LRAB Chapter 120 Returning to Her Old Home: The Snake Woman's Self-Indulgence
Chapter 120 Returning to Her Old Home: The Snake Woman's Self-Indulgence
Chapter 121 Returning to Her Old Home: The Snake Woman's Self-Indulgence
Picking up where we left off, Dumbledore used Apparition to take Harry to Godric's Hollow.
Harry wondered to himself which fairy godmother "she" was, his mind racing, but he couldn't understand her meaning.
The two bypassed the stone statue of the Potter family in the village and ran straight to the back of the church.
After walking no more than an arrow's length, they suddenly came upon a dilapidated house, its crumbling walls swaying precariously, its half-rotten doors resembling ghost teeth.
Seeing that Dumbledore knew the way so well, Harry suddenly recalled what he had seen in the Pensieve before and wondered:
"Is this the professor's former residence?"
When asked this, Dumbledore first nodded, then slowly shook his head, and said, "I am no longer one after all my family has left me."
Harry asked doubtfully, "If that's the case, then who is staying here now?"
The old headmaster didn't answer, but simply pointed his wand at the rusty lock, chanted an unlocking spell, and the broken door creaked open.
He stepped into the courtyard, Harry following closely behind. He saw: spiderwebs hung from the beams like curtains, dust covered the ground like frost. Tables and chairs lay askew, like drunkards; broken windows let in drafts. Clearly, it had been abandoned for a long time; there wasn't a trace of human life in it.
Harry immediately drew his staff and sword, holding them defensively in front of him, and said, "Professor, have you taken the wrong path? This place hasn't been visited for at least twenty years."
"In a sense, you are right," Dumbledore chuckled. "There is indeed no one living here."
"Old friend, are you there?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a rustling sound was heard from the beam.
Harry looked up and saw a giant blue-scaled python, as thick as a bowl and over three zhang long, winding its way down from the beam.
Harry exclaimed in surprise, "The professor's good friend is a worm."
"Oh, Harry, that's very presumptuous of you."
The green python landed, coiled itself into a ball, and suddenly its head leaped out, transforming into a woman in black.
Do you know what she looks like?
But behold: two arched brows, seemingly furrowed yet not furrowed, veiled in mist; a pair of eyes, seemingly joyful yet not joyful, brimming with affection. A sorrowful air lingered on her cheeks, and a delicate frailness pervaded her frame. Clearly, she was a celestial being descended to the mortal world, yet she appeared as a wandering, enchanting maiden fallen to earth.
The woman saw Harry, took a few steps back, twisted her slender fingers around her sash, and said to Dumbledore, "Good morning, Albus."
Who is this boy?
Harry saw that the woman had gentle features, not Western features but rather Eastern features, and felt a sense of kinship with her.
He clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said, "I am Harry Potter, and I will never change my name or surname."
"I am honored by the esteemed heroes of the martial world who, noticing the unusual scar on my forehead, have given me the nickname 'Scarface Gentleman'."
The woman was taken aback by his retro accent, and it took her a while to come to her senses before she said strangely, "Hello, my name is Nagini."
Harry chewed on the nickname three times, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Brilliant! Brilliant! My sister's nickname is absolutely brilliant!"
Dumbledore asked doubtfully, "A nickname? Isn't that a name?"
"Professor, you may not know this, but the Avatamsaka Sutra records that the celestial serpent nāga is in charge of the earth and water and has an infinite lifespan."
"But the word 'nāga' in Sanskrit is masculine, and since my sister is a woman, the feminine word 'nāgaini' should be used."
"And if you translate this Sanskrit into English, isn't it Nagini?"
Although Dumbledore was a learned man, he had never read Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures. When Harry mentioned yin and yang terms, he was completely bewildered, only stroking his silver beard and pondering.
Nagini, however, had bright eyes, his face cleared of worry, and he smiled:
"Harry, you're the first person to know the origin of my name."
"Ah, Nagini, you never told me that this wasn't your name, but just a pseudonym."
"I didn't mean to hide it from you, Albus," Nagini said with a wry smile. "It's just that I've long forgotten my own name."
"In fact, almost all I can remember are the decades I spent living in Godric Valley."
Harry was skeptical and said, "Sister, you're joking. You look no more than twenty-nine, how can you be talking nonsense like an old man?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "Harry, Nagini is probably older than me. At least she looked like this when I first met her in 1927."
Harry pondered for a moment, then gasped in astonishment, "So, my sister is already past fifty? Has she perhaps learned some kind of magic to preserve her youth?"
Upon hearing this, Nagini lowered his head sadly, "No, it's because I have a blood curse inherited from my family."
Listen, dear reader: This Blood Curse allows wizards to freely switch between human and beast forms. The beast Nagini transformed into was a magical creature, a blue-scaled python, with an incredibly long lifespan, which also allowed her to maintain a youthful appearance in her human form.
Unfortunately, this curse is a curse rather than a blessing. Over time, the one who casts the Blood Demon curse will be forever reborn as an animal and will never be able to regain human form.
Nagini is now at a critical juncture. His memories of his past life are becoming increasingly blurred. In just one or two years, he will forget everything from his past and lose all his intelligence, becoming nothing more than a muddled, lifeless worm.
Harry was shocked and turned sharply to Dumbledore, saying, "Professor, did you bring me here today because I understand Parsley?"
"I told you, only you can free her."
Dumbledore nodded heavily and said, "When Nagini completely loses her human memories and emotions, Harry, I hope you can control her animalistic nature."
Nagini and Harry bowed respectfully. "This is also my own will. If you find yourself unable to control me, then please kill me, and don't let me harm innocent people."
"Oh, Nagini, there are many damned people in this world, but you are definitely not one of them."
Harry frowned and said, "If this fellow is suffering from some kind of blood curse, why not find a way to prolong his life through a blood transfusion?"
"The magical world is full of wonders, and I refuse to believe that I cannot find them."
"Magic is very subjective," Dumbledore said, pointing to Harry's left arm, "like the snake venom in your arm that can't be expelled."
Upon hearing this, Harry was at a loss for words and could only sigh and clasp his hands in a fist, saying, "Since it is the professor's entrustment, how can I refuse? When my sister suffers that calamity, even if it is thousands of miles away, Harry will definitely come to protect her."
Nagini smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Harry."
"In fact, I'd like Nagini to be with you right now," Dumbledore cleared his throat. "After all, no one can say for sure when she'll completely turn into a beast."
"As for the school—you may have already seen the new school rules, which include snakes among the pets allowed in the new semester."
A saying goes: The blue scales clinging to the pillar were innocent, but a curse bound them, leading them astray. Harry's fluency in Parseltongue is a perfect coincidence. As for enrollment, well, the new school rules have already been decided. To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next installment.
(End of this chapter)