Kasenhis left quietly, keeping his contribution under wraps. As for why he only docked a symbolic forty points...
Well, he'd already prepared himself for this outcome. He just deducted enough for the gesture, as if taking more would magically change their behavior.
Returning to his office, he pulled out the Philosopher's Stone. He noticed its glow had dimmed slightly compared to when Dumbledore had handed it over, though the difference was marginal.
"If this keeps up, is it going to crumble into dust in my hands? Would Nicolas Flamel come after me for this?" he mused, placing the stone into his pocket. Then he retrieved a stack of parchment and began drafting the final exam.
Time flew by, and as the holidays approached, a conflicting mood swept through Hogwarts.
The younger students were caught between eagerly anticipating the break and dreading the looming exams.
Though to be honest, their fear of the finals wasn't too serious. At worst, they could fail, retake the exams next term, and move on. The idea that failing would result in being held back a year? That was nothing more than a scare tactic passed down among first-years. There hadn't been an actual repeat year at Hogwarts in ages.
But for the seventh-years, the atmosphere was entirely different.
These soon-to-graduate students, preparing to leave the safety of the school and enter the working world, were gripped by tension. For them, the thought of a holiday wasn't something to look forward to—it was something to fear.
After all, once the final exams ended, who knew when they would set foot in Hogwarts again?
The carefree students of the ivory tower were about to transform into adults burdened with responsibilities. The naïve, self-proclaimed rulers of the world would soon become jaded, bitter individuals contemplating the world's destruction.
In the seventh-year alchemy exam hall, Kasenhis collected all the test papers and tapped their edges neatly on the lectern.
"Hmm... what grades should I give you all? Go ahead, share your thoughts—I might even take them into consideration." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝕟𝕖𝕥
The students sitting below stayed mostly silent. Even after turning in their exams, none of them made a move to leave.
Seeing this, Kasenhis placed the stack of papers on the lectern, crossed his arms, and sighed. "Go on, leave already. You still have to prepare for your N.E.W.T.s. Although... I will, of course, give you grades so perfect you won't be able to refuse."
"Okay, Professor," said Charles Migg, the student sitting in the front row. He walked up to the lectern and gave Kasenhis a hug.
Some tear dripped from Migg's eyes.
"Relax," Kasenhis said, patting his back.
"You might feel sad now, but the moment you walk out of this classroom, you'll forget all about that sadness. You'll realize I was just a passing figure in your life, insignificant, not worth making a big deal over."
Kasen shrugged, accepting the farewell hug while trying to comfort the students.
"Actually, Professor, I will remember you—clearly! You won't just be a passing figure," Charles Migg said earnestly while wiping his eyes as he let go.
"Take it easy. There are only so many wizards in England. Who knows, one day you might see me at Diagon Alley buying ice cream. But even then, I'd like you to still call me 'Professor.' I'm quite fond of that title," Kasenhis replied with a grin.
"I will, Professor Kasenhis," came the response.
The next in line was Casley.
"Okay, don't cry too much after leaving Hogwarts."
"...And as for you—never mind, just return to your family and be... decent, I guess."
"Liam, you're Muggle-born. After leaving Hogwarts, make sure to protect yourself. The so-called discrimination inside Hogwarts is just child's play compared to the broader wizarding world. If you encounter danger, run. Stick with other Muggle-borns and don't try to fit into pure-blood circles. You might be eyeing their benefits, but they might be eyeing your life... And don't embarrass Ravenclaw, alright? Don't get scammed."
Standing at the lectern, Kasenhis bid farewell to one student after another. Once the last of them had left, he finally stretched his stiff back, returning to his office to start grading exams.
From third-year to seventh-year papers, Kasenhis worked tirelessly, finally finishing the last batch by evening. He double-checked the scores, sealed the exam papers, and placed them neatly on the corner of his desk.
The house-elves would come to collect them later and deliver them to Madam Pince for archiving in the library.
"Ugh... grading all those papers is not a job for mere mortals."
Standing up to stretch, he wandered around the office, gathering snacks and tea. He then grabbed a novel from the bookshelf and prepared to relax.
Setting the snacks, tea, and book on his desk, Kasenhis sank comfortably into his reclining chair, pressing the button to tilt it back as he began to read.
But then—crack—a sudden sound interrupted him. It came from his pocket. Specifically, from the Philosopher's Stone.
Quickly, he pulled it out. Ever since he'd gotten the real gem, it had been transferring its magical energy into his body in a strange, almost unsettling way.
The immense magic from the Philosopher's Stone didn't just increase Kasenhis's magical capacity but also unlocked new abilities for his MC blocks.
Nearly all the original blocks were now accessible, with the exception of a few cheat blocks and spawn eggs. Even potions had been unlocked, though it remained to be seen if they could rival those brewed by Snape.
At this point, the Philosopher's Stone seemed to have been completely drained of its magical energy. Its once crimson hue was gone, replaced by a pale white color, and it eventually crumbled into fine powder.
"The mighty Philosopher's Stone... reduced to dust," Kasenhis remarked with a sigh. He then noticed that some of the powder had come into contact with the novel he'd left on his desk.
To his surprise, the novel began to absorb the powder, merging with it until it transformed into a resplendent, golden book.
"What the...?" Kasenhis muttered, baffled.
He pulled out his wand and touched the remaining powder with its tip. Instantly, the powder seemed to crawl up the wand, traveling along the rosewood shaft before merging with its core.
The powder was now split—half absorbed by the wand, half by the book.
Interestingly, the absorption seemed to have a positive effect. At least, that's what Kasenhis thought as he inspected the wand. It felt... different. Not damaged, but as though it had gained new abilities, yet lacked the necessary components to fully realize them.
Setting the wand aside, he picked up the golden book.
When he opened it to the first page, he was greeted not by traditional text, but by an expanse resembling a starry sky.
"Merlin's beard... Is this... this is like Thaumcraft!"
(≧∇≦)ﾉRead two weeks ahead of WN: