NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: CH 3
[Satisfaction +10 from Dumbledore]
[Satisfaction +10 from Dumbledore]
[Favorability +10 from Dumbledore]
Kaysen walked behind Dumbledore, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Soon, the two arrived at an empty classroom.
Dumbledore took a seat in the center of the room, accompanied by Professor McGonagall, whom Kaysen had only seen once, and a greasy-haired professor, Severus Snape, whom he also recognized.
The other two present were a small, kind professor, Filius Flitwick, and a warm-hearted woman, Pomona Sprout, whom he did not know.
The greasy-haired professor cast a disinterested look and remarked,
"With all this fanfare, I thought you had brought Ollivander himself."
Hiss… What a sharp comment.
Kaysen swallowed nervously and sat in the seat opposite them. A table was set up with parchment and a quill for filling out a form.
Name…
Kaysen Heath.
Gender…
Male.
Age…
25.
Educational qualifications…
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manchester.
Why did he suddenly feel so embarrassed?
Specializing in magic…
Alchemy, Transfiguration, Conjuration.
The last one was added only because Dumbledore had suggested it…
After handing in the form, he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
The colors of the ceiling and walls in this classroom don't match. If I were designing it, I'd use spruce planks. Not only would the colors harmonize better, but they'd also give it an elegant, solemn vibe.
"Mr. Heath…" Snape asked, staring at the form in front of him.
"…Mr. Heath?"
"Kaysen Heath!"
"Ah? What's the matter?"
Kaysen, still studying the ceiling, snapped out of it and looked at the greasy-haired professor questioning him.
"Would you mind demonstrating your skills in alchemy?"
"What exactly do you want me to show? How should I do it?"
"The most basic thing: material transformation. After all, except for one particular position, I'd prefer my colleagues not to be fools or frauds."
Kaysen nodded in understanding. To be honest, he was exactly that kind of fraud. If it weren't for Dumbledore, he would never have set foot in this classroom.
It wasn't that he didn't want the job; it was just that he knew his limitations. For him, "alchemy" was like decorating a house in Minecraft. Real alchemy? He knew nothing about it.
The four professors interpreted his nod as confirmation of his abilities. Their gazes shifted to Dumbledore, who responded with an awkward smile:
"Show whatever you like, but preferably something… magical."
"Alright."
The next moment, a block of iron appeared in Kaysen's hand, followed by four loud clang clang clang clang sounds as he assembled a steel T-frame in seconds.
"That's not Transfiguration," McGonagall commented with a frown.
"I can see that. But what's next?" Snape asked, his tone still skeptical. What he was witnessing was supposed to be "alchemy," but… why did it feel so strange?
Next, a pumpkin block appeared in Kaysen's hands, which he placed firmly atop the T-frame to serve as a head. In an instant, the pumpkin transformed into a pair of scissors.
To be fair, this alone earned Snape's approval, if only slightly. He hadn't felt any unnecessary magical fluctuations during the process.
It was purely a matter of using magic to materialize a four-cubic-meter block of iron out of nowhere, then transform it into a pumpkin, and finally a pair of rudimentary scissors.
Creating something from nothing with magic instead of performing an equivalent exchange. None of the alchemists Snape knew could achieve this level of skill.
Then he saw something that nearly made his eyes pop out of his head. With the scissors, Kaysen cut a face into the pumpkin. The steel T-frame and pumpkin began to melt and reshape themselves.
In the blink of an eye, they transformed into a three-meter-tall iron golem.
Dumbledore observed everything with a gleam in his eyes and nudged McGonagall with his elbow.
"What do you think?"
McGonagall replied seriously:
"You know I'm no expert, but I can sense the breath of life… using alchemy to create life…"
"Dumbledore, where did you find him? I don't recall any student at Hogwarts with these abilities." Snape added.
"Blame the Book of Admittance and the Quill of Acceptance," Dumbledore said casually.
No one questioned Dumbledore further. They assumed the Quill of Acceptance simply didn't detect students outside England or Scotland. None of them realized that this so-called alchemist had spent his entire life in the Muggle world.
Without hesitation, the professors each marked the bottom of the form, signifying their approval for Kaysen to join Hogwarts staff.
It wasn't until Dumbledore pulled out the pre-prepared appointment letter that Snape noticed something that made him raise an eyebrow.
Monthly salary: 130 Galleons.
To be honest, this was the average salary for most Hogwarts professors. However, for technical positions like Alchemy or Potions, this amount was borderline insulting.
Snape sighed internally:
An alchemist of this level won't lack money. Worst case, he can just transmute gold. Not like potion masters, who barely make ends meet.
Finally, Kaysen signed the contract. From that moment, he officially became Professor of Alchemy at Hogwarts, completely unaware that he'd been manipulated by Dumbledore into accepting a job no one else wanted, with a laughable salary.
That evening, back in his office, Kaysen stared at a new block that had appeared in his hand: a wither skull block, radiating an eerie aura of death and decay. He held it, lost in thought.
Will this… explode?