Back at the Sprout family home, Char forced down the rage simmering in his heart and calmly analyzed the situation.
"This isn't just about the hearing," he thought. "I have to clear up the slander against my aunt and my family. Prejudice is a mountain in people's hearts, and I won't let the Sprout name be tarnished by this."
He dipped his head into the water, his water-holding ability kicking in. In the quiet solitude, his thoughts seemed to accelerate.
"This whole thing blew up because of my aunt's status. Master of Herbology, Head of Hufflepuff—people love to see respected figures dragged through the mud. But at the end of the day, she's an educator. From my past life, I know scandals in education get far less attention than those in politics. The best way to change the subject is to create a bigger, more explosive one."
He continued, his mind racing. "The point isn't to clarify the truth. People care about sensational rumors, not the facts. The real way to dispel a rumor is to inspire public resonance, to make people feel like they're on the victim's side. Then they'll naturally fight for you. And what can I do in this process? As an eleven-year-old wizard, I can say things and do things that adults can't. That's the key."
His thoughts gradually sharpened into a clear plan. Char's expression turned grim.
"Now," he whispered to himself, "I just need one more chance."
At that very moment, two sharp cracks of Apparition echoed outside the Sprout home. Liz immediately tensed.
"Young Master! Someone is here! They're wearing Ministry badges! You must leave, quickly! Liz will stop them!"
But Char's eyes lit up. The opportunity. It was here. The only question was, could he seize it?
He closed his eyes, replaying the fight with the poachers in the Forbidden Forest, the combat training with Snape, the sparring sessions with Liz, and the feeling of letting his magic flow instinctively. Thousands of hours of practice gave him the confidence he needed.
"I can catch it."
He tucked his ash wand into his sleeve and began to simulate his next moves in his mind, including every word he would say.
Two indifferent-looking Ministry employees strode into the Sprout home. Seeing Char walking toward them, they spoke coldly, their faces devoid of expression.
"Char Sprout. There is a hearing at the Ministry of Magic that requires your presence as a witness. Your aunt, Pomona Sprout, is there. Come with us."
Char put on a look of fear and alertness. "Who are you? Can you prove you're real? Do you have any official documents? I need to see them."
He took two cautious steps back. The move clearly irritated the two Ministry employees. They were Umbridge's confidants, sent specifically for this task, and their boss was waiting. They had no time to waste explaining things to a little wizard.
"Come with us. You'll find out when you get there. We don't have time for this."
One of the employees drew his wand. "Just follow us. I'll count to three—"
The moment the wand came out, Char shrieked as if he'd been terrified.
"Traffickers! Dark wizards! You're pretending to be from the Ministry to kidnap me and chop me into pieces!"
The two employees stared, stunned. The next second, Char's wand was in his hand, and a silent Full Body-Bind curse shot out, striking the nearest employee. Caught completely off guard, the adult wizard was instantly hoisted into the air, only to be met with a clean, powerful punch from Char.
"Ahhh, so scary!" Char yelled. "Dark wizards are so cruel!"
The Ministry employee groaned and crumpled to the ground, unconscious. His last thought was a bewildered, "Wait… who's the cruel one here?"
The second employee finally reacted, fumbling for his wand. His clumsy movements made it clear he had almost no actual combat experience—a desk jockey who had risen through the ranks. This fit Char's plan perfectly. But despite his lack of practical skill, his spells were still powerful. He was, after all, a Ministry employee, likely a top student in his day.
A barrage of Stunning and Disarming spells flew toward Char. He took a deep breath. "Leave it all to my magic. It's my heartbeat, my breath, the tremble of my muscles, the flow of my blood."
The next moment, the scene from his sparring with Liz replayed itself. His steps were light and graceful as he dodged and weaved through the falling curses, like a seagull dancing through a storm. He grew closer and closer to the second employee, who was now panicking, his hands trembling so much that his next spell fizzled out before it could be cast.
In that instant, Char's fist connected with his face. The second Ministry employee went down without a sound.
Char let out a long breath, a mix of emotions swirling within him. All the pain and effort from his training had paid off. But he quickly pushed the feeling aside. This was no time to celebrate. He continued to rehearse his next lines, expressions, and movements in his mind.
