This is probably the most special Quidditch match at Hogwarts in a century.
Hufflepuff, who had been targeted the whole game, won the match but didn't feel any happiness at all. After a token celebration, they hurried back to the locker room.
And Gryffindor, who wasn't targeted, lost the match, naturally not in high spirits either.
Even many spectators had their enthusiasm dulled by the continuous whistling, sitting there impatiently waiting for the match to end.
If anyone was satisfied with this Quidditch match, it was probably Snape, the referee.
Using that magical whistle, he turned the match into his personal show, targeting Kael and preventing Harry from catching the Golden Snitch. It was a double win for him... he won twice.
No one expected that being a Quidditch referee could be such an interesting thing; he thought he might try it more often in the future.
After getting off his broom, Snape felt incredibly pleased, especially after seeing the sullen faces of Kael and Harry, which brought a genuine smile to his face.
How nice... He hadn't been this happy since he first brewed Felix Felicis.
"He's so damnable!"
In the Hufflepuff locker room, Harris was pounding the wall in anger.
"A thirty-minute match, and Snape—he judged us for twenty-one fouls. I've never experienced something so absurd."
"Even in the 1473 Quidditch World Cup, there was only one foul every two minutes on average."
"If he's the referee in the next match, we'll refuse to participate!"
Everyone nodded in agreement; they didn't want to experience such an unfun match again.
Kael especially so, since all twenty-one fouls were against him; lasting until the end was already difficult enough.
Kael didn't choose to stay with everyone but instead left the locker room alone, planning to find somewhere to clear his mind and calm his foul mood.
The Forbidden Forest was a nice choice, but Hagrid had been keeping a strict watch lately. Kael had just gotten there when he was discovered and brought back to Hagrid's hut.
"I watched the match, it wasn't your fault."
Hagrid poured a cup of tea for Kael and comforted him, "Professor Snape probably doesn't understand Quidditch, and everyone could see you weren't fouling."
"I've heard that several times already, Hagrid," Kael said, sipping his tea. "Can't you really let me go into the Forbidden Forest?"
"No, Kael." Hagrid said seriously, "The Forbidden Forest is very dangerous right now. If it were someone else, I would've sent them back to the castle, and notified the professors to deduct a lot of points."
Hearing Hagrid, Kael didn't insist further.
In fact, if he really wanted to go into the Forbidden Forest, he could use the Invisibility Cloak or Disillusionment Charm, and Hagrid surely wouldn't notice.
But there's no need for that; there are many places to clear his mind, not only the Forbidden Forest.
After leaving Hagrid's hut, Kael met Harry by the Black Lake.
"Potter, are you here to see Hagrid too?"
"No… Yes. Yes," Harry looked a bit nervous, "I just don't… want to hear them keep comforting me."
"I understand," Kael patted him on the shoulder, "Then go on in, Hagrid just mentioned you."
With that, Kael was about to leave.
But he hadn't taken two steps yet when Harry suddenly called out from behind, "Wait…"
"What's up?"
"Kael… did you see any strange people just now?"
"Strange people?" Kael frowned.
"Yes, like someone wearing a hood or something..."
Kael thought for a moment and shook his head, "Sorry, I didn't notice, but you could ask Hagrid, if they went to the Forbidden Forest, he might know."
"Okay… Thanks, thank you."
"You're welcome."
After saying goodbye to Harry, Kael turned and headed back to the castle.
Now, he finally understood what Harry meant.
Almost everyone who saw him felt compelled to offer a few words of comfort.
And even more people were coming their way.
Kael had no choice but to quicken his pace and hide in the library, where Madam Pince helped chase away those not there to read.
Kael hid behind the bookshelves, used the Disillusionment Charm to sneak out, and took the revolving stairs all the way to the entrance of the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor.
After half a school year's effort, he had gradually moved his greenhouse into the box, though only the mature plants.
As for those still growing, they remained here.
In comparison, the environment in the Room of Requirement was more suitable for magical plants to grow. After all, his box couldn't make it rain or change the weather on command… at least his couldn't.
The Moonstruck Beasts were likewise staying here until Kael completed his box's transformation.
Since planting quite a few plants at the start of the school term, even after moving some out, the place didn't feel empty; it was even more crowded.
Seeing the lush plants growing in the greenhouse, Kael's mood improved significantly.
He understood Professor Sprout and Newt better; whether it's plants or Fantastic Beasts, watching them grow bit by bit is truly fulfilling.
Kael walked past a row of large pots with Chomping Cabbages and reached a section deep in the room.
This was the territory of the Poisonous Tentacles.
This vine plant resembled the Devil's Snare, tending to wrap around nearby living things.
But it was far more dangerous than the Devil's Snare; not only immune to sunlight, its entire body was poisonous. Whether pricked by the thorns on its tendrils or bitten, it was lethal.
This is also the primary reason the Ministry of Magic categorized it as a Class C non-tradable item.
However, the Poisonous Tentacles had a slow growth cycle. Even though they had Moonstruck Beast dung as fertilizer every day, they'd only sprouted a fine shoot, the characteristic thorns just tiny black dots.
The Fanged Geraniums nearby were about the same.
The Chomping Cabbages, in contrast, were much more convenient and had short growth cycles. Despite being planted on the same day, they'd all already grown teeth.
Since arriving at the greenhouse, Kael could hear the "click-clack" of teeth constantly, like playing a fast-paced tune, it was quite lively indeed.
He returned to the vicinity of the Chomping Cabbages, took out his box from the Transfiguration Lizard Skin Bag, and carefully placed the liveliest ones inside.
...