Before Hogwarts officially broke for the holidays, everyone received their report cards.
Naturally, some people were thrilled and others were miserable. Depending on the grades, some students would go home to warm praise, while others were about to be hit with a full-blown storm.
Each report card came in two copies: one for the student, and one sent to their parents so the parents could brace themselves.
Mostly, though, it was to stop certain students from trying to fool their families.
As the owls carrying everyone's results took off, more than a few students glared after them like they wanted to shoot the lot down and roast them. Others looked sick with worry, wondering whether their parents would believe it if they claimed the letter was a scam.
Leonard got his report card too. There wasn't much suspense there. The practical scores had been posted on the spot, so the real question was the written portion.
And written exams weren't a problem for him. Practical marks could be shaved off for all sorts of nonsense, but written papers had standard answers.
Even Snape couldn't dock him a single point.
Looking at the clean row of O's (Outstanding) on his report card, Leonard tucked it away with satisfaction. After getting the password from Professor McGonagall, he headed for the Headmaster's office.
With grades like this, he figured the Phoenix feather was as good as his.
But thinking about a Phoenix brought that raven back to mind, the one he'd seen after exams. Just remembering it made Leonard irritably restless.
That thing definitely wasn't normal. If it were, it wouldn't have been able to ignore his talent.
Under ordinary circumstances, natural creatures would feel goodwill toward him and follow his lead. Even unicorns, as magical as they were, were no exception.
Something like a Basilisk or an Acromantula—creatures created by wizards—might be another matter, but a raven? There was no way a raven should have been able to resist him.
And judging by the giant squid's reaction in the Black Lake, it probably recognized that raven. It hadn't slapped it down to "avenge" Leonard; it had looked more like it had just spotted an old acquaintance it couldn't stand.
Yet the giant squid didn't seem to think the raven was a "bad guy," either, so it hadn't explained much to Leonard.
"Don't tell me it was some raven spirit," Leonard muttered, "and the giant squid's old buddy?"
The giant squid had been around for a very long time. People said it had settled in the Black Lake not long after Hogwarts was founded.
If that was true, then whatever it knew might be some ancient thing.
Was the wizarding world hiding old monsters, too?
Still frowning, Leonard stepped into the Headmaster's office and looked up to see Dumbledore grooming the Phoenix, Fawkes.
The moment Fawkes spotted Leonard—who had been enjoying Dumbledore's attention—his feathers exploded outward and he let out a sharp, clear cry at Leonard.
"Get out, you little brat! Don't you dare think about my feathers!"
To Leonard's ears, the sound became perfectly understandable words.
A Phoenix really was a Phoenix. Even its angry cry sounded nice.
Unfortunately, no matter how much it yelled, it wasn't going to stop Leonard from wanting to pluck a feather.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Leonard said with a grin. "I'm here to collect Fawkes's feather."
Dumbledore's hand paused.
Then—snap—he pulled one feather free.
Fawkes: ???
Fawkes whirled around to stare at the feather in Dumbledore's hand, then turned a murderous glare on Dumbledore, looking like he wanted to stab him on the spot.
"Ahem," Dumbledore coughed. "Better short pain than long pain. Since it has to be given anyway, I might as well pluck it for you."
He beckoned Leonard over. "Here. Your Phoenix feather."
Leonard hesitated. He looked at the feather in Dumbledore's hand, then at Fawkes's dark, smoldering stare, and somehow his face turned… shy.
"Can I pluck it myself?" Leonard asked.
Fawkes snapped his head toward him and fixed him with a fierce stare—then his eyes went a little unfocused.
This little brat actually looks… kind of acceptable. Maybe I should let him—
Absolutely not! Acceptable or not, no one was plucking his feathers. Did they think it was easy growing these?
Fawkes hopped up onto the sycamore-wood perch, putting distance between himself and Leonard, who wanted his feathers, and Dumbledore, who had already taken one.
Dumbledore cleared his throat awkwardly. "Fawkes doesn't like being plucked. Just make do with this one. Next time… next time you can pluck it yourself."
The wager between Dumbledore and Leonard hadn't been a one-time deal. They'd been very clear: as long as Leonard placed first in his year once each year, he could get one fresh Phoenix feather from Dumbledore.
Fawkes immediately fluffed up again at the mention. If Dumbledore hadn't stopped him, he looked ready to jump at Leonard and pluck his hair in return.
"Calm down, calm down, Fawkes," Dumbledore said quickly. "There's still a year. Don't get angry…"
"Chirp chirp chirp (One more feather and I'll be bald!)"
"You won't go bald," Dumbledore said. "After a rebirth, it grows back."
After a fair bit of effort, Dumbledore finally soothed Fawkes down. He wiped at his forehead, then looked at Leonard—who was watching the whole thing like it was entertainment—and his mouth twitched.
"William先生," Dumbledore said, handing Leonard the feather. "How have you found your first year at school?"
"Very good," Leonard said brightly. "Everyone's friendly, the professors are kind, generous, knowledgeable, fair, patient…"
...
Leonard went on like a machine gun, listing virtue after virtue. Dumbledore listened at first with genuine pleasure, but the longer it went, the stranger it sounded.
This wasn't praise for professors anymore. It sounded like he was describing saints.
"...and they're very good to students, broad-minded," Leonard finished at last, taking a breath after nearly half a minute.
Dumbledore still found it a bit odd, but he was pleased nonetheless. Since Leonard seemed so satisfied with the staff, he was about to respond—
When Leonard added, "Except Professor Snape."
Dumbledore froze for a moment before he realized Leonard hadn't been praising the professors at all. He'd been building up a running start just to take a swing at Snape.
That single "except Professor Snape" basically meant none of the above applied to Snape in the slightest.
Once Dumbledore understood, he sucked in a quiet breath. Leonard's grudges were… not small.
He lowered his eyes to Leonard's report card—copied by Dumbledore himself. It showed O's across the board, except for Potions practical.
That lone E sitting there looked especially glaring.
To be fair, E wasn't a bad mark. But next to all those O's, it stood out so badly it almost felt deliberate.
A perfect report card, ruined by a single E.
Even Dumbledore could understand why that would sting.