After finishing matters in Cornwall, Lewis and Ciri returned to the tower with the Chimera's corpse. The Fwooper followed them back as well, and Lewis gave it the name "Circe," after one of the Harpies from which the species originated.
In the basement of the tower, Lewis began dissecting the Chimera. Since there were almost no records of wizards successfully killing one, research on the creature was nearly nonexistent. Naturally, no one knew which parts of its body could be used.
At first, Lewis assumed that the Chimera's skin, given its immense magical resistance, would be an excellent magical material. But after skinning it, he found that it was no different from ordinary goat hide. Even the fur from its lion head was indistinguishable from that of a normal lion.
With its death, the Chimera had lost all its extraordinary properties, reverting into nothing more than a grotesque fusion of parts.
Its head was just that of a lion. Its body was simply a large goat—one you could buy for a few hundred coins. Its tail was an ordinary dragon tail. Of the entire creature, only the tail had any real value.
"But… how is that possible? Why does combining these three parts create such terrifying power?"
Determined to find the answer, Lewis performed a full dissection, examining each organ in detail.
Eventually, he found it.
The heart.
Unlike the goat's heart, this one was different. In fact, it was the only part of the entire corpse that still contained immense magical power.
The heart was the source of the Chimera's strength.
Lewis began to understand its mechanism.
In many worlds, Chimeras were artificial creatures created by dark wizards—fusion monsters. What unified the incompatible parts was this magically altered heart.
The heart produced blood infused with dark magic, circulating throughout the body. It combined the worst traits of its components—the dragon's greed, the lion's bloodlust, and the goat's stubborn malice—feeding them back into the heart to generate even more corrupted power.
In essence, the Chimera's strength came from the "symbolism" and "meaning" of its composite parts.
Now that it was dead, this cycle had ceased, and its power had vanished.
Lewis carefully recorded his findings. He intended to write a paper based on this research and submit it to a magical zoology journal.
But before that, he needed to use the magical heart to brew his first Permanent Attribute Elixir.
According to the knowledge he gained from his druidic inheritance, Lewis could modify the main ingredient of such elixirs. He planned to replace the bear paw required for the Elixir of Bear's Endurance with the Chimera's heart.
The bear was used because of its durability—but in that regard, the Chimera far surpassed it. Not only did it have greater magical resistance, but it also possessed rapid regeneration far beyond any bear.
Moreover, according to the Wild Ritual he had learned, consuming a Permanent Attribute Elixir during the ritual would grant him the ability to transform into the creature used as the main ingredient.
For his first transformation, Lewis chose the Chimera.
Previously, he could have used a griffin beak to create the Elixir of Eagle's Majesty and gain a griffin form. But after careful consideration, he chose endurance first.
Durability was the foundation of Wild Shape.
With the materials he had collected from the Forbidden Forest, along with the financial support of the Philosopher's Stone, Lewis easily gathered all the necessary ingredients. Adding a small portion of Chimera heart, he brewed his first vial of the Permanent Elixir of Bear's Endurance.
Next came the preparation for the Wild Ritual.
Compared to the tedious and luck-dependent Animagus process, the Wild Ritual was much simpler.
Upon hearing about Lewis's attempt, both Hermione and Ciri insisted on watching.
He chose to perform the ritual at midnight, when the moon was at its highest point.
In many legends, the moon was closely tied to the power of beasts. Moonlight amplified their strength, and during a full moon, that power peaked—forcing transformations in werewolves and other shapeshifters. This was why the druidic circle specializing in transformations was known as the Circle of the Moon.
The ritual site was beneath the giant oak tree beside the tower—the core of natural energy in the area.
As they waited for the moon to reach its peak, the three sat beneath the tree, chatting casually.
"The first recorded Animagus was Falco Aesalon from ancient Greece. His form was a falcon," Hermione said, slipping into lecture mode even during casual conversation.
"I think I've heard that name… oh right, from Chocolate Frog cards," Ciri replied after thinking for a moment.
Hermione smirked slightly. "Of course you only learn history from Chocolate Frog cards."
Ciri ignored the jab and turned to Lewis. "If you succeed, will you register with the Ministry?"
Hermione added, "Unregistered Animagi are illegal. If you're caught, you'll be sent to Azkaban."
"Of course not," Lewis said calmly. "My transformation will be… special. I won't reveal it anytime soon."
"Oh… then be careful," Hermione said. She didn't argue further. By now, she had grown used to Lewis's unconventional behavior. After all, geniuses were rarely understood.
"By the way," Lewis added, "I'm planning to submit my paper—'Anatomical Analysis of the Chimera and the Mechanism of Its Dark Magic'—to the Magical Creatures Annual tomorrow."
He glanced at Hermione. "You helped with it. Are you sure you don't want your name included?"
"I'll pass," she said, shaking her head. "All I did was hand you tools and take notes. That's not enough to deserve authorship."
"But—"
"Next time," Hermione said firmly. "When I can truly contribute, if you don't include my name, then I'll be upset."
She had her pride.
Ciri gave her an approving glance.
"Alright, that's a shame," Lewis said, then added casually, "I've already sent the paper to Professor Dumbledore, who passed it to Newt Scamander. He thinks it has a strong chance of winning an award."
"Newt Scamander?!" Hermione's eyes lit up. "The author of Fantastic Beasts?"
"Who else?"
"He's the greatest magizoologist of our time! If he says so, it must be true."
Her voice was filled with envy.
"A professional journal award… that's amazing."
Combined with Tonks' promise of a Merlin Order, Lewis's future seemed dazzling. At this rate, he might graduate like Dumbledore himself—covered in honors.
Students like that appeared only once in decades.
"Lewis," Hermione suddenly asked, "why did you choose me as your friend?"
"Ciri excels in combat and strength," Lewis said, earning a satisfied nod from her. "And you think you're just a hardworking student with a bit of intelligence?"
He gently patted her fluffy hair.
"That's not true. You're incredibly talented—the smartest witch I've ever met. Even Ciri would agree."
Ciri didn't deny it.
"You don't need to compare yourself to me," she said. "I'm… different. But at Hogwarts, you're already better than ninety-nine percent of students."
"You have your own strengths. You just need time."
At that moment, the moon reached its highest point.
Under the guidance of the giant oak, moonlight poured down like liquid silver, illuminating the clearing before them.
The Wild Ritual… was about to begin.
If you want to read 60 chapters ahead of the public release, head over to: Patreon.com/RedString