After wrapping up his conversation with the Weasley twins, Leitch headed to the Starlight Sanctum.
Inside, he found only Neville and Seamus.
The two were sitting quietly at a desk, deeply focused on their homework.
On the first day of the new term, the History of Magic professor had assigned a massive project. It was tedious but didn't require much brainpower—just sorting out historical timelines and copying them down.
"Oh, Leitch, you finally made it," Neville breathed a sigh of relief as Leitch walked in. "I thought you weren't going to show up. We just founded the Starlight Sanctum yesterday, and more than half the members are already missing."
Leitch raised an eyebrow. "Hermione and Wendy aren't here?"
Seamus shook his head. "Nope. No idea what they're up to."
Leitch walked over, set his books down, and took a seat. Glancing at the homework spread across the table, he nodded slightly. "It's fine if they didn't come. It's not like this is a place everyone has to visit every single day."
"Hey, Leitch," Neville started, practically begging. "Do you mind telling us about your duels at Beauxbatons? We're dying to know!"
Neville and Seamus leaned in close.
As Gryffindors, they were brave, reckless, and obsessed with adventure. Naturally, they were incredibly envious and curious about Leitch's "legendary" experiences.
They had been itching all day for tonight's meeting, just waiting to hear him tell the story.
His late arrival had kept them hanging. If it weren't for the mysterious focus-boosting effects of the Sanctum, they wouldn't have been able to get through their homework at all.
Seeing the genuine eagerness in their eyes, Leitch couldn't help but sigh.
"Alright, I'll give you the short version. But once I'm done, I need to start studying."
"Yes! Deal!" Both boys nodded vigorously.
With Leitch's recounting, Neville and Seamus finally learned the rough details of what had happened at Beauxbatons.
"Oh man, that is so badass!" Neville clenched his fists in excitement. "You took down three people using just one spell!"
Seamus flushed red and chimed in, "And that last duel sounds insane!"
Caught up in the hype, Seamus drew his wand, aimed it at a nearby training dummy, and yelled, "Just one shot! Expelliarmus!"
Bang!
A thick cloud of black smoke immediately filled the air.
Leitch and Neville frantically waved their hands to clear the smog.
As the smoke dissipated, it revealed Seamus. His hair was blown back into an afro, his face was covered in soot, and his eyes were completely glazed over.
"Oh... I forgot... I don't actually know that spell yet," Seamus muttered.
He opened his mouth, letting out one final puff of black smoke, and then collapsed backward.
"Seamus!"
Leitch and Neville jumped up and caught him before he hit the ground.
He was completely unresponsive.
"Get him to the hospital wing! Now!" Leitch ordered.
Grabbing him by the arms, the two of them hauled Seamus up and sprinted out of the room.
Third Floor, Hogwarts Castle. The Hospital Wing.
"Honestly, the term has barely started! What on earth are you students doing?!"
Madam Poppy Pomfrey was furious. She directed Leitch and Neville to lay Seamus on a crisp white hospital bed before immediately running diagnostic spells.
"I just finished treating a student with shattered ribs and severe tissue damage from practicing highly dangerous magic. And now I get an idiot who blew himself up?!"
"A concussion caused by the explosive shockwave," Madam Pomfrey deduced quickly. "Fine. At least this is an easy fix."
She turned to a climate-controlled crystal cabinet, pulled out several vials, and started mixing a potion. While she worked, she shot a glare at Leitch and Neville.
"Don't think just because it's easily cured that you can lose your respect for magic. If you blow your heads off one day, I won't be able to help you! Not even Dumbledore will be able to help you!"
She shook the neon-green potion in her hand. Once it began bubbling heavily, she walked back to Seamus's bed.
Without missing a beat, she forcefully jammed a funnel into Seamus's mouth and poured the concoction straight down his throat.
Gulp.
Leitch and Neville both cringed at the rough treatment.
"Cough... hack!"
Whether he was choking or the potion was just that effective, Seamus jolted awake, coughing violently.
Madam Pomfrey yanked the funnel out.
Leitch and Neville quickly stepped in to help sit him up.
"Listen closely," Madam Pomfrey warned. "That potion has side effects. His head is going to swell up for the next three days. Make sure he supports his chin during class. I don't want him snapping his own neck and ending up right back in here!"
"Now, all of you, get out. Curfew is starting."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
"Seamus," Leitch said heavily, looking at his friend whose head was already ballooning like a bobblehead. "Next time you use a spell, please make sure you actually know how to cast it first."
Leitch felt exhausted. He had barely gotten any studying done tonight, and now curfew had hit.
"Sorry, Leitch. I just got too excited," Seamus said sheepishly. He tried to scratch his head, only to realize it was so swollen he could only reach his ears.
"Just focus on how you're going to survive the next three days," Leitch said, shaking his head.
Together, he and Neville helped Seamus out of the hospital wing.
After dropping Seamus off and cleaning up at the Sanctum, Leitch finally made it back to his dorm.
Unlike him, Terry, Anthony, and Stephen had been back for a while.
Terry loved hanging around the notice board in the common room, debating Quidditch stats and broomstick models with the older students.
Anthony was a social butterfly, bouncing between different groups around the castle for what he called "encounters."
Stephen usually just hung out by the common room bookshelves, reading quietly.
Despite their different habits, the four of them got along great. It was a relaxed vibe that Leitch genuinely appreciated.
Not long after Leitch returned, curfew officially began, and the students settled into bed.
But high up in one of the castle towers, inside the Gryffindor common room, three students were wide awake, huddled together and whispering excitedly.
"I told you! I knew I had seen it somewhere!"
Hermione slammed a massive, heavy book down in front of Ron and Harry, holding up her wand to cast a Lumos charm.
"I was reading this for some light entertainment and skimmed right past it..."
"Ah, here it is!"
Ron stared at the textbook—which was easily larger than his own head—and swallowed hard.
"You call that light entertainment?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and traced her finger down the page.
"The great alchemist... Nicolas Flamel... The Sorcerer's Stone..."
"The Sorcerer's Stone!"