Christmas rolled around as the buzz of the duel slowly diminished.
Leon stuck to his schedule, switching to interesting spells now and then not letting his practice become a chore. At the same time, he was also researching the so-called noble of the plants along with the dangerous flora and fauna of the forbidden forest.
The day before everyone was leaving for their houses, Leon decided to ask Susan about the plant while they were finishing the holiday assignments in the library.
"No idea. But I bet Daphne knows, I can ask her if you want," Susan gestured towards the Slytherin occupying the table beside them.
"Yes, please."
Leon was fed up with the search, he had already gone through half a dozen books and there were always more books in the Hogwarts library. With no end in sight, he didn't want to waste his time anymore.
"Then wait just a minute," she smiled at him before she stared at the Slytherin for a couple of seconds. Suddenly, Daphne turned towards her and made eye contact.
'No way that's a coincidence.'
After a couple seconds of staring, Daphne stood up and disappeared behind a bookshelf.
Susan followed her.
'I totally forgot about Daphne,' Leon blinked.
Now that he observed Susan looking towards Daphne like she expected her to feel her gaze, which the Slytherin did. The questions he had regarding Daphne returned with vengeance.
'How did she notice Susan's gaze? Or me using the mind spell on Draco and his grunts, or Tonks eavesdropping using my e-item?'
"Psst! Hannah, what's up with Daphne? How did Susan know she would notice her looking at her so quickly?" He asked his friend; he remembers Daphne saying to ask his fellow Hufflepuffs about her methods. So, he did just that.
Hannah tossed a nervous look toward Madam Pince before whispering back.
"Daphne is a genius in potions. She always uses various potions to keep track of her surroundings. Because her mother always says that a Slytherin can become rich just from the information their peers drop in their school years or something like that." Hannah crunched her eyebrows, trying to remember the exact words before shrugging.
"How does she use potions to keep track of her surroundings?" he asked, curious.
"She has various ornaments that change color, temperature, etc depending on the type of potions she dipped them into," Hannah replied.
'Crazy, we still are very far from studying potions and their effects on mundane metals. But she is already using them, that too to spy on people and make sure no one is spying on her.'
'This isn't a fanfic. Not every Slytherin is a master spy always looking for leverage over their classmates, maybe she is just paranoid.'
As Leon was assuring himself that, Daphne returned to her seat with a book in her arm, her glistening blue eyes staring at him like she was peering into his mind.
One look at her made Leon rethink his position on Slytherin's spying and power struggle.
Daphne sent him a little smile before joining her table.
Shaking his head, Leon wrote his next question and forwarded his scroll to Hannah.
It read, 'What type of potions?'
Hannah furrowed her eyebrows upon reading that.
'She creates new ones all the time, she has her own version of the cat's eye potion and even the Sleekeazy's hair potion. Like, Shrivelfig, a plant which wilts when watched, is most likely the main ingredient in her potion that lets her know if anyone is watching her.'
'Damn! That requires remembering countless potion ingredients and how they react to each other. Just like chemistry but unlike chemistry, you have to keep track of the time ingredients first bloomed or ripened along with how variables like heat, stirrings, and even the shape of the vessel influence the properties of the magical mix.'
While chemistry follows certain patterns and laws, potion-making too follows some rules. But the rules have deeper nuance and are quite illogical or magical most of the time.
The effects of even a minute older ingredient will be different than others even under the same conditions if it is harvested at certain times. These effects are again different depending on the stars, wind, etc.
The first years were still making the most basic potions that weren't delicate like most potions are.
'The memory requirements are huge, maybe that's why she is learning Occlumency,' he thought, remembering about Daphne Greengrass's fanfic trope.
Susan returned to their table a little later than Daphne and read the scroll Leon scribbled in.
'While she only started making potions recently, Daphne always liked to read potions books a long back. So don't feel bad, she is just on a different level than you.' Susan's eyes twinkled with amusement as Leon rolled his eyes at her.
'Here is all the information she knows about the different types of plants that meet your description. And in return, she wants to know which plant you are searching for if you find it.'
'Hmm! I thought anyone would ask why I was searching for that plant. Whatever!'
Leon shrugged and took the scroll from Susan.
His exact question to her was 'Plants that grow around badgers and can be called a noble among plants.'
And boy did she deliver.
In the three plants she described, she highlighted one named Aedelwyrt which translates to noble plant in Old English, and it grows in the lairs of Bondugs.
Bondugs were one of the many magical creatures bred by Helga Hufflepuff herself and resemble mundane badgers.
Many of Helga's bred magical creatures have some similarity to badgers so they weren't unique in that aspect.
'I think this is it.' He smiled, parsing through everything written on the scroll. Daphne has written down the uses of the plant even its naming history.
With some more preparations, Leon would be ready to venture into the forbidden forest and the coming Christmas holidays is a nice time for a little sightseeing.
'Let's not get ahead of myself, maybe Professor Sprout has one on hand. But if she doesn't,' Leon cracked a smile as his eyes lit up in excitement.
"I will have to see these creatures' favored habitat and convince Hagrid, or somehow take a peek at his map- I'm sure he has one- to avoid the big spiders, then we are ready to go. The auxiliary arms, aux arms, his second e-item, was ready to be used.' Leon nodded; he was proud of how well the aux arms turned out.
He created it as terrain aid, like climbing walls, trees, etc. The extra touches he gave the e-item in anticipation of his trip into the forbidden forest, stole the limelight, though.
The e-item was leaps above the item which melted under Firstie's spells.
'Dear founder, the rewards for your quest better be awesome.'
…
"I can't wait to see my aunt again," Susan murmured as they shelved the gardening tools used in that day's class.
"What about you Leon? Excited for holidays?" Susan nudged him as he stared at their house head conversing with Neville.
"Yes! I have a project going on, I am hoping to complete it in the holidays."
A knowing look flashed in Susan's eyes along with frustration unnoticed by Leon who was watching Professor Sprout laugh as Neville sheepishly rubbed his head.
"What project?" Hannah chimed in.
"I'll tell you guys later; I don't know if I am supposed to talk about it." Leon waved away Hannah's curious look; he didn't want them to join him on his trip to the forbidden forest.
'Knowing Susan, she would want to accompany me. Even my safety mostly depends on my e-item and a broom, it's better they don't know about it.'
Before they could ask him more questions, Leon walked toward the professor.
"Professor, do you grow Aedelwyrts?" Leon asked, acting like a curious student.
"Where did you come across that plant, Astraeus?" She asked.
"I came across it when I was reading Helga's bestiary."
Leon checked, Bondugs and Aedelwyrts were mentioned in the fourth volume of that particular series. Helga had a long life and not everything she bred had survival instincts, but the book series was painfully detailed and long.. very long.
Amusement flickered in Sprout's eyes and went unseen as the Professor expertly managed her expression as she turned around and sent Neville away.
"You will learn about it in your next year, but Aedelwyrt is one of the fae plants." She held her hand, predicting his query. "Magical herbs and plants which only grow in a land untouched by a witch's magic are called Fae plants."
"Fae? …And are they used in potions?" Leon asked wondering if they were real fae hiding in the forest.
"It's just a name derived from ancient faeries. And of course, there are potions that use Adelwryt," The head of his house warmly explained.
'I was asking about whether faes are used in potions but never mind now.' Tossing the matter of faeries to the back of his mind, Leon quickly asked.
"So, I can buy them?"
"Alas! Most don't reach the market, but you can buy one if they are surplus…. Potions stores replenish their supplies at the start of every new Hogwarts year. So, you have to wait for the start of next term."
The professor waved her wand before nodding to herself.
"I don't see why you would need an Aedelwyrt, you shouldn't spend money on things you don't need, Mr. Astraeus."
Lost in deep thought, staring at a table beside him, Leon didn't notice the amusement in the professor's gaze. So, he just nodded and bid the professor goodbye.
Leon walked out of the greenhouse, brainstorming for ideas where he could get an Aedelwyrt. As he slowly ran out of ideas a grin slowly crept up on his face.
'It depends on Hagrid, then!'
Leon roamed the Hogwarts grounds before meeting his friends as they departed for the railway station.
Hannah was whispering to Susan about how her mom was going to rub her aunt's face on her daughter playing for the house's quidditch team and how her cousins were going to make a big deal out of it.
Leon simply listened, happy to keep their minds away from his 'project'.
"You should come with me, Leon. My aunt wouldn't have minded one addition to the dining table," Susan invited him again.
"Her Aunt really wants to meet you, you know? After all, you are her little Susie's close friend." Hannah squished her friend's cheeks.
Leon let out a laugh. "Next time, maybe. Let me see how holidays transform Hogwarts for now." He replied and watched his friend climb the train.
"Someone's quite happy they are going home," Susan remarked, pushing away Hannah's hands.
