The instant a silver-white bolt of lightning tore through the sky, Will saw a mountain of magic surge into the ground.
As soon as the surge eased, Will dug up the little crystal vial.
Rain washed the mud from the vial, revealing the potion inside—one mouthful of liquid as thick as blood, faintly glowing an eerie red beneath the dark sky.
Success!
Will immediately set off for the clearing he had chosen in advance—the place where the final stage of the Animagus Ritual would be completed.
Rain poured from the sky and thunder roared. Fierce winds lashed Will with fat raindrops. His thin robes were soaked through, and his wet black hair clung to his forehead.
He barely noticed. His silver-gray eyes shone startlingly bright in the gloom as he raced along the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
In the downpour, Will was little more than a blur in the clearing. He drew a breath of cold, damp air that smelled of rain and earth, then held the tip of his Wand steady against his heart.
He could feel the once-faint second heartbeat in his chest faintly echoing the thunder above, though for some reason, it still felt more like a flutter.
"Amado, Animo, Animado, Animagus!"
Will's voice was quiet, yet his incantation seemed to carry a strange force. It pierced the curtain of rain and merged with the odd flutter inside him.
"Now..." Will pulled out the stopper, raised the potion to his lips, and drained the scarlet liquid without hesitation.
The instant the potion touched his tongue, an indescribable sensation swept through him!
Pain! It was like swallowing liquid lightning. Violent energy burned down his throat into his stomach, then burst outward through every limb and bone!
"Nh—!"
The agony nearly doubled him over. It was not pain