As the finish line approached, Lucien could already see Newt standing atop the mountain.
A clear cry rang out. Lucien, a fraction of a second faster than the Thunderbird, shot past Newt's position.
Newt did not even manage to clearly make out the two figures that streaked past him, only feeling a powerful gust of wind rush by.
Lucien landed after reverting to his human form, his chest rising and falling slightly from excitement and exhaustion.
Ding. Congratulations, Host, on completing the Thunderbird Dance. The loan for the Cleansing Liquid has now been repaid.
"Chirp!"
The Thunderbird landed as well, letting out a loud cry.
Lucien understood what it was expressing:
"Boss, I'm hungry. I want to eat!"
Lucien smiled helplessly and pulled out cooked thick steaks, braised ribs, and roasted ostrich from his pocket. All of it had been treated with magic to keep it warm and fresh, so the temperature and flavor were no different from when it had just been prepared.
Paired with a nutrient solution suitable for Thunderbirds, a lavish feast was complete.
After all, it had been busy with him for several days, so the promised reward naturally could not be omitted.
But why was this Thunderbird calling him "Boss"?
Watching the Thunderbird devour the feast, Lucien decided not to ask for now.
"Lucien, no matter how many times I see it, your Transfiguration is astonishing."
Newt walked over, offering his praise without reservation.
"Oh, by the way, after you became an Animagus, have you registered with the Ministry of Magic?"
"Not yet, but Headmaster Dumbledore said he would take me to the Ministry of Magic this summer."
Newt nodded in relief. Unregistered Animagi were illegal, and if discovered, they would face imprisonment.
"That's good. With Dumbledore involved, these are minor matters."
With their worries set aside, Newt and Lucien began chatting, particularly about the magical aspects of being an Animagus, which greatly piqued Newt's curiosity.
After all, there were only seven registered Animagi. Including Lucien, that made eight.
There might be many illegal Animagi, but none would easily expose their identities.
As a result, Animagi remained highly mysterious in the eyes of most people.
Lucien spoke according to standard Animagus knowledge, and when he mentioned that Animagi could communicate with animals after transforming, Newt sighed.
"When I was young, I considered becoming an Animagus as well. That communication ability is indeed very convenient, but I couldn't overcome that final hurdle. So I truly admire those of you who possess such extraordinary courage and boldness."
Recalling the danger of the final step of the Animagus transformation, Lucien could understand Newt's concerns. It was a life-threatening attempt.
Moreover, Newt already had a natural talent for communicating with Magical Creatures, and with acquired experience, the ability to directly converse with animals was not essential for him.
Newt was already the world's foremost authority on Magical Creatures.
After chatting for a while, the two of them Apparated straight back to Stormwind Town.
The Thunderbird, which had been eating not far away, sensed that something was wrong. It lifted its head and looked around, only to find that no one was there.
"Chirp?"
…
After half a day of rest.
Finding Frank, the Thunderbird King, once more, Newt released the Thunderbird he had long planned to set free from his case.
With Newt and Lucien coordinating and communicating together, the Thunderbird King readily accepted the new member.
After all, the mating season was nearly over, so this new Thunderbird would not cause any conflicts.
"Phew. I've gathered quite a lot of material this time. Perhaps I can update Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them when I get back."
"Oh? You're updating the fifty-third edition?"
Lucien asked in surprise. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them already had fifty-two editions, and each new release added a substantial amount of knowledge through Newt's revisions and corrections.
The publication of a new edition would undoubtedly cause a major stir.
Newt nodded, a smile appearing on his face as well.
"Yes. In fact, I have you to thank for this too, Lucien."
"Thank me?"
"That's right. Do you remember the records you first sent me, the ones about Acromantulas and Unicorns?"
Lucien certainly remembered. He had spent more than half a month exploring the Forbidden Forest to complete them.
Newt continued, "Not just those, but also that winter in the Forbidden Forest. The experience of helping deliver a Unicorn foal was incredibly precious. And over these past few days, with your ability to directly converse with Magical Creatures, the section on Thunderbird habits can be greatly expanded as well."
"If you're willing, I'd like to include all of this in the book. May I?"
Hearing Newt's request, Lucien felt there was no issue at all. The value of knowledge lay in sharing.
It could be profound, accessible only to a few, but it should be open, not monopolized.
True knowledge was never diminished by sharing, but preserved through dissemination.
Allowing more people to grasp such knowledge was a source of joy for Lucien.
And being able to record information about Magical Creatures and pass it down to the world was undeniably meaningful.
Lucien could not help thinking of those creatures that had gone extinct because of humans. By the time people realized the grave consequences of their actions, it was already too late to make amends, and all that remained were fragmented records.
"Of course. It's a good thing for them to be understood by more people."
Lucien's reply left Newt momentarily dazed.
Yes. Allowing more people to understand them, to understand those Magical Creatures—wasn't that exactly what Newt had devoted his entire life to?
"Yes, yes. It's a good thing, a very good thing!"
Newt's tone inevitably grew excited, and at the same time, he felt even more certain that he had not misjudged Lucien. The field of Magical Creatures simply could not do without him.
There was something Newt had originally intended to say, but he suddenly decided against it. He wanted to give the boy a surprise.
Newt planned to give Lucien prominent acknowledgment in the new edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Lucien deserved it.
Moreover, Newt had another, slightly selfish intention: to use this opportunity to help Lucien establish a reputation.
Once Lucien gained both recognition and experience in the field of Magical Creatures, choosing this path after graduation would give him a significant advantage, and it might even influence his inclinations.
When he had spoken with Dumbledore earlier, Newt had said that he would respect Lucien's own choices. But in his view, this was not forcing anything upon him; it was simply paving an additional road, laying a few more stones along the way.
After settling the matter of releasing the Thunderbird, Lucien followed Newt back to Stormwind Town. This trip to the United States had been a complete success.
Time to pack up and head home!
"Screech!"
Lucien, who was in the middle of packing his luggage, suddenly heard a loud cry. He opened the window to look outside.
A Thunderbird was circling above Stormwind Town, calling out repeatedly.
Understanding the meaning of the cry, Lucien was utterly bewildered, because the Thunderbird kept repeating:
"Boss, where are you? Why didn't you take me back to your territory?"
Lucien was certain that this was the Thunderbird that had flown with him, which only deepened his confusion.
"What is this bird talking about?"
________
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