Char's eyes glittered with excitement as he gazed at the Whomping Willow branch nestled inside Professor Sprout's carefully packaged gift. In his previous life, the Whomping Willow had left quite the impression on him during his first read of the original Harry Potter books. That magical tree was legendary—not only did it easily snap Harry's broom during a crash, but its sheer power and rarity had made it unforgettable.
This wasn't just any magical plant. As far as Char knew, it might be the only one of its kind in the wizarding world. In the original story, even a few damaged branches of the Whomping Willow were treated with the utmost care by Professor Sprout. Char hadn't expected her to gift him such a well-preserved branch—her life's work—just for Christmas. The weight of that realization was overwhelming.
He noticed a thick letter tucked beneath the slender bottle containing the branch. Unsealing it, Char read Professor Sprout's handwritten message, words brimming with pride and hope:
"What you see is a branch from the Whomping Willow—a powerful, ancient magical plant. When Hogwarts was founded, Ms. Hufflepuff rescued a dying Whomping Willow and cultivated it in Hogwarts's unique environment. That accomplishment stands alongside alchemical legends as a milestone in herbology.
At the Herbalists' Conference a century ago, twenty-three major problems in magical botany were proposed; the Whomping Willow's branch-cutting project is one of them. I've sealed away these branches with great effort. This research has been my life's mission, but I may never finish it.
But now, Char, there's hope. You've chosen the path of an herbalist, and I give you this branch as a symbol of my life's work. I know you'll achieve more than I ever could."
As Char absorbed these words, a tangle of emotions swelled inside him. The Whomping Willow felt light in his hands thanks to the preservation bottle's magic, but its meaning weighed heavily.
After a long, awed silence, Char put the branch away, his gaze lingering. System information flickered before his eyes—blurry words and question marks. Clearly, he didn't know enough about the Whomping Willow yet to unlock its secrets. But a hunch told him: the reward from this tree could be extraordinary, perhaps even outshining the Elber tree he'd planted before.
Professor Sprout had been thoughtful as always, including a detailed bibliography in her letter. Since Char had returned to the Sprout home with most of the day ahead, he knew what he had to do: "I'd better get these books from the library. Maybe I'll find something about the Whomping Willow's rewards."
Setting off through the quiet castle, Char noticed only the castle's caretaker, Filch, muttering as he tried to scrub firework marks from the grand pillars. Students were recovering from last night's festivities, and silence blanketed the corridors.
As Char entered the library, an unexpectedly lively scene greeted him—a stack of magical books tottered and nearly toppled. Before the avalanche hit, Char reached out just in time, steadying the pile and helping its would-be victim.
Hermione emerged from underneath, cheeks flushed and breathless. "Thank you! I thought I'd be fine on my own, but this knowledge is really heavy," she admitted, her voice rolling out in a nervous stream. Only when she looked up and saw Char did she hesitate, embarrassed. After a pause, she said, "Sorry, Char. There's something I've been meaning to tell you."
Char simply shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Hermione. I'm off to look for some books."
He turned away, not wanting to revisit old drama. He could guess why Hermione was there so early—no doubt tracing the name Nicolas Flamel, just as in the original tale. That meant the trio was close to uncovering the secret of the Philosopher's Stone. Char thought about how Harry always seemed to stumble across mysteries like the Mirror of Erised during the holidays. It was hard not to suspect Dumbledore's invisible hand behind the coincidences.
He wanted no part of that chaos—just a peaceful Christmas for once.
Hermione seemed to wrestle with herself, then called after him, "Char, have you ever heard of Nicolas Flamel? I think it's connected to something huge."
Char's mind raced, but he kept his expression blank. "Nicolas Flamel? Never heard of him. Some famous herbologist? If you don't know, Hermione, then nobody does."
He continued toward the stacks, leaving Hermione puzzled. She almost pressed for more, but Madam Pince's sharp glare made her think twice. Hermione returned to her quest, mumbling, "Never mind, I'll figure it out myself."
Finally, Char relaxed. With Hermione gone, he could focus on his reading undisturbed. He pulled out Professor Sprout's bibliography, noting the helpful annotations marking review texts and advanced references. This time, he didn't need technical details about growing Whomping Willows—he just needed to know what rewards were possible.
Char picked the most relevant review volumes—even these were massive tomes, some half as tall as a person. But years of plowing through thick documents had honed his technique: scan the prefaces and contents for golden nuggets of information.
As the hours trickled by, the only sound in the library was the turning of pages. By afternoon, Char had read through several lengthy prefaces and gathered a clearer picture of the Whomping Willow's mystique:
The species may predate Hogwarts by thousands of years—possibly over 10,000, according to some plant historians.
It reacts with breathtaking speed—faster than any Seeker could ever hope to match.
Its fighting instinct is unrivaled.
Uniquely, its branches contain a primeval, powerful magic unlike almost anything else in wizardkind's history. Even the best modern protective magic hardly stands a chance against it.
One research conclusion after another echoed in Char's mind as he looked once more at the Whomping Willow's branch. Suddenly, the mysterious system text over its bark grew sharp and distinct:
You obtained the Whomping Willow.
Successfully graft or plant the branch to receive these rewards:
Combat intuition (Diamond level)
Reaction speed (Diamond level)
Magic power (Diamond level)
A burst of light nearly dazzled Char's eyes. Diamond level? I don't even need to wait for it to mature—just successful cuttings give me these rewards? His heart pounded as a new thought surfaced: What if it matures?
And the system followed up with the next set of unlockables:
Combat intuition enhancement (Epic level)
Reaction speed improvement (Epic level)
Magic strength increase (Epic level)
Unknown ancient magic enlightenment (Platinum level)
All at once, the possibilities for Char's magical future seemed limitless, sparkling with opportunities as bright as the branch itself.