Char left the Charms classroom in a hurry, his thoughts racing. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared down the corridor, clutching the precious Elber tree sapling. But what had happened in that class was not something that would just fade away quietly.
Quite the opposite—news of Char's feat spread through Hogwarts like wildfire.
Hogwarts, after all, was a small, tightly knit community. Even the slightest bit of excitement could set off a storm of gossip among students from all four houses. And now, with the Halloween night incident still fresh in everyone's minds, this new event was all anyone could talk about.
But this time, the topic wasn't whether Char had half-giant blood. Instead, it was Malfoy who became the butt of the jokes. Students would pass him in the corridors, grinning and asking, "So, who's the half-giant now?" Malfoy was so mortified that he slunk back to Slytherin House, locked himself in his dormitory, and refused to come out. For once, it seemed, he might actually keep a low profile for a while.
Meanwhile, in Hagrid's hut, Harry and Ron sat by the stove, nearly doubled over with laughter as they discussed the incident.
"Hagrid, you should have seen it! We wish we'd been there to watch Malfoy's face," Harry said, wiping away tears of mirth. "He's been humiliated by Char so many times, but he never learns."
Hagrid's expression was odd—part nervous, part hopeful. "Ah, yes, Charles Sprout, right? How's he doing?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Hagrid's attempt at nonchalance was transparent. Even they could see he was genuinely interested.
Harry thought for a moment, then replied, "He's a typical Hufflepuff, I guess. Always in class or the greenhouse, working hard. Helps Professor Snape with potions materials, too. Malfoy says he's not talented, but honestly, Char's doing great—almost as good as Hermione."
Ron snorted. "Yeah, but he's got a much better personality than Hermione."
Hagrid beamed, clearly pleased by the praise—as if Char's achievements reflected on him somehow.
Harry couldn't help but ask, "Hagrid, why are you so interested in Char? You're not exactly subtle about it."
Hagrid blushed, then hesitated before admitting, "I think maybe Char's got the same blood as me. Or at least, we're distant relatives. Dumbledore left me the troll that got into the castle on Halloween, and I saw it—beaten to a pulp by brute force. Even I couldn't do that to a troll. That's giant's blood, sure as anything."
He looked away, his voice a little thick. "You all know I'm a half-giant. I always thought I'd be alone in that. But I'd never tell anyone about Char, not ever. I just wondered if maybe I could invite him over for tea sometime."
Harry and Ron exchanged another look. They barely knew Char—Harry had tried to invite him to join their adventures, but Char had politely refused. Still, seeing Hagrid's hopeful face, Harry relented. "Alright, Hagrid. We'll try to invite him over."
As they left Hagrid's hut, Harry sighed. "Char's always off somewhere. Where do you suppose he is now?"
■■■
At that very moment, far from the castle, Char was with Professor Sprout, listening intently as she explained how to plant the rare, nearly extinct Elber tree.
"It's actually quite simple," Professor Sprout said, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "All you need to do is get above two thousand feet—find a cloud layer. Plant the Elber tree in the clouds, and it'll take root on its own. The roots will fix the cloud in place, and eventually, more clouds will gather, forming a huge cloud layer. The Elber tree will be hidden inside."
Even as a master of herbology, Professor Sprout's face glowed with excitement at the prospect. Then, a shadow of regret crossed her features. "When the levitation spell was first created, Elber trees were rare but not yet endangered. But over the last two centuries, cloud pollution has gotten worse. Many clouds are too dark now—Elber trees can't take root in them. That's why they're nearly extinct."
She looked up at the sky near Hogwarts, her eyes full of hope. "Luckily, the clouds here are still clean. Just find a high one, and the Elber tree will thrive. That shouldn't be a problem for your flying skills, Char?"
Char nodded, confident. He'd always had a knack for flying, and his recent Quidditch training had only made him better. But he wasn't interested in just any cloud. If he planted the Elber tree in a low cloud, the reward would be silver level at best. That was good—but not enough for Char. He wanted to maximize the potential of this rare treasure.
He'd already decided: he would take a risk and plant the Elber tree as high as he possibly could.
Just as he was plotting how to do this without Professor Sprout noticing, a silver phoenix Patronus soared overhead. Dumbledore's voice echoed from it: "Pomona, come to my office. It's about that thing."
Professor Sprout's face grew serious. She turned to Char. "Headmaster Dumbledore needs me. Char, you plant the Elber tree yourself. With your knowledge, I'm sure you'll do fine. Just remember—don't fly too high!"
Char nodded obediently, but as soon as Professor Sprout disappeared, he let out a sigh of relief. "I always listen to my aunt," he thought, "but surely it's okay to bend the rules just this once."
He glanced at the Elber tree sapling, determination hardening in his eyes. "Let's do this," he whispered.
Mounting his Nimbus 2000, Char pushed off from the ground. The broom shot skyward, the world shrinking beneath him. As he climbed, gravity pressed him down, but he barely noticed—his focus was entirely on the sapling.
One hundred meters. Two hundred. Five hundred. One thousand. The minimum height for planting the Elber tree passed in a blur. The system panel updated:
[After the Elber tree is planted and matured, you can get reward 1]
[Flying ability improvement (Silver level)]
[Slight improvement in the deduction of the floating spell (Bronze level)]
The silver light was brighter than before, but Char wasn't satisfied. He pressed on, higher and higher. The temperature plummeted, but his legendary constitution kept him warm. The Elber tree sapling seemed to come alive, its reward words now shining gold.
Still not enough.
He took a deep breath while there was still oxygen, then urged the Nimbus 2000 even higher—three thousand meters, four thousand, five thousand. He crashed through a cloud, emerging with the broom coated in ice. The climb slowed, but Char's resolve didn't waver.
At nearly six thousand meters, the broom's performance began to falter. Only the customized Nimbus 2000 allowed him to keep going. The system panel now showed platinum and gold rewards for the Elber tree, but Char sensed there was more.
He drew his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he cast, lightening the broom. Instantly, it shot upward, though the ride became rough and turbulent. Most people would have fainted or vomited, but Char's legendary resilience let him keep control.
"Just keep climbing," he muttered, eyes fixed on the goal.
Seven thousand meters. Eight thousand. Ten thousand. Twelve thousand meters—an altitude few civilian aircraft ever reach.
At last, the reward information for the Elber tree stopped changing. Char stared, breathless, as a crystal-clear, diamond-like light shimmered before him.
Diamond Level Rewards!
He had done it.