44: Hermes Medal
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After sending the four little ones on their way, Kasenhis finally found himself with a bit of free time.
At least for now, the only thing on his agenda was escorting the fourth-year students to receive their award.
Time flew by, and the weekend arrived in the blink of an eye.
When Kasenhis woke up in the morning, he noticed a set of Portkeys by his bedside, accompanied by a letter from the European Alchemy Exchange Association.
The language in this letter was even more cordial than the last one, a clear indication of how fond the Association's bigwigs were of someone like Kasenhis, who threw out groundbreaking theses like candy.
By evening, Kasenhis had gathered the fourth-year students once again, making them stand in a neat line for his personal inspection of their attire and presentation.
Soon, Kasenhis found himself at the Ministry of Magic's grand banquet hall.
Scanning the room filled with reporters, he was pleased to note the absence of one particular individual—Rita Skeeter.
Or rather, ever since the incident, her public appearances had been limited to a brief, terse statement in The Daily Prophet, mentioning her indefinite leave of absence.
"That's truly for the best... I really don't like her, honestly," Kasenhis remarked, leaning against one of the enormous Roman-style support columns and chatting with none other than Ollivander.
Indeed, as the head of England's sole wand-making dynasty, Ollivander's presence here was anything but surprising.
"Agreed," Ollivander replied with a polite smile. "Oh, by the way, besides the award ceremony today, there's also going to be a knighting ceremony for you. We all agreed to keep it a surprise."
"Does that mean I'll be getting another title to add to the collection?"
"Not just one, but two," Ollivander said with a calm smile.
"One is the Hermes Medal—Hermes, as you know, is the legendary founder of alchemy. It's the highest honor in the field of alchemy. The other is the Order of Merlin, though I didn't dig into the details. Ever since a certain Black bought a First-Class Medal with gold, the prestige of the Order of Merlin has taken a nosedive."
"Some even see receiving the Order of Merlin as a disgrace. Of course, not all of this can be blamed on Black—it's mostly on the Ministry of Magic," Ollivander explained leisurely, laying out the context.
"I see, I see..." Kasenhis replied, nodding slowly.
Before long, following a brief and efficient award ceremony, Kasenhis found himself being nudged onto the stage by Ollivander.
"You know I'm not great at public speaking," Kasenhis said, glancing sideways.
"Then don't speak. There aren't many alchemists who are good at it anyway."
"…Fair point," Kasenhis admitted, shrugging.
...
The next morning, Kasenhis stepped out wearing the dark red wizard robe Neville had gifted him. The fabric was light and soft, so much so that it felt like wearing nothing at all—of course, that was the sensation, not the appearance.
Pinned proudly to his chest was the Hermes Medal. The emblem didn't have a fixed color; instead, it shimmered with a subtle glow, resembling a slow, mesmerizing flow of molten lava.
Looks good!
Feeling confident, Kasenhis struck a brief pose before heading out of his office, making his way toward the classroom.
Today's lesson was with the third-year students. Kasenhis had already covered the basics of alchemy with them; it was time to give them a little project. Something like figuring out how to use basic alchemy to create a Totem of Undying.
Of course, that was an exaggeration—he wasn't that demanding.
...
In the Classroom
Kasenhis stood at the lectern. "Now that you've learned the fundamental rules of alchemy, I have a small, simple project for you. Don't worry, it's straightforward."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands. Out of nowhere, a glowing blue block appeared on the table.
The base was made of obsidian, topped with a radiant blue core encased in a crystalline shell.
"Let me show you just how incredible this little guy is," he said, gesturing for the students to step back.
The students immediately got the message. Chairs screeched and desks slid as they pushed themselves and their belongings to the edges of the room.
With a flick of his wrist, Kasenhis produced iron blocks. In no time, he had built a small iron pyramid in the center of the room. He placed the beacon on top and inserted an emerald into its slot.
In an instant, the beacon released a brilliant beam of milky white light that shot straight into the ceiling.
"Do you feel anything?" he asked, his tone expectant.
The students exchanged confused looks, clearly unsure. Kasenhis scratched his chin awkwardly.
"You might want to try jumping," he suggested.
And so they did.
Fred and George Weasley, always up for a challenge, crouched low and jumped with all their might.
The next thing they knew, their heads smacked against the ceiling in a very intimate encounter.
Bonk.
Let me get a picture!
Slightly blurry.
"Alright, thanks to the Weasley gentlemen for their demonstration," Kasenhis said with a smile. "This device, which I've named the 'Beacon,' can provide various enhancements within a certain range. For example, it can make you jump higher or run faster."
"Of course," he continued, "it also has other, more powerful effects, such as quicker magic recovery, stronger spell potency, and even increased resilience."
As he finished explaining, one of the Weasley twins raised his hand.
"Go ahead," Kasenhis gestured.
"Professor, why not switch it to another effect?"
"Because that requires a more precious base—things like gold blocks, diamond blocks, emerald blocks, or alloy blocks," Kasenhis replied, shrugging. "And I have to take into account Hogwarts' structural integrity..."
He paused dramatically, then added, "Unless you're suggesting we let my alchemical creation crash through the floor and accidentally squish Professor Snape downstairs."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
The classroom burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the walls.
"But I don't think it's necessary. Even though Snape always looks like he's crying, he's really not worthy of death."
"oh..."
It was a strange sound of disappointment...
Unsurprisingly, the loudest sigh came from the Weasley twins.
"Alright," Kasenhis continued, "let's get back on track. I'll first explain the structure of this object. You'll have the rest of this semester to write a comprehensive theoretical paper on it. Your paper will contribute directly to your final grades."
"Of course, this thing is incredibly complex," he added, holding up the beacon. "I don't expect you to fully unravel its mysteries in just half a term. As long as your paper is thoughtful and well-argued, I'll give you credit."
He leaned forward slightly and warned, "And remember—no plagiarism. Believe me, I'll meticulously review every paper. If I notice any… uncanny similarities, such as what I might expect from the Weasley twins…"
His eyes flicked toward the pair, who suddenly sat up straighter.
"…I'll personally invite you to my office for an in-depth discussion about your research methodology."
The class chuckled nervously.
"Now," Kasenhis said, clapping his hands together, "close your books and gather around. I'll show you the inner workings of this beacon."
As the students moved closer, Kasenhis casually pulled out a metal mallet.
"Wait, Professor," a hesitant voice piped up. "Isn't that… a little violent?"
"Violent? Nah, not at all."
CLANG!
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