That said, Leonard quickly realized something: his plan to gain favor by getting Snape's fully annotated copy of Advanced Potion-Making was completely ruined.
Now, he either had to wait until sixth year to seize it for himself, or… steal it.
Since coming to Hogwarts, Leonard hadn't mastered much of value, but he was definitely sharpening his skill at stealing. He wanted to steal everything—Mandrakes, Venomous Tentacula, even Snape's notes.
This only made Leonard's dislike of Snape grow worse.
Snape wasn't the absolute worst kind of scum Leonard despised, but he wasn't far off. He was just as two-faced as the rest, the only difference being that his allegiance never changed—not Dumbledore, not Voldemort, but always Lily Potter.
Snape's obsession had certainly shocked people, but that didn't make him a good man.
As a person, Snape's mood swings and blatant favoritism were maddening. To students from other houses, he was simply impossible to deal with.
The only reason he was beloved outside the films was because of that "devoted lover" image. But if those die-hard fans chanting "Professor Snape" actually sat through one of his classes, they'd be broken in no time.
Unless, of course, they were into a very particular brand of masochism.
Leonard was no masochist. He didn't buy into twisted ideas like "no matter how many times someone hurts me, I'll still treat them like my first love." Nor would he forgive someone who treated him with nothing but malice just because they happened to do something good.
Anyone who bore him ill will deserved to die!
And the truth was, Snape was a dyed-in-the-wool pureblood supremacist. He fully embraced Voldemort's ideology that Muggle-borns should be purged.
Unfortunately for Leonard, he was exactly the kind of person they wanted to wipe out. His identity as the descendant of a Squib made pureblood fanatics hate him even more than Muggle-borns.
The irony was that Snape himself was a half-blood, just like his master Voldemort—both traitors to their own kind.
Snape had served Voldemort with loyalty, even eavesdropping on the prophecy about his downfall and reporting it to him. But once he realized the prophecy pointed to Lily Potter's son as Voldemort's killer, he turned to Dumbledore and became a double agent.
It's fair to say that if the prophecy had marked Neville Longbottom instead of Harry Potter, the outcome of the Battle of Hogwarts would have been far less certain.
Snape's devotion was like a single speck of white in a sea of black ink. It elevated his character but never changed his essence.
At the end of his life, Leonard could mournfully place a flower on his grave, honoring the sacrifice of a devoted professor. But while Snape still lived, Leonard would curse him with all the malice he could muster, wishing him straight to hell!
Expressionless, Leonard returned to his dormitory. He unwrapped the two potted plants from their black cloth and set them on the terrace where sunlight reached.
The lifeless Dittany swayed in the wind, while the pale, scrawny Chomping Cabbage shifted slightly in its pot, soaking in the warmth.
After watering them, Leonard collapsed onto his bed to catch up on sleep.
He didn't wake until 1:40 in the afternoon, dragging himself out of bed. The only afternoon class was Potions—Snape's class...
Leonard was already prepared to be singled out.
Rubbing his face, he grabbed his cauldron and a few clean vials, then headed out of the dormitory.
In the Hufflepuff common room, groups of students were buzzing with excitement. When they spotted Leonard, they erupted like they'd been jolted with energy, some even applauding as if welcoming a hero.
Justin and Ernie rushed over immediately.
"Leonard, I heard you gave those Slytherins a proper thrashing!" Ernie exclaimed excitedly. "How did you manage it?"
"It wasn't that hard, really. Just used my fists." Leonard shrugged casually. "Shall we go? Time for class—Snape's class, that Head of Slytherin."
"Hold on, tell us how you did it!" Justin pressed eagerly. "I heard six of them cornered you."
"Six, that's right." Leonard paused, recalling the Slytherins. "Not a single one could fight."
"That sounds so cool!" Justin nearly jumped up.
Other Hufflepuffs nearby turned curious eyes on Leonard.
"Weren't you hurt?" asked round-faced Susan Bones.
"Nope. They were really weak," Leonard replied.
"Weak?"
"Meaning they were a bunch of noobs who couldn't even hold their wands steady," Leonard explained.
"Not as bad as you make them sound. The leader, Marcus, isn't half bad at magic. Plus, he's strong—he's a Slytherin Quidditch player. Plays dirty," a Hufflepuff boy said, glancing toward another student across from him. "Right, Cedric?"
Cedric? The genius wizard who would one day die at the hands of Peter Pettigrew?
Leonard turned to look at the student.
A boy with gentle eyes and brows, not yet fully grown into his looks, but already undeniably handsome. Hmm… wasn't he supposed to be that Chinese girl Cho's future boyfriend? Not sure yet. Leonard felt a spark of curiosity about the girl who was said to be so pretty, wondering what she actually looked like.
"You're right. Marcus is tough to deal with, both on the field and off." Cedric nodded and gave Leonard a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Cedric Diggory."
"Hi." Leonard nodded back. "You said he's tough to deal with off the field too?"
"Yeah. Instead of settling things on the pitch, he often uses underhanded tactics elsewhere—like ambushing the Seeker before a match and injuring him first." Cedric shrugged. "He's caused me trouble before, but I've been lucky."
"Well, looks like I'm just as lucky as you—no, maybe even luckier, since I took him down." Leonard flipped open his pocket watch. "Twenty minutes till class. Potions. Justin, Ernie, aren't you two heading over?"
"The Potions classroom is right next door. We're in no rush," Justin replied.
"Not me. I need to plan how to handle that petty Potions professor," Leonard said, snapping his pocket watch shut. "See you later."
"See you later." Justin and Ernie waved goodbye. "Be careful. Don't get ambushed again."
"Shouldn't happen again for now. They probably don't have the guts."
Leonard waved as he spoke.
So what if they came back? Just a couple more punches.