Kayson looked at Professor McGonagall with a smile, only for her to glare fiercely back at him. A teacher's authority instantly washed over him, and he immediately lowered his eyes.
"All right, what is it?" Dumbledore replaced the cups, poured two fresh cappuccinos, and pushed them over.
"We have an idea concerning an upgrade to Hogwarts' defensive system." Professor McGonagall proceeded to tell Dumbledore everything about how the Iron Golem had slaughtered the statues.
Dumbledore nodded.
"Of course, I have no objections. But that depends on Kayson. Can your magic support something like this?"
Kayson, who had been calmly sipping cappuccino in his chair, felt underestimated. If he used the same sales pitch from his Custom Workshop days, this was his first order since coming to Hogwarts. Guaranteed satisfaction!
And then...
That afternoon, as dusk settled over Hogwarts.
Kayson had just finished building an Iron Golem and equipping it with a greatsword when Hagrid came up behind him carrying an enormous paint bucket. The paint was transparent, and its main purpose was rust prevention.
Though Iron Golems were not afraid of rust, they still deserved proper respect.
"Kayson, are you all right?" Hagrid asked tentatively, watching Kayson's movements grow slower and slower.
"Me... I feel..." He looked up at the evening sky.
"I feel like the sun is green."
Though his abilities were not magic in the strictest sense, he possessed magic just like wizards did. Summoning blocks and Iron Golems both required magical power.
"Merlin's beard, you really need to rest. You've already made enough Iron Golems today. If this keeps up, I'm afraid you'll die here before classes even begin." Hagrid set down the paint bucket, firmly lifted Kayson up, and placed him on the Weapon Base in front of an Iron Golem to rest.
Hagrid sat down on the floor beside him, and then the two of them spotted a large black bat. No, it was Professor Snape passing by.
Snape saw them as well, along with the Iron Golems lining the path from the Hogwarts entrance and Great Hall all the way here. He immediately understood what the two had been doing.
With that in mind, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a bottle of bright blue potion.
"Mana Potion."
Kayson took the potion and drained it in one gulp. Only after feeling much better did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Wanting to return the favor, he placed a large square cauldron directly on the ground.
"I'm definitely not as skilled with potions as you are, so I don't know whether this cauldron is any good for brewing. Take a look first."
Snape crouched down, knocked on it, and inspected it.
"The materials are sturdy enough, but ordinary flames likely won't be able to heat it. Thank you for the thought."
"All right, then what about this? It's something I came up with on my own."
Kayson brought out a brewing stand. A glowing rod that constantly emitted heat stood in the center, with three potion bottle holders around it.
Snape's mouth twitched.
"Professor Heath, you are not like other people. Do not waste your time on potions."
"Okay, I'll keep your advice in mind."
Kayson waved lazily, still lacking energy.
Snape returned to his office. He did take the oversized cauldron with him, though. As he put it, perhaps it could be used to soak potion ingredients, since it truly was far too large.
Kayson patted Hagrid beside him.
"Are we continuing?"
"Until ten tonight, I possess endless strength."
"And after ten?"
"After ten is not a time humans should be working, Kayson. We should head back to our rooms, have a couple of drinks, and relax. Come over to my place tonight. I've got several pretty good bottles." Hagrid spoke cheerfully.
"Of course, I'd love to. Didn't expect you to know how to enjoy life."
"Of course I do. How could someone who doesn't know how to enjoy life plant pumpkins in front of their house... Oh, right, Kayson, those pumpkins... Can my pumpkins create those big fellows too?"
"I'm sorry, they can't."
"All right... You don't need to apologize to me."
"Okay."
Late that night...
Kayson could not drink alcohol. Or rather, he could not drink Hagrid's kind of alcohol.
If you can't find it by searching the book title, try searching for the author instead. It may have simply been renamed!
After all, judging by alcohol content, not one of the many bottles Hagrid brought out was below sixty percent.
In the Muggle World, this kind of pure hard liquor was used for mixing cocktails, yet Hagrid was pouring cup after cup down his throat.
Seriously, liquor this strong could be poured into an engine and make a car run, and then...
Forget it. He had accepted the drinking invitation, so even if he cried, he had to finish.
And so, with every cup he drank, Hagrid's favorability increased by 10. It seemed Hagrid really liked bold, uninhibited friends.
It continued like this until Hagrid sat beside Kayson, his fan-sized palm thumping Kayson's back over and over as hearty laughter filled his ears.
"I really... can't drink another drop."
The next day...
Kayson woke up groggily in Hagrid's bed. To be fair, despite his rough appearance, Hagrid was quite hygienic.
Hagrid himself was lying on the floor, half-conscious and still blowing bubbles from his mouth.
Kayson shook his head, waved his wand to control the little blocks, and placed Hagrid onto the bed. After dealing with the empty bottles, he quietly slipped out of Hagrid's hut.
After stepping outside, he took a deep breath. He still felt that the little hut was too small for Hagrid, so he waved his wand again and used the little blocks to leave a message by the door.
If you want to expand your house, come find me anytime. I'm a professional. —Kayson Heath
After finishing all that, he rubbed his aching head and returned to his office. He seemed to remember that Hagrid's satisfaction had maxed out last night, earning him a new block.
What was it again?
Ugh—his head hurt so badly that he had forgotten.
Even after returning to his office, his head remained muddled...
Knock, knock, knock...
"What is it?"
Snape led Kayson into his office.
"Strictly speaking, this is a bit beneath your talents, but Madam Pomfrey is on leave, so I can only come to you."
Before Kayson could finish speaking, Snape tossed him a potion.
"Hangover cure."
"Thanks."
After gulping down the hangover potion, his muddled head finally cleared. He also remembered the new block he had obtained last night.
A dark green pixelated sphere appeared in his hand, then vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Ender Pearl!"
He murmured joyfully to himself.
"As it happens, I also need your help with something related to brewing potions." Snape turned around after arranging his potion rack.
"I'm pretty much an outsider when it comes to potions, honestly."
"It is mainly an alchemy issue," Snape added.
"Tell me about it first."
"Brewing potions places extremely high demands on temperature. In the past, I had to control the flame's temperature while brewing the potion at the same time. Both require precision. When brewing certain advanced potions, I must devote my full attention to the task, so I would like you to customize a magical device capable of controlling temperature," Snape said.
"...A Muggle induction cooker."
"Hogwarts interferes with those things."
"Find an apprentice to help control the temperature."
"There are times when I am alone."
"I may have a solution... if I use Redstone... Wait for a while. I'll go back and design it, then come tell you."
Trust from Snape +10
"Thank you." A nearly imperceptible smile appeared on Snape's face.
"Tell me all your requirements while you're at it."
"No problem."
Before you continue