Char watched the chaos unfold on the Quidditch pitch, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Quirrell, in a desperate attempt to convince Voldemort, insisted that the biting cabbages and giant konjac flower juice must have been the work of the Weasley twins. But the truth was far stranger than anyone on the field could guess.
The "garlic" in Quirrell's basket was actually a clever transformation—biting cabbages and giant konjac flowers, disguised by mirror grass to look like garlic bulbs. Now, those biting cabbages snapped their jaws, lunging at Quirrell and leaving him covered in tiny, stinging bites. The giant konjac flower sprayed juice, and Quirrell's shrill screams echoed across the stadium as he was left with a rash of scars and a stench that made everyone nearby recoil.
The spectacle drew the attention of the entire crowd. Professor McGonagall, who was providing commentary, looked furious. She shouted into her microphone, "Fred! George! What have you done?!"
The Weasley twins, caught off guard, looked genuinely bewildered. "Not us! It's really not us!" they protested, but their reputation for mischief made it impossible for anyone to believe them. Even their Gryffindor teammates exchanged glances, silently acknowledging that, given the twins' history, anything was possible.
But as the crowd's attention was drawn to the commotion, a collective gasp swept through the stands. "Harry! He's about to fall!"
Char's gaze snapped skyward. Harry was dangling from his broom, arms trembling, barely holding on. Char's heart skipped a beat. In the original story, Harry's struggle lasted longer, and he managed to catch the Snitch during his fall. But this time, Snape's intervention seemed to have shortened Quirrell's curse, and Harry's grip was slipping faster than before.
A pang of guilt struck Char—had his "study materials" kept Harry up too late, leaving him exhausted for the match? He almost reached for his wand, ready to cast a levitation spell and break Harry's fall, but hesitated. With Professor Sprout and Dumbledore both present, it would be reckless to draw attention to himself. The last thing he needed was to get tangled up in the savior's destiny.
As Harry plummeted, Hermione's voice rang out. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Her spell caught Harry just in time, slowing his fall. He landed hard, but managed to get up, coughing and spitting out the Golden Snitch into his palm.
The stands erupted. Gryffindor had won, one hundred and seventy to sixty. Harry's teammates rushed to lift him up, and the crowd's cheers were deafening. Hermione, too, was swept up and celebrated for her quick thinking. Even Ron blushed and apologized to her, finally recognizing her value as a friend.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears. For the first time since coming to Hogwarts, she felt truly at home in Gryffindor. Dumbledore, watching from the stands, wiped away a tear of his own, whispering, "That's friendship."
Char watched it all with a quiet detachment. The legendary "iron triangle" had finally formed. The gears of fate were turning, and the story he knew so well was back on track. The adventures of the savior trio were about to begin in earnest—but Char had no intention of getting involved.
He glanced over to where Quirrell, battered and reeking, was being led to the infirmary. With Quirrell out of commission for a while, Char felt a sense of relief. Now was his chance to get back to work before Quirrell could scheme against him again.
As the celebrations continued, Char slipped away from the crowd and made his way to the greenhouse. The quiet, earthy air was a welcome change from the roar of the stadium. He hurried to his experimental field, heart pounding with anticipation. To his delight, his plants were thriving—lush, healthy, and untouched by his week-long absence.
In the water tank, the piranha algae glowed with promise, the reward light balls larger than ever. The glowing mushroom fields were even more impressive: the second batch had matured, and the reward orbs hovered above them like ripe fruit.
Char's heart swelled with gratitude. It was clear Professor Sprout had been tending to his plants while he was away. He took a deep breath, savoring the moment.
He glanced at his system panel. The platinum light on the Fluorescent Spell shimmered, nearly eclipsing the gold. This harvest could be the breakthrough he'd been waiting for.
Without hesitation, Char strode into the mushroom field, arms open as if to embrace the magic itself. The reward light balls swirled around him, merging and sinking into his body.
[The glow mushrooms you cultivated have reached maturity]
[You get a reward: slight improvement in night vision (Black Iron Level)]
[You get a reward: a very small amount of Fluorescent Spell Enlightenment (Black Iron Level)]
A tingling sensation swept through Char. His eyes ached with a powerful, almost overwhelming transformation, and insights into the Fluorescent Spell flooded his mind. On his system panel, the platinum glow of both "Fluorescent Spell" and "Night Vision Ability" intensified, outshining the gold.
Tears stung Char's eyes, but he couldn't look away from the panel.
First, a brilliant platinum light appeared:
[Night Vision Ability (Platinum Level)]—Promoted!
Then, as the last of the reward orbs faded, Char saw what he'd been hoping for:
[Luminous Spell (Platinum Level)]!
All the hard work, the patience, the care for his magical plants—it had finally paid off. Char stood in the greenhouse, surrounded by the quiet glow of his achievements, ready for whatever came next.