Looking at Malfoy's horrified face, Char just shrugged his shoulders, his tone a perfect, unnerving blend of jest and gravity. "What can I do?" he said, the picture of innocence. "I'm just a harmless student who enjoys planting things. You don't think I would do anything to the Flint family, do you? I simply don't have that kind of power." He paused, a small smile playing on his lips. "I just have a feeling that a family like the Flints, having done so many bad things, won't last very long."
Finished, Char turned and walked away down the corridor, leaving Draco Malfoy rooted to the spot, a cold terror seeping into his bones. He watched Char's retreating back, his mind replaying the casual, chilling words. A harmless student who likes to plant things? Malfoy didn't believe a word of it. If someone were to disturb Char's planting, he would probably scatter their ashes to the wind.
After a long time, Malfoy's agitated emotions were still difficult to calm. He had thought the quiet, brutal efficiency of Umbridge's death was bizarre enough, but now it seemed Char's abilities were far more terrifying than he had ever imagined. His father's words about Char echoed in his mind, no longer sounding like an exaggeration but a dire warning. "This boy… he has the potential to become a figure comparable to the Dark Lord or Dumbledore!"
Malfoy gave a wry, bitter laugh. The pure-blood arrogance that had been cultivated in him for a long time was completely shattered. There was truly no comparison between people. This boy wasn't just a wizard; he was a monster.
He hastily wrote a letter, his hand trembling as he sent it off with an owl towards Malfoy Manor. Even as the bird disappeared into the distance, his heart was still pounding violently in his chest. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
This, as it turned out, was also what Lucius Malfoy thought after receiving the letter. The Flint family was going to be in trouble? Char was even planning for the acquisition of their assets? If this had come from any other eleven-year-old wizard, Lucius would have scoffed, dismissing it as the crazy talk of a child. But it was Char who had said this.
He narrowed his eyes, the image of Porgy Charlemagne's miserable state in the greenhouse flashing in his mind. That day, the boy had deliberately set a trap and let the man jump right into it. That was clever, Lucius had thought, a sign of strong potential that would take time to mature. But not long after, he had heard about Umbridge from Draco. The death of a high-ranking Ministry official had actually been related to Char. And what was even more terrifying was that Char had been so easily cleared of all suspicion. Lucius himself couldn't have managed such a thing. For an eleven-year-old wizard to do it was incredible. It was enough for Lucius to treat him as an equal.
"Char Sprout…" Lucius murmured the name. He opened another letter containing intelligence his family had recently obtained. A look of deep horror flashed across his eyes. "Porgy Charlemagne… this fellow also disappeared mysteriously. Even his house was looted." It had happened some time ago, but Charlemagne's family wasn't prominent. It was only recently, when an editor went to solicit an article, that the changes were discovered. Another unsolved case.
But at this moment, Lucius suddenly felt that everything was connected. Porgy Charlemagne had also held a grudge against Char Sprout. And then he had disappeared. Could it be that he did this as well? The thought sent a shudder down Lucius's spine. If so, this boy was far too mysterious. Snape's original evaluation—that his talent was comparable to that of Grindelwald or the Dark Lord—now seemed a bit conservative.
A moment later, Lucius gritted his teeth and made a decisive decision. He would prepare to mobilize funds and various resources, just as Char had said. He would be ready to take over the Flint family's assets after their inevitable disaster. The Flints may have been the shame of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, despised by the aristocratic circle, but they made a lot of money from their dirty work. Over the years, they had acquired many high-quality industries through shameful and dark means. If the Malfoy family could take them, it would be a huge profit.
Lucius's eyes were burning with ambition. "A mere Chalati grass seed can be exchanged for this kind of news. It seems this boy truly values planting and Herbology. In that case, we must pay more attention to news about various rare seeds. And for this batch, we must pick the very best to send over. Maintaining this relationship will be of great use to our family. In the future, the era of the Dark Lord and the era of Dumbledore will eventually pass. By then, this relationship will be the precious treasure I leave to Draco." He immediately began to make arrangements, his attention also focused squarely on the Flint family. Bacon Flint and the dark wizards he employed were a tough bunch; even the Malfoy family couldn't easily move against them. Lucius truly didn't know what methods Char had to deal with them.
At that very moment, the Flint family had the same thought. What could Char possibly do to them? What could Professor Sprout do if they didn't give her face? It wasn't as if Dumbledore would get involved. So what was this invitation to the sea, other than a chance for them to exact their revenge?
