## The Breakthrough
Behind Hagrid's hut, in the quiet woods where snowflakes fell like scattered diamonds, Char had been sitting motionless for what felt like an eternity. The white flakes had accumulated on his robes, transforming him into a statue of contemplation against the winter landscape.
But he remained perfectly still, eyes closed, as if listening to some exquisite symphony that only he could hear—the delicate music of magic itself flowing through his veins.
Then, in a single transformative moment, that wonderful sensation coursing through his blood began to fade. Char opened his eyes with a mixture of fulfillment and longing, gently shaking himself as the accumulated snowflakes cascaded to the ground around him.
The entire world seemed reborn, viewed through new eyes.
On his system panel, the **[Magic Perception Enhancement]** indicator, which had been stubbornly stuck at silver level for so long, had finally transformed completely into a brilliant golden hue—intense and radiant, pulsing with newfound power.
Char took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat gradually accelerate with anticipation and excitement.
"Lumos!" he whispered.
The familiar Luminescence Charm flowed from the tip of his wand, but this time everything was different. The extremely clear "breathing" and "heartbeat" of the spell transmitted directly into Char's consciousness through the fluorescent magic. Every particle that composed the spell appeared with crystal clarity in his mind, as if he were viewing the very building blocks of magic itself.
This sensation was far more vivid than when his Fluorescent Spell had been upgraded to platinum level before. Char suddenly understood the truth—his magical perception had been the limiting factor in his magical achievements all along.
"Now that my magical perception has caught up, I can fully utilize my platinum-level Fluorescent Spell proficiency," he realized with growing excitement.
He decided to test his previous theoretical breakthrough—making the particles within the fluorescent spell reach a state of frequency synchronization. Previously, he could only synchronize a tiny fraction of particles for the briefest instant. But now, those former limitations crumbled like paper barriers.
With two or three times more particles than before under his precise control, frequency synchronization was achieved with remarkable ease. The fluorescent spell in his hand suddenly blazed with extraordinary brightness, forming a beam of light that had gained an almost solid quality as it emerged from his wand tip.
Reflected and amplified by the surrounding snow, the entire forest before him was illuminated in a momentary blaze of artificial daylight.
Char's eyes sparkled with delight. While this was still far from his ultimate vision of achieving perfect particle synchronization to create a laser-like effect, compared to his previous attempts, this represented a quantum leap forward.
"Is this the power of gold-level magic perception enhancement?" he mused. "After crossing this threshold, everything really is fundamentally different."
A surge of anticipation filled his heart as he considered the immediate implications.
"I've been practicing Holy Tree Potion preparation for an entire week," he reflected. "Dozens of failed attempts, each one teaching me something new. But I was always just short of success—at that crucial moment when all the magical power of the materials needed to blend together, I couldn't quite achieve the harmonious and complete state required."
He understood now that the root of the problem had been his magical perception. "Even with platinum-level night vision, I still couldn't fully comprehend the magical situation within the crucible. But now—"
Char took a deep breath and stepped forward, walking briskly toward the Potions classroom with renewed determination. "It should work this time."
## The Watcher in the Tower
As Char made his way back to the castle from Hagrid's hut, an undisguised, burning gaze fell upon him from one of the castle towers. The intensity of that stare sent an involuntary shiver down his spine.
He raised his eyes toward the source, his vision cutting through the boundless snow and wind until he spotted Quirrell standing by a windowsill in the corridor. That scorching, desperate look belonged unmistakably to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Char's heart sank as realization dawned. He had no doubt that if it weren't broad daylight, Quirrell might have attacked him directly, right here in the open.
The next moment, Quirrell looked away and his figure vanished from Char's sight. But the message had been clear—this was a man waiting for his opportunity, most likely after nightfall.
Char's grip tightened on his wand. Of course, he could simply remain in the dormitory after dark, or rely on the protection of Professors Snape and Sprout. In that case, it would be nearly impossible for Quirrell to make a move against him.
But that approach would also mean sacrificing the evening hours he had been using so effectively to improve himself. Even his precious tree-planting time would be severely reduced.
