At night, the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron slowly parted, opening the way into Diagon Alley.
Leonard, cloaked in black, slipped out quietly. He walked along the main street before turning into a side passage that led into Knockturn Alley.
At night, Knockturn Alley was even more sinister—but never silent.
Rustling noises echoed from the corners, while shouts of conflict drifted in from not far away. Suddenly, a loud explosion thundered, and a mushroom cloud of fire lit up the sky.
Knockturn Alley at night seemed livelier than in the daytime. Leonard frowned slightly as he reached the secluded path he had scouted earlier.
There were traces of blood on the ground, though their source was unclear.
He paid it no mind. Pulling out the cloth pouch of Chomping Cabbage seeds, he took three and dropped them into the soil between the bricks.
The seeds sprouted the instant they touched earth. In the blink of an eye, they swelled and grew into full maturity—three grotesque cabbages with sharp, gleaming teeth.
Leonard immediately activated an enhancement, deliberately choosing its direction.
The cabbages swelled again, their tooth-filled mouths yawning so wide they looked ready to tear apart, like spring-loaded traps waiting to snap shut. Then their bodies turned translucent and vanished into the ground.
The other enhancement path of Chomping Cabbage: landmines disguised as traps.
"Almost like potato mines. Shame this doesn't grant Experience. Is it because it's a shortcut?" Leonard muttered, pressing his hand to the ground until he felt the faint wriggle of the hidden cabbages.
Perfect traps.
A sly smile crept across his face.
Now it was time for the bait to play its part.
Baiting people like this was a bit cruel, sure—but if Leonard didn't have a conscience, then there was nothing to trouble it.
He pulled down his hood, stepped out of the alley, and took on the guise of a lost child—wide-eyed and uncertain.
And in Knockturn Alley, that meant only one thing: perfect prey.
Soon, an old woman emerged, like a shark drawn to the scent of blood.
Her face was a roadmap of wrinkles, her robes were dull and gray, and the greedy glint in her eyes was as if she'd just spotted a sack of golden Galleons.
The very picture of a storybook witch.
How much was an underage wizard worth? Leonard didn't know, and didn't care to. Probably not much—it wasn't about the price. More likely she simply "preferred" young boys. And that preference reeked of malice.
"Little one, are you lost? Why are you here all alone?" the witch asked sweetly, her face twisted into a mockery of kindness.
Leonard stepped back, playing the role of a frightened child to perfection.
"Don't be scared, dear. Come to Granny. Granny has candy." She slipped a hand beneath her cloak, searching for something.
That was all Leonard needed to see—he bolted down the alley behind him.
No doubt about it: wizarding traffickers didn't rely on laced candy or parlor tricks. A Petrification Charm or a Stunning Spell would be all it took to snatch him up.
He wasn't about to stand there waiting for her to draw her wand and hit him with one.
Seeing him sprint away without hesitation, the witch's face twisted into a look of venomous frustration.
"Don't run, get back here!" she hissed as she chased him, keeping her voice low—not out of guilt, but to avoid neighbors demanding a share of her catch.
This was her prey.
Leonard wasn't running fast, easy enough to chase down. She didn't bother with spells; casting while running was hard to aim and would only slow her down.
Instead, she tucked away her wand and picked up her pace.
As Leonard ducked into the alley, her expression lit up with excitement. If he'd run back toward Diagon Alley, she might have hesitated. But here, in this secluded lane? He had walked straight into her clutches.
She charged into the alley—and found Leonard standing there, panting, looking like he'd been scared stiff.
"Heh heh heh… why'd you stop running?" She pulled out her wand, laughing like a screeching owl.
Leonard backed away step by step as she closed in.
Just as she was about to step into the trap, a sudden explosion rang out elsewhere, pulling her attention away. She instinctively glanced over her shoulder.
Leonard flinched too. From his vantage point, he could see flames rising in the distance, though he couldn't tell what had caused it.
But seeing her distracted, he knew this was his moment.
He yanked the Chomping Cabbage from beneath his cloak and hurled it straight at her.
With only the barest sliver of instinct, the Chomping Cabbage couldn't be trained to wait quietly in place and ambush prey.
It would lunge the moment it sensed something—spoiling any chance of a clean sneak attack.
That's why Leonard treated it as a projectile, throwing it when the target wasn't paying attention.
Originally, he'd planned to throw it just as she stepped onto one of the hidden landmines. But the unexpected explosion had distracted her first.
And Leonard wasn't about to waste such a golden opportunity.