Hannah replied to her by showing her tongue.
The Hogwarts Express departed from the station; Leon watched until it disappeared from his sight before sprinting towards Hagrid's hut.
He saw the big guy going back to his hut after the Hogwarts Express moved.
"Hagrid, are you there?"
His knocks were answered by loud barks before something heavy moved towards the door on the inside.
The humongous door swung open, and a bushy giant looked down to see Leon smiling back at him, standing on the giant's oversized doorstep.
The movies just didn't do justice to Hagrid, the man was really a half-giant, not just an overly tall guy.
And while his 'hut' has only one room, it was big enough to be mistaken as a small two-story building.
"Ah! Leon, what are you doing here? Come in, come in," The groundskeeper made way only for a dog to jump at the Hufflepuff. But Hagrid was quick and caught its shoulder.
"Quiet, Fang. He is a friend." He said before tossing something into the corner.
The dog tilted his head at the half-giant and the Hufflepuff before chasing after the thrown object.
"I always wanted to know what type of creatures are present in the Forbidden Forest. With holidays upon us and my friends gone, I thought this was a good opportunity to talk with you."
Leon took in Hagrid's house as he spoke.
Various magical creature parts and tools were placed on gigantic furniture. Weird, colorful pelts decorated its walls along with their mundane counterparts.
"Are you busy right now, Hagrid?"
"No, no. Take a seat and try these cookies, baked them yesterday."
Leon took one, curious about the half-giant cooking, the cookies were bigger than his palm.
Hagrid sat on a wooden chair which impressively didn't let a squeak and bit into a cookie before answering.
"So, what type of magical creatures are there in the forest?"
"Unicorns, Hippogryffs, Nifflers and I even saw a Gryphon once, deeper in the forest. Now, it could have been a rogue Hippogryff, with it flying high in the sky, I couldn't see it properly." He mumbled. "And of course, mundane boars, and deers are dime a dozen." Hagrid took another bite of the cookie and continued.
"You should take Professor Kettleburn's class in your third year, I bet you would love it."
"Do you know where Bondugs reside in the forbidden forest, Hagrid?" Leon asked, looking down to see Fang nibbling at the cookie in his hand, soundlessly snuck upon him.
He let go of the cookie, making Fang return to its corner before he could pet him.
"Straight from Whomping Willow," Hagrid nodded. "They all live in the forest section near the Whomping Willow," Hagrid answered, handing Leon another cookie.
'Well! That was easy! But it still is a big area for me to scour. And I still don't know where the Acromantulas live.'
"Do they have any predators, Hagrid? The Bondugs?"
"No! They are tough bastards even an adult Hippogriff can't hurt them easily."
Leon was eyeing the things in the room from the moment Hagrid invited him in, but he didn't see anything that looked like a map.
'I guess it was too much to ask for a map highlighted with magical creature lairs or ..is it?'
"I bet you mapped every inch of the Forbidden Forest and met every kind of creature present," Leon asked his eyes gleaming hopefully.
Sadly, Hagrid shook his head.
"I rarely go deep into the forest, except to meet Ara-" Hagrid catches himself and continues ignoring his misstep.
"I only go into the forest with Professor Kettleburn, great guy… he knows how to handle even a raunchy manticore."
"You know once, we were.."
As much as Leon was interested in Hagrid and Forbidden Forest Chronicles, his mind was analyzing Hagrid's slip-up.
'Hmm! From the movie and the books, the Acromantulas can't be that deep in.'
Tossing the thoughts regarding his upcoming adventure to the back of his mind, Leon listened to Hagrid's story, chiming in now and then to pose some questions.
He left Hagrid's home holding giant cookies and mesmerized by his stories.
'Man, I can't believe there is a manticore and chimera couple in the forest. I wonder where they came from.'
Leon nudged Hagrid at some parts of his stories, so he was somewhat sure that the Bondugs and Acromantulas were in different parts of the forest.
But sadly, a Manticore was also present in the sections of the forest he was going to.
'It isn't enough to postpone my plan.'
Hagrid did say, that the Manticore was a shut-in, never leaving his lair. So, Leon most likely won't meet it.
Manticores look different depending on the place of their birth. The ones born in Britain ail don't have wings, unlike their Greek counterparts. So, he wasn't afraid.
…..
The next day morning Leon standing in front of the forbidden forest, meters away from the whomping willow.
Five rope tentacles lazily swirled in the air beside him, with one fastening a broom to his back.