At that thought, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He could tolerate many things, but the one thing he absolutely could not stand was being prevented from tending his plants!
With grim determination etched across his features, Char returned to the common room first to retrieve his trusty bat. In many ways, his enhanced physical abilities combined with this simple weapon represented his most destructive capability at present. When properly employed, it could catch even experienced wizards completely off guard.
## The Perfect Potion
Char then made his way to an empty Potions classroom. After taking a steadying breath, he resisted the urge to immediately begin brewing the Holy Tree Potion. Instead, he methodically washed the crucible, lit flames to evaporate every drop of residual moisture, and carefully cleaned each tool he would need.
This was one of Snape's most important lessons: "Never underestimate the effect that even the tiniest bit of residual magic left on a cauldron or tools can have on a potion. The more complex the potion, the more destructive power such tiny impurities can wield. Trust me, you don't want to see precious materials wasted because of such an elementary mistake."
Snape had also emphasized the meditative aspect: "The process of cleaning your tools is also the process of clearing your mind."
In this moment, Char released all the urgency and anxiety that had been building in his heart. He let go of everything—even Quirrell's looming threat seemed to fade into irrelevance. His mind became as calm as still water, without the slightest ripple of disturbance.
Once all preparatory steps were completed with methodical precision, Char finally began brewing the Holy Tree Potion. Various materials containing different magical properties were added to the crucible with practiced ease, setting off complex magical reactions within.
This process had demanded his complete concentration over the past week—any distraction could cause immediate failure. But this time, Char handled the entire procedure with remarkable ease. Even at the critical point where magical harmonization had eluded him for seven days straight, he felt the magical reaction respond perfectly to his control.
With a final, confident stir, a pot of silver-white potion emanating a powerful sacred magical aura appeared in the cauldron. Char's eyes shone with uncontainable joy. While it wasn't quite as perfect as Snape's demonstration, this was undeniably a successful Holy Tree Potion.
With this achievement, his guardian trees could finally grow to their optimal state and provide protection against dark magic for anyone who touched them. This represented another crucial weapon in his arsenal against Quirrell.
## The Guardian Trees Awaken
Char thought about how Quirrell had been weakened by failed Sacred Tree Potions for an entire week. Even the failures had contained increasingly potent sacred magic as Char's skill improved. With such accumulated damage, Quirrell should currently be at his weakest state.
Facing guardian trees irrigated with genuine Holy Tree Potion, even newly planted seedlings would likely cause Quirrell considerable distress.
Looking at the successful potion before him, Char calculated: "This should be sufficient to give five guardian tree seeds their first proper irrigation."
He gathered the four additional sets of guardian tree materials that Professor Sprout had provided, his eyes narrowing with determination. Without further delay, he headed quickly toward the greenhouse.
When he reached the spot where he had planted the first guardian tree seed more than ten days ago, he found exactly what he had expected. Logically, there should have been signs of sprouting by now, but the seed remained frustratingly dormant. Even the reward light orb floating above showed no change from when it was first planted.
Clearly, without proper Holy Tree Potion irrigation, the seed's growth prospects were grim.
As Char produced the freshly brewed potion, he could sense the guardian tree seed responding like a starving infant, conveying an intense hunger for nourishment. He proceeded cautiously, tilting the potion bottle to let a single drop of silver-white liquid fall onto the soil.
The sacred magic within the potion was absorbed instantly, like water drawn by parched earth. The magical aura emanating from the guardian tree seed immediately became more vibrant, dispelling its previous half-dead state. The reward light orb above expanded visibly, growing stronger by the moment.
Char continued without hesitation, adding more than ten drops of the precious potion. The long-starved guardian tree seed finally received adequate nourishment, and then, in a moment of triumph, a tender green sprout emerged from the soil.
Seeing this miraculous sight, Char's face lit up with pure delight. The guardian tree had sprouted! This meant it had moved beyond the most precarious seed stage and would no longer be vulnerable to sudden death.
