first official activity and discuss the monthly newsletter. They'd considered meeting in the Gryffindor common room, but Luna was in Ravenclaw, and the common room wasn't exactly private.
"We need a fixed, more private meeting spot," Hermione said. "The club's activities can happen in the Great Hall—I checked with Professor McGonagall, and as a student organization, we can book it in advance. But we can't exactly make the newsletter or hold meetings in the Great Hall. Today's Sunday, so we got a classroom, but that won't work on other days."
Leon thought the Room of Requirement would be perfect but didn't want to suggest it himself as a first-year. Instead, he said, "Ask Ron's brothers, Fred and George. I bet no one knows this castle's secrets better than them, except maybe Filch."
"Fred and George know every hidden passage, don't they?" Ron muttered, skeptical but willing. "Fine, I'll ask them."
As noon approached, the meeting wrapped up, and everyone started packing to head to the Great Hall for lunch. While they tidied up, Leon casually asked, "Harry, Ron, what are you guys up to this afternoon?"
Harry, assuming Leon wanted to hang out, grinned. "We're going with Hermione to visit Hagrid. Wanna come?"
"Oh, nice," Leon said, scratching his cheek. "I'll pass, though. My family sent this week's football magazine, so I'm gonna find Dean to read it together. You know we're both huge West Ham fans."
Ron mumbled something about how kicking a ball around on the ground was boring. Ginny piped up, "Leon, have you finished all your homework? What about that History of Magic essay? It's gotta be at least two feet long."
Leon scratched his cheek again, dodging the question. "That's not due till Tuesday, right? Plenty of time." Truth was, he had no idea if it was done—he'd dumped all his written assignments on Kreacher. House-elves got antsy with nothing to do, so he kept them busy.
"But Leon," Colin Creevey blurted, oblivious as ever, "I've never seen you in the library, and in the common room, you're always reading sci-fi novels. Where do you even do your homework? When?"
Colin, who'd been Leon's human GPS during their first week navigating Hogwarts' maze-like corridors, knew Leon's routine better than most. Aside from Leon's late-night wanderings, Colin could practically pinpoint his location at any given time.
Leon shot Colin a mock glare. "I write it in the middle of the night, under my covers!"
Colin's eyes widened in realization, but then he frowned. "Got it! But doesn't staying up late stunt your growth? My dad says I have to sleep early to grow tall. So why are you so much taller than me when you're always up late?"
He stepped closer, measuring their height difference with his hand—Leon was a full head taller, if not more.
"Because of Gurdyroot," came a dreamy voice. Luna, with her misty eyes, spouted something typically bizarre. "Leon must drink Gurdyroot tea every day. My dad says it boosts magic and helps young wizards grow taller."
"Really? What's Gurdyroot?" Colin asked, instantly hooked, peppering Luna with questions about brewing it.
Seizing the moment, Leon slipped away. He dashed to the kitchens to grab two packed lunches, then headed back to Gryffindor Tower. Lately, he'd been experimenting with seeing Hogwarts through the Basilisk's memories, which gave him a unique way of navigating the castle.
In the Gryffindor common room, he spotted Dean Thomas about to head to the Great Hall. "Hey, Dean! Wanna check out this week's football mags and papers? I've got the latest on the Hammers, and I grabbed lunch for us—eat and read?"
"Mate, that's brilliant!" Dean's face lit up. "I was dying for some team news here at Hogwarts. Let's go to your dorm—I can't wait!"
Dean ditched his friend Seamus Finnigan, slinging an arm around Leon's shoulders, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Actually, let's go to your dorm," Leon said, wincing. "You know my dorm's got those three... characters. Colin and I only go back to sleep."
Dean nodded, instantly understanding. "Oh, right, you mean 'Know-It-All,' 'Say-Thanks,' and 'Stutterer'? Yeah, that's... a lot. Let's use my dorm."
Leon hadn't realized the trio already had nicknames. Kids really were the best at coming up with those.
West Ham was killing it this season, and if they kept it up, they might climb to the Premier League next year. Over a tasty lunch, Leon and Dean chatted football for ages. While Dean was lost in the sports pages, Leon got up and paced the dorm, not touching anything, just looking like he was stretching his legs after eating.
The dorm's layout was identical to Leon's: five boys, decked out in red and gold. Neville Longbottom's four-poster was closest to the door. Seamus had an Irish flag by his bed. Dean's wall was plastered with West Ham posters. Harry's bed was by the window, with Ron's next to it, covered in Chudley Cannons posters—each featuring seven witches and wizards in bright orange Quidditch robes.
Leon Leonred by Ron's bed, pretending to study the posters. His eyes flicked to his real target: Scabbers, Ron's pet rat, fast asleep in a cage by the bed.