Chapter 44: CH: 44 Fate's Puppet
The goblin Pedro retrieved the Pensieve, took a sharp breath, and then peered into the basin.
Rich silver mist wafted through the air.
Then, ripples appeared once again, causing Pedro's eyes to widen significantly.
As Pedro looked at the large snake, the mist in the air started to transform.
[The snake lifted its eyes from its scar-covered scales and peered out through the iron cage. It found itself in a laboratory, with the surroundings appearing blurry. Snape paced back and forth in front of the cage.
He paused, turned his head to gaze at the snake, and pulled up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Lord's mark on his arm. He seemed relieved yet hesitant, wearing a puzzled expression.]
...
The mist swiftly shifted.
[A young wizard stepped forward, waved his wand with a flick of his wrist, "Crucio!"
A burst of dark magic surged forth, enveloping the large snake in a maelstrom of agony. The serpent convulsed and let out a guttural roar in a frenzy, in a bizarre twist, the snake's head momentarily morphed, taking the form of a woman, before swiftly reverting back to its original form.
The young man, a glimmer of triumph illuminating his eyes, turned to face a wizard clad in a golden leather jacket. His voice brimming with satisfaction, he confidently declared, "See? I didn't lie to you. This will fetch a good price."
A trace of disappointment crept into the young man's voice as he continued, "I've conducted countless experiments, and the duration for it to transform into a woman's head is getting shorter and shorter. If it isn't sold, it would be a shame not to witness such a peculiar sight. It would be a missed opportunity..."]
...
"Mother!" Anna's anguished cry echoed through the air as her eyes locked onto the sight of her own mother's face emerging from the snake's head. it was, without a doubt, her own mother.
Every word uttered by the young wizard echoed within Anna's mind, causing her heart to ache with empathy as she envisioned the unspeakable torment that her mother had endured under his hands. The weight of her emotions threatened to overwhelm her as she grappled with the profound sense of helplessness that gripped her.
During that time, Anton had used countless potions in an attempt to save her mother.
The scene began to rewind, showing the young man repeatedly torturing her mother, all the way back from London, England to the Albanian forest.
Anna's heart shattered as she watched, the weight of sorrow overwhelming her as tears streamed down her face. "No!" she cried out, her voice trembling with a potent mixture of grief and fury.
...
The mist swiftly shifted once again.
[In the jungle, a dark shadow flickered, and the large snake panicked, desperately fleeing in all directions. Eventually, it fell into a snuff bottle that had been enchanted with an untraceable extension spell, creating a one-way passage. It seemed unable to escape. After a few days, the young man happened to come by and picked it up, wondering, "What is this?"]
...
[The snake continued to wander through the dark corners of the world, until it eventually arrived in the forests of Albania.]
...
The mist shifted once more.
A very familiar scene unfolded before everyone's eyes.
[That was the garden outside the cabin, yet it appeared different from the garden outside the window at present. In this garden, there was a grave. The entire cabin and garden seemed enveloped in a thick black mist.
Andre knelt before the somber grave, cradling Anna in his arms as he paid his respects. His eyes lingered upon the photograph adorning the headstone, a bittersweet smile playing upon his lips. "Nana, I'm sorry I couldn't be with you. I lost you, and I can't afford to lose Anna as well."
A flicker of determination ignited within Andre's gaze as he continued, his voice resolute. "The blood curse is hereditary, and I must find a way to break it."
Gently placing Anna back upon her feet, Andre whispered a silent promise to his departed wife. "Wait for me, Nana. Once I heal our Anna, I will come back to accompany you."
He cast a final glance at the photo on the gravestone before teleporting away with Anna.
Not long after their departure, a snake emerged from the grave. It swiftly transformed between human and serpent form, crushing the flowers surrounding it.
Eventually, it transformed completely into a snake, with only the coldness of a beast visible in its vertical pupils.
The large snake slithered and swam into the distance, occasionally morphing its head into that of a human.]
...
Desperation etched in her voice, Anna's pleas echoed through the air, summoned from the depths of her anguish. "Father, please come back quickly! Mother is not dead, come back!" Anna cried out, her voice laced with sorrow and hope.
