Chapter 21: College Cup, Guardian Tree

Upon hearing Severus Snape's words, the professors at the faculty table visibly bristled. Meanwhile, at the long student tables, Malfoy and his cronies smirked wickedly, echoing Snape's jibes at Neville.

Neville turned pale, tears welling in his eyes. The Gryffindors around him seethed. Harry and Ron's eyes practically sputtered fire. Hermione gripped her wand so tightly that her knuckles whitened. Even if it meant penalties, she felt the urge to silence Malfoy with a well-placed charm.

A calm, cold glint flashed in Sharl's eyes. With his back to the Slytherin table, he held a silver cup as though it weighed nothing and flicked it casually. A sharp whistle sliced through the chatter at the Hufflepuff table. The cup flew out like a cannonball, striking Malfoy squarely in the mouth.

Crack!

Malfoy, in mid-taunt, fell silent. A scream erupted. Students turned—or gasped. Malfoy stood spluttering blood, then spat out a broken incisor.

"Who did that?!" he shrieked, clutching his bleeding lip. Crabbe and Goyle, quick to spot, pointed at Sharl.

"It's him!"

Before they could react, Sharl flicked two more cups at them, each finding its mark with eerie precision. The two large Slytherin lackeys collapsed as though struck by Stupefy.

Malfoy shrieked again: "You attacked me in broad daylight! You knocked out my tooth! My father will have you expelled!"

Without so much as turning his head, Sharl spoke. His voice was calm, almost bored.

"How can there be stray dogs in Hogwarts Castle? I hate it when dogs bark during meals. When they bark, I want to throw things at them. It's reflex—I can't help it."

Malfoy's face went pale-green with rage. "Are you insulting me? Calling me a stray dog?!"

Sharl's annoyance was genuine.

"I already shut up two dogs. But there's still one barking."

As he spoke, additional cups whizzed past Malfoy like cannonballs. Fright seared Malfoy's eyes. His vision blurred. Finally, without resistance, his knees buckled—he fainted.

The Great Hall fell silent. Then, students who disliked Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Well done!"

"The stray dogs have been chased away!"

Slytherin students, though, looked grim. Sharl hadn't just humiliated Malfoy, he'd shamed the entire house. A senior whispered, "We should defend Malfoy." But Sharl, playing with another cup, murmured, "Why does it sound like another dog wants to bark?"

The Slytherins froze. Better not push it. They hauled Malfoy and his entourage away, expressions dark.

At the faculty table, Snape's face turned deathly cold. "This is outrageous. An open attack on a student."

"Hufflepuff, ten points deducted!" he barked.

But his colleagues reacted differently. McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout suppressed smiles. Sprout teased, "Professors traditionally don't intervene in minor student squabbles. As for Sharl—he didn't see anything. He thought dogs were barking. Who wouldn't throw a cup?"

She paused, beaming at Sharl. "So eleven points to Hufflepuff!"

McGonagall stifled a laugh. "Agreed."

Flitwick laughed heartily, tipping his head back as he downed a glass of wine. "I'll add eleven points, too!"

Snape snarled, said nothing, and left the table.

The Hufflepuffs erupted into celebration. Even before they reached the hourglass record of house points, Sharl's role had already secured massive gains. By week's end, Hufflepuff found itself leading the College Cup—something unprecedented in recent memory.

They were over the moon. Sharl had singlehandedly turned the tide.

"We must celebrate Sharl properly!" someone exclaimed.

But then… "Where is Sharl?"

They discovered he'd gone ahead to the Hufflepuff Dean's office.

Professor Sprout greeted him with joy. "Sharl, did you see? We lead the College Cup this week! That hasn't happened in ages!"

Sharl realized his actions—even unintended—had changed the course of house history. Professor Sprout, ever-exuberant, added, "And you scored in Charms class, too. Bravo!" She rewarded him with three more points.

As Sharl processed this, Sprout reached into a drawer and withdrew a small pouch of seeds. "These are Guardian Tree seeds. I meant to give them to you later, but… you've earned them."

She handed them over, explaining, "The Guardian Tree is special—its resistance powers are used in anti-Dark Arts potions. It's temperamental, too. Many Herbology experts only grow it successfully in their third year."

Sharl's eyes sparkled. He hadn't planned to compete. But now… he understood. He wanted to give Professor Sprout one great gift: helping Hufflepuff win the College Cup.

Sprout placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I believe you can do it."

A notification appeared before Sharl's eyes:"You have obtained Guardian Tree seeds."

"Successfully planting this seed will grant: Defense Against the Dark Arts—Bronze Comprehension"

"If it matures: Defense Against the Dark Arts—Silver Comprehension, Minor Dark Arts Resistance—Bronze Level."Sharl inhaled deeply, excitement and determination burning in his veins.

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