Chapter 226: The Giant Serpent
The students below the stage reacted in different ways, but the same thought ran through every mind:
Someone had received an Order of Merlin, First Class, at twelve years old. So why were they still stressing over school exams and what they were going to do after graduation?
The strongest reaction came from the Slytherin table. Glory was something they pursued almost instinctively. It was, after all, part of the reason they had been Sorted there.
An Order of Merlin, First Class.
Malfoy's eyes remained fixed on the gold medal resting against Leonardo's chest, burning with intensity. He couldn't stop himself from imagining what it would feel like to be the one standing up there. It was the kind of honour that would bring unquestionable glory to the Malfoy name.
As a pure-blood heir, Malfoy understood exactly how much weight that medal carried. This wasn't the routine self-awarding that outgoing Ministers for Magic indulged in before retirement, or the "purchase" a certain Black ancestor had once made. Leonardo had earned this through genuine achievement.
At the next table over, Harry was whispering to Ron.
"Ron, does this mean Leonardo's basically a celebrity in the wizarding world now?"
Ron nodded emphatically, then jerked his chin further down the Gryffindor table.
"Look at Percy's face. He's about to die of envy."
Harry followed his gaze. Percy was staring at the high table with blazing eyes, his cheeks slightly flushed. He was watching Leonardo, but also the important figures Leonardo was speaking with.
Percy had always been ambitious. More than anything, he wanted to leave an impression on people with influence.
And there was Leonardo, the same age as Percy's younger brother, already chatting with those very people as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
The disconnect between Leonardo's age and everything he had already accomplished felt almost absurd, and it struck deep.
As time passed, the unforgettable ceremony finally drew to a close.
…
Inside Newt's suitcase world.
At the edge of what looked like an enormous water tank, Leonardo held his wand steady. The wave-shaped Elemental Water Rune on his little finger had deepened in colour, giving off a faint blue glow. He had completed another loan after Christmas, and the water rune had now reached the advanced level.
With his strengthened affinity for the water element, Leonardo manipulated a massive sphere of water. Inside it, a kelpie thrashed and charged in every direction, unable to break free.
"Sorry to trouble you with this. It's mating season for kelpies, and their tempers are dreadful…"
Newt tapped his wand lightly against himself, drawing the water from his clothes.
Leonardo channelled his magic. The Elemental Water Rune on his finger released a thread of blue light, and a stream of vivid blue water shot from the tip of his wand, flowing into the sphere. It moved like a fish towards the kelpie's mouth.
The moment the agitated kelpie swallowed the stream, it began to calm, no longer churning the water so violently.
Much like the thunderbird's affinity for the lightning element, magic carrying the signature of an elemental rune could soothe a kelpie as well.
"Don't mention it. Happy to help."
"Mr Scamander, during the ceremony earlier, when I was speaking with the guests, some of them didn't seem particularly... 'warm' towards Headmaster Dumbledore?"
Leonardo asked the question out of curiosity. After the award ceremony, he had attended a private reception with the distinguished guests, but the moment Dumbledore appeared, the atmosphere had noticeably cooled.
Hearing that, Newt gave a helpless smile.
"It's probably because Dumbledore's been making the rounds trying to fill the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. He's likely invited every one of those people at least once. And with the recent rumours surrounding the post..."
Leonardo's mouth twitched slightly.
Hogwarts' Defence Against the Dark Arts position had already "taken out" professors for several years in a row, and its dreadful reputation had spread far and wide. Those distinguished figures weren't snubbing Dumbledore.
They were terrified of inheriting the cursed position.
"I did recommend someone to Dumbledore," Newt said. "But that person has been reluctant to accept, due to their… particular circumstances."
Particular circumstances?
Leonardo's mind stirred. He was about to ask when Newt spoke first.
"Leonardo, in your last letter, you mentioned a large serpent. What exactly was it?"