HP: Alchemy? Nah, It's Crafting

"The flight is tomorrow afternoon." Kasen said.

Lupin awkwardly got off the broomstick. "If we're flying on a plane, why did we even… buy broomsticks?"

"Because, according to every adventure movie or game ever made, after we land, we'll probably have to find some local guide to drive us to our destination. And that's when the chaos starts—wild beasts, rebel factions, or, worst of all, the guide deciding to rob us. Since we haven't been to this place before, neither Apparition nor my teleportation will work. But with two brooms, we can avoid all that nonsense and travel much more smoothly."

Kasenhis finished his long explanation in one breath and immediately felt his throat dry out. He grabbed the half-full glass of water sitting on the cabinet and took a sip. Then it hit him—this glass of water had likely been sitting there for at least two months, somehow resisting evaporation all this time.

It was as if the glass had been waiting specifically for him.

Without missing a beat, Kasenhis poured himself a fresh cup of milk and drank it in one go. 

No big deal, he thought, suppressing the shiver of disgust.

"Here, drink some too," Kasenhis said, pouring a fresh glass and handing it to Lupin. "It's good for your health."

"Thanks." 

Kasenhis watched as Lupin drank it all down. He couldn't see any immediate effects, but… maybe he'd know for sure during the next full moon?

"The timing's just about right. Come on, Remus, let's grab some dinner." Kasenhis called Lupin over to the garage, where the two of them settled into the car—one in the driver's seat, the other in the passenger seat.

Even if Lupin didn't want to sit in the passenger seat, he had no other choice. The car didn't have a back seat, and stuffing him into the front trunk wasn't exactly an option.

"This car looks pretty decent," Lupin said, examining it.

"You, a wizard, know something about cars?"

"Which is why I said it looks decent."

"Hmm, good eye."

Kasenhis revved the engine, and the car pulled out smoothly.

"What's for dinner?"

"We'll just see what we come across. London's big enough."

"Hmm… what even is there to eat in London?"

"… French food?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

For some inexplicable reason, those words struck both of their funny bones at the same time, and the tiny car was soon filled with roaring laughter.

In the end, the two didn't go for French cuisine but instead found a nearly deserted Chinese restaurant. The entire dining hall was so empty that they were the only customers.

Lupin stared at the basket of chopsticks, which looked to him like a bundle of "wands," lost in thought. He watched as Kasenhis picked up two of these "wands" and began maneuvering them deftly between his fingers. For a brief moment, Lupin genuinely thought this was some incredibly complex spell that required two wands to cast. 

He even suspected that this seemingly ordinary restaurant might actually be a front for some secret organization founded by Dumbledore, with a direct line to the Ministry hidden in the phone booth near the trash cans outside.

...He was getting carried away.

Then the dishes arrived, and Lupin watched as Kasenhis used the two "wands" to pick up food.

"I remember the wanna-be cool people made fun of me in a sushi restaurant so I had to learn how to use chopsticks.." Kasenhis muttered to himself.

"Are these… utensils?" Lupin asked.

"Oh yeah. I think there's a drawer by the table with forks if you'd rather use those. Don't worry, no one will judge. We're in the '90s and TikTok isn't a thing."

"What?"

"Aren't you hungry? Just eat!"

"Alright…" Lupin found a fork, his face red enough to rival the table's chili oil. It was clear that this small embarrassment would stay with him, probably until the moment he came face-to-face with Death itself.

After dinner, the two returned home, and Kasenhis tossed a set of keys to Lupin.

"These are for the guest room on the third floor. It's got its own private bath. Rest up for a bit."

"Oh, I actually… well, thank you." Lupin glanced at the keys in his hand, then at Kasenhis, who was clearly too exhausted to keep his eyes open. In the end, Lupin said nothing more, simply walking quietly to the guest room.

Meanwhile, Kasenhis headed straight to his bed and immediately entered a state of temporary death. 

...

Early the next morning.

"What's the plan for today?" Lupin asked.

"We're heading to a military surplus store to pick up some outdoor gear. Trust me, you won't want to be wearing robes or overcoats in a mine."

The two arrived at a military surplus store and each bought two sets of thermal underwear, black camo jackets, heavy-duty coats, and boots.

"Try it on and see how it fits," Kasenhis said, tossing a set of clothes to Lupin.

Lupin caught the bundle and glanced at the price tag. "Honestly, I think my current coat is fine, and didn't we agree that I'm handling the money for this trip?"

"That's right. The Galleons are with you. I'm using pounds right now," Kasenhis said with a shrug, sounding completely casual.

"But there's no way these scraps of fabric stitched together should cost this much," Lupin whispered to Kasenhis, casting a nervous glance at the store owner.

"Listen, it's not just wizard clothing that has its own magic. Muggle clothing has something called technology. It's actually pretty useful. Trust me on this one—you're not as familiar with this as I am," Kasenhis reassured him.

"Oh... Ok."

After finishing their shopping for gear and equipment, the two had a simple lunch before setting off on their journey.

To be honest, England does have its fair share of good food, and Kasenhis would absolutely reject anyone's criticisms of English cuisine.

For example… the chese burger in his hand.

After finishing their burgers, the two waited a while longer before boarding a flight to Uruguay.

Lupin sat in his seat, staring out at the sea of clouds below through the window.

"How long is this flight going to take?"

Zzzzzzz…

"Young people these days," Lupin muttered, shaking his head. "Fall asleep as soon as they sit down."

...

Late at night…

"How long have we been flying?" Lupin asked.

"About… fourteen hours, I think?" Kasenhis said, glancing at the pitch-black night outside. "We'll head to the hotel first. Hopefully, they speak English in this country."

"Huh? They don't speak English?"

"Not every country speaks English. What's so strange about that?"

"Then how are we supposed to communicate?" Lupin asked.

"Don't worry, trust my language skills. Uruguay was previously a Spanish colony, so they speak Spanish here. And wouldn't you know it, I just so happened to take a few Spanish classes back in university. I think it should be enough to get us to a hotel," Kasenhis said confidently, hands on his hips, practically glowing with self-assurance.

And then he was met with a taxi driver who started chanting something that sounded like incomprehensible spells to him.

"What the fuck…" 

"Ehm..."

After a Herculean effort that involved gestures, miming, onomatopoeia, and eventually finding a translator, the two finally arrived at their hotel. Kasenhis booked two rooms, quickly took a shower, and collapsed onto the bed, passing out almost instantly.

Honestly, there's something about sleeping on a plane that just makes you even more tired. At this point, he almost felt like he was ready to die from sheer exhaustion.

__________

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P@treon: Dragonel