Looking at the fiery red bird that had appeared before them, everyone was both surprised and delighted.
"It really is a phoenix! Lewis succeeded!" Jaina excitedly stepped forward.
"Another new magical creature—"
Tonks could hardly believe her eyes.
"It's truly beautiful!" Cho Chang exclaimed as she gazed at the fiery red bird.
Whether in the West or the East, the phoenix was a beautiful and sacred creature.
"However, the phoenix Lewis transformed into seems a little different from Dumbledore's Fawkes." Hermione keenly noticed the problem. "The tips of Lewis's feathers are actually giving off flames."
The phoenix-form Lewis glanced at her in surprise.
As expected of Hermione. Her observation was excellent. She had immediately noticed the key difference.
Lewis thought about the ability he had instinctively acquired after transforming into a phoenix: [Rebirth in Flames].
With a thought, the feathers covering his entire body immediately transformed from their normal state into blazing flames.
The entire phoenix instantly became a gigantic bird of fire.
"Now Lewis's phoenix looks exactly like Kael'thas's phoenix."
Jaina still remembered that her friend, the elven prince Kael'thas, had a phoenix named "Flame."
Compared to earlier, this completely flame-covered phoenix now appeared both sacred and dangerous.
Everyone watched as the fiery bird soared through the air, illuminating a large area like a miniature sun.
In this state, the phoenix's pecks and talon strikes were imbued with fire damage.
Even the simple flapping of its wings could stir up waves of scorching air.
Aiwuu, who had originally wanted to fly around with Lewis, immediately ran away in fear.
Soon, Lewis reined in the flames and flew back to the ground.
Everyone immediately gathered around him, curiously examining this unique phoenix.
"Lewis, will transforming into a phoenix like this give you any special abilities?" Penelope asked curiously.
"A phoenix has an extremely long lifespan because it can regenerate. When its body begins to deteriorate, it throws itself into the flames, and a young phoenix is reborn from the ashes."
Hermione recalled the information she had read and began explaining the abilities associated with phoenixes.
"Phoenixes are gentle creatures that only eat herbs. Like the Diricawl, a phoenix can disappear and reappear at will."
"A phoenix's song is magical. It is generally believed that it can strengthen the courage of those with pure hearts and unleash fear in those with impure hearts. A phoenix's tears also possess extremely powerful healing properties."
Everyone listened attentively to Hermione's explanation.
It wasn't that they knew nothing about magical creatures such as phoenixes.
It was simply that they were willing to listen carefully at this moment, so they could compare the abilities of a normal phoenix with those Lewis had acquired.
"Then let's give it a try."
As Jaina spoke, her gaze swept across everyone present.
Suddenly, she grabbed the excited Tonks and pulled her over to her side.
Everyone looked at her in confusion.
Even Lewis, in his phoenix form, tilted his head toward the Princess of Kul Tiras.
Jaina pointed her wand at the empty potion bottle Lewis had set aside earlier.
With a flash, it transformed into an incredibly sharp dagger, its blade gleaming with a cold, hard light.
It was an obvious display of her exceptional Transfiguration skills.
The dagger's blade radiated a chilling sharpness.
Tonks was dragged over by her superior in a daze.
Her instincts told her that something was wrong.
However, Jaina was holding her hand tightly, and because of their usual relationship, Tonks didn't dare say anything.
Nor did she dare ask.
Then, amid everyone's shocked cries, a deep wound was slashed across Tonks's arm, and blood quickly flowed from it.
Jaina waved her wand again.
A small glass cup suddenly appeared in her hand.
She crouched down and held the cup beneath the phoenix's eye.
The phoenix immediately understood what she wanted and blinked.
It struggled to open its beak, and several tears slid from its eyes into the cup.
Jaina pulled Tonks's injured arm toward her and carefully tilted the cup.
A single tear fell onto Tonks's wound.
The cool sensation brought by the tear caused the wound on Tonks's arm to miraculously heal.
