"No way!"
At the mere mention of going to the library, George and Fred immediately refused.
"We still need to find Monsgerton in Hogsmeade Village."
"That thief? You're not planning to confront him, are you? Don't be ridiculous—you're definitely not its match," Leonard said.
"Not to settle scores. Last time we asked him to buy us some Venomous Tentacula seeds. They say the seeds have toxins that make people dizzy and feverish, so we want to get some and see if we can make something interesting," George said.
Venomous Tentacula seeds?
Leonard thought of the giant Venomous Tentacula he had grown.
But there was no chance he'd let George or Fred use those. His supply of Venomous Tentacula seeds was limited. The normally grown ones hadn't matured yet, and the single giant seed had already been completely harvested by him.
Besides, that giant Venomous Tentacula was a mutated plant, "347." Its seeds were likely mutated as well. Giving those to the twins might outright poison them.
So it was best to let them find Monsgerton on their own.
"Well, have a nice trip…" Leonard paused. "Oh, and bring me some candy—from that place… Honeydukes."
"No problem." George and Fred gladly agreed and immediately began recommending Honeydukes' signature treats.
"We recommend Blowing Bubble-gum and Pepper Imps. Those two are really fun. One lets you blow tons of long-lasting bubbles, and the other makes you spit fire—perfect for pranks," George said.
"And I recommend Sour Pops and Ice Mice," Fred grinned. "Ice Mice taste great and skitter around your mouth, and Sour Pops—"
"Forget Sour Pops. Last time Ron ate one we gave him, it burned a hole in his tongue," George cut in.
"That was his fault, wasn't it? He was supposed to soak it in water first! And thanks to him, Mum gave us a beating," Fred grumbled.
"No prank candies. Normal ones. Good ones," Leonard emphasized.
"Then go for Butterscotch Butterflies and Jelly Slugs. But those two are super popular—if we go late, they might be sold out," George said.
Butterscotch Butterflies? Jelly Slugs?
Leonard froze mid-reach toward his money pouch.
What the hell were these names?
"We could also get Cockroach Clusters, Fizzing Whizbees, and Surprise Chocoballs," Fred added. "Those are all good."
"Everything except Cockroach Clusters. Get plenty of the rest," Leonard decided. He figured the popular ones were worth trying, but Cockroach Clusters were off the table.
He'd seen them in a candy shop on Diagon Alley—milk chocolate cockroaches crawling inside a jar. Perfect for terrifying anyone afraid of bugs or patterns.
Leonard had no such weaknesses, but he had to think about Claudia and her lack of common sense.
Most of the candy was for her. She loved sweets, but she didn't associate cockroaches with disgust. If Cockroach Clusters tasted good, she might assume real cockroaches were edible too.
He absolutely did not want to witness Claudia chasing down real insects.
"How much do you need? If it isn't much, we'll treat you," Fred offered.
"No need. I need quite a lot." Leonard pulled out his money pouch. Under the twins' numb stares, he handed them six Galleons.
"Get five Galleons' worth of candy. For the other Galleon, grab a tub of Butterbeer," Leonard said.
"That's way too much," George complained. "Are you opening a candy shop?"
"Gifts," Leonard said casually. "If it's too troublesome, I can lend you my flying broom."
"A flying broom?" George and Fred's eyes lit up instantly. "What broom?"
"A Nimbus 2000. Someone gave it to me. I haven't used it much," Leonard said.
"A Nimbus 2000!" The twins sucked in a breath, cheeks flushing with excitement.
"Merlin's beard, you're actually going to lend us a Nimbus 2000?" Fred asked eagerly.
"Of course. It'll make it easier for you to carry everything," Leonard said with a nod.
"Oh my god… riding a Nimbus 2000 in front of everyone… I might faint," Fred said blissfully.
"Is it really that dramatic? Harry has a Nimbus 2000 too."
"Harry cherishes his broom, and we get it—it's a Nimbus 2000. It's not like everyone can just lend out something that expensive like you do." George finished, then glared at Fred. "I think I should be the one to ride the Nimbus 2000."
"No! Why should you? I should!"
"I ride more steadily."
"Impossible! I'm the steadier rider!"
"I am!"
The affectionate twins immediately began wrestling. Leonard had to separate them with magic before they stopped.
"Why don't you just take turns? One rides there, the other rides back," Leonard said, rolling his eyes. "Stop wasting time. Come get the broom. I don't want the candy you recommended to sell out."
"But on the way back we'll be carrying stuff… we can't go fast," Fred—Freddie—argued.
"Then fight it out. Winner decides," Leonard said flatly.
"Forget it. Let Fred ride there. I already said he's unsteady. What if he drops the stuff?" George suddenly acted generous.
"Nonsense! I am steady!" Fred shot back immediately.
"Then prove it," George challenged.
"Fine! I'll ride on the way back!" Fred declared proudly—and instantly regretted it.
He had just tricked himself.
"Great! You said it." George grinned and dashed off. "Leonard, I'll wait for you at the entrance to the Hufflepuff 3.1 Patch common room!"
"Get back here! George! That doesn't count! We're reassigning!" Fred yelled, sprinting after him, though it was unclear how he planned to negotiate.
Leonard, who treated brooms as ordinary transportation tools, couldn't understand their logic. Sure, the Nimbus 2000 was like a Muggle sports car—but even sports cars needed drivers.
He personally hated driving. No matter how fancy the ride was, it felt the same to him.
In the end, George won the first ride, at the cost of Fred being responsible for the entire next trip.
Leonard agreed to lend them the broom every week when they went to Hogsmeade. He rarely used it anyway.
Watching the two soar off, Leonard didn't linger. He headed straight for the library.
He needed to look up major events in wizarding history.
...
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