At the hearing, nearly half an hour had passed since Umbridge had announced her intention to summon Char. The initial silence had given way to whispers. Fudge shot Umbridge a questioning look. Who did you send? Why is it taking so long to bring in one little wizard?
Umbridge's expression was thunderous. Just as she was about to send more people, a loud bang echoed through the hearing room. Everyone gasped.
A house-elf appeared, along with a small boy. But the boy was carrying the two Ministry employees, one in each hand, like they were nothing more than rag dolls.
Professor Sprout exclaimed, "Char?!"
Char shouted, his voice a mix of excitement and fear. "Aunt! I caught two bad guys who wanted to kidnap a little wizard! They tried to break into our home and take me away, claiming they were from the Ministry! Then they attacked me!"
He gave a triumphant little bounce. "I knocked them all out! I didn't feel safe, so I had Liz bring me here."
The two Ministry employees, taller and larger than him, dangled limply from his grasp. The entire hearing room stared in bewildered silence. Is this… normal?
Umbridge's face was as black as the bottom of a cauldron. "You're talking nonsense!" she shrieked, her voice breaking. "How dare you attack Ministry of Magic officials, you liar?!"
Char looked at Umbridge, a wave of genuine nausea washing over him. The book's description had been too kind. Seeing her in person was truly disgusting.
"Why is there a toad sitting there?" he cried out, his voice filled with disgust and horror. "For the love of Merlin, a toad in a pink skirt can talk?!"
The room erupted in laughter. Char had said what everyone was thinking.
Umbridge shot to her feet, her eyes spitting fire. "You! What did you say?! First, you attack a Ministry employee, and now you insult a Ministry official? It seems you've never been taught to respect the Ministry of Magic! Who taught you to do this?"
Her words were clearly aimed at implicating others, and many in the room exchanged meaningful glances. But Char just looked at her as if he'd just had a revelation.
"Huh? Ministry of Magic? You're saying they're really Ministry employees? And you're a Ministry official? How was I supposed to know? They say they are, so they are? What if they were scammers? Besides, aren't all Ministry employees elite wizards? How could a first-year wizard like me possibly defeat them?"
He looked at Umbridge with suspicion, then clapped his hands as if a brilliant thought had struck him. "Right! It's possible! If a toad can be the spokesperson for the Ministry and preside over a hearing, then it's not so surprising that a Ministry employee can't beat a first-year wizard. I guess you all got your jobs the same way, right? Whose backdoor did you use? How much did you pay?"
The room burst into laughter again, followed by an uproar. The reporters' eyes lit up. Char was just a child, speaking without a filter, but what he said made a strange kind of sense. A Ministry employee couldn't beat an eleven-year-old? Especially one who, according to rumors, wasn't particularly talented. It was completely unbelievable. The backdoor theory… wasn't so impossible.
Flashes of light illuminated Umbridge's gritted teeth. She clenched her fists. This was about the Ministry's hiring process now; she couldn't let Char's reckless speculation continue.
"These two are official employees of the Ministry of Magic," she shouted. "What you have done is a serious violation of—"
"A regular employee can't beat an eleven-year-old wizard?" Char interrupted.
Umbridge choked, then quickly tried to explain. "We have a formal, transparent hiring process. There is no possibility of favoritism—"
"So a formal employee of the Ministry of Magic can't beat an eleven-year-old wizard?" Char cut in again. "Merlin's beard. Does that mean we'll have to protect Ministry employees when they're in danger?"
No matter what Umbridge said, Char dismantled her arguments with that one, simple question. Then, he pointed at her.
"Ms. Toad, why are you in such a hurry? Could it be that they used your backdoor, so you're trying to distance yourself from them? No wonder you're the one investigating so-called academic injustice. You're an expert!"
This time, the room erupted in the loudest laughter yet. The reporters were ecstatic, their flashes never stopping, their quills scribbling furiously. They no longer cared about the hearing or academic injustice. Who cared about how a paper was published or how greenhouse plots were allocated? Compared to this, the possibility of a shady hiring process and corruption within the Ministry… this was big news.
Char watched, a strange glint in his eyes. This was exactly what he had planned. You want to make big news? I'll make a bigger one. You're a shameless journalist? You're just a hyena chasing carrion.
Minister Fudge was fuming, shooting murderous looks at Umbridge, silently signaling her to get the situation under control before he was dragged down with her. He was cursing her for sending two such incompetent fools. They were his men, and their failure reflected on him.
