Snape's cold words hung in the air, and the faces of the other professors grew increasingly grim. At the Slytherin table, Malfoy and his friends felt emboldened, parroting Snape's taunts at Neville with even more arrogance.
Neville sat pale and silent, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Around him, the Gryffindors bristled with anger. Harry and Ron looked ready to leap across the table, while Hermione's knuckles whitened on her wand. She looked as if she might hex Malfoy, even if it meant losing house points.
Char's eyes narrowed. He turned away from the Slytherin table, picked up the silver cup in front of him, and—without even looking—flicked his wrist.
A sharp whistle cut through the Great Hall. The cup shot across the room and struck Malfoy squarely in the mouth.
There was a sudden, stunned silence—then a shriek. Malfoy clapped his hands to his mouth, blood trickling between his fingers. He spat out a tooth, eyes wide with shock and pain.
"Who did that?!" he howled, voice muffled by his bleeding lips.
Crabbe and Goyle, recovering from their surprise, pointed at Char. "It was him!"
Char didn't even turn around. He calmly picked up two more cups and sent them flying. They struck Crabbe and Goyle on the head with a satisfying thunk, and both boys toppled over, dazed.
Malfoy shrieked, "How dare you attack me! I'm telling my father! You'll be expelled!"
Char, still not looking back, spoke loudly enough for the hall to hear. "Why are there stray dogs in Hogwarts? I hate dogs barking when I'm eating. When they bark, I want to throw something at them. It's a reflex—I can't help it."
Malfoy's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "Are you calling me a dog?!"
Char finally turned, his face the picture of righteous annoyance. "You are still barking. Should I call the animal control people? "
He began tossing cups in Malfoy's direction, each one whistling past the boy's ear. Malfoy flinched and cowered, until finally, overwhelmed by fear, he fainted.
Char surveyed the now-quiet table and let out a contented sigh. "That's better. Now I can eat in peace."
For a moment, the Great Hall was utterly silent. Then, laughter erupted—especially from those who'd suffered Malfoy's taunts before.
"Well done!"
"Malyfoy Sucks!!!"
The older Slytherins glared, their pride wounded. One of them muttered, "We should stand up for Malfoy…" But when Char glanced their way, idly spinning a cup in his hand, they thought better of it. No one wanted to challenge the "little troll" who could throw cups like cannonballs.
The Slytherins dragged Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle out of the hall, their faces dark with humiliation.
At the staff table, Snape's face was as cold as the dungeons. "That's too much. Attacking classmates in public—ten points from Hufflepuff!"
But Professor Sprout, McGonagall, and Flitwick exchanged glances and smiled.
Professor Sprout spoke first, her tone light. "But Severus, isn't it a Hogwarts tradition for professors not to interfere in minor student squabbles? Why are you making it personal. Let's don't show favoritism. Eleven points to Hufflepuff!"
McGonagall, usually so stern, suppressed a smile. "Agreed. Eleven points from me as well."
Flitwick laughed outright, raising his goblet. "And eleven points from me!"
Snape glared at them all, then rose and stalked out of the hall, his robes billowing behind him.
The Hufflepuffs cheered, eating and laughing with renewed energy. On the way back to their common room, they passed the hourglasses that recorded house points—and gasped in delight. Not only had they not lost any points, but they'd gained twenty-three extra, plus the thirteen from Charms class. Hufflepuff was leading the House Cup for the first time in years!
The little badgers were ecstatic. "We have to celebrate for Char!" they cried. But when they looked around, Char was nowhere to be found.
Char, meanwhile, was in Professor Sprout's office. She greeted him with a beaming smile. "Did you see, Char? Hufflepuff is leading the House Cup this week! I haven't seen that in ages!"
Char was surprised to see how much the House Cup meant to his aunt. But then he remembered how fiercely Snape fought for Slytherin's victory each year. Clearly, the professors cared deeply about house pride.
A thought struck Char. In the original books, Hufflepuff was always an afterthought in the House Cup—Slytherin dominated before Harry arrived, and then Gryffindor took over. Maybe, just once, he could help Hufflepuff win. As a gift to Professor Sprout.
Professor Sprout, still glowing with pride, said, "I heard you earned extra points in Charms, too. Well done, Char!"
Char smiled, then hesitated. "Aunt, I think my magical perception has improved. I'd like to try growing some more difficult magical plants."
He half-expected her to question him, but instead, Professor Sprout nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! Char, you're brave to try new things. Three more points to Hufflepuff!"
Char blinked in surprise. Professor Sprout just winked. Severus Snape wasn't the only head of house who could protect his own.
She reached into her desk and pulled out a small pouch. "I've been saving these seeds for you. They're from the guardian tree—a very special magical plant."
Her eyes grew serious as she explained. "The guardian tree has powerful resistance to dark magic. Just touching it can protect a wizard from curses for a short time. It's an important ingredient in many anti-dark arts potions. But it's also a challenge to grow. You have to carefully regulate your magic from seed to sprout. Most Herbologists can't manage it until their third year."
She placed the seeds in Char's hand, her gaze full of encouragement. "But I believe you can do it."
Char's heart pounded as he examined the seed. Even before he planted it, his system displayed a new prompt:
[You obtain the guardian tree seed]
[Successfully plant this seed to receive a reward – Improved Defense Against the Dark Arts Perception (Bronze Level)]
[If this plant matures, you will receive rewards: Improved Defense Against the Dark Arts Perception (Silver Level), Slightly improved resistance to dark magic (Iron Level)]
Char's eyes sparkled with excitement. With this seed, he was one step closer to protecting himself—and everyone he cared about—from the darkness that lurked beyond Hogwarts' walls.
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