Before Char stood what looked like a simple, unassuming tent. But from the proud, knowing tone in Professor Sprout's voice, he knew it had to be something extraordinary.
As she signaled for him to enter, he pushed open the flap and stepped inside. Just as he'd suspected, the interior was enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm. The space was vastly larger than it appeared from the outside, but it was the scene within that truly took his breath away.
A five-meter-long planting table stood in the center, surrounded by shelves densely packed with every potion and tool an herbalist could dream of. Along one wall, nearly fifty water tanks were neatly stacked, creating a dedicated aquatic cultivation area, each tank the same size as the one he'd used for his Piranha Algae. The entire space was a self-contained, miniature version of the main Hogwarts greenhouses—a perfect, private laboratory.
Char stared, dumbfounded.
Professor Sprout smiled, her expression full of warmth and satisfaction. She handed him a key, its surface covered in a bronze patina. "From now on, this little greenhouse is yours, Char. Except for its size, it has everything the main greenhouses do. I think this should be enough for you."
Seeing his continued confusion, her smile widened. "I was originally going to get you a few more plots in the main greenhouse. But since you've begun cultivating some… rather dangerous plants, I felt you needed a more private space. Then I remembered this place, abandoned for over a decade due to funding issues. With the compensation money from the Ministry, I was able to have it repaired while you were at school. It is for your exclusive use."
The words struck Char with the force of a physical blow. A greenhouse like this was the dream of every herbalist in the wizarding world, a top-tier laboratory that only the most elite academic circles could afford. He had never imagined he would have such an opportunity. He also knew how much effort and political pressure it must have taken to secure it, especially after the trouble his aunt had just been through.
As if she knew what he was thinking, Professor Sprout spoke softly. "As long as it helps you, Char, none of that is a problem. Besides, Headmaster Dumbledore supported the idea. With his backing, even if the school board had objections, they couldn't stand in the way. The award ceremony was his idea, too, to silence any dissent." She reached out and gently touched his head. "The effort, the cost… it's all worth it."
Char was silent for a long time, a mixture of gratitude and profound emotion welling up in his heart.
Professor Sprout began to explain the greenhouse's history in more detail. "I used this place when I was a student. It was built a thousand years ago, founded by Helga Hufflepuff herself. Her intention was to provide the perfect environment for students with unique talents in herbology."
She shook her head, her expression a mixture of regret and longing. "According to the records, the soil conditions here were once far better than they are now. Even a master herbalist spending their entire life, or an ancient family pouring generations of effort into their own greenhouses, couldn't match what this place once was. It's said that even the Whomping Willow was first grown here by Lady Hufflepuff. To this day, the soil at its roots still contains remnants of the magic from this very greenhouse."
She sighed. "Unfortunately, with the passage of time—and especially since the loss of Hufflepuff's golden cup—the greenhouse's magic has faded. It is still a top-tier facility, but without the life-giving nectar brewed in the golden cup, it is a shadow of its former glory. I wonder if I will ever see the day it is recovered, and this little greenhouse is restored to its full magical brilliance."
Her words sent a jolt through Char. Hufflepuff's cup wasn't just a symbolic relic; it had a real, powerful purpose. It could brew a nectar that could enrich soil to an unbelievable degree. From the longing in his aunt's voice, he knew its effect must be extraordinary.
Of course, the cup had been lost for centuries. But Char's heart began to beat a little faster. He knew where it was.
A young Tom Riddle had charmed an old, wealthy woman into giving it to him, then murdered her and framed her house-elf. The cup had become one of his Horcruxes and was now hidden deep within the Lestrange family vault at Gringotts. If Char could get his hands on it, the benefit to his planting would be immense.
His breathing quickened, but he quickly forced himself to calm down. In the original story, Harry and his friends had barely escaped Gringotts with their lives, and their break-in had immediately alerted Voldemort that his Horcruxes were being hunted. If Char tried to steal it now, unless he could do so without leaving a single trace, the consequences would be catastrophic. Voldemort would know his secret was out far earlier, and the entire course of the future war could change. It was a death sentence.
He pushed the tempting thought aside. Now was not the time. He would need the ability to bypass all magic silently, a feat currently far beyond him. His mind immediately jumped to the reward from the Shadowthorn. Ancient Shadow Magic. Shadows were known for concealing one's tracks. Perhaps, if he could master it, he might one day be able to enter Gringotts undetected.
