Leopold

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*This article contains plot and/or ending details.*

## Book Appearances

The Shadows
Spellbound
The Second Spy
The Strangers
Still Life

**Leopold** was one of the witches' familiars, a former foe to the neigbours of Linden Street, and a current ally to Olive Dunwoody. He currently resides in the big stone house which used to belong to the McMartins'. After the death of Annabelle McMartin, he, along with Horatio and Harvey, remained in the house to guard the house. Leopold himself guarded the basement, and the urn of Aldous McMartin, along with a trapdoor which led to the ingredients Aldous used to make his paintings to trap people, such as Morton and Aurelia McMartin, his wife. He was also the father to Albert McMartin, whom he saw as a disappointment, preferring his granddaughter, Annabelle McMartin. Leopold was loyal to the McMartins', but he switched loyalties soon after.

## Appearance

Leopold was described as being a black cat with green eyes, similar to Harvey and Horatio, but he had black fur, not orange or multi-coloured fur. He was said to look like a domestic panther due to his large size.

## Personality

Leopold was certainly the most formal of the cats, referring to Olive as 'miss' along with 'lady', and using the words 'men' when addressing Horatio and Harvey. He also believed that 'the price of safety is eternal vigilance', and took his job guarding the basement extremely seriously. He was also selfless, as he exchanged himself for information on Olive's missing parents in *The Strangers*, and put off freeing Aldous McMartin for as long as he could. In *Spellbound*, when Olive used the McMartins grimoire to manipulate Leopold into leaving his station, the cats turned against Olive, but even after that, Leopold saved Olive from jumping off the house roof in her sleep.

## Backstory

Leopold was originally a witches familiar, along with Harvey and Horatio, who assisted Aldous McMartin by trapping people in Elsewhere, the magical, painted place Aldous had created. Unknown to him and Harvey, Horatio helped hide Aurelia, Aldous' sick wife, in one of the paintings, but Horatio never told them. This led to Harvey and Leopold believing Aurelia was dead. Eventually, after Horatio helped trap Morton Nivens, a boy from next door and son to Mary Nivens, who was spying on Aldous, Horatio refused to help Aldous anymore, and the cats even destroyed his paints once. Aldous then got a dog named Baltus, to keep the cats out of the way, but they eventually trapped the dog in a painting. By now, the cats had stopped working for Aldous. Eventually, once Aldous died, the cats assisted Annabelle in hiding her father's ashes so he couldn't be brought back. At the age of a hundred and four years old, Annabelle, known as Ms. McMartin to the neighbours, passed away. Leopold, Harvey, and Horatio all began screeching, but after almost being taken away by animal caretakers, they escaped back into the house.

## In the Books

### *The Shadows*

The Dunwoodys moved into Ms. McMartin's old house, and Leopold met Olive when she went into the basement. However, they had met before, when Olive had went to turn off the lights in the basement after she accidentally left them on, but Olive was too terrified to say hello.

### *Spellbound*

Leopold dutifully guards the basement. Olive comes in there, stalling questions. She pets him and a ball of his fur ends up in her hand. With the McMartin Grimorie, she attempts to cast a spell to control Leopold so he will stay away from the door. Leopold leaves and isn't by the basement which leads Olive to think the spell has worked. Inside of the basement, Leopold, Harvey, and Horatio call out Olive. Leopold was especially hurt since she was willing to hurt him.

Olive is on the verge of jumping off of the roof when Leopold comes to save her. He bites her and is a bit upset when she doesn't get hurt by it. He reveals that Olive has dug up Annabelle's painting and, has been sleepwalking ever since she's gotten the spellbook.