With the end of the war and the stabilization of the Ministry, a new era of focused, academic peace settled over Hogwarts. But for Ariana, Hermione, and Daphne, it was the most intense and exciting period of their lives. The final hurdles of Project Chimera were all that remained.
Ariana, knowing that divided attention would be their greatest obstacle, approached Dumbledore with a formal request. "Professor," she stated, "Hermione Granger and Daphne Greengrass are integral to the completion of a post-N.E.W.T. level research project of significant magical importance. Their continued attendance at standard sixth-year classes is an inefficient use of their time and talent. I request they be granted an academic leave to work under my direct supervision. Their coursework will be completed independently, and I personally guarantee their grades will not suffer."
Dumbledore, who had long since learned not to question Ariana's projects, simply smiled. "Consider it approved, Ariana. I trust your definition of 'significant magical importance' will be, as always, an understatement."
Freed from the constraints of a school schedule, the three girls worked with a singular, ferocious focus. Hermione, her mind a whirlwind of arithmantic genius, finally cracked the celestial navigation matrix, adapting the magic of the Marauder's Map into a stunning, three-dimensional star-chart that would allow for real-time positional tracking anywhere in the solar system. Daphne, applying ancient pure-blood enchanting techniques, successfully amplified the sympathetic magic of the communication mirrors, creating a stable, instantaneous link across any distance.
Ariana, the architect and chief engineer, wove all the pieces together. She etched the final, complex runes onto the hull, installed the navigation and communication crystals, and calibrated the magical engine to a perfect, steady hum.
One evening, after several months of tireless work, they stood before their creation in the vast silence of the Room of Requirement.
It was finished.
Project Chimera was no longer a blueprint or a theory. It was a real, physical object. It was a small, sleek vessel, about the size of a Muggle van, its hull a seamless, shimmering alloy of titanium and silver. It had no visible windows, only smooth, unbroken surfaces etched with runes so fine they were almost invisible. It rested silently on a conjured launchpad, its internal power core emitting a faint, almost imperceptible thrum of contained energy. It was a fusion of two worlds, a testament to their shared genius, a beautiful, silent promise of a journey beyond imagination.
"We did it," Hermione whispered, her voice thick with awe and exhaustion.
Daphne simply stared, a look of profound, triumphant pride on her face.
"The preliminary work is complete," Ariana said, a quiet, deep satisfaction in her voice. "Now, it is time for the final review."
She sent out a series of discreet messages. The following evening, she led a small, bewildered group of some of the most powerful people in the wizarding world to the seventh-floor corridor. Dumbledore was there, along with McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout. Sirius and Remus were present, their curiosity piqued. Amelia Bones had come at Ariana's personal request. And finally, Lord Greengrass stood beside his daughter, his expression one of stoic intrigue.
"Thank you all for coming," Ariana said, leading them to the blank stretch of wall. With a thought, she summoned the door. "There is something I believe you all need to see."
She led them into the celestial workshop. They all stopped dead, their eyes falling upon the impossible object resting in the center of the room. They stared at the sleek, metallic, utterly alien craft.
"Merlin's beard," Sirius breathed. "What the hell is that?" McGonagall frowned at him, not that he paid any attention to her.
"This," Ariana announced calmly, "is the 'A.H.D. Chimera I'. It is a short-range, magically-propelled, fully-shielded vessel designed for extra-terrestrial travel."
The silence that followed was absolute, a thick blanket of pure, unadulterated shock.
Ariana then began to walk them through it, with Hermione and Daphne at her side, each explaining their contribution. She explained the Muggle-inspired design, the magic-infused alloy, the layered shielding wards. Hermione detailed the arithmantic navigation system, showing them the live, 3D star-chart. Daphne explained the alchemical properties of the power core and the sympathetic magic of the communication mirrors.
The reactions of their audience were a study in personality.
Professor Sprout looked utterly baffled, but also vaguely impressed, as if she'd just seen a perfectly ordinary-looking plant suddenly get up and start singing opera. Professor Flitwick was practically vibrating with excitement, his tiny face alight with academic glee at the sheer, unprecedented charm-work involved.
Snape was pale, his black eyes fixed on the vessel with a look of profound, almost grudging respect. He, more than anyone, understood the complexity of the potion-work and alchemical theory she was describing in creation of the spaceship. He was looking at something he knew, with certainty, he could not have created himself, at least not without some kind of base knowledge of the several intricacies involved.
Sirius and Remus just looked proud, if a little bewildered, like parents whose child has just built a functioning dragon in the garage.
Lord Greengrass looked at his daughter, then at the ship, and a slow, calculating smile touched his lips. He saw not just a scientific achievement, but a new frontier of power, influence, and possibility. His daughter was not just a witch; she was a pioneer.
Amelia Bones, the pragmatist, was the first to ask the hard question. "It is… an incredible achievement, Miss Dumbledore. But I must ask the obvious question. Why?"
Ariana turned to her, her periwinkle eyes seeming to hold the light of the very stars she intended to visit.
"Because it is there, Director," she said simply. "Because for centuries, the wizarding world has been content to live within its own magical bubble, believing it is the entirety of the universe. We have magic that can reshape reality, but we have never used it to look beyond our own atmosphere. We have forgotten how to explore. This project is not just about building a vessel. It is about reminding our world that the greatest magic of all is not in controlling what we know, but in reaching for what we don't."
Her gaze swept over them all, over her teachers, her family, her allies.
"My friends and I," she said, her voice ringing with a quiet, unshakeable confidence, "intend to be the first witches to walk on the moon. This is the next logical step in the evolution of magic."
Dumbledore, who had been listening in silent, profound awe, finally spoke. His eyes, for once, were not twinkling. They were shining with the brilliant, fierce light of a man witnessing the birth of a new age, an age he knew he would not lead, but had had the profound privilege to help foster.
"My dear girl," he said, his voice full of an emotion too deep for words. "You have not just built a ship. You have built a future."