When Hannah Abbott tumbled from her broom, a wave of panic swept over the Hogwarts grounds. The little badgers and eagles cried out in alarm, their faces pale with fear. For a moment, time seemed to freeze—no one understood what had happened, except Char, who was closest to Hannah.
All they saw was Hannah suddenly dropping like a stone, limp and unresponsive, as if some invisible hand had cut her string.
Char, sharp-eyed and alert, had noticed the flash from the tower just before Hannah fell. He turned his gaze upward and caught a glimpse of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle slinking away. A cold fury flickered in Char's eyes. He realized at once: that flash was no accident. Malfoy had used some kind of magical device to knock Hannah out—hoping, no doubt, to target Char himself.
Char's legendary resistance to dizziness and falling had protected him, but poor Hannah had been caught in the crossfire. Anger surged in his chest. Malfoy was every bit as rotten as the stories said.
But Char had no time for revenge. Hannah was plummeting toward the ground, and he had to act.
He leaned forward, urging his broom into a steep dive. The world blurred as he streaked after Hannah, the wind roaring in his ears. The other students watched, frozen in horror. Some covered their eyes, unable to bear the thought of seeing Hannah hurt. Madam Hooch, her face ashen, raced after them on her own broom, but she knew she was too far away. She readied her wand, conjuring a magical barrier below Hannah—a desperate attempt to soften the impact.
But from this height, even a barrier might not save Hannah from broken bones—or worse.
Just as Hannah was about to hit the barrier, Char made a split-second decision. He kicked off his broom with all his strength, launching himself through the air like a cannonball. In the blink of an eye, he caught up to Hannah, wrapping his arms around her and twisting so that he would hit the ground first.
There was a heavy thud as they landed, and for a moment, the world was silent.
Everyone rushed over, hearts pounding. Madam Hooch was already preparing to summon help, certain that both students would need to be rushed to the infirmary.
But then, to everyone's astonishment, Char rolled over, sprang to his feet, and dusted himself off as if nothing had happened. He checked Hannah carefully, relief flooding his face as she began to stir.
Hannah blinked, dazed. "What happened?" she mumbled.
The crowd exhaled in collective relief. Even Madam Hooch, who had seen her share of flying accidents, felt her knees go weak with shock and gratitude.
She rounded on Hannah, her voice trembling with worry and a touch of anger. "Hannah Abbott! Did you skip breakfast? Are you anemic? You must tell me if you have any health problems before flying!" Then, softening, she added, "Ten points from Hufflepuff for scaring me half to death!"
She turned to Char, her expression changing to one of deep respect. "And Char Sprout—such flying skill, and the courage to risk your life for a friend. Fifteen points to Hufflepuff!"
Char took a deep breath, still shaken but steady. As Madam Hooch comforted Hannah, he spoke up, his voice clear and calm. "I saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle on the tower. There was a flash of light—I think it was some kind of spell or device that can knock people out. They were probably trying to target me, but Hannah got caught in it."
Madam Hooch's eyes widened, her face darkening with anger. "If that's true, they'll be in serious trouble. I promise you, this will not be ignored."
She led Char, Hannah, and the Hufflepuffs back to the castle, the rest of the students buzzing with shock and outrage.
Inside, the confrontation was immediate. Snape, called in to defend his Slytherins, was cold and dismissive. "That's nonsense," he sneered. "Malfoy and his friends are still in the infirmary, recovering from injuries. They couldn't possibly have done such a thing. Besides, Slytherin students would never stoop to such behavior."
He shot Char and Hannah a withering look. "Perhaps it was just a trick of the sunlight. Some people always look for someone else to blame for their mistakes."
Just then, the door burst open and Professor Sprout stormed in, her face flushed with fury. She swept Char into a fierce hug, checking him over for injuries, then pulled Hannah protectively behind her.
"We Hufflepuffs never lie!" she declared. "Severus, Malfoy and his friends have gone too far this time. There must be consequences!"
Snape only snorted. "Hufflepuffs don't lie? Professor Sprout, you know as well as I do that children can be very creative with the truth. You want to expel the son of a school governor based on your nephew's word alone? The board will never agree."
Sprout bristled, standing her ground like a mother badger defending her cubs. The argument grew heated, neither side willing to back down. The little badgers, watching their Head of House stand up for them, felt a surge of pride and unity.
Finally, Dumbledore arrived, looking weary and troubled. He listened to both sides, then sighed. "This matter will require further investigation," he announced. "No action will be taken until we have more evidence."
Professor Sprout led her Hufflepuffs back to the common room, still fuming. The badgers gathered around Char, their eyes shining with loyalty.
"We believe you, Char," they said. "We won't let Malfoy get away with this."
Char nodded, determination hardening in his chest. Snape's smug, dismissive attitude was infuriating. If Slytherin wanted to play dirty, then Char would have to get creative.
He turned to Professor Sprout, his voice quiet but resolute. "Aunt, I have an idea. I know how to teach Malfoy a lesson—and make sure even Professor Snape can't talk his way out of it."
The badgers leaned in, eager to hear Char's plan. For the first time, they felt the strength of their house—not just in kindness and loyalty, but in courage and cunning too.
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