"Well, if it can talk, that's a relief…"
Edward let out a breath he'd been holding.
If it could speak human language, that meant communication would be a breeze—no need to guess whether its roars were a sign of attack or just a friendly hello.
"Then come meet it! The middle head's the one that talks—don't worry about the other two," Cohen said, dragging Edward toward the suitcase. "When I head off to Peru, you can chat with it so you won't feel too lonely…"
…
"ROAR!!!" (A thrilled bellow)
"Merlin's *ass*!"
Edward yanked Cohen to the side, tumbling out of the way as the Chimera charged straight at them, its lion head roaring with excitement.
"Stop, stop!" The black goat grabbed the lion's mane with its mouth, forcing it to skid to a halt.
"It's just a little excited," Cohen explained to Edward.
"You didn't tell me you were keeping a Chimera!" Edward said, sprawling on the ground. "What's next on your list? What dangerous creature haven't you adopted yet—Dumbledore?"
"You're so freaked out you're not making sense. Dumbledore's not a magical creature," Cohen pointed out. "Though, species-wise, Voldemort might count these days—he barely looks human anymore…"
"Hello, I'm so sorry the lion scared you. That wasn't our intention," the black goat said, apologizing to Edward. "Are you one of Cohen's other relatives?"
"What do you mean… *other* relatives?" Edward replied. "I'm his dad—same as that snake and that unicorn… wait a second…"
Edward's vision blurred as a realization hit him.
"This is one of yours too…?" He turned to Cohen.
"No need to feel bad about your species. You and Rose are the best parents," Cohen said reassuringly.
"Next time, skip the comforting," Edward groaned, covering his face. "Just how many dangerous creatures did Borgin Manor cram in there? One day, I'm gonna throttle Herbert—"
"Looks like you're handling it now, though," Cohen said, pleased. "I knew your tolerance was second only to Hagrid's. He's gonna lose his mind when he visits next term."
"But *I'm* losing my mind right now! If word of this gets out, our whole family's headed straight to Azkaban," Edward sighed.
"As long as it doesn't leak, we're fine, right?" Cohen said. "Besides, I told you—the Dementors won't hurt you. I've got it covered."
"…"
Edward took a few deep breaths. After the fire dragon, nightmare, and basilisk debacles, he recovered a bit faster this time.
"We don't eat people," the black goat said, soothing Edward. "The lion's just lively. Try petting its mane—it might make you feel safer. I've noticed humans get close to wild animals that way."
The goat wasn't wrong. After hesitantly stroking the lion's mane, Edward did start to feel more at ease with the Chimera.
"See? Totally safe," Cohen said, happy with the scene. "The whole family's together, nice and neat."
["Are you going to Greece later?"]
Out of nowhere, the horned serpent turned to Cohen with a question.
"Huh?" Cohen shot a puzzled look at the snake head.
["Never mind…"] The serpent hesitated, then dropped it.
Greece? What for?
Did they have some Chimera buddies that needed rescuing or something?
---
Though Edward's "friendship" with the Chimera had leveled up to casual coexistence, he still made a cautious call: when it came to Cohen tagging along with the Billywig tracking expedition to Peru, Edward decided he wasn't joining.
"You're really not coming?"
On July 18th, Cohen packed his bags, ready to head to Ottery St. Catchpole to meet up with the Lovegoods. Before stepping into the fireplace, he asked Edward one last time.
"Nah, I'll pass," Edward said, shaking his head. "You can take care of yourself. I was treating you too much like a regular kid before—and those 'family members' in your suitcase will look out for you too."
"Why do I get the feeling you're jealous?" Cohen said, frowning.
"Silly kid, you're not Rose—no one's fighting over you," Edward chuckled, giving Cohen a playful shove.
"What, then? Feeling useless?" Cohen tilted his head. "Don't sell yourself short. Marrying Rose and surviving this long already makes you more successful than your old classmates—at least more than Sirius Black."
"Just get going to your fly-chasing expedition already," Edward said, nudging him along. "Hurry up."
Cohen grabbed a handful of Floo powder.
"The Lovegood residence, Ottery St. Catchpole."
A burst of emerald flames swallowed him up, and moments later, he popped out of Luna's fireplace.
"Ah! Cohen!"
Luna's dad, Xenophilius, was already waiting by the hearth with a massive backpack stuffed to the brim.
"Luna's been talking about you nonstop. Hardly anyone's willing to join the Billywig hunt—thanks to their invisibility, some people think they don't even exist…"
"Dad, I'm ready too," Luna called, stepping out of her room with just a small shoulder bag, same as she carried at school. "I brought my Wrackspurt goggles and the Crown of Wisdom. I think they might share some traits with Wrackspurts…"
Then she spotted Cohen.
"Cohen!" Luna bounded over to him, hopping excitedly.
What followed was a series of moves Cohen couldn't quite figure out. She tugged at his hair, then rubbed his ears, like she was testing what he was made of.
"Not a doppelgänger…" Luna sighed in relief. "They turn into your best friend to lure you into the woods and eat you…"
"But we've got a ring of salt around the house, dear. They can't get in," Xenophilius reassured her. "The trip's about to start—I bet Mr. González and Mr. Scamander are getting impatient."
"Scamander?" Cohen perked up at the familiar name.
"The author of *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*!" Xenophilius said enthusiastically. "He's bringing his grandson along for the expedition. You can tag along and learn tons about magical creatures. I've got to ask him if he's ever collected a Crumple-Horned Snorkack horn. I hear he's raised so many creatures, some have even formed little colonies…"
"Yeah, that tracks…"
Cohen didn't doubt the size of Newt's magical menagerie. Joining a Billywig tracking expedition sounded right up Newt's alley—even if the creature was probably fictional.
"Oh, and this!"
Luna beamed as she pulled a thin booklet from her bag and handed it to Cohen. It looked handmade, stitched together with parchment and golden thread.
"Now you can jot down your observations too. Whatever the trip turns up, the journey's always the exciting part."