The matter of dealing with the Horcrux could wait a bit longer.
With no clear plan in mind, Leon decided to sneak into the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library at night to search for inspiration.
The last time he'd gone on a nighttime adventure? Well, that was the last time.
Funny thing is, more than a week into the school year, Leon had already turned in several assignments. But this was his first visit to the library.
Kreacher was off in London tonight, handling some business, so he wasn't at Hogwarts. Leon emerged from the Chamber of Secrets, taking extra time to navigate his way out.
At the entrance to the Chamber, located in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Leon finally met the ghostly Myrtle Warren herself. He was under a Disillusionment Charm, so she couldn't see him. Honestly, even if he'd revealed himself, Myrtle probably wouldn't have noticed. She was too busy sobbing, flooding the bathroom with her tears.
Leon paused to listen for a moment. Apparently, Myrtle was crying because Peeves hadn't come to torment her in days. She even wailed that Peeves had abandoned her.
…What? Was Myrtle developing some kind of Stockholm syndrome?
Leon shook his head. More and more people were bound to notice Peeves' absence. Should he do something to cover it up? Nah, he was just a first-year newbie. What did he know?
Carefully wading through the waterlogged bathroom, Leon made his way down the corridor—yep, the third-floor hallway was flooded too. In the distance, he could hear Filch's heavy, panting footsteps hurrying toward the mess.
Leon quickened his pace, darting up the stairs to avoid him.
Hogwarts at night was surprisingly lively. Leon dodged the menacing Slytherin ghost, the Bloody Baron, a pair of love-struck students sneaking around, and the Weasley twins, before finally reaching the library.
Closing the door behind him, Leon conjured a small orb of light. Its soft glow guided him past rows of bookshelves until he reached the Restricted Section, tucked away at the back. The only thing separating it from the rest of the library was a single rope—no other barriers. Convenient for nocturnal bookworms like him.
Leon stepped over the rope and began scanning the titles on the shelves. The Restricted Section had a ton of books—far too many to go through in one night. If he recognized a title from his studies, he skipped it. If it was unfamiliar, he pulled it down to skim the table of contents.
His plan was to do a quick sweep tonight, identify a few promising books, and then, during the day, charm Gilderoy Lockhart into signing a permission slip to borrow them properly.
The process wasn't exactly smooth. The books in the Restricted Section were downright creepy. Some were bound in human skin, others were stained with blood, and a few emitted eerie, curse-like noises. One even let out a piercing scream the moment it was opened.
When Leon cracked open a large black-and-silver book, a blood-curdling wail, like someone being tortured, echoed through the library. Acting fast, he snapped the book shut, extinguished his light orb, and bolted back to the main reading area. He scrambled up a random bookshelf, climbing to the top in a few quick moves, reapplied his Disillusionment Charm, and lay flat, perfectly still.
Unlike Harry, he didn't have a perfect Invisibility Cloak. He couldn't risk running and getting caught. Sometimes, the most dangerous place was the safest.
Still, he hoped it would just be Filch coming to check. Maybe Filch and Mrs. Norris, at worst.
Barely a few seconds passed before he heard hurried footsteps and a rough, yowling meow from the corridor. Filch and Mrs. Norris had arrived. So far, so good.
Leon let out a tiny sigh of relief.
Then a random thought popped into his head: Hogwarts' caretaker sometimes felt like an NPC in a game. Trigger the right conditions, and he'd practically teleport to your location with his cat in tow.
Leon's mind wandered briefly before he realized something odd—Filch's footsteps had stopped at the library door, and there was no further movement. Had he not come in?
What was Filch doing?
Then another familiar voice spoke from just outside the door. "Argus, you sent for me. Have you found something?"
Snape.
"Professor Snape, there was a loud scream from the library just now," Filch said, his voice thick with excitement. "I got here quick and stood guard at the door, then sent Mrs. Norris to fetch you. The student sneaking around at night is definitely still inside!"
"Well done, Argus," Snape replied, his tone laced with malice. "Let's go in. This time, we'll catch that little brat…"
Leon, perched atop the bookshelf, frowned. Great. They're coming for me.
Creak… bang. The library door swung open and slammed shut. Their footsteps were heavy but deliberate, as if they were trying to spook any rulebreakers into revealing themselves.
"Come out, Green," Snape called, his voice cold but tinged with an unsettling fervor. "You can't escape. I've been waiting for this day. I knew you wouldn't stay out of trouble. Let's see just how much chaos you've caused this time…"
Filch's dragging steps and the flickering light of his lantern grew closer to the Restricted Section. His wheezy, excited voice sounded almost too close. "Professor, did you know Green was going to break the rules tonight? That's brilliant! Do you know when those annoying redheaded Weasleys will slip up next?"
Snape didn't respond. They were almost at the Restricted Section now. He was moments away from catching that infuriating boy who looked and acted so much like his loathsome father. This would prove to Dumbledore that Green was just like Sirius Black—disrespectful of rules, reckless, arrogant, and—
"Hi there! Good evening, Severus! Oh, and Mr. Filch!"
From the edge of the Restricted Section, "Gilderoy Lockhart" flashed a dazzling grin, turning to greet Snape and Filch. He was dressed in an extravagant dark robe adorned with stars and moons, his sleek blonde hair tucked into a matching silk cap.
He stood calmly in front of a towering bookshelf, one hand holding his wand, the other clutching the black-and-silver book.
For a moment, Snape and Filch's brains seemed to short-circuit.
What was this?
"Lockhart" continued, his signature toothy grin unwavering as he spoke in his usual grandiose tone. "Did you come to investigate that scream? Oh, dear me, I'm so sorry! I couldn't sleep tonight, you see. I was planning to admire the moonlight on the terrace, but you know how it is—geniuses like me get struck with brilliant ideas at the oddest hours!
"Halfway up to the fifth floor, it hit me like a bolt from Merlin himself! Why waste time on frivolous pastimes when I could be contributing to the wizarding world? So, here I am, chasing a spark of inspiration in the library!
"Yes, yes, I know the Restricted Section is full of dangerous books, but no worries! I, Gilderoy Lockhart—Third Order of Merlin, honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award—can handle these little nuisances with a single smile!
"Look, this book's quiet as a lamb in my hands now. Heh, heh, heh… Er, Severus? Mr. Filch? Why the long faces? Why so quiet?"