"Even if he wants to play some tricks," Bacon Flint sneered, looking at the group of ferocious wizards around him, "a little wizard from Hufflepuff, what kind of trouble can he possibly cause?" The wizards he had recruited, while not all officially dark wizards, were in some ways even more frightening. They were no less capable when it came to demolishing houses or burying families alive. He could already imagine the look of fear on Char's face when he came into contact with this side of the magical world. He wouldn't just vent his son's anger; he would also force Char to give up the land of Sprout Island.
Marcus Flint, lying on his stretcher, had a face full of malice, already imagining how he would torture Char. Bacon Flint checked the time. "Okay, everyone is almost here. Go to sea."
There were more than ten people in total. Of course, it was impossible to get there by flying carpet or broom. The Flint family had prepared a magical ship for this purpose. It looked like a small fishing boat, but the cabin was very spacious. When everyone was on board, the ship began to move automatically, quickly breaking through the waves and heading towards the open sea. A few hours later, they arrived on the North Sea, at the coordinates Char had provided.
Bacon Flint looked at the empty sea, a deep frown on his face. "He has a request for us, yet he dares to be late? It seems I need to teach this Sprout heir a lesson."
"Leave him to me!" Marcus shouted.
Bacon smiled indulgently. "Of course. But all of you need to get back to the cabin first. Otherwise, what if the boy gets scared when he sees so many people and doesn't dare to come?"
The wizards all smiled in tacit understanding. "Boss, we know what to do," one said. "We'll eat and drink in the cabin. You go out and chat with him until the idiot thinks the matter is settled. You just throw the cup, and we rush out, leaving him with an unforgettable memory—"
Just as everyone was laughing, the dining table inside the cabin, filled with delicious food, suddenly began to shake. A crystal glass fell to the ground, smashing to pieces.
Bacon Flint frowned. "Did I give the signal? The cups are very expensive."
"Boss, wasn't that you?" a wizard asked, confused. "Without your order, how would we dare to smash the cup?"
Just as they were stunned, more frequent snapping sounds were heard. A violent shake hit the ship. The cups and plates in the cabin shattered into a rain of pieces all over the ground. Bacon Flint and the others were staggering, almost unable to stand. "What's going on?! Isn't there magic on this ship to maintain balance?"
At the same time, everyone felt that the originally sunny North Sea had suddenly lost its light. It was dark. At that moment, Marcus Flint, lying on the stretcher, suddenly stared blankly at the sky, as if seeing something incredible. "That… what is that?!"
Upon hearing this, Bacon Flint and the others subconsciously looked up. They saw massive tentacles silently emerging from the sea surface all around the ship, forming a "cage" and locking them inside. Even the sunlight was blocked. The shaking of the ship was caused by one of those tentacles, which had silently wrapped around the hull.
Their minds went blank. The next moment, they realized what the thing in front of them was.
"The Kraken?!"
"How could this monster appear here?!"
"It's daytime! How could we encounter a Kraken?!"
But before they could figure out why, the tentacles of the North Sea giant exerted a little force. The ship was twisted like a pretzel. Everyone on board was swept into the turbulent sea along with the wreckage. A thick cloud of blood immediately spread through the churning water.
"The Flints… there's really no movement? They're missing. They've all disappeared since they went out to sea!" When Lucius learned the news, he couldn't help but stand up. Even though he had already guessed this result, when the conjecture was confirmed, he could hardly hide his shock. To this day, he still didn't know how Char had done it. But that no longer mattered. The most urgent task was to quickly take over the Flint family's assets. And something even more important: he must win over this little Char Sprout.
When there was a knock on the small greenhouse door, Draco Malfoy's hands were shaking. Especially after Char opened the door, Malfoy lowered his head subconsciously, not daring to look at him. His eyes were filled with awe. The Flint family was really unlucky. A rather powerful pure-blood family, and just like that, they were gone. And who could have imagined that it was all inseparable from the first-year student in front of him?
"Char… the Flint family matter—" Malfoy's voice trembled.
Char shrugged with a strange expression. "I don't know. I'm just a kid who needed to submit and apologize to the Flint family. I was just late because I made some progress in Herbology. What does what happened to them have to do with me?"
Malfoy nodded repeatedly, a rush of anxiety in his heart. It doesn't matter? That's what's so weird! He quickly took out a box and handed it to Char. "Inside this are the highest quality Chalati grass seeds that our Malfoy family has found. I don't know if it meets your requirements."
Char's eyes lit up. He showed a bit of anticipation. Immediately, he opened the box. What he saw made his face fill with joy. "This is…?!" A bronze luster, accompanied by a system prompt, appeared before his eyes.
[You have obtained seeds of an improved variety of Chalati grass, selected after countless generations of cultivation.]
[After cultivating it to maturity, you will receive rewards: Spirit Enhancement (Bronze Level) and Chalati Grass Purification Ability (Black Iron Level)]
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