When Char approached the troll with the goldfish spider plant in hand, the giant monster's eyes filled with unmistakable fear. It clearly remembered the last time it had eaten several pots of goldfish spider plants—only to be thoroughly beaten by Char. The memory of broken bones from Char's baseball bat still haunted it.
The troll instinctively tried to edge away, desperate to avoid the goldfish spider plant. Char frowned, noticing the reaction. "Hmm? Did I tell you to move? Stay right there!" His tone was commanding, and the troll froze, trembling, curling up into a pitiful, helpless ball.
Char moved closer, his brow furrowing deeper. He'd expected the goldfish spider plant to react to the troll's presence, just as it did when near forgetful students like Neville or Hannah. But even at close range, the plant showed no unusual activity. There was none of the rapid maturation he'd witnessed before, no surge of magical energy—just the same stillness as always.
Confused, Char wondered if his theory was wrong. Did trolls actually have no effect on the goldfish spider plant? How could he explain what he'd seen last time?
Determined to test further, Char ordered the troll, "Hold out your hands. And if you damage my goldfish spider plant, I'll beat you up again!" The troll, looking utterly aggrieved, stretched out its hands. Char placed the plant directly into the troll's palm, letting it touch the troll's rough skin.
Still, nothing happened. The goldfish spider plant remained unchanged.
Char's frown deepened. He was certain he hadn't imagined the previous effect. The plant had definitely matured rapidly after contact with the troll. So what was different now?
"Do I have to beat it up again?" Char mused, glancing at the troll. The poor creature shuddered, big tears welling in its small eyes. Char shook his head, dismissing the idea. "No, let's check for other factors. I'm not a monster—violence isn't the answer unless there's no other choice."
He was about to turn away when Hagrid stepped in, giving the troll a stern lecture: no wandering out of the Forbidden Forest, no making a mess, and most importantly, "Take a bath! Do you know how much you stink?!"
The troll looked at Hagrid with confusion, as if trying to remember the instructions. But Hagrid sighed, knowing the troll's memory was hopeless—only survival instincts stuck, everything else was quickly forgotten. He had to remind it of the same things every day.
As Hagrid prepared to leave, Char suddenly stopped, a spark of realization in his eyes. "I see, I see—how could I have missed it?"
Hagrid looked baffled. "What did you figure out, Char?"
Char's gaze fell to the goldfish spider plant in his hand, which was growing rapidly, its activity level even higher than what he'd seen with Neville at the start of term. He thought aloud: "Even forgetful wizards like Neville subconsciously remember some things and forget others. Forgetting is always happening, so the goldfish spider plant can absorb that energy from any wizard."
"But trolls are different. Their brains are so small, they only remember what's vital for survival. Everything else just doesn't stick. If there's nothing to forget, there's nothing for the plant to absorb."
"But last time, when I beat up the troll, I must have forced it to remember the rule: don't mess with me or the goldfish spider plant. It forgot something else in the process, and the plant absorbed that forgetfulness, accelerating its growth."
"And just now, when Hagrid repeated his instructions, the troll instantly forgot most of them. The plant finally absorbed some nutrients."
Char's eyes sparkled with understanding. He knew now how to use trolls to cultivate goldfish spider plants.
He turned to the troll. "Repeat after me: abandon, give up, ability, able—you're capable." The troll stared blankly. "Aba… Aba…" it mumbled.
Suddenly, the goldfish spider plant responded as if it had been given a magical tonic. It began maturing rapidly, its leaves glowing with energy.
Char was delighted. With a troll's "talent" for forgetting, he could double his current goldfish spider plant production! Unlike students, whose forgetfulness faded as they matured, trolls would always provide a steady supply.
He took a deep breath, the troll's stench suddenly much more tolerable. An idea formed: if one troll could double production, what if he found a whole group? In the original story, Quirrell had more than one troll—there must be a settlement in the Forbidden Forest.
Char turned to Hagrid. "Hagrid, are there troll groups in the Forbidden Forest?"
Hagrid nodded, recalling his own harrowing encounters. "Oh, yes. I've run into them before. It's awful—the smell alone nearly knocked me out. They wander, looking for food, but if they stayed in one spot, nothing would grow there."
Char's eyes shone. "Could you help me find them? It's really important."
Hagrid, moved by his "little brother's" request, agreed without hesitation. "Of course! But trolls are unpredictable. It might take a while to track them down."
Char felt reassured. With Hagrid's help, finding a troll group was just a matter of time. His magical perception was already close to gold level, and the next harvest would surely push it over the edge. He knew, though, that as he advanced, the effect of each new batch would diminish. More goldfish spider plants—and more trolls—would be needed for further growth.
But all that would come in time. For now, Char felt a sense of accomplishment. Gold-level magic perception was within reach, and soon he could attempt the Holy Tree Potion and the next stage of the guardian tree's cultivation. The only spell still lagging was the Soil Loosening Spell, but he was determined not to neglect it.
"Don't ignore the bird in your hand for the ten in the bush," he reminded himself. "Keep practicing. The Soil Loosening Spell is almost at gold level."
Time flew by, and two more days passed in steady, focused work.
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