"Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"…Hm? You know me?" Kaison asked, surprised.
"As a member of Hogwarts' Board of Governors, it's my duty to know every professor at the school, such as the new Alchemy Professor, Mr. Kaison Heath," Lucius said with measured politeness.
"Oh, well, pleased to meet you too," Kaison replied, keeping up the courtesies.
"Here's my card. It has the address for Malfoy Manor. You're welcome to visit," Lucius said, handing over an emerald-green card.
"I'll keep that in mind."
The two exchanged pleasantries for a bit longer before Kaison left Flourish and Blotts. The Malfoy father and son remained in the shop, browsing books.
Draco, flipping through some titles, suddenly spoke up. "Father, I've never heard of the Heath family."
"You're wondering why I'm extending goodwill to someone who might be Muggle-born?" Lucius responded.
"Yeah."
"Dumbledore says this Kaison Heath was trained under the old apprenticeship system. Whether he's Muggle-born or not is still unclear. From what I've found, he's an orphan, so it's not certain he's Muggle-born."
"Besides, his alchemical prowess is truly remarkable. That alone is enough for me to overlook his blood status. Pure-blood status matters because it brings tangible benefits. But if the title of pure-blood ceases to yield advantages and might even bring disaster…"
Lucius paused, waiting for Draco to fill in the blank, but…
"…"
"If that title no longer brings us profit or prestige, we let it fade into transparency. If it brings danger, we abandon it altogether."
"It's never about the so-called purity of blood—it's about real, concrete benefits. Understand?" Lucius laid out the full answer himself.
Draco was silent for a moment before nodding, though whether he truly grasped it was anyone's guess.
Meanwhile, at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, Kaison arrived late to find Harry waiting on a small sofa.
"Sorry, kept you waiting long?"
"No worries. Where's Hagrid?" Harry asked, standing with a smile.
"Haven't seen him. Said he was off to Knockturn Alley or something," Kaison said, shaking his head.
"Let's go find him. I think I saw a sign for Knockturn Alley earlier."
"Sounds good. I'm game. Let's go."
They found the narrow path leading to Knockturn Alley. The street was sparsely populated, with only a few disheveled wizards huddled in corners.
Soon, the path ended, and Knockturn Alley stretched out before them. Its layout wasn't much different from Diagon Alley, but it was far quieter, steeped in an eerie stillness and a chilling menace.
"Doesn't look like a nice place. What's Hagrid doing here?" Kaison muttered, wrinkling his nose. He didn't like the lifeless, clearly shady vibe.
"Is that Hagrid?" Harry suddenly pointed. Kaison followed his gaze, and sure enough, Hagrid's massive frame was unmistakable.
Problem was, he seemed to be in a bit of trouble. Three black-robed dark wizards had him surrounded, looking like they were threatening him.
"Stay behind me, and don't wander off," Kaison told Harry. Still uneasy, he summoned an Ender Pearl and handed it to him. "If things get dangerous, smash this."
With that, he led Harry toward Hagrid.
"Hagrid, what's the problem?" Kaison called out from a distance.
"How'd you two get here? Honestly, I had it under control," Hagrid said, turning to see Kaison and Harry approaching, a touch embarrassed.
"This ain't your business, pretty boy. Trust me, you don't want a taste of dark magic," one of the dark wizards growled in a raspy voice.
"I'll say it once: get lost now, and you won't get hurt," Kaison said with a shrug, not slowing his pace.
"Looking for death, kid? Crucio!"
A sickly green curse shot toward Kaison, only to be cleanly blocked by a sudden obsidian slab.
"Hey, leave my friends alone! Come at me!" Hagrid, seeing one of the dark wizards attack Kaison, pulled out his wand—well, his pink umbrella—but a Disarming Charm sent it flying before he could act.
Out of options, Hagrid resorted to his fists. But, honestly, dark wizards weren't Hogwarts students—fists didn't pack the same punch as a well-aimed curse.
"You three are done for today! That's our word!" the dark wizard who'd attacked Kaison barked arrogantly.
"Dark magic, huh? Like that's so special!" Kaison's brows furrowed. A Wither Skeleton Skull appeared in his hand, and with a plume of ominous black smoke, it rocketed toward the dark wizard.
The wizard, seeing wandless, wordless dark magic cast so effortlessly, froze in shock.
Dark magic? Wandless? Wordless?
This guy was trouble.
Oh… he was done for.
The Wither Skull exploded against his chest with a boom. The last time a Wither Skull went off, it was Kaison himself who'd taken the hit, but it had recognized its master and spared him from meeting Notch. This dark wizard had no such luck.
The explosion, combined with the Wither effect, snuffed out his life instantly.
The other two dark wizards attacking Hagrid realized Kaison was a serious threat and bolted.
As they tried to Apparate, a second Wither Skull took out the one farther from Hagrid. The one closer was struck by a dark green beam.
As the beam shattered, Kaison appeared right in front of him, driving a pale purple sword through his chest.
"You alright, Hagrid?" Kaison asked, pulling the sword free as the body slumped to the ground. The blade vanished from his hand.
"I'm… fine. Didn't know you were that good! Thought you were just an alchemist, haha!" Hagrid said, picking up his umbrella wand and scratching his head.
At the same time, waves of trust from Hagrid and Harry flooded into Kaison.
[Trust from Hagrid +10]
[Trust from Hagrid +10]
[Trust from Hagrid +10]
[Trust from Harry +10]
[Trust from Harry +10]
[Trust from Harry +10]
[MC Block Upgrade: New Block Acquired – Primed TNT]