HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

The three exchanged awkward glances.

"Well, it's my magical fire, after all—takes a bit more effort," Kasenhis said, trying to cover for the situation.

"OK… whooo~~!" Harry took a deep breath and blew hard.

With quick reflexes, Kasen yanked the torch out of the cake and replaced it with a small wooden stick.

"..."

"..."

Another round of awkward glances ensued.

Clap clap clap clap clap clap!

It was the sound of applause to celebrate Harry's birthday.

The cake was left for Harry to enjoy at his own pace, while Kasen stood up and walked toward the corner where the trembling Dursley family huddled.

Yet another round of awkward glances—this time between Kasen and the four Dursleys.

"I overheard you arguing with Hagrid earlier, saying that Dumbledore didn't explain anything when he left Harry with you. Was there anything else besides Harry himself?"

Mr. Dursley, using his large frame to shield his wife Petunia and son Dudley, shook his head vigorously.

"What about any foster support payments?"

"None."

"That's definitely an oversight on Dumbledore's part…" Kasen said, glancing back at Harry, who was eating cake with tears streaming down his face.

"I believe this compensation should suffice for raising Harry for eleven years. After all, I don't think you've contributed much to his well-being materially, and emotionally… well, I don't think there's much there either. Forgive my bluntness, but it's the truth," Kasen said, as a one-kilogram gold cube suddenly appeared in his hand.

He placed it on the ground. Honestly, he had no idea about the current gold prices, but to him, gold was practically worthless.

"You're being too kind to them," Hagrid muttered as he witnessed the scene.

"What else should I do? Use a spell to wipe them all out here?"

"No, no, nothing that extreme."

"If you're full, stop eating. Get dressed—we're leaving," Kasen said to Harry as he pulled his hood back over his head.

"This is all I have. I just need to put on my shoes," Harry said, wiping the cream off his face.

"See? I told you that gold was too much," Hagrid grumbled, still fuming.

"Let it go, Hagrid… And as for you," Kasen said, turning to the Dursleys, "that gold is real. Don't worry, it's not some illusion to trick you. This is your last chance—if it's too much, I won't take it back; if it's too little, I'll make up the difference. But once I leave, the deal's off."

"...No, no… it's fine, p-please just leave.." Vernon stammered.

"Mm-hmm. Let's go."

The three of them climbed onto the motorcycle, with Harry sitting snugly in the middle between Hagrid and Kasen.

Seeing the thin boy in front of him, barely reaching his chest, Kasen took off his raincoat and draped it over Harry's shoulders.

[+10 Favorability from Harry]

[+10 Favorability from Harry]

Kasen didn't care much about the favorability points; he was genuinely worried that the cold night air might harm an eleven-year-old child. Besides, he still had a trench coat underneath, whereas Hagrid, without his big coat, would be left with just his shirt.

"Thanks," Harry said softly from his seat in front.

"No problem. Hagrid, let's pick up the pace."

By early dawn, the three of them, now a bit weary, had switched from the subway to a taxi and finally arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

It wasn't because of any mishaps, like Muggles spotting them flying on the motorcycle, but simply because the motorcycle wasn't powerful enough. A giant and an adult wizard were likely its limit. Adding Harry on top of that? It was too much to ask of the poor bike.

If Kasen hadn't placed blocks across the sea surface the previous night, they'd probably still be floating in the water. None of the three could Apparate, and while the Ender Pearls could provide short-distance teleportation, they were only useful for enhancing mobility in combat—not for long-distance travel.

The three entered the Leaky Cauldron, where the patrons stared curiously at Harry. At the same time, Kasen took the opportunity to observe the pub.

Unfortunately, it wasn't particularly magical—Hogwarts was still the most magical place in all of England and Scotland.

Hagrid exchanged pleasantries with the patrons for a while but eventually found himself unable to extricate them from the crowd. He cast a pleading look at Kasen for help.

"How about you take Harry to Diagon Alley to buy some things? His school supply list is in his acceptance letter. Thanks a bunch—I'll just have a few drinks and then come find you."

Kasen shrugged. "Sure, no problem."

Confidently, he led Harry toward the pub's back door, emerging into a small courtyard…

"But... Where's Diagon Alley?" he muttered, bewildered.

"You don't know either?" Harry asked curiously, looking up at him.

"Uh… yeah, no need to be so formal. I'm pretty much like you—I've never been to Diagon Alley either."

Harry nodded and pressed his ear to the wall.

"Could it be behind this wall? I hear a lot of noise coming from the other side."

"Maybe. Step back," Kasen said, pulling Harry away from the wall. He then gently knocked on the bricks with his knuckles. With two thunk-thunk sounds, a 1m x 2m hole suddenly appeared in the wall.

"Hurry, hurry, let's go in before someone accuses us of vandalizing public property!" Kasen exclaimed, hastily pulling Harry into Diagon Alley. Within seconds, the two of them were strolling through the alley, curiously taking in their surroundings as if nothing had happened.

They eventually remembered their purpose. Kasen took the acceptance letter, scanned it, and said, "A wand, a cauldron, robes… wow, so many things. Let's start with the wand."

He looked around the shop signs in Diagon Alley until he spotted the only one related to wands.

"Follow me."

The two entered Ollivanders' Wand Shop. Harry looked around curiously at the walls filled with countless wands, while Kasen was equally intrigued. However, he decided to take a more hands-on approach, comparing the wands on display to the one in his hand.

"That wand… rosewood with phoenix tail feather. Who made it? It doesn't match the style of any of the three major European wandmakers."

An elderly man with silver hair emerged from behind a shelf, his gaze fixed on the wand in Kasen's hand.

"This one? Dumbledore gave me a feather, and I used rosewood to make it myself," Kasen replied, turning to face the man, who he assumed to be the shopkeeper. Feeling a bit awkward, he placed back the wand he had picked up and offered an explanation.

Ollivander studied Kasen's youthful face and nodded. "You have impressive alchemical talent."

"Mm-hmm."

"Which family are you from? I don't recall seeing you before."

"Uh, I was a Muggle."

"Were you in Britain before?"

"Yes, but I didn't attend Hogwarts."

"Durmstrang? Or Beauxbatons?"

"Uh… self-taught."

"I see… Have you found work yet?"

"I've got one—Alchemy Professor at Hogwarts."

"I could offer you a… ah?" Ollivander's words came to an abrupt halt, as if he had suddenly choked on them.

"Never mind that. Mr. Potter, we finally meet," he said, quickly switching to a warm smile as he turned his attention to Harry, who was standing behind Kasen.

"Come on young man, don't be shy."

"Alright, go pick out your wand. I'll wait for you here," Kasen said, patting Harry on the back.