As the upperclassmen returned to school, the Hufflepuff common room grew lively again.
After spending the day exploring, the older students thoughtfully brought back special sweets from Hogsmeade Village to treat their younger housemates.
A seemingly ordinary little feast began inside the Hufflepuff common room.
Of course, even with their goodwill, the seniors couldn't bring too much. Unlike taking food from the school kitchen, shopping in Hogsmeade cost money. Everyone was still a student, and none of them were particularly wealthy, so all they could do was bring a little for everyone to taste. They divided the delicious candies evenly and filled the rest of the table with fresh pastries from the kitchen.
Even though they only sampled these fun, unusual candies in small bites, the atmosphere in the common room remained warm and cheerful. Everyone looked satisfied.
Just then, Leonard returned.
"Leonard, come over here! This is your share!" Ernie waved excitedly when he spotted him. "Hurry, or Justin's going to eat yours!"
"Nonsense! You were the one trying to eat Leonard's share!" Justin shot back, then paused when he saw Leonard—one arm holding a large paper bag and the other carrying a broomstick. "Huh? Leonard, where did you just come from? Why are you carrying a broomstick?"
His confused gaze shifted, and the moment he saw what was hanging from the back of the broomstick, he froze.
A small barrel dangled from the tail of the precious Nimbus 2000.
Using a Nimbus 2000 like a carrying pole? That was practically sacrilege.
Even as a Muggle-born wizard, Justin had seen this newly released broom in the Quidditch shop on Diagon Alley. Its price had stunned him into silence. If he owned a Nimbus 2000, he would treasure it like a priceless heirloom.
"Just came back from the library. I lent the broom to the Weasley twins in Gryffindor and asked them to bring me a few things," Leonard said, leaning the broom casually against the nearby sofa and unhooking the small barrel from it.
Only then did the others finally notice the broom resting beside the sofa.
Ernie stared at it, unable to look away, swallowing hard. "Is that a Nimbus 2000?"
He reached out tentatively, as if wanting to touch it but not daring to.
"Go ahead and look. Or if you want, take it out for a spin," Leonard said.
"Really?" Ernie's eyes lit up, itching to grab the broom immediately.
But before he could, someone else stepped forward.
"Leonard, so this Nimbus 2000 is yours." Cedric approached, unable to hide the envy in his eyes. "I saw one of the Gryffindor Weasleys riding it today and thought it was Harry Potter's. I never expected it to be yours."
Leonard's large paper bag and the barrel had been eye-catching enough, and nearly every student returning from Hogsmeade had seen the Weasley twins showing off on a broom. Cedric recognized it at a glance.
"Yeah, it's mine. I asked George and Fred to pick up a few things for me, so I lent them the broom," Leonard said, noticing Cedric hesitating. "You want to borrow it too?"
"Is that okay?" Cedric asked hopefully. "I want to borrow your broom for Quidditch. You know Harry Potter from Gryffindor has a Nimbus 2000, and the school-issued Five-Star Sweepers can't keep up at all."
Cedric and Harry were both Seekers, and broom speed often decided the outcome of a match.
Being a Seeker demanded exceptional observational skills, reflexes, and broom-handling technique. But above all other qualities, one thing mattered most: broom speed.
People aren't equal—just as brooms at different price points aren't equal.
How could a broom costing a few dozen Galleons compete with one worth several hundred?
It was like expecting a tractor to outrun a sports car.
"Right! This year's final is against Gryffindor. Harry Potter's Nimbus 2000 is our biggest threat!" Ernie suddenly realized. "Leonard, please! Lend Cedric your Nimbus 2000!"
At that moment, Ernie wasn't even thinking about trying the broom himself. All he cared about was helping Hufflepuff's team beat Gryffindor.
"No problem. I don't use it much anyway. If you want to use it, take it," Leonard said casually. "Though I'll need it sometimes..."
"It's your broom—you make the call. I just hope you'll lend it to me during daily practice and the final match," Cedric said.
"Alright, then it's settled. Come find me whenever you need it for training," Leonard replied with a nod.
"Hooray!" Ernie and Justin cheered. "We have a Nimbus 2000 now too!"
Their cheers drew the attention of other Hufflepuffs. Once they asked what was going on, excitement spread through the entire common room like wildfire.
Leonard smiled at the lively scene. Once things quieted a bit, he picked up the paper bag.
"I bought some sweets and Butterbeer from George and Fred. Consider it a celebration gift for Cedric's new advantage," Leonard said, pulling a smaller paper bag aside and dumping the rest onto the table near the fireplace.
With a clatter, a pile of candies spilled out, triggering another wave of cheers.
"Thanks, Leonard!" everyone shouted as they gathered around to share the treats.
Leonard didn't leave. Instead, he joined the party—sharing mugs of uniquely flavored, alcohol-free Butterbeer and smiling at the classmates who thanked him.
Sometimes, you had to blend in with your peers. Otherwise, being isolated later wouldn't look good for anyone.
Besides, the Hufflepuffs were genuinely friendly. Leonard liked the atmosphere here. Sharing Butterbeer, talking about hopeful futures, and passing around candies with quirky magical effects—he found it all quite pleasant.
Still, they were easy to please. Just lending them a broom was enough to spark this kind of celebration.
Then again, maybe they simply needed an excuse to have fun.
...
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