It was their head of house (and deputy headmaster) teaching this class, so it felt important to do well. That, or Connor was more nervous about the practical classes, generally. Reading the instructions was one thing, but – what if he missed a step?
So he was certainly taking more care than his neighbour at the table, who must have gotten carried away chopping up their dittany stalks or moly. Connor smelled it before he saw it. The smell cut right through the pungent mix of odours in the room (the place was giving him a headache already) – but the blood blossoming from their finger was worse. Worse in that his mouth went a little dry from it; grimacing already, he instinctively put his arm over his mouth and nose to try and stop smelling it and thinking about it. “What did you do?” he whispered to them, through his sudden discomfort.
So he was certainly taking more care than his neighbour at the table, who must have gotten carried away chopping up their dittany stalks or moly. Connor smelled it before he saw it. The smell cut right through the pungent mix of odours in the room (the place was giving him a headache already) – but the blood blossoming from their finger was worse. Worse in that his mouth went a little dry from it; grimacing already, he instinctively put his arm over his mouth and nose to try and stop smelling it and thinking about it. “What did you do?” he whispered to them, through his sudden discomfort.