"That's because you don't know what he was like before I received my Hogwarts letter, before he was officially recognized as a wizard," Leonard said.
"Honestly, I'm a little curious. No matter how you look at him, he seems like such a kind old man," Lehende said.
To be fair, if his house suddenly filled up with guests like this without warning, he would probably complain a little too.
But Londo hadn't said a single word. On the contrary, he had prepared everything very thoughtfully.
"No," Leonard said bluntly. "Everyone who knew him used to say he was a bad-tempered old man. Easily angered, unpleasant to deal with. He looked down on everyone and often refused to even speak to them."
"Really? You'd never guess," Lehende said, surprised.
"You can't tell because he doesn't show it," Leonard explained. "You're a wizard. Not only would he never be rude to you, he'll even treat you with extreme respect."
Lehende frowned.
"I don't really understand. He's already a Squib. Why would he still distance himself from muggles? That doesn't benefit him at all."
"Once you've seen how dazzling the wizarding world is, not everyone can accept giving it up and going back to an ordinary life. There's a staff member at Hogwarts like that. He's a Squib too, but he refuses to leave. Every day he watches those hopeful students learning magic. It fills him with resentment, anger, jealousy, and pain. So the thing he enjoys most is punishing students."
Leonard spoke with open disdain.
"He's a Squib. That identity twisted his mind. Londo is the same. He developed a warped kind of worship toward wizards. Like just now, he never even considered whether you were simply humoring him. In his mind, if a wizard agrees to something, then it will definitely be done."
Lehende paused.
As someone who was used to keeping his word, he had never really noticed that.
"But wizards are still just people. Most wizards don't keep their promises either. Wizards aren't some noble species, but he simply can't understand that."
Leonard's voice turned cold.
"Rather than caring about me, what he really cares about is my identity as a wizard."
Londo had never been a good family member.
He clearly separated himself from his family while also standing at the edge of the vast divide between Squibs and wizards, reaching for something he could never obtain.
Because he looked down on muggles, he despised his own wife, the true original owner of the farm, a simple countryside girl.
Because he looked down on muggles, when his son failed to receive a Hogwarts acceptance letter at eleven, he lashed out at him with cruel words.
Because he looked down on muggles, he ignored Leonard completely before Leonard turned eleven. He had already given up. Deep down, he believed Leonard could never be a wizard.
He was an even more extreme blood purist than Voldemort.
But he miscalculated.
Leonard turned out to be a wizard.
So Leonard's feelings toward Londo were simple.
He was grateful the man hadn't let him starve to death.
And that was all.
Leonard trusted him less than Midgard trusted the little finger on her own hand.
Leonard trusted him even less than Marcus, who stayed beside Midgard.
"Well… I wouldn't say that," Lehende said, though his voice grew quieter and less certain. "At least Mr. William must still have some feelings for you."
After Leonard laid everything out like that, even Lehende realized Leonard might actually be right.
Lehende was the kind of person who stayed calm and confident when he was right, but when he realized he was wrong, he would simply admit it. He didn't argue stubbornly and could clearly recognize his own mistakes.
Then he noticed Leonard staring at him with a very strange look.
"Oh? Is that so?" Leonard sneered. "Big brother, that's pretty rude of you. That's my grandfather. How can you call him Mr. William? At the very least, you should call him Grandpa."
Lehende: ???
"Hiss… Let's just keep things separate, okay?" Lehende sucked in a breath, wondering how the topic had somehow turned onto him. "Besides, you're not exactly respectful either. Don't you call him by name too?"
"Is there a problem with that? It's a British habit. You're not British." Leonard crossed his arms. "You know what? My dear niece dragged Claudia away."
So that's why you came looking for me?
To vent your frustration on me?
Lehende felt a tight pressure in his chest, like he had a complaint stuck there that he had to let out.
"So before we arrived, you were really sharing a room with that little girl? You've got some nerve."
"So what? It was mutual. I didn't do anything bad," Leonard said indifferently.
"She's a little girl who doesn't know any better. Don't tell me you don't know any better either."
"Hah. I'm only twelve this year. If you really want to count it, she's the same age as me. We're both kids!" Leonard said confidently.
"Hmph. Then there's nothing left to say." Lehende spread his hands with a grin. "Anyway, she's already been taken away by Fleur. If you've got the ability, go ask her for the girl back."
"Fine. You win." Leonard turned around and went back to his room without another word.
...
The next day, Fleur suddenly woke from a nightmare.
She stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above her, taking a long moment before she fully came back to her senses.
The pursuit from yesterday had followed her into her dreams.
In the nightmare, Leonard never appeared. She was dragging Gabrielle through a pitch-black forest while fleeing. The pursuers behind them slowly turned from human faces into twisted nightmare shadows. No matter how she ran, she could never escape.
Fleur pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling her rapid heartbeat gradually slow.
As the tension faded, exhaustion rushed over her again.
The constant nightmares had left her poorly rested, and her whole body felt tired. She wanted to sleep a little longer.
But it was already late.
And this wasn't her home. Sleeping any longer would be impolite.
Fleur sat up in bed.
Suddenly, she felt that something was wrong.
Where was her sister?
And where was that little girl named Claudia?
Fleur's heart skipped a beat. She quickly threw on her clothes and ran to Leonard's door next door, knocking hard.
Knock knock knock!
The pounding on the door jolted Leonard awake.
Still half-asleep, he climbed out of bed and yawned.
"Who is it, disturbing my sleep this early?" Leonard called lazily.
"Leonard! Open the door!" Fleur shouted from outside.
"Huh? Little niece? Why are you making such a racket so early?" Leonard said as he was about to get up.
Then he suddenly realized something was wrong.
He looked down.
On his left and right were two adorable little girls, one big and one small, clinging to him like octopuses.
The one on the left was Claudia.
Even while asleep, her delicate little face looked perfectly cute.
The one on the other side was slightly less delicate, but her cuteness carried a hint of charm that made her especially eye-catching.
Oh.
It was Gabrielle.
Leonard: ???