However, deep down, she knew that her father would not hear her plea. Even in the next fifty-eight years, he never returned to this sorrowful place.
Perhaps, when her father did return, it would be to bury himself alongside her mother.
Anna, with her precocious mind, could understand the emotions at play. While she had been in an icy slumber, her father had endured fifty-eight years of torment over the loss of his wife.
As the mist gradually dispersed, revealing a scene laden with revelations, Anna's gaze fixated upon Pedro in sheer astonishment. The truth that unfolded before her eyes left her breathless, her mind reeling to comprehend the magnitude of what had been hidden from her.
With an air of heaviness, Pedro confirmed what Anna had suspected deep within her heart. "Indeed, she is Nagini," he affirmed, his voice carrying the weight of truth. "Nagini, who has completely transformed into a snake."
Anna's brow furrowed, her expression reflecting a mix of confusion and frustration. "I am aware of that!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with a hint of impatience. "But why did you stop there and not show me more? My mother wasn't killed by a snake at all. She was a snake herself!"
Despite the boiling anger within her, the young girl managed to maintain her semblance of composure. Her voice, though devoid of hysterics, brimmed with a seething anger that threatened to engulf her. "My father lied to me," she declared, her face ablaze with indignation. "My mother wasn't killed by a snake at all. I need to know..."
Pedro, his expression etched with empathy, shook his head gently, interjecting her impassioned plea. "Adults sometimes lie to protect you, child. I can't show you the image of your mother's death. It would be too cruel for you. That memory would leave an indelible scar in your life."
Determined and resolute, Anna rejected Pedro's words. "No," she firmly retorted, her conviction unwavering. "I want to know everything!"
With unwavering resolve burning within her, Anna's gaze grew resolute. "I am still young, and I still have time. I will create a more powerful time-turner. I will bring my mother back from the depths of time. I will save her, sooner or later!"
Pedro hesitated, his frown deepening. His centuries of experience gave him a foreboding feeling about what the next scene would reveal.
Seeing his unease, Anna rushed forward, her small hands clutching at the fabric of his suit in a desperate plea. "Please," she murmured, her voice tinged with desperation and vulnerability.
Oh God, Pedro couldn't bear it any longer.
"May I interrupt...?"
Just then, Anton's voice interrupted.
He appeared visibly uncomfortable, his body leaning against the table for support, as if struggling to maintain his balance.
With a strained voice, Anton addressed Pedro, a note of urgency lacing his words. "I must remind you, Mr. Pedro, that the 'Oculus' potion is extremely taxing for me." His finger pointed towards the ethereal pattern illuminated in the air beside him. "Your 'Oculum Mutatio' spell is incredibly complex, and I could barely capture it. If you don't continue quickly, I might not be able to hold on much longer!"
Pedro gazed at the mesmerizing image in astonishment. It consisted of countless lines, color blocks, and intricate dark green cracks, forming a three-dimensional pattern. It appeared more intricate than the magical mechanical structure of a time-turner. "What is this?" He whispered, his voice tinged with both anticipation and curiosity.
"Haha," Beside him, Fiennes let out a proud chuckle, reveling in Pedro's amazement. "This is what the 'Oculus' potion reveals, dear teacher." Fiennes declared with a hint of satisfaction.
Floating gracefully in front of the intricate pattern, Fiennes shook his ghostly head, a tinge of disappointment etched upon his translucent face. "Unfortunately, as a ghost, I can no longer comprehend any knowledge that I haven't learned before. It's a pity." He lamented with a touch of wistfulness.
Finally, Pedro, the goblin, agreed. He sighed as he looked at Anna, then picked up the Pensieve once again and peered in.
Swoosh~
The memory image reappeared before them once more.
...
[It was a quiet night, with thick clouds obscuring the moonlight. The air carried a faint fragrance of flowers, and the wind gently rustled the wind chimes.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, little Anna awoke with a sense of disorientation lingering within her. "Mother?" she called out, her voice tinged with a mix of confusion and longing. "Where are you, Mother?"
With a growing sense of urgency, Anna embarked on a frantic search, her little feet carrying her to every corner of the garden. Yet, no matter where she looked, her mother remained nowhere to be found, her absence causing panic to well up in the girl's heart.
