"Under normal circumstances, I'd recommend getting a scent-removing potion so you don't have to worry about being sniffed out."
Leonard spoke as he cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and the twins.
"But if you don't have anything to hide your scent, then you'll need other methods."
He led them toward Hagrid's hut, sweeping away their footprints as they walked.
"On snowy days, footprints are especially easy to spot, so you need to learn how to cover them. Using magic to sweep the snow and bury your tracks is a good approach." Leonard demonstrated as he explained, genuinely trying to teach them.
George and Fred were thoughtful, though they couldn't see each other in their invisible state. Otherwise, they would've been exchanging exaggerated looks of surprise.
Soon they approached Hagrid's hut. Inside, the hound Fang had already detected that familiar, hated scent. He jumped up at once, barking loudly.
"Looks like you two are already on his blacklist," Leonard said. "Fang's reacting pretty strongly. Stay quiet."
A dark hound burst from Hagrid's hut, barking wildly as it charged straight toward them. Hagrid followed behind, shouting, "Who's there? Don't let me catch anyone sneaking into the Forbidden Forest again, or I'll tell Dumbledore!"
As the hound drew nearer, George and Fred's expressions tensed.
If Leonard hadn't warned them, they'd already be halfway to the castle by now.
Surely Leonard would do something to fool the hound… right?
George and Fred waited for him to act, but even as Fang closed in, Leonard didn't move. The twins began to suspect he might have slipped away without them noticing.
The hound barreled toward them at full speed. George and Fred could already see its sharp teeth and flying drool.
Having just suffered at the paws of the Three-Headed Dog earlier, their legs turned to jelly. They nearly collapsed into the snow.
"Le… Leonard!" Fred whispered urgently. "Are you still here?"
The moment he spoke, the charging hound suddenly skidded to a hard stop. Then, as if it had seen something horrifying, it tucked its tail between its legs, spun around, and bolted—faster than it had come. In a flash, it shot past Hagrid's feet and disappeared back into the hut.
"Fang?" Hagrid blinked in confusion. He looked around but found nothing suspicious. Scratching his messy hair, he hurried after the fleeing dog.
"Fang! Come back! What's gotten into you?" Hagrid shouted as he ran back toward the hut.
When Hagrid was gone, George and Fred collapsed into the snow, their invisible bodies leaving two clear dents in the ground.
"You two really have terrible nerves," Leonard's voice sounded out of thin air. "You were scared I'd ditch you, weren't you?"
"It's just… we had no idea what you planned to do. We were nervous," George admitted. "If we'd known the trick, we wouldn't have panicked like that."
"But seriously, what did you do to scare off Hagrid's hound?" Fred asked. "It's huge—how could something spook it that badly?"
"That's where you're wrong. Fang really is timid, but this time it had a good reason to run." A crystal bottle filled with clear liquid appeared in midair.
It flipped once, twice, then vanished.
"Fang's sense of smell is great, but he can't talk. He can't tell Hagrid whose scent he picked up. So all we need to do is make him too afraid to follow us. And scaring off a scent-sensitive hound is easy—just use the smell of something dangerous." Leonard explained.
If Fang could talk, he would've complained to Hagrid nonstop about the terrifying scent he'd just encountered.
But he couldn't, so he simply had to suffer.
The liquid in that vial was Acromantula venom. As a hunting dog who patrolled the Forbidden Forest, Fang knew that scent very well… and exactly what it meant.
Creatures that hunted wizards.
Of course he ran.
"A dangerous creature? That stuff in the crystal bottle? What could possibly scare Fang—yes, that's his name—so badly?" George asked curiously.
"Acromantula venom. My trophy. It's expensive—one small vial costs a hundred Galleons," Leonard said. "But I don't recommend you two try hunting Acromantulas. With your strength, you'd end up as spider droppings."
"That's harsh. We're not Ron," Fred muttered.
"Exactly. We're not afraid of spiders," George said.
Clearly, the mention of "one hundred Galleons" had gotten their attention. They were obviously considering hunting Acromantulas for venom.
"This has nothing to do with fear," Leonard said. "Acromantulas have strong magical resistance. Basic Jinx don't work on them. They're pack creatures—they always appear in groups, and they love ambushes. With no experience, you'd be bitten before you even saw them."
"Sounds terrifying… Wait, I think I saw them in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," George said.
"Good. Then keep that in mind." Leonard glanced at the two pits in the snow. "How long do you plan to lie there?"
"Our legs went numb. We need to recover," Fred said.
"Yeah, give us a sec, we're—" George stopped mid-sentence when he felt a hand grab the back of his collar.
Fred felt the same.
Expressionless, Leonard grabbed the twins by the collar and lifted them to their feet.
"Ouch!"
"Ghk—!"
The twins let out strangled noises as they were forced upright.
"Don't yank us like that! I thought you were going to choke me," George complained.
"Same here," Fred said.
"Sorry. I couldn't see you, so I grabbed at random," Leonard said casually. He would never admit it was on purpose. Disillusionment didn't hide them from his Magical Sight.
It was simply convenient—and very effective at snapping them back to alertness.
Just look at them now. Wide awake.
"Alright, enough wasting time. You've got a lot to learn. Start clearing the footprints behind you." Leonard said, heading toward the Forbidden Forest.
George and Fred sighed in unison, drew their wands, and began sweeping away their tracks.
It wasn't difficult—just a little tedious with the Levitation Charm.
But they worked diligently. They always respected anyone who could teach them interesting things.
And right now, Leonard was exactly that person.
...
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