HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

"Yes, the second-floor south corridor. I remember seeing Mr. Longbottom there."

"Were there other children?" McGonagall asked.

"Were there?" Kasen glanced at Neville. Seeing Neville was going to deny and say that he just tripped Kasen decided to have a different approach.

"Oh, yes.. I remember seeing a few running after being defeated by Mr. Longbottom... so there were others, right?"

"Mhm" Neville nodded and Kasen smiled a little.

"Please forgive me, I didn't quite catch which house those students belonged to."

"Slytherin," Neville supplied quietly.

"How many were there at the time?"

"Three."

"Got it. I also remember that..." 

And so, Kasen carefully guided Neville, question by question, until the boy had recounted the full story.

Of course, the truth had been enhanced with a touch of dramatic flair—Neville valiantly standing alone against three opponents, only to suffer an honorable defeat. 

Naturally, Kasen had "happened upon the scene" and promptly dragged Neville to Professor McGonagall's office, as opposed to Neville hiding in a stairwell crying—ehm—tending to his wounds like a lone wolf. 

Kasen posed as a detective, asking everything and writing Neville's response.

Like that, an inconspicuous sheet of parchment detailing the actual events had found its way into McGonagall's hands. 

She listened to the "heroic" version of events while reading the more grounded account on the parchment. 

Soon enough, she sighed and said, "Feel free to make yourself comfortable here, Professor Kasen. Mr. Longbottom, come with me." 

With that, she led Neville out of the office. 

And Kasen…

Apparently, Professor McGonagall had mentioned something about waiting for a while? Maybe there was more to address. He decided to stay put for now.

Before long, McGonagall returned to her office.

"Thank you so much for your help, Professor Kasen."

"No problem. So, how did things turn out?"

"The conflict involved three first-year Slytherins: Draco Malfoy, along with his friends and tagalongs, Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe," McGonagall said, setting down a freshly brewed pot of tea for Kasen.

"Malfoy, I remember that name.. I crossed paths with that kid at Flourish and Blotts once. Seemed pretty cute back then. How did you handle it?" Kasen sighed.

"Slytherin lost thirty points. But, to be honest, it's rather inconsequential. Those thirty points will likely be earned back by Severus with some excuse or another," McGonagall admitted.

"Points—those only work on the diligent students with strong senses of honor. Honestly, this punishment feels like it doesn't even exist," Kasen said, shaking his head.

"That's exactly the case. Over the years, we've grown used to it. Gryffindor and Slytherin—they clash with spells inside the school, engage in verbal duels in the workplace after graduation, and eventually settle scores with wands all over again," McGonagall explained with a resigned shrug.

"To be honest, we've come to accept it."

"That doesn't mean we can just let things slide when it comes to school bullying!"

"Unfortunately, but actually… please don't let this conversation leave this room," McGonagall began with a precautionary tone.

"Understood," Kasen replied.

"These small conflicts among students can, in some sense, be considered part of Hogwarts' teaching strategy. In a way, they stimulate the students' desire for knowledge because learning magic tangibly improves their combat abilities."

"Throughout Hogwarts' history, students have often grown and improved through this kind of back-and-forth rivalry," McGonagall explained.

Kasen listened, clearly uncomfortable.

"I don't understand… Okay, I do understand what you're saying, but it's still shocking to me. Doesn't this risk causing psychological damage to the students?" he asked, frowning.

"I can only say that Hogwarts has produced its fair share of lunatics over the years. Fortunately, the Hufflepuff heads of the house have always played a key role in providing psychological support, which is why Hufflepuff students tend to thrive both inside and outside of Hogwarts," McGonagall answered calmly.

"…Did I overstep by bringing Neville Longbottom here today? Just to clarify, I'm only asking. If I encounter this kind of situation again, I will still intervene. If Hogwarts wants to use some kind of 'breeding ground' method to enhance students' combat skills, that's Hogwarts' business. But I cannot and will not turn a blind eye to bullying," Kasen declared firmly.

"Of course not. Neville is an exception—he's too timid. Timid to the point where he doesn't dare to fight back."

"Why? His family background? From what I recall… well… I remember that this generation of students doesn't have many perfect family situations because of Voldemort. But why is it worse for him?"

[Professor McGonagall's Trust +10]

"I don't know much about the private matters of the Longbottom family, but perhaps Neville's grandmother—Mrs. Longbottom—is too overbearing. Overbearing to the point of being frightening," McGonagall speculated.

"Does Hogwarts support home visits?" Kasen asked.

"I wouldn't recommend that. Not unless you want to read about 'Mrs. Longbottom's Bloodbath at Malfoy Manor' in tomorrow's Daily Prophet," McGonagall replied dryly.

"Got it. That strong-willed, huh?" Kasen promptly abandoned his plan for a home visit.

"In any case, I'm still grateful that you brought Neville here. Sigh... perhaps he should have been sorted into Hufflepuff. He wouldn't have to endure this kind of unfair treatment there," McGonagall mused.

"Hmm," Kasen responded thoughtfully.

Leaving McGonagall's office, Kasen decided to temporarily shelve his plan to knock out the Flourish and Blotts employee under the cover of night. After dealing with these two incidents, he had more pressing matters on his mind.

Back in his own office, Kasen mulled over what he had learned. If these small conflicts among students were part of Hogwarts' unwritten rules, perhaps he could still introduce some small changes.

He understood McGonagall's point—life in the wizarding world wasn't like the Muggle world.

In some ways, it resembled a jungle society. It wasn't as enlightened as one might hope; in fact, it leaned closer to a kind of social Darwinism.

As a professor at Hogwarts, Kasen knew he could easily shield a particular student—or even a group of students—while they were within the castle's walls.

But what about after they graduated?

Should he extend his protective reach beyond Hogwarts?

Could he cover them in the larger wizarding world?

That was something even Dumbledore might not be able to accomplish.

To protect the weak indefinitely? Kasen couldn't do it—at least not for an extended period.

The only alternative was to help the weak find the strength to fight back on their own.

Take Neville Longbottom, for instance. If he could be sorted into Gryffindor, the house that symbolized courage, then there had to be some buried, latent bravery within him. It just hadn't shown itself yet.

Perhaps Kasen could change the way Neville thought, help him pick up his wand, and find the courage to stand up for himself.

If he could do that, then Kasen would have fulfilled at least part of his role as a professor. After all, a true teacher's purpose was to guide, educate, and resolve doubts. Teaching alchemy? Kasen was still half-baked in that department—there was no guarantee he could even manage that.

But helping young wizards stand up against bullying, or dispelling the weakness in their hearts so they could protect themselves, could count as a different kind of "resolving doubts."

After all, teaching consisted of those three pillars, and as a Hogwarts professor, he had to manage at least one of them.

Otherwise, how could he have the nerve to listen to the little wizards calling him 'professor' and receiving protection from Hogwarts in this unknown wizarding world?