Finally, after a desperate search, Anna reached the farthest corners of the garden, where rocky terrain gave way to an unsettling sight. Her tender heart quivered with a mix of relief and worry upon discovering her mother, curled up and vulnerable on the ground.
"Mother, what's wrong with you?" Anna trembled, her voice filled with concern and confusion.
Her mother's form contorted in agony, writhing and convulsing amidst her torment. The vacant gaze in her eyes mirrored the depths of her despair. "Andre, come back quickly. Don't search for Pedro anymore," She beseeched, her plea laced with desperation. "Please come back quickly!"
Overwhelmed by confusion and the weight of the moment, Anna rushed to her mother's side, her heart heavy with distress. But as she approached, she witnessed her mother undergoing a drastic transformation.
In the end, her mother transformed into a twelve-foot-long snake.
The large snake opened its eyes, revealing cold, yellow pupils that held only the hunger of a wild beast.
It hissed and opened its mouth wide, creating a cavernous void that seemed capable of swallowing Anna whole.
A voice, trembling with urgency and concern, cut through the chaos of the moment. "Young master, run!" cried the house elf, appearing before Anna, ready to defend her at all costs.
He anxiously grabbed Anna's hand, intending to Disapparate and flee, but it was too late. The snake moved with such incredible speed that no one could react in time.
The thick body of the snake instantly coiled around the house elf, constricting and squeezing with great force.
The elf, with only a moment to spare, managed to throw Anna far away before being squeezed to death. The snake's strength was terrifying.
"Hiiisss~"
The large snake continued to advance, charging towards Anna.
But in that crucial moment, a panicked cry pierced through the chaos, reverberating from the gate of the garden. "Nana, no! That is our daughter!" The anguished voice was unmistakably Andre's, his words infused with urgency and despair.
Indeed, Andre had returned just in time.
However, Nagini paid no attention to him whatsoever. She moved so swiftly that Andre feared for his daughter's life.
"No!" Andre cried out in a voice filled with desperation and anguish, his plea carried away by the winds of uncertainty.
Suddenly, a surge of black fog billowed forth, shrouding the scene in an ominous haze.
With a resounding boom, the large snake was blasted away and crashed into a pile of stones.
"Nana!" Andre cried out in anguish. He quickly waved his wand, casting a 'Shield Charm' to protect his daughter, before frantically rushing into the pile of stones, searching desperately.
Finally, he found her.
The snake once again transformed into Nagini, but the hasty attack had been too devastating. Nagini was already dead.
He had killed his own wife with his own hands!
Rain began pouring down.
Andre held Nagini's lifeless body, crying out in despair, his howls echoing like that of a lone wolf...]
...
"No, no, no!" Anna's trembling voice rang out, her eyes transfixed upon the heart-wrenching image shown by the mist. Sorrow swelled within her, threatening to overwhelm her tender heart with an indescribable sadness. Overcome by a sense of panic, she pushed open the wooden door of the laboratory and darted outside, her little feet propelling her forward with an urgency of sheer distress.
As the haunting scene faded into memory, Pedro released a heavy sigh, weariness etched upon his features. Turning his gaze towards Anton, he voiced his concerns. "I told you, Anton, that she shouldn't have witnessed it. Did you manage to capture the image using the 'Oculum Mutatio' spell?"
Anton nodded, standing tall and composed. He appeared remarkably relaxed, showing no signs of the weakness he had previously struggled with.
With a gentle touch of his finger, the incomplete pattern in the air instantly completed itself.
"You all keep an eye on Nagini, make sure she doesn't wander off. I'll go check on Anna." With those words, Anton swiftly dashed out of the room.
Pedro, his gaze fixated on Anton's departing figure, found himself lost in a wave of astonishment that washed over his countenance. The realization seeped deep into the recesses of his ancient soul, stirring a mixture of emotions within him. "I am hundreds of years old, I have lived for so long," He marveled, his voice tinged with a hint of disbelief. "And yet... I was deceived by a child?"
Beside him, Fiennes couldn't help but let out a knowing chuckle, a glimmer of amusement dancing within his eyes. "Oh, my foolish teacher." he playfully remarked, his tone tinged with a touch of affectionate admonishment.
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