"This potion is intended to kill or remove plants and is not for consumption. From birth till now, I've never seen any fool drink a Weed Remover Potion."
"Of course, perhaps some of you fools might want to broaden my horizons." Snape's daily taunt was not particularly strong for second-year students.
"If it's useless, why do we brew it?" Ian was the only one daring enough to raise his hand and question, despite not having much research into these farming-related potions.
This was likely because he didn't own any land himself yet. The only plants he cultivated merely required regular watering with the bathwater of black-robed skeletons.
"Why is there so much 'why'?"
Snape warned Ian not to cause trouble with a glance, yet he answered Ian's question, "The Hufflepuff Head needs quite a lot. Clearly, there's not just one thief stealing Magic Potion Materials in our school, but also one stealing the plants Professor Sprout cultivates—ha! If anyone ever judges Hogwarts as a den of thieves, I wouldn't be surprised at all."
This was clearly hinting at something.
Indirect criticism.
Ian had no intention of arguing.
However, he still muttered quietly to Aurora beside him.
"I paid him money, and he scolded me. You can vouch for me on this." After saying this, in an attempt to clear his name, the Little Wizard emphasized once more.
"I did not steal Professor Sprout's plants." Indeed, he had never done such a thing; he suspected it was the Little Witch from Hufflepuff who cultivated mutant cabbages mimicking him.
However.
"I know."
Aurora's calm reply was exceptionally succinct.
Just as Ian was about to thank his friend for the trust.
"It was me who took them."
The German Girl's low-voiced candor stunned the Little Wizard again—so the imitator was actually this fellow, and she not only surpassed him but went directly to purchase the first-hand raw materials?
"I've also paid, and continuously paid—double, in fact. Professor Sprout never refused." Aurora further explained.
"Did she agree?"
Ian sensed something familiar.
"She didn't refuse."
The German girl repeated her earlier statement.
Nothing more needed to be said.
"Wow, you're almost ready to graduate." Ian couldn't help but gasp, giving his friend a thumbs-up. Aurora's learning speed was indeed impressively fast.
She even picked up the habit of telling only the truth. While the two Little Wizards were whispering, Snape, having become accustomed to such situations and updated his own retina to selectively ignore these two fellows, had already completed teaching the class and began to remind them of the boiling precautions.
Quickly covering the key points.
He wasted no time tossing aside the textbook, urging the students to practice.
"If you're careless with the ingredients, your result will be nothing but mediocre—focus, concentration are the most important aspects in brewing a good Magic Potion."
"You have forty minutes, and those who fail will be cleaning the toilets tonight." He habitually threatened the crowd, and upon hearing this, many people immediately became alert.
No one wants to clean toilets.
Especially Ririm.
This guy immediately straightened up, tossing aside the storybook in his hand—Ian had been keeping an eye on Ririm, surprised that Snape genuinely didn't mind this newbie who shouldn't have been in the second-year class, even ignoring his novel-reading during lectures.
Everyone was taking action.
Ian and Aurora were the same.
The Little Wizard noticed that while the students were boiling the potion, Snape paused briefly before Ririm's crucible but still didn't eject this intruder from the classroom.
"This is unbelievable!"
Ian increasingly felt a peculiar taste, now understanding the curiosity others had about his background, as if he were about to question Ririm's origins.
"Bubble bubble ~"
Ian and Aurora smoothly proceeded with brewing the potion.
The scent of the Weed Remover Potion in its initial stages was akin to a sweet fruit, but as brewing continued and ingredients increased, its aroma shifted towards pungency and stench.
It's the kind of odor.
That makes one want to gag. Many reached to cover their mouths and noses, dry-heaving, while Aurora directly cast a Bubble Head Charm on herself.
Ririm was the fastest to finish brewing.
He raised his hand.
Snape immediately walked over.
"Very fine potion quality." The rarely praising Professor of Potions, surprisingly looked at Ririm with some astonishment before bringing out a flowerpot full of weeds.
He gently dripped a drop of Ririm's potion into the flowerpot, and a few seconds later, the weeds in the pot visibly turned yellow.
Then.
They quickly withered, turning into ashes in the flowerpot. Undoubtedly, Ririm's Weed Remover Potion was a success, at a level that even a Master of Magic Potions couldn't help but admire.
"I think I've finally met a student who isn't that foolish." This definitely counted as a compliment from Snape, as he placed Ririm's work on the platform as an example.