Malfoy's two lackeys weren't glued to his side at all times, but they were usually with him.
And Leonard had clearly seen Malfoy with both of them back in the Great Hall.
So why weren't they here now? Had they run off, or had they never come down at all?
If they hadn't, did they even know Draco Malfoy was tailing him?
A flicker of impatience crossed Leonard's face.
Group actions were always the most troublesome—you never knew if the stragglers would suddenly regroup, or if they were tracking each other's whereabouts.
It left him feeling passive, boxed in.
Either way, suspicion needed to be confirmed. But until then, Malfoy couldn't be allowed to die.
As the Devil's Snare's constrictions weakened and the screams inside dwindled, Leonard patted the vines, signaling them to ease up.
The snare loosened just enough, granting Malfoy a fragile gasp of air.
With no way of knowing why Malfoy's two lackeys hadn't been caught, Leonard had to work quickly.
He ordered the snare never to release Malfoy completely, then stepped on the discarded wand lying on the ground, snapping it in two. After wiping away his own footprints, he ensured that even if Malfoy wriggled free, he wouldn't be able to conjure a Lumos to drive the plant off.
Pathetic. Sprout had definitely lectured about Devil's Snare in class, yet the young master clearly hadn't absorbed a word.
Served him right to be strangled.
Leonard strode out of the cave, following the path back toward the Great Hall.
Before fetching the suitcase from his dorm, he needed to confirm the status of Malfoy's lackeys.
But before he even stepped into the hall, he spotted two round silhouettes.
They were staring down the path, clearly waiting for someone.
No panic on their faces, their robes still neat—not the look of anyone who had just clawed their way out of Devil's Snare.
Which meant they hadn't escaped from it at all. They hadn't even gone down with Malfoy.
That gave Leonard breathing room.
Skirting the path, he sprinted back to his dorm, retrieved the suitcase enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm, and slipped past the two without drawing attention as he returned to the cave.
Malfoy was still tightly bound, but the snare, mindful of Leonard's earlier command, hadn't crushed him outright. Otherwise, his ribcage would already be splintered.
"You're lucky," Leonard muttered under his breath, gliding along on the living vines until he reached the cavern's depths.
He approached the towering Venomous Tentacula, plucking a few seeds from its writhing tendrils. Then, stepping back, he cast a Levitation Charm to sweep away the soil.
Soon, a massive pit was cleared beneath the plant, exposing its entire root system.
Leonard inspected it carefully, making certain nothing had been overlooked. Then he opened the suitcase, lowering it from above until it swallowed the plant whole.
The enormous Tentacula folded in on itself, its branches and trunk twisting like a mass sucked into a black hole, until it vanished inside the box.
When the suitcase landed, Leonard flipped it upright and snapped it shut.
A Venomous Tentacula weighing hundreds of pounds was now neatly packed away, ready to be carried off at any time.
"Phew..."
When the Undetectable Extension Charm worked without mishap, Leonard finally let out a breath of relief. He picked up a seed, activated Rapid Growth and Root Enhancement, and tossed it into the pit.
If this Venomous Tentacula seed carried the Gigantification trait, it should sprout directly into an enormous plant.
If not, then he'd have to gamble with Optimize Growth to see if he could force out a giant variant.
And if that still failed... well, then it would come down to fire—burn the whole place and erase it all.
Fortunately, the giant Venomous Tentacula didn't let him down. The seed burst into growth in an instant, unfurling into a towering plant that lashed its tentacle-branches, brimming with strength.
At Leonard's command, the makeshift Tentacula dragged earth and stone over itself, quickly erasing any trace of disturbance.
Once that was done, Leonard cast Rapid Growth again.
The colossal Tentacula shuddered violently, its leaf tips turning a sickly pale yellow. The color spread like a plague, racing across its entire body.
Within moments, the once-vibrant plant had withered into a husk, barely recognizable as what it had been.
Leonard considered this a moment, then plucked a few seeds from the shriveled giant and slipped them into his pocket.
These Rapid Growth seeds were defective anyway—just props to throw off suspicion. He still had an entire healthy giant Tentacula packed with seeds.
He also gathered some Devil's Snare seeds to carry with him, stuffing the rest into his seed bag.
That finished, he hefted the suitcase again. Passing by Malfoy's limp body, he cast a powerful Disillusionment Charm over the already extended suitcase and stashed the invisible trunk in a hidden corner.
Only then did he return to the snare and, with a face full of disdain, order it to release Malfoy.
The boy collapsed headfirst onto the ground. Whether from shock or lack of air, he didn't stir, not even from the impact.
"Pathetic. Weak and still thinks it's fun to play hero." Leonard sneered, grabbing Malfoy by the robes. He hauled him up like a sack of garbage and dragged him toward the Great Hall.
Soon, the sight of them came into view of Malfoy's cronies.
Goyle, mid-bite into a custard biscuit, froze at the sight of Leonard lugging a figure in Slytherin robes, face obscured and unmoving. The biscuit slipped from his hand.
"MALFOY! HUFFLEPUFF'S WILLIAM KILLED MALFOY!" Goyle screamed, bolting in panic.
Crabbe, still processing, stared blankly after Goyle. Then he turned and saw Leonard with Malfoy in tow. Remembering Goyle's scream, his own nerves snapped.
Leonard looked straight at him and began, "You're just in time, I—"
"DON'T KILL ME! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Crabbe shrieked, then sprinted after Goyle without a second glance.
Leonard, still holding up Malfoy and about to ask Crabbe to drag him to the Hospital Wing: ???
What the hell was wrong with these idiots?
...
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