The next moment, with a simple thought from Char, the broom immediately dropped like a falling leaf. Then, as he plummeted to a certain height, he gently swayed his body, and the broom carved a beautiful, perfect arc through the air. This was a move Char had seen Cedric Diggory show off during a training session. It was a maneuver Cedric had imitated from a famous Quidditch star, known in the wizarding world as the Falling Leaf Spin. Outside of professional competitions, very few players in school-level Quidditch could perform it. Cedric's success that one time had been mostly due to luck. Char still remembered how, after successfully completing the spin, Cedric had jumped off his broom and done five or six backflips on the ground to vent his excitement.
But now, as Char tried the Falling Leaf Spin, it felt as if there was no difficulty at all. It was as natural and effortless as breathing. If he wanted to, he could perform the maneuver a thousand times without making a single mistake. A gleam flashed across his eyes.
"I seem to have underestimated the impact that the Diamond-level flight enhancement would have on me," he mused. "My physique itself is so strong that it is unparalleled in the wizarding world. Plus, I have a legendary level of resistance to falling, so I won't feel dizzy at all. My Diamond-level flying ability, combined with my already decent flying talent and unique physique… my actual flying ability is probably close to the Epic level in the system's assessment!" He realized, with a jolt, "Even in the professional Quidditch arena, where there are so many superstars, there are probably only a few star players who can do this!"
Char took a deep breath. This level of flying ability would definitely give him an overwhelming advantage in air combat. Even against magical creatures that lived in the sky, he would not be inferior. And against ordinary wizards? After the ocean, the sky could now be considered another of Char's home turfs. If only I could get a Firebolt when it comes out, he thought, his eyes flashing. Then in the sky, I would be able to deal with wizards much stronger than myself. Even if I can't win, escaping would never be a problem.
Thinking of his harvest, a smile appeared on his lips. "This time, the harvest is truly huge."
He put away the mature Elber tree. This rare and ancient plant was of considerable value. Having been cultivated to such a high level, its value was far beyond anything he had grown before. It was an excellent research material for both Herbology and Potions. Publishing one or even several articles in top journals would probably not be a problem. He was still thinking about the Herbalism Association's Youth Award that Professor Sprout had mentioned. If he got that prize, he had a chance of getting another active ancient plant seed.
After carefully putting away the Elber tree, Char rushed towards Hogwarts. Cedric had said in his letter that there was something important concerning tomorrow's final. As the team captain, Cedric would never joke about such a thing. Char was also very concerned about the Quidditch Cup. It wasn't just about the collective honor of Hufflepuff; it was also something his aunt had always wanted. Their house hadn't won the Quidditch Cup in decades. No matter how you looked at it, Char had to win this final. Now that everything else had been resolved, he had to go and see what was happening.
When he rushed to the pitch, the scene that came into view startled him. The captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory, was lying on a stretcher, wrapped in bandages. The Quidditch players standing by looked utterly bewildered and dejected. Char walked over, frowning. "Cedric? What's going on?"
Cedric's face was full of regret. "It's my own fault for being so careless. To be injured at this critical juncture."
"Have you been to the infirmary?" Char asked. "What did Madam Pomfrey say? We have a lot of magical herbs in our house. Maybe they can help you recover before tomorrow's final."
Cedric chuckled bitterly and shook his head. "I've seen her." There was a look of pain on his face. "It would be fine if the injury was somewhere else. Even if my hand or leg was broken, I could control the broom with one hand or one leg. But my spine was broken. I can't move at all. Madam Pomfrey treated me, and the Headmaster also sent me herbs for bone injuries. But it will take at least seven days for me to get out of bed, so I won't be able to make it to the final tomorrow."
The expressions of the team members standing by were extremely heavy. Char was indeed the winning weapon and tactical core of the Hufflepuff team, but Cedric was undoubtedly its soul. The tactical formations centered around Char had all been adjusted and directed by him. It was because of Cedric that the team's formation changed so smoothly, with almost no flaws. If Cedric was absent, it would be a huge blow. And now there was an even more difficult problem facing them, the biggest reason for Cedric's bitter and guilty expression. "If I can't play, we won't have a Seeker. Harry has made rapid progress this semester. He flies very well. With the lesson he learned last time, he'll be even faster this time and try to catch the Golden Snitch right from the start."
Char understood. In their tactics, Cedric was also responsible for blocking the enemy Seeker. In their first match against Gryffindor, Harry had wanted to end the battle quickly, but it was Cedric who had commanded the team to block his path, allowing Hufflepuff to win easily. Without an experienced Seeker like him, a novice might not even find the Snitch before Harry, who was growing rapidly, caught it. Their strategy wouldn't have time to unfold, and they could fail quickly.
All these distracting thoughts were cut off. This time, with me here, there will be no possibility of any accidents. He looked at Cedric. "If you're short of a Seeker, let me do it."
Cedric and the rest of the team were stunned. Char as Seeker? What about the Beater? Their training for more than half a year had all been centered around him as the tactical core. Wasn't this just destroying their own strategy?
