HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

In an instant, the entire classroom was nearly blinded by the brilliance of the pure gold lectern that had appeared before their very eyes.

"Well? What do you think?" Kasenhis asked with a grin. Under the lectern sat a pair of red-haired twins.

Mcgonagall had warned him about them in yesterday's dinner. He remembered their last name but always got them mixed up. Let's just call them the Weasley Twins for now.

One twin's eyes were shining with excitement, while the other had already raised his hand high in the air. 

"Professor Kasen, is this actual transmuted gold, or just an illusion?" he asked.

"Relax. Do you think I'd resort to illusions to trick you? This is genuine, bona fide gold. And this lectern, unless I interfere with it, will remain gold forever," Kasenhis explained.

"So, Professor Kasen, it won't revert back to being wood?" 

"Of course not. Otherwise, how would it be any different from Transfiguration? If you don't believe me, feel free to come up here and bite it—if you don't mind the germs, that is."

Hearing this, the twins immediately bolted toward the lectern, each claiming a corner, and began enthusiastically gnawing at it.

Unfortunately... well, they didn't get very far. The gold was simply too solid. 

"Merlin's beard... Could we do this too?" 

A dark-skinned student, who Kasen vaguely remembered as being named Jordan—yes, a name that practically screamed athletic prowess—stared wide-eyed in awe.

"Do you want the truth, or a comforting lie?" Kasen asked, flashing a mischievous smile.

"The truth!"

"Uh, no, Professor, I think a lie will do—just something to make us happy," another chimed in.

Hearing these two completely opposing answers, Kasenhis sighed and shrugged helplessly.

"Alright… I believe you could do it."

"Wait, Professor, is that the truth or the lie?" Angelina raised her hand to ask.

"Well," Kasenhis said with a grin, "you tell me."

"Anyway, let's move on. This was just a brief introduction to what alchemy can do, but I still need to warn you: don't get any ideas about this lectern—like sneaking it away when the classroom is empty."

"While many alchemists can turn mercury into gold, I'm the only one who can transmute matter as freely as this. But we all share one common principle."

"We don't just casually produce heaps of gold. You see, gold is still a currency, and if some foolish alchemist loses their mind and starts mass-producing it, they'll devalue it until it's worth nothing. And in the end, they'd only hurt themselves. Got it?" Kasenhis finished, looking around at the young witches and wizards in front of him.

"…Actually, I don't think you understand. Never mind, let me demonstrate." He knocked on the lectern again, and, in an instant, intricate, delicate golden vines began to grow from the edges of the lectern.

"There we go—now it's immovable. And yes, I know you're all practically drooling at the sight of this massive hunk of gold, aren't you?"

The students' eyes practically glistened with admiration, as if they could barely contain themselves from reaching out.

"...This is a special treat for you all—don't tell the others," Kasenhis said, his tone and demeanor mimicking a college professor giving out "bonus material."

The key difference was that while a university professor might genuinely favor one class, Kasenhis' hidden message was more along the lines of: "Go spread the word! Advertise for me! You're not getting free gold without putting in some effort! Tell all the students how cool your Professor is!"

The "gold" in question came in the form of small, perfectly crafted gold cubes, roughly an ounce each. Kasenhis effortlessly conjured them, ensuring every student in attendance received one.

As the cubes were handed out, the Weasley twins were the first to take a bite—literally—testing the authenticity of the gold.

Their reactions set off a cascade of excitement among the students. Kasenhis, in turn, was flooded with a stream of positive feedback.

[+10 Approval from Fred]

[+10 Approval from George]

[+10 Approval from Lee Jordan]

...and so on.

Kasenhis basked in the tide of appreciation until a notification caught his eye—one that made him freeze.

[+10 Admiration from Tracey]

Oh, Admiration?

His gaze immediately darted to Tracey, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned girl whose wide, sparkling eyes were now fixed 'adoringly' on him.

"…Oh no," Kasenhis muttered under his breath.

'No, no, no! Admiration is fine, it's just admiration! Nothing more!' Kasenhis mentally panicked.

Honestly, it was fortunate this was happening in Hogwarts. If this were the Muggle world, a young girl looking at him with such "admiration" wouldn't be aiming for his affection—she'd be aiming to lock him in some legal mess.

Terrifying.

The class flew by, and after it ended, the twenty or so students who had benefitted from Kasenhis' generosity lived up to expectations. They became walking, talking advertisements, spreading the news far and wide.

By the end of the day, every single person in Hogwarts—from the first-years to Dumbledore himself—had heard about the new Alchemy professor and his big giveaway.

This extravagant display of generosity had the students who had signed up for Alchemy glowing with satisfaction. Meanwhile, those who hadn't chosen Alchemy were left to wallow in regret, wishing they'd had the foresight to enroll.

Surely, there was a chance that Professor Kasenhis would be this generous again in their classes, right?

But the most devastated group was, undoubtedly, the other third-years who hadn't chosen Alchemy.

As for whether it was still possible to switch?

Come on, let's not kid ourselves.

You didn't need a brain to figure this out; even your toes could tell you that this golden giveaway was a first-class perk—a one-time, opening-day gift.

They had missed out on a solid ounce of gold.

"Unfair!"

Ron's anguished wail echoed down the halls.

Ron had been groaning about the Weasley twins' two solid gold blocks ever since he saw them—nonstop from afternoon until evening.

"They're your brothers! You don't need to be like this!" Harry awkwardly tried to comfort him.

"Harry, you don't understand! I can't bear to see them suffer, but I also can't bear to see them living it up being all smug! An ounce of pure gold! I've never even seen that in my life!"

This fear of his brothers struggling combined with a fear of them thriving was a unique sentiment that Harry could only respond to with an awkward chuckle.

To be fair, it wasn't that Ron had any malicious intent—not even jealousy, really. He was just... sour.

It's only human nature. We get it.

...

Meanwhile, Kasenhis sat in his office, deeply regretting his decisions.

He shouldn't have shown off in class. Look where it got him now—thanks to the chatterbox students, word had spread like wildfire.

Now the entire wizarding world knew about the Alchemy professor who had turned a lectern into solid gold.

"Which motherfucker's idea was that!?" <—His own Idea.

Still, everything had its pros and cons.

On the bright side, he now had a reputation. His name was firmly established in the magical community—his debut was a resounding success.

The golden lectern and those tiny gold cubes were undeniable proof of his incredible alchemical prowess. Just as McGonagall's mastery of Transfiguration defined her and Snape's excellence in Potions was his claim to fame, Kasenhis had earned his title as the wizarding world's go-to alchemist.

He was now one of Hogwarts' shining stars: Kasenhis, the master of Alchemy.

Of course there is a bad side.

Not to mention how easy it is to be kidnapped by criminals and dark wizards, he had also gotten many letters.

Speaking of the letter in front of him, it was from Gringotts.