At this stage of growth, while not as effective as full maturity, the tree could already provide meaningful protection—especially for Char as its grower. Because the guardian tree contained his own magical essence, the protective effects would be significantly stronger for him than for others.
When Char gently touched the tender sprout, sacred and warming magical power flowed over him immediately. He felt as though an invisible barrier had formed around his body, capable of helping him resist low-intensity dark magic forces.
## Expanding the Garden
With growing confidence, Char retrieved the four additional guardian tree materials and surveyed the experimental field where glow mushrooms had previously grown. He faced a difficult decision—the Fluorescent Spell had reached platinum level, and further improvement would require harvesting fluorescent mushrooms for several more cycles with uncertain results. Meanwhile, the current level was already quite sufficient for his immediate needs.
The guardian trees, by contrast, could continuously enhance his defense against dark arts and resistance to dark magic. The sooner he planted them, the greater the long-term benefits would be.
After weighing the options carefully, Char decided to sacrifice the glow mushroom cultivation temporarily. This experimental field would be dedicated entirely to guardian trees, though their planting density couldn't match that of the mushrooms. He estimated the space could accommodate roughly fifteen guardian trees at most.
"There aren't enough experimental fields," he sighed. "Fortunately, according to what my aunt mentioned, I should be able to acquire additional plots after Christmas. Then the scale of guardian tree cultivation can be expanded significantly."
His eyes took on a calculating gleam as he considered future possibilities. "And if Quirrell can't make progress with me, he'll likely follow the original timeline. After Christmas, he'll use dragon eggs to extract information from Hagrid about bypassing the three-headed dog. Given my relationship with Hagrid, borrowing some dragon blood from the young dragon shouldn't be problematic."
The prospect excited him. "Then I can begin mass cultivation of blood jade. I'll have three silver-level reward plants: Piranha Algae, Guardian Tree, and Blood Jade!"
But he quickly refocused on the immediate task. While daylight remained, he needed to plant these four guardian tree seeds efficiently.
Working with calm precision, Char processed each seed with the expertise gained over two months of practice. His success rate had improved dramatically—all four seeds were planted successfully, and when watered with the Holy Tree Potion, four tender sprouts emerged from the soil in succession.
Char could immediately sense the protective barrier around him growing stronger and more sophisticated. His spells seemed to have acquired a subtle change due to the sacred magic blessing from the guardian tree seedlings, developing some inherent resistance to dark magic.
Even his bat appeared to be covered with a faint silver radiance.
## The Confrontation
As satisfaction filled his heart, a cold light flashed in Char's eyes. By nature, he preferred to avoid unnecessary risks, focusing on steady cultivation and growth. He would never willingly engage with danger unless absolutely certain of victory.
But anyone who dared to interfere with his plant cultivation would learn a painful lesson, regardless of their identity!
It didn't matter if Quirrell chose not to come. But if he insisted on making trouble and disrupting the precious time Char spent nurturing his plants, today would be the day Quirrell discovered the true meaning of legendary power!
As night deepened, a figure wearing a large scarf slipped quietly from the castle gates, heading directly for the greenhouse. Quirrell's heart raced with urgency—Christmas holidays were approaching, and many professors and students would be away, creating the perfect opportunity to seize the Philosopher's Stone. But first, he needed to gain control over Char.
Within moments, Quirrell stood outside the greenhouse, relieved to see lights still burning inside. "Fortunately, Char is diligent and rarely returns to the dormitory until late at night. Otherwise, finding such an opportunity would be truly difficult."
Remembering how Char had rejected his previous approaches, Quirrell's teeth clenched. This time, he wouldn't rely on weak persuasion. A single Imperius Curse would make the boy completely compliant, useful enough to distract the three-headed dog while Quirrell claimed his prize.
Quirrell tapped his wand lightly, and the greenhouse door responded with a soft click, swinging open slowly. He entered with wand raised and ready.
But in the next instant, something unexpected occurred. Accompanied by a decisive clicking sound, all the lights in the greenhouse seemed to be swallowed by darkness, leaving only black emptiness.
