Hearing Leo's words, "Then you're my friend too," Hagrid was actually moved to tears.
Besides Harry, Leo was the first young wizard to clearly express that Hagrid was his friend.
"Oh, you're absolutely right, Leonardo. I was being too fussy about this."
"Friends shouldn't refuse friends' goodwill."
Hagrid took the potions from Leo's hands, carefully placed them in his cabinet, and added a protective lock to the cabinet door.
Wow, Hagrid was genuinely sincere.
Seeing Hagrid treasure the items he'd given so much, Leo felt quite happy inside as well.
"Hagrid, these potions are quite convenient to brew. If you find them useful, I can make more batches."
Hagrid still smiled broadly, nodding repeatedly with obvious appreciation. He didn't treat those potions as cheap goods because of Leo's casual words. They represented gifts and thoughtfulness from a true friend.
"Hagrid, I'll just say it directly. I actually have something I'd like to ask you to help with..."
"Sure, no problem! What is it?"
Before Leo could finish speaking, Hagrid readily agreed, catching him completely off guard.
He had originally thought that with someone as straightforward as Hagrid, it was best to communicate directly and honestly. But how had the half-giant agreed before even hearing what the request involved?
Whatever. Getting along with this kind of friend was quite comfortable.
"It's like this... I want to plant some things. Do you think you could..."
"Absolutely! I'll help you dig a proper plot in the vegetable garden."
Before Leo could finish again, Hagrid agreed once more, even offering to provide manual labour.
"What do you want to plant? Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, or enormous pumpkins? You can give the harvest to the house-elves in the kitchen... they'll help you cook everything. Pumpkin pie is especially delicious..."
Hagrid talked enthusiastically without pause, making Leo feel like he couldn't get a single word in edgewise.
He hadn't expected this half-giant to be such a chatterbox. Could it be that he usually had too little contact with people and was emotionally pent up?
Leo had only wanted to mention he was planting a few Carnivorous Cabbages, but somehow they'd already moved on to a complete guide covering garden fruits and vegetables.
"Ahem, Hagrid, I'll definitely consider those suggestions later."
"I want to plant some Carnivorous Cabbages. Is that convenient for you?"
Leo's specific request made Hagrid stop talking entirely. He stroked his enormous beard thoughtfully and smacked his lips with consideration.
This reaction made Leo nervous. Did this half-giant only enjoy magical creatures and wasn't interested in magical plants? Or did he think it was too dangerous for a first-year student to grow Carnivorous Cabbages, so he couldn't provide assistance?
Then Leo would have to find a way to fence off some land within the Forbidden Forest. It would be inconvenient to tend regularly, and he'd have to figure out methods for driving away wild magical creatures that might steal his vegetables... using specialised potions or defensive spells...
"Those things are incredibly hard and don't taste good at all."
"What?"
Hagrid's unexpected comment interrupted Leo's worried planning.
Wait, he said something didn't taste good... Carnivorous Cabbages?
Leo was planning to use them as hidden weapons or set magical traps. What normal person would actually eat those dangerous things?
Hold on, Hagrid could chew rock cakes that were essentially like bricks, but he thought Carnivorous Cabbages were too hard. They must be genuinely rock-solid indeed.
So using Carnivorous Cabbages as weapons should definitely work effectively. Even if they didn't manage to bite someone during combat, striking enemies with them would be sufficient to cause serious problems.
Leo explained to Hagrid that he was simply curious about magical plant cultivation and wanted to try growing them experimentally, not planning to consume them as food.
Hagrid said that was perfectly acceptable then. He didn't consider it dangerous for a first-year student to grow these specimens and promised to help Leo tend the cabbages properly.
Discovering it was still relatively early, Leo maintained his conscientious attitude as an instructor and taught Harry how to brew the improved sleep-inducing incense.
Since he'd already exchanged the formula with Snape and it would be included in future textbooks, other students would eventually learn this basic potion anyway.
Actually, as Harry threw himself wholeheartedly into Potions study, Leo also discovered that this boy possessed genuine talent in the subject. Previously he'd simply not studied Potions seriously because he disliked Snape personally.
"When using sleep-inducing incense, always wear a protective mask to stay conscious. If that's not available, hold your breath completely. The version I taught you has significantly better effects. For lighting the incense..."
Leo also included a simple Spark Charm tutorial, sufficient for creating fires safely.
Letting Harry practise independently, Leo planned to plant Carnivorous Cabbages in the vegetable garden immediately.
Originally he'd wanted to trade potions with Hagrid for seeds, since the half-giant happened to have some left over from previous plantings.
But Hagrid waved his massive hand and gave them directly to Leo, saying that helping friends grow bigger cabbages required no payment whatsoever.
These somewhat familiar words left Leo unable to argue effectively. He accepted the seeds gratefully and went outside to plant.
After Leo departed, Harry approached Hagrid with a different request:
"Hagrid, here's my vault key. Could you help me travel to Gringotts and look for magic books inside my family's storage..."
The following morning, Ravenclaw first-years had no scheduled classes, so many young wizards naturally slept in comfortably.
But Leo had already risen early and was studying diligently in the library.
Rubbing his slightly sore shoulders, Leo felt somewhat speechless about the previous day's activities.
Yesterday he'd originally planned to use magic for digging holes and planting, but he didn't know if it was the "Diligent Little Gardener" title's mysterious influence... he'd suddenly wanted to try digging by hand instead.
He hadn't realised until he attempted it, but the results were genuinely shocking. His speed swinging a hoe and turning soil manually was actually faster than using magical assistance. Moreover, once he picked up farming tools, he seemed to possess inexhaustible physical strength, and he'd enthusiastically ploughed two additional rows in the vegetable garden.
So this was what "diligent" meant in "Diligent Little Gardener."
With this title, farming really could lead to substantial wealth.
Leo was seriously absorbed in his book, completely unaware that at a table not far away sat a girl with pale golden hair.
It was Daphne Greengrass.
She'd spotted Leo studying immediately upon entering the library, so she'd found a strategic position neither too close nor too distant to sit down. She pretended to look at her own book while stealing glances in Leo's direction.
But every single time, those beautiful, deep dark green eyes remained focused on his book pages and never once looked toward Daphne.
Thinking again of how Leo had refused her dinner invitation and walked away with such confidence, Daphne couldn't help feeling genuinely depressed.
She was clearly the eldest daughter of the prestigious Greengrass family. Whether at home or at school, she received star treatment from everyone, but why wouldn't he even glance at her?
"Help, help me! It's so high here!"
A fearful cry suddenly rang out through the library.
Everyone looked up from their studies, searching for the source of the desperate sound.
As soon as Leo raised his head, he saw someone hanging precariously outside the window opposite his position.
A chubby boy with a round face and blonde hair.
"Neville?!"