Leonard really regretted running his mouth. One careless line, and he had managed to offend Gabrielle.
In his previous life, he had heard a saying: when you're out in the world, never provoke three kinds of people, the elderly, children, and women.
Gabrielle was a little girl, so she covered two of them all by herself.
She looked innocent and sweet, but she was full of little schemes. Just to get back at Leonard for that "you should call her Aunt" comment, she fed Fleur ideas on how to make his life miserable.
Cornered by Fleur's relentless questioning, Leonard looked to Lehende for help.
Lehende had a hand over his face, clearly trying to hide his laughter, and pretended not to notice. He even craned his neck toward the window like he was suddenly fascinated by the scenery.
So much for that. This hurdle was on Leonard to clear.
The problem was, where was he supposed to get a suitable gift for this niece who had appeared out of nowhere?
Just as Leonard was agonizing over it, Claudia stood up, dashed upstairs, and came back down a moment later with several books bundled together in her arms.
Under everyone's gaze, she went straight to Leonard, placed them in his hands, and stood there looking proud of herself, waiting to be praised.
Leonard looked down at the books and remembered.
These were the "textbooks" he had bought in advance.
A complete set of Gilderoy Lockhart's books, excluding his newest Magical Me.
They were bestsellers, and the author was Gilderoy Lockhart, the most popular writer in the British wizarding world. There was hardly a more fitting gift.
"How did you think of this set?" Leonard asked softly.
"If it's a book Leonard likes, he would buy it and read it right away. He wouldn't leave it untouched," Claudia said obediently. "I remember these books. When Midgard took me shopping, I saw them. Lots of people were buying them, and they're perfect as gifts."
"Claudia, you're brilliant," Leonard said with a pleased smile.
He set the bundle in front of Fleur.
"Oh, I just happen to have some excellent books here. If my dear niece doesn't mind, she can take them and read them," Leonard said, putting on an over-serious, grown-up tone.
Fleur stared at the books, wanting to pick a fault, but this was a complete gift set from Flourish and Blotts. The packaging was sturdy and elegant, and there was nothing to criticize.
"Then… thank you, Leonard… Uncle," Fleur said through gritted teeth.
"Ahem… you're welcome," Leonard replied.
He did not dare keep pushing his luck. Lehende did not look like he had much authority at home, and if he could not even keep his own daughter in line, Leonard had no safety net at all.
Fleur was dealt with, but Gabrielle still was not over it.
She was the one who had egged Fleur on to demand a gift in the first place. If it came down to brains, Fleur did not seem to be a match for her little sister.
Gabrielle's expression was dark, eerie in a way that made her look like a doll from a horror story.
Seeing that the little menace might be about to stir up more trouble, Leonard quickly redirected things.
"Gabrielle, go play with this big sister. If you're interested, you can go take a look around the farm."
He made peace proactively, smoothly brushing past the earlier "Aunt" issue.
Sure enough, Gabrielle's expression immediately improved. She grabbed Claudia's hand and ran outside with her.
"It's not very safe for two children to play outside alone," Madame Delacour said worriedly as she watched the two little girls head out hand in hand. She stood up at once. "I'll go with them and keep an eye on things."
"Yes, that's right," Lehende agreed. "There's not much around here. It's not very safe. Fleur, go with your mother and watch your sister."
Fleur stood reluctantly. Before she left, she shot Leonard a glare.
Leonard smiled back.
This cheap niece of his had terrible combat power. She was not even as fun as Gabrielle. Teasing Fleur was entertaining, sure, but Gabrielle was the real threat.
Once Fleur and Madame Delacour were gone, the living room fell silent for a long moment.
Then Leonard spoke.
"All right, bro. You pushed them out at this moment for a reason, didn't you? You've got something to say."
He lounged back against the sofa.
That "bro" made Lehende's expression turn a little strange. He had not expected Leonard to slip into the role so quickly.
Still, it was his own idea, so he let it go.
Before Lehende could answer, Leonard leaned in with exaggerated secrecy.
"Just keep it steady, bro. I'm still underage, so let's not get too inappropriate."
He waggled his eyebrows at Lehende, looking exactly like a sleazy old uncle about to gossip about women.
Lehende stared for two seconds, then finally understood what Leonard meant. He did not know whether to laugh or sigh.
"Why would I discuss that kind of topic with you? You're a minor," he said, half amused. "And where did you learn that expression? It's… really not a good look."
If they were normal brothers, sending the women away would usually mean the conversation was about women.
But Leonard was a minor. Lehende might be unreliable at times, but not to the point of talking about that with a kid.
"That part doesn't matter." Leonard instantly dropped the expression and went back to his lazy tone. "So what do you actually want to talk about?"
"The Raven," Lehende said, his smile fading as his face turned serious.
Now it was business. No more joking around.
"The Raven? Didn't we already talk about them?" Leonard asked.
"That was about me and the Raven," Lehende said. "Now we talk about you and the Raven."
He looked at Leonard steadily.
"You'd never even heard of the Raven before. Why are you suddenly so obsessed with information about them?"
"Curiosity," Leonard said with a shrug. "I'm twelve. A mysterious, cool organization shows up, and I'm interested. Seems normal to me."
...
"I don't think so," Lehende said, shaking his head. "If you were just a boy fascinated by a mysterious group, you would ask about their size, their strength, what they've done. You wouldn't be asking about the Third Senator's words."
His voice stayed calm, but his gaze sharpened.
"I watched that man named Moen explode. I don't believe someone who can do what you did would care about an organization that has nothing to do with you."
He paused.
"Something is forcing you to pay attention to them… like you, or someone you know, being their target."
Leonard gave a small smile.
"So?"
"So you're a Bloodline Wizard?" Lehende said. "Otherwise, it doesn't explain how your magic was strong enough to use the Imperius Curse on an adult wizard. And it doesn't explain that explosion."
His tone was firm.
"I think we're allies on the same side."
"All right. You can put it that way," Leonard said with a nod. "I did go after them because of the Bloodline Wizard matter. I ran into one first, killed him, then followed the clues until I found you. But what does that change?"
"It means this alliance is more reliable," Lehende said, smiling as he extended his hand. "Because neither of us wants to be forced into the Raven organization. Right?"
He held his hand out.
"Let's introduce ourselves again, as two grasshoppers tied to the same rope."
"I don't like that metaphor," Leonard said, reaching out anyway. "But you're not wrong. That is exactly what we are when we're facing the Raven."
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on P@treon.
Also, join as a free member to read free advanced chapters.
[Upto 50 chapters ahead for now]
[email protected]/BlurryDream