With Leonard leading the way, the professors quickly found the subtly hidden cave entrance.
"No wonder we never noticed this place. Unless you came here deliberately, it would be hard to spot," Professor Sprout remarked, eyeing the rock formation beside the entrance.
"I only found it by accident," Leonard explained smoothly. "I'd heard Hogwarts Castle has many hidden passages, so I got curious and decided to look around nearby."
"Shouldn't secret passages be searched for inside the castle? What were you doing out here?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply.
"Because I couldn't find any inside. I figured those passages might require specific spells to access, so I thought I'd check around here for an exit," Leonard replied calmly.
He'd come up with this excuse on the way over—reasonable, airtight, and impossible to challenge.
Satisfied, Professor McGonagall let the matter drop. She lit her wand and stepped inside with the other professors.
Before long, they found the Devil's Snare in the cave.
It was hard to miss—under the glow of the Lumos Charm, the sound of its writhing vines was unmistakable.
"I didn't expect there to be so few," Professor Sprout said with a shake of her head. "Just young specimens, nothing unusual."
"Look what I've found!" Professor Flitwick called out.
He bent down and picked up a broken wand from the ground. "This must be Mr. Malfoy's wand. It's snapped."
Professor McGonagall examined it closely but found no suspicious traces. "Bring it along. We'll return it to Mr. Malfoy once we're back at the castle."
"How disappointing. Mr. Malfoy didn't handle himself as a wizard should. He even lost his wand," Professor Flitwick sighed.
"This shows he hasn't been applying himself to his studies. It seems we'll need to give Mr. Malfoy a bit more attention," Professor McGonagall said briskly. "Come, let's check the rest quickly. There's still plenty of work waiting for us back at the school."
When a student was injured, their parents had to be informed—and she knew all too well what sort of man Lucius Malfoy was.
Still, as Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and a renowned master of Transfiguration, Minerva McGonagall had no concerns that Lucius Malfoy could cause her any trouble.
"Speaking of all the work... did Dumbledore have you make preparations?" Perhaps because it was rare for so many professors to be gathered at once, Professor Flitwick couldn't resist bringing it up.
He lowered his voice deliberately, as though trying to keep Leonard from overhearing.
Professor McGonagall shot Leonard a quick glance before saying to Flitwick, "Keep your voice down. This isn't something to be spoken of openly."
"I just find it odd—a protective enchantment, yet its power can't be too strong."
Professor Flitwick sighed. "Something that interesting really ought to have a little more flair."
"More flair?" Professor Sprout gave him a sideways look. "Your spell is already dangerous enough."
"No, no, no, yours is far too simple," Flitwick countered.
The other professors could only watch their bickering with weary resignation. Then, seeing Leonard's seemingly clueless expression, they relaxed a little.
It looked as though Mr. William didn't know what they were talking about.
As if.
Leonard was pretending ignorance, but the moment he heard Flitwick's first words, he knew exactly what they meant.
The defenses around the Philosopher's Stone.
From their casual remarks, Leonard pieced together several key points.
For one, at Dumbledore's request, the difficulty of the defenses had been deliberately reduced.
From the books and films, it was already clear that those so-called protections were less serious barriers and more like a whimsical obstacle course.
And another thing—it wasn't that the professors didn't know each other's defenses. The only one in the dark was Quirrell.
Only Quirrell had to pry around to learn what traps others had set.
The entire staff, headmaster included, were essentially putting on a performance for him.
And wasn't that perfectly reasonable? Who would ignore the most suspicious person and instead prepare for their own colleagues?
Normally, professors saw each other's contributions to the defenses. Only Quirrell—his Troll challenge wasn't even included, and in the end, he wasted it himself.
Dumbledore and the others made their stance clear: they humored Quirrell on the surface but kept him excluded in truth.
Light a candle for Professor Quirrell, forever the outsider at work.
...
The professors' quiet discussion carried them to the far end of the cavern, where Leonard's withered Venomous Tentacula lay.
When she saw it, Professor Sprout's face lit with both joy and sorrow.
"By Merlin's beard, this is the largest Venomous Tentacula I've ever seen. What a shame it's dead," she sighed, brushing her hand over the vine's branches.
"It hasn't been dead long—only a few years at most," Professor Flitwick observed after examining it.
"Don't be too disheartened. Perhaps it could still be cultivated from seed," Professor McGonagall said, tilting her head toward the branches.
"Yes, if there are seeds, I could certainly raise another of this size," Professor Sprout replied confidently, lifting her gaze to the vine as well.
...
The branches indeed held plenty of seeds, but also bore clear signs that some had already been picked.
"What is it? Why have you gone silent?" Professor Flitwick looked up... and saw nothing.
Frustration bubbled in him. Why did he have to be so short!
"Mr. Leonard," Professor McGonagall said sternly, fixing him with her gaze. "Do you know about the Venomous Tentacula?"
"Uh... somewhat," Leonard replied, feigning guilt, his eyes avoiding hers.
"Leonard, hand over the seeds," Professor Sprout said with a sigh. "That plant is dangerous, and it's a restricted item. I know you love magical plants, but keeping them isn't safe."
Leonard hesitated, then obediently pulled several Venomous Tentacula seeds and a few Devil's Snare seeds from his pocket.
"Good boy." Professor Sprout nodded approvingly, then turned to McGonagall. "Minerva, I think Leonard's actions deserve a reward. After all, he saved his classmates from the Devil's Snare."
"Indeed, that is commendable. He should be rewarded," Professor Flitwick added.
"I intended to," McGonagall agreed with a nod. "Mr. Leonard William, in recognition of your actions, I will grant you the Special Contribution Award, honoring your willingness to help a classmate despite past grievances."
Special Contribution Award? Leonard froze.
What use is that supposed to be?