HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

"I thought you were just an Alchemist.."

"Heh~ I know quite a few things but the ones I'm good at are things like construction and renovations. Honestly, if your little hut ever needs rebuilding, feel free to come to me. Seriously, trust my skills," Kasen said, patting the dust off Hagrid's coat.

"I will, I will," Hagrid replied, rebuttoning his coat. As for why Hagrid had come to Knockturn Alley, which was clearly not the most reputable place, Kasen didn't ask.

The world isn't black and white. Just because someone visits a place like this doesn't mean they're a bad person. Besides, Kasen wasn't the nosy type.

More importantly, he believed in Hagrid's character—he wasn't the kind of person to do anything heinous or immoral.

"So, what now? Back to Hogwarts?" Kasen asked Hagrid.

"We're done, but Harry still has things to take care of."

The three of them made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid rented a room for Harry to stay in until September 1st, the start of term.

"I figure you wouldn't want to go back to that so-called aunt's house, so please stay here. When the time comes, go to this address and take the Hogwarts Express—it'll take you straight to Hogwarts. Alright?" Hagrid said, handing Harry a map and his train ticket for the Hogwarts Express.

"I will. Don't worry about me," Harry replied with a nod.

"Mm-hmm. You can get all three meals here with Tom—he's a good cook. Of course, you can also explore Diagon Alley, as long as you avoid Knockturn Alley; it's safe. Oh, and I left you a little surprise with Tom. Go check it out," Hagrid added.

"Got it."

"Finally…"

Hagrid glanced around, ensuring no one was paying attention to them, then lowered his voice and said, "The wall in the courtyard has been repaired. Now I'll teach you the correct way to enter Diagon Alley. In the corner of the courtyard, there's a trash can. Count three bricks up, then two bricks over to the right. Tap those three times with your wand. Got it…?"

Hagrid finished speaking, then made a point of looking at Kasen.

"OK, OK," Kasen said with a shrug.

"Mm-hmm. Are you leaving now?" Harry asked seeing them coming down.

"Sorry, we've got more work to do at Hogwarts."

"Alright then, see you at the start of term."

"Mm-hmm, see you then."

After saying goodbye to Harry, the two handed Tom two silver Sickles, grabbed some Floo Powder, and Kasen, recalling how to use it from a book he'd read, gave it a try.

He tossed the powder into the fireplace, and as the flames turned green, he said, "Hogwarts Alchemy Professor's Office."

Whoosh!

Once back in his office, the first thing Kasen did was change into a set of dry pajamas.

His worn clothes were tossed into the laundry basket in the corner, where a house-elf would quietly pick them up, wash them, and return them later.

"One evening and an entire day—exhausting," Kasen muttered, flopping onto his bed and closing his eyes.

A house-elf quietly placed a good sleep aroma diffuser on his bedside table and whisked away the dirty laundry.

He slept soundly until the next morning. Kasen sat up, stretched, and took a quick shower. Feeling refreshed, he dressed neatly and opened his office door—only to run into Dumbledore, who was out for a casual stroll.

"Oh, Kasen, how was yesterday's adventure?" Dumbledore asked with curiosity.

"Would you call that an adventure?"

"Haha~ Why not? Life is all about doing things you've never done before. That process, we can call an adventure," Dumbledore explained with a smile.

"Maybe. It was... alright. Though not all of it was pleasant—I killed three people," Kasen replied with a shrug.

[+10 Satisfaction from Dumbledore]

[+10 Favorability from Dumbledore]

[+10 Trust from Dumbledore]

"Three dark wizards—I know. I wanted to ask you and Hagrid about it yesterday, but you were asleep, so I didn't wake you," Dumbledore said with a nod.

"Mm-hmm… I thought you'd be mad at me," Kasen said.

"A kind person shouldn't be punished for their kindness. Do I seem overly old-fashioned?" Dumbledore asked, smiling.

Kasen looked him up and down.

"You at least look old..."

"Ah, well, naturally. In any case, I don't blame you. They chose to use dark magic for evil; they should have known such a day would come," Dumbledore said with a light laugh.

"Honestly, you're quite a good headmaster. Before, I thought you might be one of those… no-kill pacifist types."

"That would be far too foolish… Have you met the boy? Harry Potter?"

Kasen nodded. "A pretty pitiful kid. Hagrid mentioned his family vault is quite wealthy, and you were the one managing it before. Why didn't you think to provide some support for his aunt and uncle? His life could've been a lot better."

"My apologies. An old man may live a long time, but that doesn't make him perfect. That was my oversight," Dumbledore replied with a small smile.

"Well… I settled the back payments for you."

"Thank you. Submit a report to the board of governors—they'll reimburse you."

"Uh, no need for that," Kasen said, waving it off.

The two continued chatting as they arrived at the staircase leading to Dumbledore's office.

"I've been meaning to ask—at your age, climbing these stairs every day... doesn't it get to you?" Kasen asked, following Dumbledore up and not missing the chance to tease him.

"This is the secret to my good health."

"Fair enough," Kasen replied with a shrug. Once inside the office, Dumbledore settled into his chair and rummaged through his pocket, eventually pulling out a small cloth pouch, which he placed on the desk.

Curious, Kasen picked it up and pulled out an irregularly shaped red stone.

"This is a magical stone created by an old friend of mine, Nicolas Flamel. It's called the Philosopher's Stone—the pinnacle of alchemy," Dumbledore explained.

"Honestly, you're wasting your breath trying to explain this to me," Kasen said with a shrug, rolling his eyes.

"That's because you're capable of creating something far more powerful than this stone. In any case, Nicolas Flamel and his wife have already prepared themselves to face death, so they entrusted this stone to me. Of course, it's also because a certain rat hiding in the shadows has set their sights on it. Flamel figured I might as well keep it safe for the time being."

"So, what's your plan? Why are you telling me all this?" Kasen asked.

"Could you help me create a replica? Something made of genuine magical material with a similar magical aura. I want to use it as bait for a trap, but I'd prefer the fish not actually eat the bait—hence, I came to you for help."

Kasen looked at the blood-red Philosopher's Stone in his hand and clicked his tongue.

"Not too hard."