"Char, don't worry," Cedric said anxiously. "All you do is Beater drills. The content of a Seeker is different. This requires very sophisticated flying skills—"
The next moment, Char boarded his Nimbus 2000 with practiced ease. Drawing a cobra-like arc, he soared into the sky. Cedric was stunned. "Is this… the Cobra maneuver?" Then he saw Char dancing in the wind like a butterfly, tumbling and drawing exquisite arcs. "The Butterfly Dance?" The next second, Char used the skill that Cedric had practiced for so long and could only succeed at occasionally. "The Falling Leaf Whirl?!"
Cedric felt like he was dreaming. Was this something you could see in school-level Quidditch? These were difficult maneuvers that you might not master even after practicing for several years, yet Char was able to use them so easily. What level was this? "Professional players are no better than this!" Cedric's breathing quickened. He never expected that Char had this trick up his sleeve. This flying skill could lift him, the team's best flyer, up and beat him with it.
But he didn't feel any jealousy. Just intense, overwhelming joy. If his spine hadn't been broken, he would have jumped up from the stretcher and given Char a big hug. "Damn it! Char Sprout! You've been hiding this from me for so long. If you had told me earlier you were such a strong flyer, we wouldn't have needed this Beater tactic at all. All we'd need is for the referee to blow the whistle and for you to catch the Golden Snitch. We could crush all the houses and win the cup!"
Cedric became excited. The eyes of the other team members also showed shock and ecstasy. They were looking at Char now as if he were a savior on the court. After a while, Cedric finally managed to calm down, looking at Char eagerly. "Char. Good brother. When my back gets better, can you teach me the Falling Leaf Spin?"
Char looked at him speechlessly. "You're usually so serious. Your waist is broken now, and you're still so showy?"
Cedric chuckled, then stretched out his hand with difficulty and took off his captain's armband. He handed it to Char. Char shook his head. "Cedric. There's no precedent for a first-year wearing the captain's armband. I don't want to be in the spotlight."
Cedric curled his lips. "What does the armband have to do with whether you show off or not? When the competition starts, once you fly, all the limelight will be yours anyway. Here, take it. You've won this match beautifully on behalf of our house."
Char paused, then saw the expressions of approval on the faces of the team members around him. All eyes were on him. A moment later, he took a deep breath. He reached out and grabbed the captain's armband amid Cedric's smile. "Okay. For tomorrow's final, I will be replacing you as the temporary captain and Seeker."
At another Quidditch training ground, the Gryffindor players were also sweating profusely. Especially Harry. He was gritting his teeth, with sandbags tied to his body, flying quickly while surrounded by Bludgers. He was doing all this for one thing: to break through Char's Bludger attacks tomorrow. He had to catch the Golden Snitch as quickly as possible. This put him under great pressure, but also gave him great motivation.
Just at that moment, Professor McGonagall hurried to the stadium and told their captain, Wood, one thing. Wood's eyes widened, and he almost jumped up. "What?!" Harry and the others stopped, looking at the ecstatic Wood, wondering what news he had received. The next moment, they also began to doubt their own ears.
"Cedric Diggory is injured and will miss tomorrow's decisive battle. Char is taking over his captaincy and will also be the Seeker?!" Harry was completely stunned. All his training had been focused on countering Char as a Beater. But tomorrow, Char was playing Seeker? This made him feel regretful at first, then a surge of excitement. Seeker? Playing against me?! In this position, Harry, who was making rapid progress, had absolute confidence in defeating Char, who was just a temporary substitute.
Wood and the others looked at Harry. There was only one thought left in their minds, the sound of their hearts beating in their ears. "Tomorrow… we're sure to win!" Harry clenched his fists. He was confident he could catch the Golden Snitch and end the game within three minutes.
Back at the Hufflepuff pitch, Cedric was lying on a stretcher with a cunning expression. "The application for the position change has been submitted. Professor McGonagall is a serious and fair professor, but she is also a huge Quidditch fan. I think by now, this news should have made the Gryffindor lions ecstatic, thinking that they have already won." He chuckled, then his face twitched with pain from his waist. "I'm so looking forward to seeing their expressions tomorrow."
Char was also speechless. He was finally realizing Cedric's dark side. It seemed that on the surface, he was a perfect gentleman, but when you cut him open, he was all black inside. At this time, he remembered to ask. "Speaking of which, Cedric, how on earth did you break your back?"
Cedric's face changed, and he showed a look of lingering fear. "During training earlier, I was already exhausted, but I still wanted to catch the Golden Snitch before I rested. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already above the Forbidden Forest. To make matters worse, there was a whole bunch of trolls in the woods below me. Merlin, I've never seen so many giant monsters gathered together. There must have been at least ten of them! A troll threw a rock at me. I dodged it, but it hit the end of my broom, and I lost control. I managed to fly back, but when I landed, my broom flipped over completely."
Just as Cedric was talking about how scary the trolls were, he suddenly saw Char's movements stop. A fiery look flashed across Char's eyes.
"You mean… a settlement of at least ten trolls?!"
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