Quirrell stood stunned, unable to comprehend what had happened. In the dark environment where Char moved like a fish in water, enhanced by his aquatic abilities and equipped with perfect night vision, he had already positioned himself for the perfect strike.
"Lumos!" Char's voice rang out clearly.
A beam of light brighter than Quirrell had ever imagined, infused with sacred power, blazed directly onto the professor's body. The sudden transition from complete darkness to brilliant illumination left Quirrell effectively blind, seeing nothing but dazzling white light everywhere.
The sacred magic within the light caused Quirrell excruciating pain, and he instinctively cast protective spells.
"Protego! Armor protection!" An invisible barrier appeared before him, providing momentary relief.
But then an unimaginable force struck his Iron Armor Curse—once, twice, three times—like a giant hammering with tremendous power. Quirrell's magical defense shattered with an audible crack.
The remaining force of Char's legendary strength, channeled through his enhanced bat, struck Quirrell directly. The professor heard something break inside his body—at least a dozen ribs—as he flew backward like a severed kite.
As the greenhouse lights returned to normal, Quirrell lay crumpled on the ground, his vision darkening. Through his pain, he saw Char's concerned expression as he approached with the bat still in hand.
"Professor Quirrell?" Char exclaimed with apparent shock. "Why are you here?! I thought there was a thief trying to steal my plants! Someone has been stealing vegetables recently, so I've been on high alert. I never expected it would be you, Professor!"
In apparent panic, Char hurried forward with a bottle of potion. "Professor, I have a healing potion here. Just bear with me for a moment—I'll take care of you!"
Quirrell breathed heavily, his eyes filled with resentment and grievance. But as Char approached quickly, Quirrell bit his tongue and slowly reached for his wand, thinking he could take advantage of the healing moment to control the boy.
In the next second, Char seemed to stumble while rushing forward, and his bat spun toward Quirrell with devastating accuracy. The crack of breaking bone echoed as Quirrell's wand arm snapped, the agony forcing a scream from his lips.
But the assault wasn't finished. The potion bottle in Char's hand flew high into the air, its contents—liquid filled with sacred magic—splashing directly onto Quirrell's face and body.
The familiar recipe and taste made Quirrell's eyes widen with terror, his expression contorting in agony. This was the same blessed potion that had been tormenting him for weeks.
Char breathed a sigh of relief, his voice filled with innocent concern. "It's okay, it's okay. Professor, this potion is excellent for your health. Your injuries should stabilize soon. Are you feeling better now?"
Quirrell gasped painfully, forcing a twisted smile. "Comfortable," he managed through gritted teeth. "I'm so comfortable. Really—"
The next second, Quirrell's eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness entirely.
For a brief moment, Char felt a cold impulse in his heart, but he quickly suppressed any thoughts of finishing what he'd started. Instead, he simply pressed the emergency button in the greenhouse and waited quietly for the professors to arrive.
## Reflection and Preparation
As he waited, Char replayed the entire encounter in his mind. The Deluminator for darkness, night vision for advantage, aquatic enhancement for physical power, the modified glow spell for disorientation, and his legendary strength for the finishing blow—it had been a perfectly orchestrated ambush against an unsuspecting opponent.
But he also recognized the circumstances that had made victory possible. Quirrell had been weakened by a week of Holy Tree Potion exposure, was caught completely off guard, and was probably operating at reduced magical capacity due to his parasitic condition.
If Quirrell had been more cautious, if he hadn't been pre-weakened, if Char had been slower in breaking through the Armor Curse—the outcome might have been very different.
Char took a deep breath, acknowledging his limitations. His magical power still wasn't sufficient for more direct confrontations. If he could already use more advanced spells like the Severing Charm, Quirrell's Armor Curse would have been as fragile as paper.
But after a moment of self-assessment, Char's gaze drifted toward the aquatic plant cultivation area deep in the greenhouse. There, in thirteen water tanks, enormous reward light os hovered tantalizingly close to harvest readiness.
"The piranha algae is nearly mature," he realized with growing excitement. "Even if my raw magical power isn't strong enough yet"
"But as long as my underwater strength is improved, the blessing it br__________________________
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