Kaison shot a cheeky grin at Professor McGonagall, who returned a fierce glare, her teacherly authority hitting him like a tidal wave. Instantly, he lowered his eyes, focusing intently on his own nose.
"Alright, what's this about?" Dumbledore asked, swapping out two cups and sliding over fresh cappuccinos.
"We have an idea—about upgrading Hogwarts' defense system," McGonagall said, proceeding to recount, in vivid detail, how Kaison's Iron Golem had obliterated the stone statue.
Dumbledore nodded. "Of course, I have no objections. But it depends on Kaison. Can your magic sustain such a task?"
Sipping his cappuccino calmly, Kaison felt underestimated. If he were still running his custom home renovation business, he'd call this his first order at Hogwarts. Piece of cake!
And then…
Afternoon, Hogwarts at dusk.
Kaison had just finished constructing another Iron Golem, equipping it with a greatsword. Behind him, Hagrid lugged a massive bucket of paint—transparent, meant to prevent rust. Not that Iron Golems rusted, but respect was respect.
"Kaison, you alright?" Hagrid asked tentatively, watching Kaison's movements slow.
"Me? I feel…" He glanced up at the dusk sky. "I feel like the sun's green."
"It's like… this weird, empty feeling. Hard to explain." Kaison genuinely didn't know how to describe it. He couldn't exactly say his experience bar was drained, nor did he know if Hogwarts had a McDonald's to top him up and restore some XP.
"Good heavens, you need rest. You've made enough Iron Golems for today. Keep going like this, and I'm afraid you'll drop dead before classes even start," Hagrid said, setting down the paint bucket. He hoisted Kaison onto the weapon stand in front of the Iron Golem, forcing him to rest.
Hagrid plopped down on the ground nearby. Then they both spotted a large black bat—no, wait, it was just Professor Snape passing by.
Snape noticed them, along with the trail of Iron Golems stretching from the Great Hall to where they sat, and quickly pieced together what they were up to. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of azure potion.
"Mana potion," he said.
"Oh! Experience bottle!" Kaison translated automatically, downing it in one gulp. Feeling a bit better, he let out a sigh of relief.
In a gesture of reciprocity, he placed a perfectly square cauldron on the ground. "I'm nowhere near as skilled as you with potions, so I don't know if this cauldron's any good for them. Take a look."
Snape crouched down, inspecting it with a few taps. "Solid craftsmanship, but regular flames would struggle to heat it. Thanks for the thought, though."
"Alright, how about this? Something I came up with on my own." Kaison pulled out a brewing stand, with a glowing rod radiating constant heat in the center and three potion bottle slots.
Snape's mouth twitched. "Professor Heath, you're different. Don't waste your time on potions."
"Got it. I'll keep your advice in mind." Kaison waved dismissively, still low on energy.
Snape returned to his office, taking the oversized cauldron with him. As he'd said, it might be useful for soaking potion ingredients—it was just too big for much else.
Kaison patted Hagrid's shoulder. "Keep going?"
"Before ten p.m., I've got infinite energy."
"And after ten?"
"After ten, it's not a time for humans to be working. Kaison, that's when we should head back to our rooms, have a couple of drinks. Come to my place tonight—I've got some decent bottles," Hagrid said cheerfully.
"Sure, sounds great. Didn't peg you as someone who enjoys the finer things."
"Of course! People who don't enjoy life don't plant pumpkins in their front yard… Speaking of, Kaison, those pumpkins… Could mine make one of these big guys?"
"Sorry, no can do."
"Alright, no need to apologize."
"OK."
Midnight…
Kaison didn't drink—or rather, he couldn't handle Hagrid's kind of drinking. If you measured by alcohol content, none of the bottles Hagrid pulled out were below 60 proof. In the Muggle world, that kind of liquor was for mixing cocktails, but Hagrid was downing it glass after glass.
Really, pour that stuff into an engine, and you could probably get a car moving. And yet…
He'd agreed to this drinking session, so he had to see it through, even if it killed him.
With every glass, Hagrid's goodwill spiked by +10. Clearly, he liked bold drinking buddies.
It went on like this until Hagrid, now sitting beside Kaison, slapped his back with massive hands—thump, thump, thump—his hearty laughter echoing in Kaison's ears.
"I really… can't drink another drop."
Thud!
The next day…
Kaison groggily woke up on Hagrid's bed. Say what you will, Hagrid might look rough around the edges, but he kept things surprisingly clean. Hagrid himself was sprawled on the floor, mumbling and blowing bubbles in his stupor.
Kaison shook his head, waved his wand to maneuver tiny blocks, and lifted Hagrid onto the bed. He cleared away the empty bottles and tiptoed out of Hagrid's hut.
Stepping outside, he took a deep breath, feeling the hut was far too small for someone like Hagrid. With a flick of his wand, he used blocks to leave a message by the door:
[If you want to expand your house, come find me. I'm a professional. —Kaison Heath]
After that, he rubbed his throbbing head and returned to his office. Last night, he vaguely recalled Hagrid's satisfaction maxing out, unlocking a new block for him.
What was it again?
Ugh—his head was killing him, and he couldn't remember.
Back in his office, his head still foggy…
Knock, knock, knock…
"What's up?"
Snape ushered Kaison into his office. "This might be beneath your talents, but with Madam Pomfrey on holiday, you're my only option."
Before Kaison could respond, Snape tossed him a potion vial.
"Hangover cure."
"Thanks."
Gulp, gulp, gulp. Downing the potion, his foggy head finally cleared, and he remembered the new block from last night.
A dark green pixelated orb appeared in his hand, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"Ender Pearl!" he murmured, thrilled.
"Perfect timing—I need your help with something potion-related," Snape said, turning after organizing his potion shelves.
"I'm a total amateur with potions, honestly."
"It's more about alchemy," Snape clarified.
"Go on."
"Brewing potions requires precise temperature control. I usually manage the flame's heat while brewing, both delicate tasks. For high-end potions, I need complete focus. I'd like you to design a magical device that can regulate temperature," Snape explained.
"…A Muggle electric stove?"
"Hogwarts interferes with those."
"Get an apprentice to control the heat?"
"I'm often alone."
"I might have an idea… If I use redstone… Give me some time to work on it, and I'll let you know."
[Trust from Severus Snape +10]
"Thanks." A faint, almost imperceptible smile crossed Snape's face.
"Tell me your requirements too."
"No problem."