“Potter, why didn’t you tell him not to add the porcupine quills?
Did you think letting him make a mistake would make you look better?
Another point from Gryffindor.” “Mr.
Malfoy, what exactly do you find so amusing?
Put that down unless you would like to pay Madam Pomfrey a visit immediately.” “Weasley, are you waiting for the nettles to jump onto the scales by themselves?” “Mr.
Goyle, I have never held particularly high expectations for that empty space you call a brain, but somehow you have still managed to exceed my understanding of stupidity.” “Mr.
Finnigan, are you attempting to blow up your poor professor?
What exactly is rattling around inside that troll-sized skull of yours?” “Miss Parkinson, why is your hand shaking?” By the time Potions ended and the students climbed the steps out of the dungeon, both the Gryffindors and Slytherins looked thoroughly miserable.
Their older housemates were baffled by the sight, but once they heard what had happened during the lesson, Percy could only marvel at how thoroughly Leo had inherited Professor Snape’s teaching style.
Apparently, being Snape’s prized student meant learning how to flay people alive with words as well as brew potions.
“I sincerely hope Leo doesn’t stay at Hogwarts as a teaching assistant after he graduates,” Percy said from the bottom of his heart.
If Leo ever became an official Potions assistant, future generations of Hogwarts students were doomed.
Leo himself had no such plans.
Ever since his attempt to develop a potion capable of turning a Muggle into a wizard had ended in failure, he had lost any desire to pursue Potions as a serious field of study.
“Unbelievable.
No one’s ever spoken to me like that before,” Ron complained indignantly.
“He actually called me a stupid troll.” “Yeah, and he seems to pay extra attention to me,” Harry muttered, sounding deeply aggrieved.
“You’ll get used to it,” Leo told them.
“Come on, cheer up.
We’re supposed to visit Hagrid.” ..
They left the castle and crossed the grounds toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Hagrid lived in a small wooden hut beside the trees, with a crossbow and a pair of rubber boots standing near the front door.
When Harry knocked, they heard a brief commotion inside, followed by several deep barks.
“Back, Fang!
Get back!” The door opened a crack, and Hagrid’s enormous bearded face appeared through the gap.
“Welcome, Harry!
Oh—an’ who’ve yeh brought with yeh?” “This is Ron Weasley, and this is Leo William,” Harry introduced them.
“Another Weasley, eh?” Hagrid nodded at Ron.
“Reckon I’ve spent half me life chasin’ those twin brothers o’ yours outta the Forbidden Forest.” Then he looked toward Leo.
“An’ I remember you too.
Strongest-looking first-year in the whole lot.” “Hello.” Leo greeted him politely.
Hagrid poured boiling water into a huge teapot while piling rock cakes onto a plate.
“Sit anywhere yeh like, lads.” Leo had no interest in eating something with roughly the same hardness as actual stone, so instead he scooped Fang into his arms and started rubbing the great boarhound’s head.
Harry and Ron, unfortunately, had no such warning.
They each took an unsuspecting bite of a rock cake and nearly left their teeth embedded in it.
Neither wanted to hurt Hagrid’s feelings, so they forced themselves to look as though they were enjoying the food while telling him everything that had happened during their first few days at Hogwarts.
Harry and Ron complained at length about Peeves, Filch, Malfoy, and, naturally, Snape.
“Filch?
Useless old git,” Hagrid said, deliberately avoiding the subject of Snape.
“An’ that cat o’ his, Mrs Norris…
one o’ these days I’d like ter introduce her properly ter Fang.
Followin’ me everywhere whenever I’m up at the castle, she is.
Can’t shake her.
Filch must’ve trained her ter spy on people.” Leo pried Fang’s jaws open and inspected them thoughtfully.
Mrs Norris would probably fit.
“But Snape really does seem to hate me,” Harry insisted, still unable to let the subject go.
“Rubbish!
