Ciel hurried out of the Charms classroom, disappearing in the blink of an eye. But what happened in that class wouldn't just vanish. On the contrary, it imdiately spread like a storm throughout Hogwarts.
After all, the social circle at Hogwarts was quite small. The slightest disturbance could imdiately get students of all years from all four Houses talking. What's more, the events of Halloween night had just beco a hot topic of discussion for everyone. Now with this new incident, it would be strange if it weren't discussed.
However, this ti, no one was talking about whether Ciel had mixed giant blood anymore. Instead, Malfoy was often asked with loud laughter in the corridors, "Who has mixed giant blood now?"
This made Malfoy so humiliated he couldn't show his face in public. He returned to Slytherin House in disarray. It was said that he didn't even stay in the common room but locked himself in his dormitory and didn't co out. It seed that, for the ti being, he would finally quiet down for a while and cause less trouble.
In the gakeeper's hut, Harry and Ron sat by the fire. Talking about this matter, they were laughing so hard they almost doubled over.
"Hagrid," Harry began, "we practically hate that we weren't there to see Malfoy's defeated expression."
"It's killing ," Ron added. "How many tis has he been put in his place by Ciel and still not learned his lesson?"
A strange expression appeared on Hagrid's face, as if he was sowhat nervous. "Oh, right. That kid's na is Ciel, Ciel Sprout, right? What's he like? Ahem... I'm just asking casually."
Harry and Ron looked at each other, both sowhat baffled. Although Hagrid tried his best to hide his concern for Ciel, it was well known that Hagrid's attempts at subtlety were about as effective as a Blasting Curse. Even they could see right through him.
Harry considered for a mont, then spoke based on his brief interactions with Ciel. "Well... a typical Hufflepuff, I guess? Besides classes, I heard he just likes planting things and spends every day in the greenhouse. He also helps Professor Snape process potion ingredients. In short, very diligent and also very low-key. That guy Malfoy keeps claiming Ciel has poor talent, but we can all see that Ciel's performance is excellent. He's as brilliant as Hermione."
At this point, Ron couldn't help but add, "But his personality is much better than Hermione's."
Hagrid nodded repeatedly, showing a happy expression, as if the praise for Ciel was praise for him. Harry and Ron couldn't stand it anymore.
"Hagrid," Harry asked, "what exactly do you want to ask about Ciel? Don't hide it from us, your concern for Ciel is too obvious."
Hagrid was taken aback. Then his face turned red. He finally stamred out, "I think Ciel might really have the sa blood as . Or at least a distant relative. After all, the troll that entered the castle on Halloween night was handed over to by Dumbledore. I saw it... it was beaten into that state by brute force. Even I would have a hard ti beating a troll like that. This must be sothing only giant blood can achieve."
Hagrid's voice beca a bit choked. "You all know, so I'm not afraid to tell you. I'm a half-giant. I thought I would be lonely all my life in this world. But I will never reveal to others that Ciel might really have giant blood. I just want to ask you... is it possible to invite him over for a cup of tea or sothing?"
Harry and Ron looked at each other. They felt it was a very difficult task. They really didn't know Ciel well. Last ti Harry wanted to invite Ciel to join them in protecting Hogwarts, he was decisively rejected. But looking at Hagrid's pitiful appearance, Harry still nodded and agreed. "W-well, okay then. We'll try our best to invite Ciel over."
After leaving Hagrid's hut, Harry and Ron were in a predicant. "Ciel is so elusive every day. Where is he now?"
…
anwhile, far from Hogwarts Castle, Ciel was holding an Elber tree sapling, listening to Professor Sprout explain how to plant this rare, near-extinct plant.
"It's actually very simple," she said. "You just need to get to a cloud layer above two thousand feet. Then plant the Elber tree in the cloud layer, and it will take root on its own. After planting the Elber tree in the clouds, it's like planting an ordinary plant in the soil. Its root system will secure the cloud mass it's in. It will also gradually draw in more clouds, forming a huge cloud layer where the Elber tree hides."
When talking about such things related to magical plants, even as a herbology master, Professor Sprout was still full of interest. Then her face showed a look of regret. "Actually, in the era when the Levitation Charm was just created, which was when the Elber tree was discovered, although it was rare, it wasn't on the verge of extinction. But later, the pollution of the cloud layers beca more and more severe. Especially in the last two hundred years, the clouds in many places have turned black. Even if an Elber tree was sent into such clouds, it couldn't take root. Today, it's finally on the brink of extinction."
Professor Sprout looked at the clouds near Hogwarts, her eyes shining. "Fortunately, near Hogwarts, we don't have to worry about pollution. Just find a slightly higher cloud mass and put the Elber tree in it. This rare plant can grow near Hogwarts. This shouldn't be a problem for your flying skills, Ciel, right?"
