HP: The Boy who Planted

The scene of the goldfish spider plant maturing in mere moments passed unnoticed by everyone—everyone except Char.

The professors were still focused on Char and the troll, with Professor Sprout lingering in shock, her worry for Char not yet faded. But Char's sharp eyes caught the transformation. His mind raced back to the key nutrient for goldfish spider plant growth: forgetfulness.

He remembered well—without enough "forgetting," the growth rate of goldfish spider plants was painfully slow. That was why he'd never been able to increase his planting volume much. There were only so many little wizards at Hogwarts, and not that many were forgetful enough to provide the necessary magical "nutrient." Even if Char had wanted to plant more, he simply couldn't.

But now, after seeing the goldfish spider plant mature rapidly after contact with the troll, a new idea blazed to life in his mind.

"Could it be that the troll's forgetfulness also works on the goldfish spider plant?" Char wondered. "Given how forgetful trolls are, the amount of 'forgetting' they can provide must be enormous. A single troll could supply more than all the forgetfulness Hogwarts students generate in a year!"

He felt a surge of excitement. "If I could use trolls to cultivate goldfish spider plants, the yield could be doubled—maybe even more!"

The anger he'd felt toward the troll for eating his plants faded a little. If this method worked… well, after eating so many pots, that troll had better come back and do some work!

But at that moment, the professors began moving the troll out of the castle.

"That's something Hagrid will have to deal with," someone said. "How did it even get in here?"

Professor Sprout, still anxious, insisted that Char go to the infirmary for a checkup. "The only child of the Sprout family must be safe," she insisted.

Char had no choice but to put his idea on hold for now. "I'll wait until things calm down, then find a chance to test it," he told himself.

He was escorted to the infirmary by Professor Sprout. Even Madam Pomfrey, after a thorough check, declared, "Char's fine. I think he could even take on another troll and win!" But Professor Sprout insisted he stay overnight, just to be sure.

Char could only sigh and accept a short break, surrounded by the scent of disinfectant. At least he managed to ask Professor Sprout for a favor. "Can you bring me all the goldfish spider plants I grew? I feel uneasy if I can't see them."

…

Meanwhile, the castle's little wizards were abuzz with excitement. The story of Char's battle with the troll was spreading like wildfire.

When the troll incident began, Harry and Ron had rushed to look for Hermione, thinking she was still crying in the girls' bathroom. Instead, they arrived just in time to see Char beating the troll senseless.

"Merlin, it was brutal!" they told anyone who would listen. "The troll was like a baby in front of Char—he beat it to tears!"

All night, the students whispered and gossiped about Char's feat. He became the talk of the castle.

Elsewhere, on the first floor where Char had fought the troll, two figures paused to examine the aftermath. Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise.

"Char Sprout… I'm sure the Sprout family has no giant blood. Where does this brute force come from?" His gaze lingered on the thorny marks left by the Pruning Spell. "He's good with the Pruning Spell. But there's a faint trace of dark magic here. It's a bit like… the Shadowless Curse?"

He turned to Snape. "Severus, what do you think?"

Snape snorted. "Maybe some ancestor had giant blood that just surfaced in this generation. It's not uncommon in pure-blood families. Didn't the Malfoys have Veela blood mixed in?"

He paused, then continued, "As for the Divine Edge Shadowless Curse… why can't I recognize its shadow here? And when did it become so weak?" He shot Dumbledore an annoyed look. "Dumbledore, will your paranoia ever end? Char's talent is obvious to all. Magic perception can be trained, but magical strength is innate. He'll never be a powerhouse. If you're worried about a spell like this causing trouble, you'd have to throw every wizard in Azkaban."

Dumbledore was momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly. Snape was right. With Char's gentle nature and modest talent, there was no need to worry about him going astray. Even the kindest badger could get angry when pushed too far.

Better to focus on training the savior and uncovering the mastermind behind the incident.

With that, Dumbledore left. Snape lingered, gazing at the marks left by the Pruning Spell, a hint of satisfaction on his face.

"So, Char found the Half-Blood Prince's textbook and learned the Divine Edge Shadowless Spell," he mused. "At least he has some vision. I'll give him some secret guidance. I wonder what he'll think when he learns I'm the Half-Blood Prince?"

A faint smile curled Snape's lips as he turned and left.

Long after the professors had gone, Quirrell, swathed in his trademark scarf, crept from the shadows. His eyes glinted with surprise.

"The Sprout kid… I thought he was useless, but maybe there's giant blood in there. Maybe we can use him to get past the three-headed dog. Not now—Dumbledore will be on high alert. But with such poor talent, if I hint that the dog is guarding something that could boost his magic, he'll jump right in."

Quirrell vanished into the night, plotting.

Char, oblivious to all the intrigue, focused on the goldfish spider plants Professor Sprout had placed by his bed. Many had been eaten by the troll, but nearly thirty pots remained, all mature. Heavy orbs of reward light floated above them.

Char's eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Will this wave of rewards be enough to push my [Magic Perception Enhancement] to Gold Level?"

He reached out, and one by one, the glowing orbs rushed into him, filling him with new hope for the days ahead.

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