HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

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Gulp, gulp, gulp...

Gulp, gulp, gulp...

Kasenhis had stopped by the Hog's Head and asked the bearded bartender to pour some whiskey into a bottle—any whiskey.

As for what kind?

It didn't matter. As long as it wouldn't give Dumbledore diarrhea, it was good enough.

This time, Kasenhis didn't use the password to walk into the Headmaster's office directly. Instead, he used an Ender-style teleportation to land beneath the windowsill of the office.

Grabbing onto the windowsill with both hands, he pulled himself up for a quick look to confirm whether Dumbledore was inside. After all, teleporting straight into the office only to find Dumbledore sitting there would be terribly awkward.

Luckily, a quick peek through the window showed no one inside.

Perfect!

With a push, Kasenhis opened the office window from the outside, clumsily climbed in, and pulled two bottles of whiskey from behind his belt.

He carefully placed them on Dumbledore's desk, ensuring they were perfectly aligned—as if he were about to measure them with a ruler.

As for whether the swapped bottles would raise suspicion?

Hagrid had said that Dumbledore was so attached to these bottles he wouldn't even drink them, so it should be fine.

Stretching his back, Kasenhis prepared to teleport away. Just as he was about to leave, his gaze landed on a cabinet in the corner of the office.

Inside the cabinet… was half a person.

More specifically, the lower half of a person.

Or rather, Dumbledore had stuck his upper body into the cabinet.

The person inside the cabinet had noticed Kasenhis the moment he opened the window. A muffled voice came from inside, "Oh? I hear some energetic noises. Which young wizard is it? Hurry and give me a hand, I'm stuck in the cabinet!"

Hearing Dumbledore's words, Kasenhis exhaled in relief. As long as the headmaster didn't recognize him, that was fine. He had no intention of helping Dumbledore out of his predicament.

After all, Dumbledore was immensely powerful, and this cabinet wasn't some kind of mimicking monster. If he wanted to get out, all it would take was a thought—no wand necessary.

At this moment, the most important thing is to run away quickly, but it's a pity that I can't teleport—It's best if he thinks it's someone else and not me.

Kasenhis quickly climbed back onto the windowsill, crouching half-kneeling on top. In his hand appeared a water source block, as though he was preparing to leave here with a dramatic splash effect.

But then, Dumbledore's muffled voice came again from inside the cabinet.

"Don't be in such a rush, Kasenhis. Who else but you would sneak into the Headmaster's office to pilfer the poor headmaster's collection?"

The mental pep talk Kasenhis had been giving himself crumbled in an instant. His expression changed completely.

"Ah.. ahaha.. haha, Headmaster, is that you? How did you get stuck in the cabinet?" 

With lightning speed, Kasenhis jumped off the windowsill and grabbed Dumbledore with the strength of someone uprooting a tree. Hugging him tightly, Kasenhis yanked him out of the cabinet with all his might.

It was as if his frantic effort to free Dumbledore from the cabinet would somehow erase the evidence of him sneaking in to steal the wine.

Of course, in reality, as Kasenhis pulled, he was also meticulously controlling small magical cubes to carefully separate the stuck parts of the cabinet and Dumbledore.

After all, Dumbledore was over a hundred years old; he couldn't actually risk pulling him to death.

Soon enough, like two tightly stuck plastic chairs suddenly being yanked apart, there was a faint "pop" as Dumbledore was freed and emerged back into the world.

"Ah... thank you, Kasen," Dumbledore said.

Kasenhis sat gloomily in a chair.

"That said, I'm still curious—how did you know it was me here and not some mischievous young wizard flying around on a broomstick?"

"First, the two fellows at the door told me that you came here earlier and took my two bottles of wine."

"Second, Kasen, you underestimate your boldness. While young wizards can certainly be daring, sneaking into the Headmaster's office is still a bit beyond their capabilities."

"Okay… ahem, in that case, since you're no longer stuck, I should probably leave. You know, Professor McGonagall is rushing me to finish my lesson plans." Kasenhis said after listening to the explanation.

With exaggerated slowness, he rose from his chair and inched toward the office door, as if hoping Dumbledore would forget he was there.

It was almost as if Kasenhis thought Dumbledore were a frog—capable of seeing moving objects but blind to anything stationary.

"…Kasen, do you really think I'm so senile in your mind?" Dumbledore asked, sitting in his chair with arms crossed, quietly watching Kasenhis's performance. His voice came just as Kasenhis was about to slip out the door.

"Oh... alright, is there something I can do for you?" Kasenhis turned back, sat down in the chair opposite Dumbledore, and asked in one breath.

"Thank you for choosing not to teleport away immediately."

"Oh... can I still do that now?"

"Apologies, it's too late for that."

"Alright, what's the matter then?"

Dumbledore sighed slightly, picking up the two bottles of wine on his desk and walking toward the cabinet in the corner.

"Time and patience make wine richer and more full-bodied. You could start stocking a few bottles yourself. Even ordinary wine will mature into something extraordinary with enough time."

Kasenhis nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"By the way, where did you refill these two bottles?"

"The Hog's Head."

"Ah..." Dumbledore paused mid-motion as he was about to place the bottles in the cabinet.

After a moment's consideration, he changed course entirely and tossed both bottles straight into the trash bin.

"...Is there something wrong with the wine there? I thought it tasted pretty good earlier," Kasenhis said, his mouth twitching.

"Nothing much. If you're happy drinking it, keep going there."

"You probably have something you want me to do, right?"

"No, absolutely not. Why would I have anything for you to do? Do I look like the type of person who only acts when there's something to gain, someone who demands compensation for every little thing?" Dumbledore shrugged as he spoke.

"...Then why did you stop me from leaving?"

"Because your attempt to sneak away like I'm a frog that can only see moving objects was far too amusing. I couldn't resist. Alright, Kasen, you can go now."

Kasenhis rolled his eyes, got up, and started to leave.

"Oh, by the way, Kasen, is Hagrid drunk?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, why?"

"And you?"

"You scared the alcohol fumes right out of me... but at least I'm still sober," Kasenhis replied, turning back and spreading his hands.

"In that case, as Hagrid's loyal drinking companion, perhaps you could take over his responsibilities for tonight," Dumbledore suggested.

"Inspecting the Forbidden Forest? Always wanted to do that!"

"At ten o'clock tonight...you still have two hours to repair yourself." Dumbledore glanced at a small clock placed in the corner of the table and said.

Kasen nodded and left the headmaster's office without incident.

After drinking such good wine, it was fair to go on a present walk—I mean—patrolling the Forbidden Forest for one night.

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[email protected]/Dragonel