HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

Kasenhis didn't hesitate to use Ender Pearls in the corridor, and within just a few breaths, he had arrived on the same floor as his office.

The four little ones were sitting off to the side near his office, chattering about something.

"What are you all doing here in the corridor?" Kasenhis called out to them playfully.

"Ah, uh... Professor Kasen, we came to... uh..."

"Haha~ Never mind, honestly, I'm happy to have you visit. Come on in," Kasenhis said, waving them toward the door as he opened it and ushered them inside.

He pulled out snacks and drinks from the cabinet and set them on the coffee table. He hadn't forgotten Dumbledore's earlier advice.

"Please wait a moment while I finish working on this. Of course, you're welcome to take a look if you're interested. In third year, you'll start choosing elective courses—perhaps you'd like to try alchemy," he suggested.

Putting on an air of focus, Kasenhis retrieved a massive Redstone lamp block from under his desk. With calculated brutality, he dismantled its casing and began tinkering with the myriad of Redstone circuits inside.

As expected, the four little ones quickly gathered around, their curiosity piqued.

"Why doesn't this type of alchemy rely on runes?" Hermione asked, her voice brimming with interest.

"Ever heard of an enchanting table? I prefer letting the enchanting table's effects replace the function of runes—it's more stable and durable," Kasenhis explained while dismantling the Redstone lamp.

"And what are these thin red strands?" Hermione asked again, her curiosity unrelenting.

Kasenhis was quite pleased with Hermione's enthusiasm. He held up a piece of Redstone in his hand.

"This is an alchemical material I created myself. I call it Redstone—it's a magical energy crystal that can partially substitute for magical circuits."

"The issue with this Redstone lamp is simple—there's a break in the Redstone circuit. That's one advantage Redstone circuits have over regular magical circuits. If this were a magical lamp, it would've exploded by now," Kasenhis added with a sly grin.

"Can this lamp still be fixed?" Ron leaned in, intrigued.

"Of course, it's simple. All you need to do is find where the circuit is broken and reconnect it."

"When Redstone touches a Redstone circuit, the circuit will light up. Sometimes, when I build large Redstone mechanisms with complex switches, and I don't feel like following the sequence, I just dismantle the casing like this," Kasenhis said as he stuck a small piece of Redstone to a broken section of the Redstone line closest to the lamp.

"But wouldn't this kind of Redstone alchemy be easily damaged?" Hermione asked, ever the critical thinker.

"That's why you add a casing."

"Oh... makes sense," Hermione said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Exactly." Kasenhis quickly fixed the Redstone lamp he had just dismantled, then turned his attention to the group.

"I'm guessing you all have some news to share with me?"

At this, Neville's excitement overflowed immediately.

"During flying lessons today, that Malfoy still hadn't learned his lesson and tried to bother me again. I taught him a real lesson! He put my Remembrall up in a tree, so I put him up in a tree!" 

Neville's face flushed with excitement as he spoke, looking every bit like a brave hero who had just vanquished a dragon.

"That's great, Neville. And I can tell you've regained your confidence. Believe me, when you go home for Christmas, your gran will be astonished by how much you've changed," Kasenhis said with a smile.

"Really? She will?" Neville asked, his eyes sparkling with hope.

"Absolutely," Kasenhis replied firmly, leaving no room for doubt. He also made a mental note to write a letter to Neville's grandmother. Purely oppressive education methods were unacceptable.

"And another thing—Harry successfully joined the Quidditch team! He's the youngest Seeker since the school was founded, personally approved by Professor McGonagall!" 

Neville continued sharing with Kasenhis, his enthusiasm making it clear that he could go on for hours about the day's events.

By the time the sun started to turn golden, the four students finally realized just how long they had been there. It was definitely time to leave.

"Oh, before you go, here's a small gift. I hope you don't mind. Maybe you can use this to make something interesting," Kasenhis said, waving his hand. Four fist-sized Redstone cubes appeared on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Professor!" x4

"Off you go. And although it might sound a little cliché, make sure to study well," Kasenhis said with a stretch as he loosened his joints before leaving the office and heading toward the Great Hall.

He'd heard there was lamb chops on the menu tonight—how could he not go and sample them?

Unlike events like the Opening Feast or Halloween Feast, where all the professors typically attended, regular meals often had an inconsistent lineup of staff present. Today, though, Kasenhis was surprised to see the usually elusive Professor Snape at the staff table.

"Good evening, Severus... though I suppose that greeting might sound a bit odd."

Snape shook his head. "I've encountered odder greetings..."

He glanced up and down the staff table to make sure no one was paying attention, particularly noting the vacant spot that should have been Quirrell's. After a moment of consideration, he asked, "Did Dumbledore tell you about Quirrell?"

"Not exactly. I figured it out on my own," Kasenhis replied.

Snape nodded slightly. "You're perceptive. The other day, I was in Hogsmeade picking up some potion ingredients when I saw you and Hagrid at the Hog's Head, drunk out of your minds. There was a man in black who seemed to be probing you both. Who was he?"

"I couldn't see his face clearly, but I'm pretty sure it was Quirrell. He was asking Hagrid about the three-headed dog and me about how to get past the piston door… Did he come to you?"

"No. A simple logic test like mine wouldn't require him to ask. If it did, he should seriously consider checking himself into St. Mungo's for a thorough evaluation," Snape replied with an unmistakable disdain for Quirrell in his tone.

"Yeah, fair point, uh…" Kasenhis trailed off mid-sentence.

"Dumbledore trusts me. He's told me that if necessary, I should give Quirrell a nudge in the right direction—tell him the correct answers," Snape explained, noticing Kasenhis's hesitation.

"It's not that I have much of an opinion about Quirrell—or Voldemort, for that matter. He's just another powerful and evil Dark wizard. But Dumbledore's faith in that prophecy? That's something else. I'm new here, but honestly, does he really believe a child like Harry can defeat Voldemort?"

"Prophecies… sometimes, they deserve a degree of reverence."

"Um..." Kasen was a little confused as to how to continue the topic, so he could only say dryly: "I always thought potions were a materialistic subject."

"It's not true." Snape was about to explain when he was interrupted by a commotion in the classroom below.