Why would he hate yeh?” Hagrid immediately looked away, suddenly finding something else in the hut very interesting.
“Professor Snape’s just like that.
Don’t worry about it.
Don’t think he’s ever liked much of any student.” “Except Leo,” Ron added.
“He doesn’t like me,” Leo said with a shrug.
“He just ran out of ways to deal with me.
Ever heard of wearing down a wild hawk until it finally gives in?” “How’s yer brother Charlie?” Hagrid quickly asked Ron, changing the subject.
“Always liked Charlie.
He’s got a real way with animals.” The three of them continued talking for quite a while.
Leo, however, sat quietly to one side and barely said anything, which gradually gave Harry and Ron a very bad feeling.
An hour later, just as the two boys were preparing to leave, Leo abruptly stood.
He tapped the right side of his chest, extended one fist, and stared directly at Hagrid.
Hagrid stared back in complete confusion.
“Er…
what’s that supposed ter mean?” “Wait.” Leo’s confidence faltered.
“Isn’t this how giants formally challenge each other to a duel?” He had specifically gone to the library to look up giant customs for this.
“Wouldn’t know.” Hagrid scratched the back of his head.
He might have been half-giant, but his giantess mother, Fridwulfa, had abandoned the family when he was three.
Hagrid had been raised entirely by his father.
Where exactly was he supposed to have learned giant dueling etiquette?
“So you really do want to fight Hagrid?” Ron exclaimed.
“Sure!” Hagrid laughed.
“Used ter sneak into the Forbidden Forest an’ wrestle trolls when I was at Hogwarts.” “You’re actually agreeing to this?” Harry cried.
“Just so we’re clear, I’m pretty strong,” Leo warned.
He and Hagrid stepped outside and took their positions on an open patch of ground beside the hut.
Harry and Ron followed them, fully prepared to carry Leo straight to the Hospital Wing afterward.
“Come on, then.” Hagrid beckoned him forward.
“Here I come!” Leo surged in without hesitation and drove a straight punch directly toward Hagrid’s face.
Hagrid answered with a punch of his own.
Their fists collided with a deep, heavy thud.
Leo’s expression did not change, but excitement immediately appeared in his eyes.
“No wonder you’re a half-giant.
That’s some serious strength.” He rolled his shoulder once.
“You’re the first person I’ve ever met who can actually match me.” “You’re pretty impressive yerself.” Hagrid grinned, though disbelief flickered in his eyes.
‘Is this really an eleven-year-old who just started Hogwarts?’ The next impact came almost immediately.
Bang!
After that first exchange, neither of them had any reason to hold back out of fear that the other might be too fragile to withstand a serious blow.
Both had already realized that the person standing in front of them was sturdy enough to take a real hit, which meant they could finally treat each other as genuine opponents.
Their fists collided again in an instant.
Hagrid threw three heavy punches in succession, but Leo redirected each one with skillful deflections rather than meeting the half-giant’s strength head-on.
Hagrid immediately followed with a denser barrage, and even though Leo managed to block the attacks, the crushing force transmitted through his arms and fists only made him more excited.
The fight quickly intensified.
Hagrid and Leo both picked up speed, their movements growing faster and more aggressive until the force of their footwork began kicking loose dirt into the air around them.
Leo slipped past one heavy swing, drove a punch into Hagrid’s torso, then twisted aside before another massive fist could catch him cleanly.
A moment later, however, Hagrid landed one properly.
Leo’s body shot backward at frightening speed and slammed hard into the wall of Hagrid’s hut with a deep, solid crash.
When he pushed himself away from the wall, a thin streak of dark red blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
“Now that’s the good stuff!” “Still want ter keep going?” Hagrid asked.
A dark purple fist-shaped bruise had appeared across his chest, but his steps remained perfectly steady and there was no sign that the blow had seriously affected him.
“Do you even need to ask?” Leo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his grin only widening.
“I’m nowhere near done yet!”