HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

Kasenhis, with a smile on his face, glanced at Professor McGonagall, only to be met with a fierce glare. In that instant, the sheer authority of a teacher came crashing down on him, forcing him to lower his gaze and act properly.

"Alright, what's the matter?" Dumbledore said, switching out two cups and refilling them with cappuccinos before pushing them over.

"We have an idea regarding upgrading Hogwarts' defense system," Professor McGonagall said as she recounted the incident of the iron golem obliterating the stone statue in its entirety.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully.

"That's certainly possible, and I have no objections. But Kasen, will your magical power be enough to sustain this?"

Sipping his cappuccino calmly in his chair, Kasen felt underestimated. If this were back when he was running his custom home renovation business, this would have been his first big order at Hogwarts—fully paid for in advance!

And so…

That afternoon, under the glow of a Hogwarts sunset…

Kasen had just finished building an iron golem and equipping it with a massive greatsword. Behind him, Hagrid approached, carrying a huge bucket of transparent paint meant to serve as anti-rust coating.

While iron golems weren't really susceptible to rust, the gesture was one of respect—it couldn't be overlooked.

"Ah, Mr. His, are you alright?" Hagrid asked cautiously, noticing Kasen's movements growing slower and slower.

"Me? I feel…" Kasen paused, looking up at the setting sun.

"I feel like the sun is green."

While Kasen's abilities weren't traditional magic, like wizards, he also had magic flowing through him. Summoning blocks and creating iron golems all required a steady supply of magical energy.

"Merlin's socks! You really need to rest. You've already made enough iron golems today. At this rate, I'm worried you'll keel over before you even start teaching," Hagrid said, setting down the paint bucket and forcibly lifting Kasen, placing him on the base of a nearby iron golem's weapon stand to rest.

Hagrid then sat down on the ground nearby. The two of them watched as a large black bat—no, it was Professor Snape—happened to pass by.

Snape saw them too, as well as the line of iron golems stretching from the Hogwarts main gate to where they were sitting. It didn't take him long to figure out what they were up to.

Realizing this, Snape reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of bright blue potion.

"A Potion? For me?"

Kasen took the potion, downed it in one gulp, and immediately felt a bit better, letting out a sigh of relief.

Feeling the need to reciprocate, Kasen placed a square crucible on the ground in front of Snape.

"I'm nowhere near as skilled in potions as you, so I don't know if this crucible is useful for brewing. Take a look."

Snape crouched down, tapping and examining it carefully.

"The material is solid, but it'd be hard to heat with conventional flames. Still, ...thank you for the gesture."

"All right, how about this? A little something I came up with on my own."

Kasen pulled out a brewing stand. At its center was a glowing rod constantly radiating heat, surrounded by three potion bottle holders.

Snape's lips twitched.

"Professor His, you're… different from others. Please, don't waste your time on potion-making."

"OK, I'll remember your advice," Kasen said, still waving weakly.

Snape returned to his office, taking the oversized crucible with him.

According to him, it might be useful for soaking potion ingredients since it was indeed massive.

Kasen then patted Hagrid, who was sitting nearby.

"Shall we continue?"

"Until 10 p.m., I'm full of limitless strength."

"And after 10?"

"After 10, that's not a time for humans to be working, Professor. That's the time we head to our rooms, pour a couple of drinks, and relax. Come to my place tonight—I've got a few decent bottles of wine," Hagrid said heartily.

"Of course, I'd be happy to. I didn't peg you for someone who knows how to enjoy life."

"Of course! How else would I have pumpkins growing in my front yard… Oh, by the way, Professor, can my pumpkins make one of those big guys?"

"Sorry, no."

"That's alright… no need to apologize to me."

"OK."

Late at night...

Kasen wasn't much of a drinker—or rather, he wasn't prepared to handle Hagrid's kind of alcohol.

Judging by the alcohol content, not a single bottle Hagrid pulled out was below 60%.

This kind of pure, high-proof liquor was the sort Muggles used to make cocktails, yet Hagrid was downing it one glass at a time like it was water.

Honestly, with this level of alcohol, you could probably pour it into an engine and get a car to run. But…

Never mind.

He'd accepted the invitation to drink, so even if he had to cry through it, he was determined to finish.

Each drink he managed to get down earned him +10 favorability from Hagrid.

It seemed Hagrid really appreciated a hearty drinking buddy.

This went on until later in the night when Hagrid, sitting next to Kasen, clapped his large, fan-like hand on Kasen's back with a series of loud thuds, his boisterous laughter filling Kasen's ears.

"I really… can't drink another drop."

Thud!

The next day…

Kasenhis groggily woke up in Hagrid's bed.

Say what you will about Hagrid looking rough around the edges, but the man surprisingly kept things clean.

As for Hagrid himself, he was sprawled on the floor, muttering incoherently, with little bubbles coming out of his mouth.

Kasen stretched his neck, waved his wand, and controlled some small blocks to lift Hagrid onto the bed. After tidying up the empty bottles, he tiptoed out of Hagrid's hut.

Once outside, he took a deep breath and couldn't help but think that the hut was way too small for someone like Hagrid. With another wave of his wand, he used the blocks to leave a note near the door:

[If you ever want to expand your house, feel free to find me. I'm a professional. – Kasenhis]

After finishing that, he rubbed his aching head and returned to his office. He vaguely remembered from the previous night that Hagrid's favorability had maxed out, earning him a new block.

What was it again?

Ugh— his head hurt so much he'd forgotten.

Back in his office, his mind was still hazy…

Knock knock knock.

"What is it now?"

Snape led Kasen into his office.

"To be honest, this task is overkill for someone of your level, but since Madam Pomfrey is on leave, I had no choice but to call on you."

Before Kasen could respond, Snape tossed him a bottle of potion.

"For the hangover."

"Thanks."

After downing the hangover cure in one gulp, the foggy haze in Kasen's head finally cleared. He suddenly remembered the new block he'd received the night before.

A dark green pixelated orb appeared in his hand, only to vanish in an instant.

"An Ender Pearl!"

He whispered the words with a mix of excitement and amazement in his heart.

"Conveniently, I also have something I need your help with—regarding potion-making," Snape said as he turned around after organizing his potion shelf.

"To be honest, I'm a total outsider when it comes to potions."

"It's more of an alchemy-related issue," Snape clarified.

"Go ahead and tell me."

"The process of brewing potions requires very precise temperature control. In the past, I've had to manage the flame's temperature manually while brewing the potion, which are both delicate tasks. When brewing advanced potions, I must focus entirely. So, I'd like you to help me with a magical device capable of controlling temperature," Snape explained.

"…A Muggle induction stove."

"Hogwarts' interference would disrupt that."

"Then find an apprentice to help you control the temperature."

"There are times when I work alone."

"I might have a solution… If I use redstone… Give me some time. Once I've designed it, I'll let you know."

[+10 Trust from Snape]

"Thank you," Snape said, the faintest hint of a smile crossing his face.

"Let me know if you have any additional requests."

"Of course."