Of course, maybe they weren't concentrating entirely, because with other things on their mind, their movements were inevitably much slower.
It wasn't until ten minutes before class ended that they finally completed the task assigned by Professor Sprout.
Kael shoved the Horklump he was holding into the soil, and then turned to look at Conna again, as if making a significant decision.
He pulled out his wand and gave it a gentle wave. "Muffliato!"
"Conna..."
"Hmm..." Conna turned her head, "What's up?"
"Do you want to know what Snape... Professor is up to?" Kael whispered, "I happen to know something."
"Oh, that." Conna blinked, casually saying, "I don't want to."
"Huh?" Kael was momentarily taken aback.
"I said, I don't want to know." Conna repeated.
"Professor Snape not telling me must have his reasons." She said with a smile, "I can't help him with anything right now, the only thing I can do is maintain the status quo so he doesn't have to spend time and energy changing his original plan for me."
"You trust Professor Snape so much? What if he is..."
"Of course I trust him." Conna interrupted Kael, firmly stating, "Just like I trust you."
"Alright then." Kael took off his gloves and put them aside, switching to a sturdier pair of Dragon Hide Gloves. "But hearing that is really not a pleasant thing... Give me the pot."
Conna handed over a small pot filled with gray granules, emitting a pungent smell.
This was fertilizer concocted by Professor Sprout herself, a totally natural mixed fertilizer, very effective, but equally tough to endure in terms of smell.
If it wasn't placed far away, everyone might have to wear a Bubble-Head Charm in class.
"Kael, could you... hmm..." Conna poured some gray granules into the soil, her face full of conflict, apparently uncertain about how to continue.
"Alright, I understand what you mean." Kael waved his hand, "I'll avoid bothering Malfoy for the time being."
"No, that's not what I meant." Conna quickly shook her head, "His intention to use Dark Arts Items against you is absolutely unforgivable, what I meant was, I'll help you figure it out if you trust me."
"No need, really." Kael said with a laugh, "Actually, Malfoy saved himself, remember? He deliberately knocked over the package at the end, keeping me from getting to it.
"If not for that, not even Professor Snape, hiding in the Headmaster's Office, could have helped."
Kael also poured a bit of fertilizer onto the Horklump in front of him, then tossed the pot far away.
"Moreover, I can pretty much guess what really happened, confronting Malfoy is just to confirm."
"Is that all?" Conna said, seeming relieved, "I thought you wanted to... uh, never mind."
"Wait." Kael looked at her, "You didn't think I wanted to kill him, did you?"
"No, didn't you?" Conna appeared slightly embarrassed, "Previously, I inadvertently overheard their conversation... Professor Snape said, that's the only way to keep him alive."
"Of course not!" Kael couldn't help but raise his voice, "Slander, this is absolute slander, attacking fellow students just because of a disagreement, am I some kind of Dark Lord?
"Even if Voldemort were still a student, he wouldn't be that excessive. For Snape as a professor, such behavior is deplorable!"
Truth be told, Kael never intended to kill Malfoy, after all, they're still students at Hogwarts, and Malfoy is yet to come of age, so if not for his final move, Kael would have at most taught him a lesson, killing him would be too outrageous.
"Hmm... maybe I misheard." Conna said softly.
"Ha?" Kael chuckled coldly, paying no attention.
He picked up the pot he had tossed away earlier, casually transformed a nearby dead branch into a bag, filled it with compound fertilizer.
Under Conna's stunned gaze, Kael carefully stored away the bag.
"Don't look at me like that, I'm very magnanimous, I wouldn't even care about Snape's slander against me." Kael stated calmly, "I took this to fertilize the Dittany, wouldn't drop it in Snape's lunch, compound fertilizer mixed with food, I never thought of doing that."