HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

Before Snape could say more, voices erupted from below.

"By the way, what's going on down there?" 

"They are talking about a Midnight duel between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Nothing worth watching," Snape replied coldly.

At this point, Kasenhis directed his gaze toward the source of the commotion. Unfortunately, the distance was too great to catch any of the words being exchanged.

Both sides had familiar faces. On Gryffindor's team were Harry, Neville, Ron, and Hermione. Kasenhis had thought, based on his earlier conversations with Harry and Neville, that their relationship with Hermione wasn't particularly strong. But it seemed like things had improved after Hermione helped Neville by suggesting they go to his office that time.

On the Slytherin side, the leader was Draco Malfoy. The other two students, Kasenhis didn't recognize.

Speaking of Draco Malfoy, his father, Lucius Malfoy, exuded a certain refined restraint and aloofness that screamed upper class.

But his son?

Draco was brimming with arrogance and ostentation.

Honestly, if the two didn't share such strikingly similar bone structure and identical hair, Kasenhis might have started to wonder…

No, he shouldn't wonder. That would be impolite.

"No one's stepping in to stop them?" Kasenhis asked Snape.

"They could, but there's no need. Slytherin and Gryffindor have been at each other's throats for centuries. This is minor. At most, it'll draw the attention of someone overly eager to meddle."

"There is a Meddler?"

"That Squib."

"…Mr. Filch? He's a Squib?"

"And a defiant one at that. Most of the salary Dumbledore has paid him over the years has gone to one scam artist after another, all claiming to have a cure for wealthy Squibs." Snape explained, uncharacteristically verbose.

"Got it." Kasenhis nodded. The little dinner drama hadn't caused even the slightest ripple.

As Kasenhis finished his meal and was about to head back to his office, Snape suddenly spoke.

"By the way, you'll need to join me in the corridor later. The harmless potion you mentioned last time—I've brewed it. It's a variant of the Draught of Living Death that works through air or skin contact. I need to load it into your alchemical contraption."

"No problem. Now?"

"Yes please."

The two left the Great Hall and headed straight for the corridor.

When they reached the empty classroom near their destination, a record player suddenly appeared in Kasenhis's hands, along with a stack of records fanned out like playing cards. He was flipping through them as if making a selection.

"What are you doing?" Snape asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hagrid said that playing music can put that three-headed dog to sleep. I'm picking a track."

"No need for that." Snape shook his head, drawing his wand and stepping forward without hesitation.

"It's just a beast, after all. A simple Stupefy shou—! Ahh!"

As soon as he opened the door, one of the heads bit him.

"Shit! I need music! MUSICA! MUSICA!" Kasenhis yelled, his voice cracking slightly under the strain of panic.

His eye twitched uncontrollably as he tossed the record player and records aside. With a swift motion, a block of obsidian materialized in his hand, splitting into three mid-air and crashing down heavily onto the three heads of the massive dog.

"Hisss... This beast bites faster than I expected," Snape muttered, rolling up his trouser leg to reveal a bloodied, torn wound on his shin.

"You were too careless," Kasenhis offered diplomatically, sparing Snape from having to voice his own embarrassment.

"Help me stand, will you?"

"Of course." Kasenhis grabbed Snape's shoulder, steadying him as the latter fished a small bottle of bright red potion from his pocket and poured it directly onto the wound.

"Do you have any bandages?" Snape asked curtly.

"Uh, this should do… though it's not exactly sterilized." Kasenhis pulled out a large piece of wool cloth, twisting and tugging it to form a makeshift bandage.

"That's fine." Snape took the cloth without protest, sprinkling some potion onto it before wrapping it tightly around his leg.

"Seems about right," Snape nodded, bending down to finish securing the makeshift bandage around his leg. Once he was satisfied, the two pressed on, steadily advancing through the various obstacles until they reached the final challenge.

It was yet another reminder of Hagrid's unique approach to setting up obstacles.

While the other professors, including Kasenhis, had designed their sections as something akin to a magical escape room for Quirrell or Harry to navigate, Hagrid's contribution was unabashedly aimed at outright eliminating any intruders.

Yes! Hagrid's earnestness was certainly commendable!

As the duo began loading the prepared potions into the dispensers, Kasenhis picked up one of the vials, turning it over in his hand with a curious expression.

"This potion?"

"Authentic," Snape confirmed with a slight smirk.

"Alright then. Although, honestly, I doubt these potions will even get a chance to come into play."

"They can always be retrieved later. Let's move," Snape replied, already heading toward the exit.

The two retraced their steps back to the room with the enormous three-headed dog. Kasenhis, ever cautious, took out a long feather and used it to test the massive creature's breathing.

To ensure the massive creature truly had three functioning sets of lungs, Kasenhis carefully tested all three heads for signs of breathing.

Only after confirming they were all alive did he breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, Hagrid was so fond of magical creatures that losing this big fellow would undoubtedly break his heart.

"Is your injury alright?" Kasenhis turned to look at Snape.

"The teeth of a three-headed dog are imbued with dark magic. Healing potions and dittany won't work. It'll have to heal on its own."

"Uh, do you want me to help? Maybe a wheelchair? Don't worry, completely magic-powered, no need for you to push the wheels yourself."

"No need," Snape said, his expression twitching slightly.

"Alright, but if you ever need anything, feel free to send a student my way—with a sealed envelope."

"... If I need anything, I'll let you know," Snape replied stiffly.

"Understood. Want me to help you back to your office?"

"Thank you, but I can manage."

With a face like thunder, Snape hobbled off on his own. Meanwhile, the two notifications of increased approval from Snape that popped up in Kasenhis' mind utterly betrayed the stoic persona the man was trying so hard to maintain.

"This is pure tsundere behavior," Kasenhis muttered in disbelief.

Back in his office, he glanced at the schedule propped up on his desk. No classes tomorrow—excellent. That meant he could stay up late tonight, or even skip sleep altogether.

Once again, he marveled at how cushy the life of a Hogwarts elective course professor was compared to the main subject professors, who juggled seven years of students across four houses, practically running full schedules every single day. Early mornings, back-to-back classes—nonstop.

Elective professors, on the other hand, lived the dream.

Since students could choose whether to take their courses, most years combined all four houses into a single class.

He only had four sessions a week. 

If Kasenhis wanted to push himself, he could cram all four sessions into one day and enjoy a six-day weekend. A glorious one-day-on, six-days-off arrangement.

But he hadn't dared to take that route. First, it would be exhausting. Second, pulling off a one-day workweek was bound to attract the attention of... certain unspeakable forces.

Specifically, Albus Dumbledore.

Kasenhis' imagination began to run wild, painting vivid mental images of Dumbledore's serene yet piercing gaze assigning him a mountain of additional tasks. 

With that ominous thought, he successfully talked himself out of the peaceful notion of spending the evening quietly listening to records in his office.