Tonks finally recovered from her shock and glared indignantly at Jaina.
"Lady Proudmoore, why don't you try it yourself?"
"I'm afraid of pain."
Jaina answered without hesitation, her expression completely innocent and sincere.
The moment she said this, Onyxia and Shirella could no longer hold back their laughter.
Even Luna, whose eyes had been somewhat unfocused earlier, was now smiling brightly at them.
Hermione desperately tried to suppress her laughter, but her face had already turned bright red.
Cho Chang also burst into laughter, though she didn't say anything.
Lewis began testing some of his other abilities.
The phoenix suddenly flashed and disappeared from everyone's sight, reappearing at the top of the oak tree.
With another thought, his body flashed again, and he appeared beside the small river surrounding the forest.
The phoenix nodded in satisfaction before flashing back beneath the oak tree.
Hermione happily approached him and walked around Lewis once.
"Lewis, move—"
Lewis was instantly confused.
Had something gone wrong with his teleportation?
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain beneath his wing.
He immediately flew away and glared angrily at the girl.
Hermione seemed completely oblivious to his anger.
She simply stood there, holding two gleaming golden phoenix feathers in her hands with a broad smile on her face.
"As far as I know, phoenixes can not only Apparate themselves, but their feathers can also be used to send messages."
As she spoke, the girl took a piece of paper from her pocket and attached one of the feathers to it.
The next moment, the letter carried by the feather appeared directly above Lewis's head.
This time, it was Jaina who burst into cheerful laughter.
Luna also refocused her gaze on Lewis and asked curiously, "The feathers of an Animagus should all come from body hair, right? Lewis, where on your body did this feather come from?"
Hearing Luna's provocative question, Lewis glared indignantly at her before immediately turning his head away.
Cho Chang could no longer hold back and burst into loud laughter.
Shirella and Penelope were even sitting on the ground, laughing uncontrollably.
Only Tonks didn't laugh.
She merely blinked.
She felt that she had seen this scene somewhere before!
She looked at Lewis.
The two of them stared at each other.
Jaina thought for a moment before saying to Lewis, "Little Lewis, Hermione just said that a phoenix's song is magical. It can strengthen the courage of those with pure hearts and release fear in those with impure hearts. Why don't you give it a try?"
Lewis always felt that there was something malicious hidden behind that smile.
After hearing this, everyone else also looked at him expectantly.
Onyxia even took the opportunity to start cheering him on, while the foolish Aiwuu joined in and shouted excitedly alongside her.
The phoenix turned its head away, clearly refusing Jaina's suggestion.
Jaina, however, had no intention of giving up.
"Don't be shy, Little Lewis. It's not like you don't know how to sing. I heard from Aiwuu that you've taught her quite a few beautiful songs. She even told me that you sing really well!"
That little traitor, Aiwuu.
Lewis looked toward the little dragon.
Unexpectedly, the little creature proudly raised its head, showing absolutely no remorse for betraying its master.
Lewis hesitantly looked at his companions.
He felt that if he refused, they would definitely continue persuading him.
So he could only nod and agree.
The phoenix opened its beak, and its voice gradually rose from low to high, becoming louder and louder.
The phoenix's song was ethereal, otherworldly, and mysterious. Listening to it made people feel exhilarated—even as though it could awaken those who had fallen into a deep sleep.
Lewis deliberately chose the rhythm of A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, giving the phoenix's song a long-lasting Eastern charm.
As he sang, the music grew higher and higher, and the listeners seemed to feel as though the sound itself was vibrating inside their chests.
Everyone's emotions grew increasingly excited.
One after another, they praised the song, agreeing that it truly possessed the ability to invigorate the spirit.
Finally, Lewis stopped singing.
There was no need to test the phoenix's Flame Breath or its fire spells.
Those were practically instinctive abilities for him.
Thus, Lewis returned to human form.
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