Chapter 27: 27: Poor Filch
Kasenhis sighed with regret. He really enjoyed listening to music, but for now, he had no choice but to leave his office and wander the castle like a student sneaking out after hours.
Unfortunately, Filch didn't bother to chase after professors when patrolling for nighttime wanderers. That robbed Kasenhis of the thrill of outsmarting the cantankerous caretaker.
On his way, he considered using a torch to light his path. But then he remembered that other wizards typically used dignified light spells like Lumos. His burning pixel torch just didn't have the same flair.
After a moment of thought, he summoned a glowing block of Glowstone to float around him instead. Now that had style.
Kasenhis made his way to the library. Unlike during the day, the place was devoid of its usual bustle. Without Madam Pince's hawk-like gaze scanning for rule-breakers, it felt almost... relaxing.
Glowstone circling him like an ethereal lantern, Kasenhis headed straight for the Restricted Section. After all, he had earned his spot at Manchester University through sheer capability—his study skills were no joke. At this point, the ordinary alchemy books in the library couldn't keep up with him anymore.
Of course, part of it was sheer boredom. Aside from alchemy, he couldn't learn any other magic!
His unique powers meshed perfectly with alchemy, but most other magical subjects at Hogwarts were beyond him—unless he could recreate them using blocks. If Hogwarts' magic curriculum weren't so easily replicated by his creations, he'd have given up long ago.
But who knew?
Maybe in the future, he'd raise his approval rating high enough with the castle itself to unlock a personal mod. Perhaps even command blocks? By then... "Ku Ku Ku Ku~"
Cack! Cack! Cack!
"Who's there?"
A raspy, quavering voice echoed from the distance, startling Kasenhis out of his musings.
"It's me, Kasenhis, Alchemy Professor. Are you Mr. Filch?" Kasenhis waved his hand, and the Glowstone block floated to his chest, illuminating his face.
"It's Professor His. Please don't laugh so creepily next time," Filch replied dryly.
"I'll keep that in mind. Am I disturbing your work?"
Kasenhis spoke politely.
"No, not at all." Filch, carrying his dim lantern, maneuvered through row after row of bookshelves until he finally appeared in front of Kasenhis.
"I just needed to confirm it's really you. Some cheeky little wizards like to mimic professors' voices to fool me. As long as you're the real deal, there's no issue."
"Hard work as always," Kasenhis nodded and then noticed the faint glow of Filch's lantern. Rubbing his fingers together, he conjured a finely crafted wrought-iron lantern in his hand.
"This is our first proper meeting. Consider this a little gift. It's an alchemical creation—no need for fuel, and it'll shine like this indefinitely."
"For me? Not some prank?" Filch looked at the pristine lantern, just inches away, with disbelief. A genuine alchemical artifact? He could hardly believe his ears.
"People play pranks on you?" Kasenhis frowned.
"More often than you'd think. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin—those mischievous little wizards are always at it. A candy that looks tasty but leaves your lips swollen for a week, or a shiny trinket that zaps you with a jolt of electricity—too many to count." Filch shrugged, trying to appear indifferent as he recounted his misfortunes.
"You should talk to their respective Heads of House about this. And for the record, I have no intention of making fun of you," Kasenhis said as he handed the lantern to Filch.
"Oh... thank you, Professor."
[Respect from Filch +10]
[Satisfaction from Filch +10]
[Respect from Filch +10]
[Trust from Filch +10]
[Trust from Filch +10]
[Trust from Filch +10]
Kasenhis stared at the cascade of positive feedback notifications and found himself momentarily speechless.
The man before him, Filch, might not lack for necessities, but it was clear he didn't receive equal respect.
For something as simple as a lantern to spark such overwhelming gratitude—it was a little heartbreaking.
What a poor guy.
"Professor, are you here to catch students out for a midnight stroll?" Filch asked cautiously.
"Ah, no," Kasenhis replied, shaking his head. "I just came to read. Couldn't sleep tonight."
"Then I won't disturb you. I've never met you before, but you must be an exceptional wizard. If you're ever curious about the odd rooms or secret passageways in this castle, just let me know," Filch offered.
"I will. Thank you."
"Hmm..." Filch nodded, holding his shiny new lantern, and walked away from the library. Kasenhis watched his retreating figure, noticing how the man's gait seemed lighter, almost rejuvenated.
"...Filch, you might want to consider buying a Foe-Glass. It could help you avoid pranks from the mischievous students and maybe even notice the ones who mean well," Kasenhis called out as a parting suggestion.
"I will, Professor," Filch replied.
After spending some time in the restricted section of the library, Kasenhis found himself immersed in a book titled Forbidden Alchemy.
How to put it?
The depth of the alchemical knowledge wasn't exceptionally advanced, but the methods described within were undoubtedly sinister.
The most disturbing section?
Blood and flesh alchemy.
It detailed methods of fusing organic matter with alchemical creations.
In some distant future, perhaps forty millennia ahead, this might be referred to as "wetware."
But that was just a fleeting storm of thoughts in his mind. What truly piqued his interest was another segment: the integration of alchemical constructs into living tissue, granting the host the abilities of the construct.
This was something Kasenhis found particularly compelling and, more importantly, feasible without an overwhelming amount of effort.
His other blocks—like the explosive TNT—didn't even resemble traditional explosives anymore. They just looked like glowing cubes, controlled telekinetically to fly toward their target. Similarly, wither skeleton skulls operated in the same way, their attack mechanics akin to black magic. Both were excellent for dealing with enemies.
Other blocks, when compared to standard magical spells, performed just as efficiently.
But the one thing he truly wanted to integrate into his body was the Ender Pearl.
Ender Pearls required being thrown and shattered to activate their teleportation ability. This process was fraught with vulnerability—interruptions by obstacles were tolerable, but the idea of being intercepted mid-throw by a Killing Curse? That was an entirely different kind of problem.
Wouldn't that essentially turn into a flash to the grave scenario?
But if the book before him could truly help him integrate an Ender Pearl into his body—granting him the teleportation ability of an Enderman, allowing instant movement to any location—it would be revolutionary!
It was practically the same as Hogwarts' taught Apparition.
However, unlike Apparition, this method posed no risk of Splinching, nor would it be hindered by Anti-Disapparition spells.
If this worked, it would be perfect!
"Ku Ku Ku—ehm.. yup, that laugh sounds disturbing..."
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