Umbridge realized the gravity of the situation. Her dream of advancement was about to be shattered. Her face turned livid. She slammed the table and stood up, looking like a clam stretching its legs.
"Char Sprout!" she snapped. "You are here as a witness! You have an obligation to provide evidence, not ask questions, and certainly not to slander the Ministry! Stop rambling and answer my questions!"
But just then, a calm, gentle voice, one that made everyone in the room hold their breath, was heard.
"Is that so? Only the obligation to provide evidence, but no right to ask questions? I have been the head of the Wizengamot for many years, and I never knew of such a law. Ms. Umbridge, perhaps I'm getting old and my memory is failing. Could you explain it to me?"
The room fell silent. At the door, a tall, white-haired old man slowly walked in. He found a seat in the front row.
"I'm glad there was still room for me. I was a little late, some things to attend to. I hope you don't mind."
Umbridge's arrogance vanished. The color drained from her face, replaced by a pasty white. The old man's presence seemed to strike fear into her very soul.
"Headmaster… Dumbledore," she stammered.
"This is a hearing," Dumbledore corrected her with a chuckle. "I am here on behalf of the Wizengamot. So it's better to use the proper titles."
Umbridge felt as if she'd been hit by a hammer. Her body trembled. After a moment, she managed to say, her face pale, "Yes… Chief Warlock Dumbledore."
"Besides," Dumbledore continued, "since this is a hearing, people must be allowed to speak, mustn't they? Even in a Wizengamot trial, we allow people to speak before we rush to convict them or throw them in Azkaban. Also, I see everyone seems quite concerned about this issue… Is there corruption in the Ministry of Magic? Were there omissions in the selection of personnel, or, as young Mr. Sprout so succinctly put it, were there backdoor selections? It is the Ministry's job to oversee Hogwarts, but it is the Wizengamot's responsibility to oversee the Ministry. Do I have the right to ask questions about this?"
As he finished, Umbridge could barely stand. Fudge froze, then quickly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
"Um, about that," he said, standing up. "The Ministry will submit certification materials to the Wizengamot to prove our hiring process is reasonable and legal. Of course, if we find anything, we will not tolerate it. Chief Warlock, this is a hearing to investigate academic injustice at Hogwarts. How about we talk about this later?"
Dumbledore nodded briskly. "Very well. We'll talk about it later." He gestured to Umbridge. "Ms. Umbridge, please continue."
Char felt a wave of relief. He also gained a deeper understanding of Dumbledore's status. In the book, he often seemed to be just playing house at school, but now, Char could see the truth. As some had said in his past life, Dumbledore was the White Lord. It was a biased term, but it held a grain of truth.
Umbridge finally recovered, trying to keep her voice from trembling. She didn't dare question Char again. Holding her nose, she read from her booklet.
"Mr. Char Sprout. This record shows you worked nonstop for several days, practicing the same spell thousands of times. Is this true? If you admit it is, I will need you to re-verify these statements at the hearing. Do you understand?"
Char just laughed. "No, I don't understand. You think I have to perform like a monkey in front of everyone just because you have a piece of paper? Then can I ask a question?"
He casually pulled a copy of a different newspaper from his pocket. "Right. Rumor one: Umbridge is a hag who decorates her office like a princess's room and thinks she's sweet. According to psychologists, people with this kind of problem are generally hypocrites. According to private disclosures from Ministry employees, she's a person who rose to power by informing on others. She has no real skills, and her subordinates are just like her. Oh, and it also mentions here that Umbridge is having a power-for-sex transaction with Minister Fudge. In that lace-covered office, on that princess-bed-like table… Merlin, does Minister Fudge have such strong tastes?!"
Umbridge couldn't bear it any longer. A hysterical scream ripped from her throat. "What in the world are you talking about?!"
Fudge's face was livid. "Slander! This is a complete slander! You've damaged my reputation!"
Char spread his hands innocently. "Have I? But I think a lot of these things are just a permutation and combination of the facts." He then turned to Dumbledore, his quill writing on a fresh piece of parchment as he spoke. These words were then projected into the air for all to see.
And the next moment, Char bit his fingertip and pressed a bloody print onto the parchment. He looked up at Umbridge on the stage and threw the contract at her.
"I signed it. You? Do you dare?"
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