Ciel nodded. His own flying talent was already excellent, honed further by his continuous Quidditch practice. Soaring into the sky to find a suitable cloud was a simple matter for him. But just finding a low cloud to plant the Elber tree? The reward after maturation would probably only be Silver Tier. Although that was already good, compared to the Elber tree's potential, it was negligible. This was not what Ciel wanted. He only had one Elber tree sapling on hand. Of course, he had to maximize the benefits.
Even though Ciel didn't like taking risks, he had already decided to go all out and plant the Elber tree sapling as high as possible. However, this would inevitably involve danger. With Professor Sprout watching, she probably wouldn't agree. Just as Ciel was thinking about how to achieve his goal under Professor Sprout's nose, a silver phoenix flew over. It was Dumbledore's Patronus.
Then the phoenix Patronus spoke, emitting Dumbledore's voice. "Pomona, co to my office. It's about that thing."
Professor Sprout's expression changed slightly, and she turned to look at Ciel. "Headmaster Dumbledore has sothing very important to discuss with . Ciel, plant the Elber tree yourself. With your herbology mastery, this will definitely not be a problem. Just rember, absolutely do not fly too high!"
Ciel nodded obediently. After Professor Sprout's figure disappeared from his sight, he let out a slight sigh of relief. "I've always been very obedient to my aunt. Rebelling occasionally shouldn't make her angry, right?"
Then, looking at the Elber tree sapling in the bottle, Ciel gritted his teeth. "Forget it, I don't care anymore. I'll plant it first and worry later."
Imdiately, he mounted his already-prepared Nimbus 2000 broomstick and gently pushed off the ground. The next mont, the Nimbus 2000 began to ascend rapidly toward the sky. Everything on the ground quickly beca tiny. The rapid ascent slamd him with intense G-forces that would have made an ordinary person black out instantly. But Ciel's expression didn't change at all. From beginning to end, his gaze remained fixed on the Elber tree sapling.
One hundred ters, two hundred ters, five hundred ters. One thousand ters. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the minimum required altitude for planting the Elber tree sapling. The text information above the sapling quietly changed.
Flight Ability Enhancent (Silver Tier)
Minor Levitation Charm Deduction Enhancent (Bronze Tier)
Although the reward after maturation was still Silver Tier, it was clear that the silver light was much more intense than before. However, such a reward, of course, could not satisfy Ciel. Without a mont's hesitation, he controlled the Nimbus 2000 and continued flying higher.
One thousand five hundred ters, two thousand ters... the surrounding temperature began to drop. The weather in Britain was already very cold, but now, Ciel felt the surrounding temperature had dropped below freezing. Fortunately, with his legendary vitality, this low temperature didn't affect him at all. But the Elber tree sapling clearly beca more active. After maturation, the reward for flight ability enhancent shone with a brilliant golden light, and the other reward also had a silver glow. This was already the plant with the most generous maturation rewards Ciel had ever seen.
"But... it's still not enough," he thought.
While there was still oxygen around, Ciel took a deep breath. Then the Nimbus 2000 continued to climb. Three thousand ters. Four thousand ters. Five thousand ters. Ciel flew into a cloud layer. When he ca out, the Nimbus 2000 broom had beco incredibly heavy, and controlling it felt particularly sluggish. Ciel turned his head and saw that a thick layer of ice had ford on the broom's twigs. The speed of ascent beca slower and slower. It took the sa amount of ti as before to struggle up to nearly six thousand ters. If it weren't for Ciel's Nimbus 2000 being a custom version, it would have been struggling at 5,000 ters. But now, the altitude could no longer be increased.
At this altitude, the reward text on the Elber tree sapling blazed with a brilliant platinum light. One Platinum and one Gold-Tier reward! Ciel's heart pounded in his chest. Should he stop here? But after a mont, he secretly shook his head. He could feel it. The rewards offered by the Elber tree had not yet reached their limit. And while the Nimbus 2000 broom had reached its limit, Ciel's body was still at ease.
"Continue climbing."
Ciel drew his wand. The ash wood wand remained faithful and stable even in this low-temperature, oxygen-deprived, icy environnt. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
A Levitation Charm hit the Nimbus 2000 broom. Instantly, the weight that made the broom struggle seed to vanish. The broom beca as light as a feather and imdiately had the power to continue climbing. But with it ca violent shaking. Facing the turbulent airflow, its stability was naturally much worse. The view before Ciel's eyes was shaking wildly. If it were soone else, they would probably vomit instantly, or even pass out. But Ciel, with his legendary resistance to falling, still controlled the broom steadily.
"You just focus on climbing up," he told his broom. "Leave the rest to ."
The Nimbus 2000 seed to understand. Accelerate. Upward! Seven thousand ters. Eight thousand ters. Until twelve thousand ters! This was an altitude that most civilian aircraft rarely reached. And upon arriving here, the reward information on the Elber tree sapling finally stopped changing and stabilized.
Ciel's gaze fell upon it. A crystal clear light, like a diamond, entered his eyes. Even in this oxygen-deprived environnt, Ciel couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Diamond-Tier reward! He had actually done it.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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