All Is Ready

The phoenix: the male was Feng; the female, Huang.

Majestic in all four directions, sovereign of all birds. Reborn from nirvana in the depths of despair, it conquered death!

Dumbledore stared blankly at the sacred light, his eyes filled with hope. "Only him... only him..."

No one heard Dumbledore's whisper, because everyone had been plunged into utter shock.

The rosy clouds filling the sky were like the descent of a deity. The golden-red flames even pierced the protective barrier Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel had set up.

In the Muggle world, nearby residents were drawn by this heavenly phenomenon.

Only when the flames gradually contracted and the rosy clouds returned to the heavens did the people on the ground seem to truly return to the mortal world.

"Albus, was that a phoenix? A Magical Creature Animagus—a phoenix?"

Professor McGonagall asked Dumbledore. Such a sight was far beyond anything she could imagine.

Since ancient times, there had never been an Animagus that transformed into a magical creature, yet one had appeared right before her eyes.

Dumbledore shook his head. "It was a phoenix, but it had nothing to do with Fawkes. It may have been an Eastern phoenix, completely beyond the existing classification of magical creatures. Perhaps... it should be called a mythical creature!"

Fawkes was a phoenix of the Western Wizarding World.

The Dumbledore Family was a family followed by phoenixes. In the Western Wizarding World, phoenixes were extremely rare five-star magical creatures.

Their tears could cure illness, their songs could bolster morale, and they possessed immense carrying strength. When their lives neared their end, they chose nirvana.

Such magical creatures had chosen to follow the Dumbledore Family for generations. Their family had an old saying: whenever someone was in desperate need, a phoenix would appear at once.

But the phoenix Eli had transformed into completely outclassed Fawkes in visual effects alone, with golden-red flames and glowing rosy clouds.

Ancient Eastern nation: You know nothing about power.

When all the flames surged back into Eli's body and his magic gradually settled, his Animagus transformation was officially complete!

Humans had a mysterious longing for flight. Hovering in midair, Eli excitedly looked over his magnificent wings, as though he could conquer the entire sky!

After circling excitedly through the air a few times, he slowly descended to a lower altitude.

He imagined his human form in his mind, and after a burst of transformation, the phoenix became human again.

The remaining golden-red flames transformed into a faint golden-red robe.

His original clothes had all been burned away by the flames that erupted during the transformation.

Ordinarily, during an Animagus's first transformation, all clothing and accessories on their body would become fur or markings and merge into part of their body.

But Eli's Animagus was simply too outrageous. Before he had even transformed, his clothes had already burned away.

After all, no one else needed to use the Philosopher's Stone for an Animagus transformation.

Now, the Philosopher's Stone, once brimming with magic, had become exceedingly dim.

"Eli, how are you?"

Perenelle rushed over and inspected him from head to toe. Thankfully, Eli had not suffered any injuries.

"This is truly incredible, Eli. You may be the first Magical Creature Animagus in history."

Dumbledore smiled.

Professor McGonagall also struggled to contain her excitement. Her student had mastered Animagus transformation at such a young age, and had even become an unbelievable Magical Creature Animagus.

"I suppose we'll have to go to the Ministry of Magic to register when the time comes. Their jaws will surely hit the floor!"

"No, Minerva. Perhaps we should hear Eli's opinion first."

"Albus..."

Dumbledore shook his head at Professor McGonagall, and she seemed to understand something.

"Actually, I don't think now is the right time. It won't be too late once I'm an adult. I don't want to be interviewed by the Daily Prophet just yet."

Eli's words drew a few laughs from the others.

He had no intention of exposing his Animagus form now. It was one of his trump cards.

Dumbledore presumably thought the same way.

With Dumbledore covering for him, who cared whether it violated Wizarding law? Wasn't Rita Skeeter, that Daily Prophet reporter, an illegal Animagus too?

He had learned that from movies in his previous life.

That woman often transformed into a pitifully tiny beetle, eavesdropping on others to dig up exclusive stories.

That showed that being an unknown Animagus came with quite a few benefits. Hadn't his own father been an illegal Animagus back then as well?

What was that saying? Like father, like son...

With a thought from Eli, the golden-red robe on his body turned into the clothes he had been wearing before.

This was much more convenient. He would not need to change clothes anymore.

After checking Eli over and confirming that everything was fine, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall left.

They were not people with nothing better to do.

After completing his Animagus plan, Eli threw himself back into alchemical research.

According to Nicolas Flamel, Eli had already mastered alchemical runes and could officially begin learning alchemical fabrication.

Judging by the automatic quill Eli had made before, his talent and skill were not low at all.

Nicolas Flamel used the potion assembly line Eli needed as an example for his lessons.

Even if it were put out in public and others were given the blueprints, they might not be able to make such a thing. Yet here with Nicolas Flamel, it had become beginner instruction.

Eli did not disappoint. He progressed at astonishing speed and overcame many difficult hurdles.

What troubled him most now was the problem of connecting the runes.

The machinery on an assembly line had to be interconnected and controllable, otherwise it could not produce anything at all.

In the Muggle world, this could be solved with electrical circuits and networks. Just a few wires would do.

But in alchemy, it was not so simple.

To connect the machinery, one had to form magical circuits. But the various work units were not physically connected, so they could only rely on the resonance between runes.

This nearly made Eli scratch his head bald.

Whenever he wanted to ask Nicolas Flamel for advice, the only response he received was, "Learn it yourself. Think it through yourself."

I, Eli, am someone of status too. I don't need to ask for help!

He locked himself in the laboratory from morning until night, neglecting food and drink.

Because of this, Nicolas Flamel suffered Perenelle's domestic violence several more times.

Heaven did not disappoint those who worked hard. With the help of the Book of Abraham the Jew, Eli finally overcame this obstacle.

Rubbing his cool, bare scalp, Eli felt like crying without tears.

Research really cost too much hair!

Still, it was all worth it!

Eli had already completed the construction of the various work units. When the time came, he would only need to assemble them to produce whatever potion he wanted.

By this day, more than half of his potion factory concept had been completed.

All that remained was building the factory site and putting it into production.

Summer vacation was also nearing its end, and Nicolas Flamel ended Eli's holiday studies early.

The Hall couple had written to inform Eli that Ron Weasley had invited him to visit the Weasley Family.

Since Eli had just finished his studies, he might as well make the trip.

The Weasley family also lived in Devon, so it was not too far away. Getting there would not be troublesome.

"Remember to write back often. Take good care of yourself at school..."

Perenelle kept reminding him of one thing after another until Eli nodded so much his head felt dizzy.

"Enough, enough. Stop saying so much and let Eli be on his way."

Perenelle glared fiercely, and Nicolas Flamel lowered his head again.

With the pastries Perenelle had made herself, Eli set off.