Justin and Ernie were both considered strong students in Charms, but they'd never really thought about how magic could be used in everyday life.
Take the Levitation Charm. Everyone could do it, sure, but who would think to use it the way Leonard had, casually bringing over cups and drinks like he was wheeling in afternoon tea?
Standing there with a huge blanket and a mountain of snacks in their arms, Ernie and Justin suddenly felt a little stupid by comparison.
Still, the feeling didn't last long.
Justin happily spread the blanket out on the grass by the lake. Ernie pulled the snacks from his bag, while Leonard set out the cups and poured milk tea or juice into them one by one.
They didn't even have to call anyone over. Nearby Hufflepuffs spotted what was happening, their eyes lighting up as they drifted closer on their own.
Leonard wasn't the only one who knew this "three-person picnic" wouldn't stay a three-person picnic for long. Justin and Ernie had assumed the same, so they'd brought more than enough.
Justin's blanket was enormous, and Ernie's desserts were enough to fill the stomachs of more than a dozen people.
Everyone had the routine down. Close to the holidays, a picnic by the lake always turned into a crowd.
Before long, Hufflepuffs joined in twos and threes until the blanket was packed. Cups were raised, food was passed around, and laughter rolled through the group.
Students from the other houses watched with a touch of envy. Some of them even toyed with the idea of organizing their own picnic, but one look at their own housemates' lukewarm reactions was enough to kill the thought.
In the end, the happiest students by the Black Lake were, unsurprisingly, the Hufflepuffs.
Leonard sat on the blanket with laughter all around him, and his mood lifted with it.
He was starting to get used to Hufflepuff's spontaneous meals and little feasts. They were people who genuinely enjoyed life, and being around them made everything feel lighter, easier.
"Leonard, we're out of drinks!" Justin called while pouring juice.
"Got it." Leonard raised his wand and aimed it at several teapots, casting the Refilling Charm.
Liquid could be heard pouring inside, and in no time the teapots were full again.
The Refilling Charm was one of those spells you practically needed at any feast: it refilled a container that had held liquid.
It sounded like pure cheating, but it wasn't creating something out of nothing. After all, one of the most important rules—Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration—was that you couldn't conjure food.
Magic couldn't make something from nothing, but it could summon.
The Refilling Charm was a summoning-type charm. It magically linked an empty container to another container that already held liquid, then transferred the liquid from one to the other.
A lot of pubs worked this way, like the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.
The butterbeer Leonard had George and Fred bring back last time used the same principle. How else would a tiny keg be enough for an entire house?
It was all the Refilling Charm. As long as you paid enough, the pub would "refill" through the linked source as much as you wanted.
Hogwarts' teapots worked similarly, except there was no need to pay. The teapots were linked directly to the kitchens, so there was always more.
Only whoever had the teapots could use the Refilling Charm, though, to prevent people from wasting supplies out of spite.
With food and drink flowing freely, the atmosphere naturally turned lively.
And that lively atmosphere attracted a rather unusual guest.
All at once, the surface of the Black Lake churned with huge waves. The sound drew every Hufflepuff's attention.
Leonard glanced over just as a slick tentacle broke through the water. A moment later, a giant black squid rose up from the lake, waving its tentacles as if greeting the students along the shore.
The first-years panicked. They'd never seen anything like this. They screamed and tried to bolt, only for the older students to grab them and hold them in place.
For a split second, the first-years were convinced they were about to be offered up as sacrifices. They were practically composing their last words in their heads when the older students finally explained.
"That's the giant squid that lives in the Black Lake," Cedric said, sitting beside Leonard. "It's got a good temper, very friendly. It even saves students who accidentally fall in."
Leonard went quiet for a moment, then asked, "So our students fall into the lake a lot?"
Otherwise, how did "it often saves drowning students" become such a common story?
If it saves people, people have to be falling in.
Cedric's brain visibly stalled. After a long pause, he said helplessly, "Your angle on things… is really something."
He clearly wanted to ask whether Leonard was sick in the head, but didn't quite dare.
"Still," Cedric continued quickly, switching topics, "it's friendly, but I've never seen it this enthusiastic. As far as I know, its favorite thing is just sunbathing in the shallows."
A water creature that liked sunbathing?
Leonard swallowed. He'd been so busy lately he hadn't even had time to go to the Forbidden Forest to find a cute little rabbit to snack on.
The squid, still waving, seemed to sense something off. One long tentacle stiffened noticeably.
Thankfully, Leonard was only thinking. The squid relaxed again almost immediately.
Watching it, Leonard considered his talent, and it didn't take long for him to connect the dots.
Was it being this friendly because of him?
With that in mind, he walked over and held out his hand.
Sure enough, sensing Leonard's approach, the giant squid immediately placed one tentacle into Leonard's palm.
Leonard gave it a squeeze and nodded to himself.
Firm flesh. Great texture.
Definitely delicious.
The squid seemed to pick up on that strange hint of malice again, but the small human in front of it felt unmistakably "friendly," so it couldn't tell what was going on.
Seeing Leonard do it, everyone else's eyes lit up. They rushed over, eager to shake hands too.
The squid ignored them completely, refusing to extend even one more tentacle.
"Leonard, how did you do that?" Ernie asked, jealous.
In his mind, shaking hands with the giant squid was absurdly impressive.
Leonard smiled casually. "I've always had an affinity with animals. A lot of little creatures are willing to listen to me."
You didn't have to guard a secret like you were defending a fortress. That only made people suspicious the moment anything looked odd.
Leonard's new talent as a Friend of Nature was truly useful for plants. The "animal affinity" part was more of a bonus than anything.
And for wizards, being good with animals wasn't some unheard-of gift. Plenty of famous wizards had it.
For example, Newt Scamander, the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, was exactly that kind of wizard.
Leonard decided to give them a simple demonstration, which meant he needed a different target.
Right then, he spotted a small crow perched on the tip of a tree branch, watching them.