Chapter 21: The House Cup and the Guardian Tree

Hearing Snape's cold, dismissive words, the faces of several professors tightened with anger. Down at the student tables, Malfoy and his cronies, emboldened by their Head of House's implicit approval, showed no restraint at all, loudly repeating Snape's cruel mockery of Neville. Neville's face went pale, his lower lip trembling as tears welled in his eyes. The Gryffindors around him bristled with fury. Harry and Ron's eyes were practically spitting fire. Hermione gripped her wand so tightly her knuckles were white, ready to risk losing points just to hex Malfoy into silence. A cold glint flashed in Ciel's eyes. With his back to the Slytherin table, he casually picked up the heavy silver goblet in front of him. With a flick of his wrist that was too fast to follow, he sent it spinning through the air. A sharp, whistling sound cut through the noise of the Great Hall. The goblet, flying like a silver cannonball, connected squarely with Malfoy's mouth. CRACK! Malfoy, who had just been in the middle of a particularly nasty jibe, suddenly went silent, his tirade replaced by a high-pitched, gurgling scream. Every head in the hall turned. Malfoy's mouth was a mess of blood, and as they watched, he spat out a single, bloody tooth. "Who did that?!" he shrieked, his voice a lisping, furious mess as he covered his ruined mouth. Crabbe and Goyle, their eyes sharp for once, spotted Ciel. "It was him!" But the next moment, two more goblets whistled through the air, striking both of them precisely on the forehead. The two large boys dropped to the floor as if hit by a Stunning Spell, their eyes rolling back in their heads. Malfoy let out another shriek. "You attacked a classmate! In broad daylight! You knocked out my tooth! I'll have my father get you expelled!" Ciel didn't even turn around. He stared down at the table laden with food and said, his voice laced with annoyance, "Are there stray dogs in Hogwarts now? I can't stand hearing dogs bark when I'm trying to eat. It's a conditioned reflex; I can't help myself." Malfoy's face turned a mottled shade of green and purple. "You're insulting me? You're calling me a dog?!" Ciel clicked his tongue, his own irritation growing. "Two of them have already stopped barking. Why is there still one yapping over there?" He began picking up more goblets. "Let you bark, let you bark, let you bark..." A volley of silver cups shot past Malfoy's head like a hail of cannonballs, the whistling sound of their passage making him tremble with fear. Finally, his vision went black, and he fainted from sheer terror. Ciel looked at the now-cleared section of the table near him and let out a long, satisfied sigh. "That's better. The annoying dogs have finally shut up." The Great Hall was silent for a beat, then erupted in laughter from the students who couldn't stand Malfoy and his gang. "Well done!" someone shouted. "The stray dogs have been chased off!" The older Slytherin students, however, all wore ugly expressions. This wasn't just an insult to Malfoy; the entire House had lost face. A prefect whispered, "We should do something." But at that moment, Ciel was casually toying with another silver cup, muttering to himself just loud enough for them to hear, "Why does it sound like another dog wants to start barking?" The Slytherins froze. After a quick, silent exchange of glances, they seemed to reach a consensus. Forget it. Malfoy had clearly provoked some kind of monster. No normal person had that kind of strength. It was better to stay out of it. They wordlessly dragged their three unconscious housemates out of the Great Hall, their faces grim. At the staff table, Snape's face had turned to ice. "This is an outrage," he hissed. "Someone openly attacked a classmate. Ten points from Hufflepuff!" But Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout all smiled. "Professors not intervening in minor student squabbles is a Hogwarts tradition, is it not, Severus?" Professor Sprout said sweetly. "And as for Ciel's actions, he didn't even turn his head. He just thought there were stray dogs barking. If there are dogs barking wildly, isn't it normal to throw a cup at them? I think his brave behavior should be rewarded. Eleven points to Hufflepuff!" Professor McGonagall, usually so stern, nodded, suppressing a laugh. "Agreed. I'll add eleven points to Hufflepuff as well." Professor Flitwick laughed heartily, downing his glass of wine. "And another eleven points from me!" Snape took a deep breath, his expression thunderous. He said nothing more, simply pushed back his chair, and stormed out of the hall. The little badgers, meanwhile, ate and drank with renewed vigor, their laughter echoing through the hall. It wasn't until they were on their way back to their common room, passing the giant hourglasses that recorded the House points, that they discovered something astonishing. Not only had Hufflepuff not lost points, but they had gained twenty-three in the last few minutes. Combined with the thirteen points from Charms class, Hufflepuff was actually leading the House Cup! A wave of joyous cheering went up from the most united house at Hogwarts. There was no doubt who the biggest contributor was. "We have to celebrate for Ciel!" "Wait... where is Ciel?" The little badgers looked around in confusion. Meanwhile, Ciel had arrived at the Hufflepuff Head of House's office. The moment he entered, Professor Sprout beamed at him. "Ciel, did you see? Our Hufflepuff is leading the House Cup this week! It's been so long since that's happened!" Ciel was momentarily surprised. He hadn't expected his aunt, a world-renowned Herbology Master, to care so much about a student honor. But then he remembered Snape, a Potions Master who shamelessly favored his own house to win the Cup. It seemed the professors took this competition very seriously. Hufflepuff had been a perennial underdog. For the seven years before Harry Potter arrived, Slytherin had dominated. After Harry's arrival, Gryffindor had taken over. Hufflepuff was just... there. Ciel hadn't intended to get involved, but seeing his aunt so happy, he made a silent decision. He would win the House Cup for her. "I also heard you did wonderfully in Charms class, Ciel," she said, her face full of pride. He smiled, then, after recounting the events of the week, he made a request. "Aunt, I feel like my magical perception has improved. I want to try planting some more difficult magical plants." He had expected her to ask questions, to express caution. But she just nodded readily. "Alright. Ciel, you are brave enough to try and explore. Three points to Hufflepuff." As Ciel stared, momentarily stunned, she winked. "Being protective isn't just for Severus Snape. My Ciel is excellent. What's wrong with rewarding him a few points? Three is too little!" She then produced a small bag of seeds she had prepared long ago. "I was going to give these to you later," she said. "But you've always been a child with your own ideas. Since you brought it up yourself, I'll give them to you now." She held them out. "These are Guardian Tree seeds. The Guardian Tree possesses the power to resist dark magic. After a wizard touches one, they gain a short-term resistance to many dark spells. It's an essential ingredient for many defensive potions. It's also a plant that requires careful magical regulation from the very beginning. Cultivating one is a necessary step for any Herbologist. Most only manage it in their third year, but you can take your time." She looked at him, her eyes full of encouragement. "I believe you can do it." Ciel's gaze turned fervent as he looked at the seeds. Even without planting them, a line of information appeared in his mind. [You have obtained Guardian Tree Seeds] [Successfully plant this seed to receive reward - Defense Against the Dark Arts Comprehension (Bronze)] [Maturity Bonus: Defense Against the Dark Arts Comprehension (Silver), Minor Dark Magic Resistance (Iron)] *** (End of Chapter) [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. [email protected]/meowthtl] [+300 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter] [+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter] [Thank You For Your Support!]