With that, his next focus became crystal clear. He had to find the missing condition to unlock the Shadowthorn's ancient magic. Since Professor Sprout was here, he decided to ask her directly.
"Aunt, do you know if there's any connection between the Shadowthorn and something called Shadow Magic?"
Professor Sprout paused, a look of confusion on her face. After a moment's thought, she shook her head. "I can't say I do. Ancient Shadow Magic? I've never heard of it. Why do you ask, Char?"
"It's nothing," he said quickly. "I think I just read a similar rumor in a book somewhere."
"That's normal," she said, not doubting him. "In the old days, academia was not so standardized. False claims and outright lies were often passed off as scholarly work. If you want to truly understand a subject, you must stick to the works of serious scholars."
She gave him a few more pointers before leaving him to get acquainted with his new greenhouse.
Char's mood sank slightly. Even Professor Sprout hadn't heard of it. It seemed no one had ever thought to use the Invisibility Cloak to cultivate Shadowthorns. After all, not many people researched the plant, and using a Deathly Hallow as a cultivation tool was a heretical idea, to say the least.
"Worst case scenario," he sighed, "I'll have to start my research from scratch. That could take days, or it could take decades." But he still held onto a glimmer of hope. "I'll keep checking the references my aunt gave me. Maybe there's a clue hidden in some minor chapter."
For the next week, Char was busier than he had ever been. He transplanted his Guardian Trees to the new greenhouse and planted ten more, greatly increasing their protective power and potential reward. He planted three times as many Piranha Algae in the new water tanks and filled a section of the new soil beds with Devil's Snare roots, waiting for them to sprout.
But the matter of the Shadowthorn remained a frustrating dead end. A week later, he had skimmed every book on the topic in the library, and even snuck into the restricted section under his Invisibility Cloak, but found nothing. The experience confirmed how rare knowledge of ancient magic truly was, but it didn't ease his frustration. The treasure was within his grasp, yet he couldn't reach it.
To make matters worse, his own progress had hit a bottleneck. After reaching the platinum level with several of his spells, every step forward had become incredibly difficult. His spells had begun to touch the microscopic level, which placed a higher demand on his magical perception. His gold-level perception was no longer enough. It was limited by his innate talent, and now he could only improve it through the rewards from the Goldfish Spider Plants, which were also subject to diminishing returns. He was stuck.
"This is difficult," he sighed to himself.
Just as his spirits were at their lowest, a letter from Hagrid arrived, bringing a ray of sunshine. A new batch of Goldfish Spider Plants was ripe. His five giant spider 'workers' would provide a considerable boost to his magic perception. It wouldn't be enough to reach platinum in one go, but it would be a significant step forward.
He immediately headed for Hagrid's hut. Hagrid greeted him with hot black tea and freshly baked rock cakes, chattering excitedly about the dragon egg's progress and trying to decide on a name.
"What do you think, Char?"
"How about Norbert?" Char suggested, following the original story.
"Norbert!" Hagrid's eyes lit up. "What a fine name!" He leaned close to the egg. "Did you hear that, little one? You have a name now!"
Char smiled, the gloom in his heart lifting slightly. After they had talked for a while, Hagrid's expression turned serious.
"By the way, Char, stay away from the Forbidden Forest for a while. Something's not right in there. Many of the creatures have sensed an evil magical force lurking about."
Char's heart skipped a beat. Without a doubt, it was Voldemort and Quirrell, hunting for unicorns.
"Understood," he said. "You be careful too, Hagrid. If you feel something is wrong, don't fight it."
Hagrid sighed. "Whatever it is, it's searching for unicorns. It seems the old rumors are true. A creature as bright and sacred as a unicorn will always attract the most evil and dark blasphemies. The stronger the light, the thicker the shadow."
As Hagrid muttered those words, Char, who had already stood up to leave, froze. A sudden jolt, like a key turning in a lock, went through his mind. Hagrid's words echoed, resonating with a week's worth of frustration and dead ends. Light and holiness attract evil and darkness. The stronger the light, the thicker the shadow. The pieces clicked together with blinding clarity. An inspiration, so powerful it was almost a physical shock, struck him.
I know what's missing!