But Lys had no idea at what temperature the toxins would become ineffective, nor when the bones would become too overcooked to use.
With their heads pressed closely together, Lys and Hagrid stared intently at the two large bones boiling in the pot.
As the aroma of cooked meat wafted through the air, Lys involuntarily swallowed hard. Noticing Hagrid's incredulous expression, she awkwardly explained, "I skipped dinner—I'm just a bit hungry."
Checking the time, Lys realized she was already late for Astronomy class. Deciding there was no point in rushing, she caught a few mice, cleaned them with a Scouring Charm, and fed one to Gaboon. The rest were used to test the toxicity.
She occasionally fished out the bones and rubbed them against the wounds of the mice. If the mice died, she continued boiling. Finally, after six mice had succumbed, the toxins on the bones dissipated.
Casting Vanishing Spells on the dead mice, Lys began retrieving the bones.
As the bones cooled, Lys attempted a Cleaning Charm. Her notes mentioned that the unfortunate soul whose femur had been boiled had died from an infection caused by unclean bones. Since they were in the forest, cleanliness was a concern.
Recalling the connection patterns she had memorized for various body parts, Lys began to sweat profusely.
The sweat made her feel cold. In hindsight, she should have draped herself in the fur Hagrid had given her.
Fortunately, the Hippogriff seemed to accept its bones well. Without the interference of magic or toxins, the reattached bones began to emit faint magical fluctuations.
Lys and Hagrid stood by the wounds, observing the healing process. Whenever progress stalled, they waved their wands to assist.
However, it seemed the bones had been boiled for too long. One section of the second bone refused to grow flesh around it. Lys lay there studying it for a long time. Finally, as dawn broke, she decided to carve runes and magical patterns onto the bone.
Lacking materials, she sent Hagrid to raid the Nifflers' territory for crystals and precious metals.
Faced with Hagrid's blatant robbery, the furious little black creatures once again shed tears of despair at being plundered.
After one failed attempt, Lys finally succeeded. She let out a sigh of relief—any more failures, and the bone would have been covered in carvings.
Seeing that the most severe wound was no longer a major issue, Lys finally allowed herself to close her eyes. Her eyes were so dry they could barely move.
"Hagrid, I'm starving~" Lys complained as she downed a bottle of Magical Stabilizer.
The now-awake Hippogriff seemed to realize that the duo had saved its life. It expressed gratitude before attempting to lick the stump of its nearly severed tail.
But the wounds on its back had just closed—how could it manage such a flexible movement? Lys quickly had Hagrid restrain its head while she pressed down on its hind leg.
"I'm starving, Hagrid!~" Lys was truly at her limit. She hadn't eaten much the previous afternoon, and at Hagrid's, she had only sipped some tea. Now, with the moon setting and the sun rising, she was beginning to shiver.
After all, last night had been a test of both her mental and physical endurance.
Leaning against the slightly smelly but undeniably warm and soft fur, Lys dozed off for a moment.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw Hagrid cooking something in last night's pot.
Behind him, two Nifflers were collecting the empty potion bottles Lys had used the previous night.
The small bottles glinted faintly in the sunlight, looking unexpectedly delicate.
Lys threw off the black fur Hagrid had draped over her, stood up to straighten her clothes, and used a Transfiguration Charm to handle her hygiene. She carefully stored the blood she had set aside.
Remembering it was Saturday, she yawned and leaned back against the Hippogriff's leg.
Watching Hagrid, who had apparently gone back to his hut, Lys's mind wandered. Did he really not fear that this "little pet" might take a bite out of him while he was away?
To Hagrid, it seemed that every dangerous animal in the world was just a "little critter." Before the meat in the pot was ready, Lys, stroking Gaboon, drifted off to sleep again.
Hagrid carefully covered Lys with the fur, and the Hippogriff curled its body to shield her even more snugly.
That night had truly exhausted Lys. She had to memorize the complex anatomy of the Hippogriff, test three different plans, and work tirelessly to make up for unexpected issues.
Her mind, magic, and physical strength had all been pushed to their limits.
Hagrid couldn't help but marvel once again. If it weren't for the fact that this child had been holding two dried human heads while treating the "little critter," he would have told Dumbledore that Lys belonged in Gryffindor. She truly was a brave and kind-hearted child.
Thinking this, Hagrid sneaked a glance at Lys. Those two heads… their origin was legitimate, right?
Of course, the heads had a questionable origin, but it wasn't a big deal. They were freebies from Senna during a shopping trip to Borgin and Burkes. Neither Noah nor Senna dabbled in curses, so Senna had casually tossed them to Lys. Though Lys found them a bit disgusting, she had accepted them anyway.
By the time the meat was cooked, the sun was high in the sky. Lys took a bite from a wooden bowl Hagrid had Transfigured from a tree branch. Her expression immediately turned blank as she stared at Hagrid.
"Oh, forgive me, Lys. The little critter can't eat raw food right now, but it also can't have too much salt…"
Lys looked at the greasy, flavorless chunks of meat and broth in her bowl. Was she eating the Hippogriff's meal? Glancing toward the castle in the distance, she thought about the long, shaky trek back to the kitchen for proper food.
Gritting her teeth, Lys shoved the meat into her mouth. This wasn't worse than the leaf-on-leaf salad Coco had once made, was it?
Watching Lys eat with a mix of determination and frustration, Hagrid felt a rare pang of guilt. He really hadn't considered the needs of a young lady.
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PS:"Sorry for keeping everyone waiting. I took a few days off for myself, haha. Moving forward, updates will be stable. The new book will also be launched within three days. Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend."