A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts and THC. This is a circus!au, inspired by The Greatest Showman, which is a heavy theme. Also, there are slight FB/CoG spoilers—mostly just character use.

Voodoo Magic Task 11: Write about something or someone that isn't as it seems. (Angel gave me permission to use a maledictus to fulfill the prompt)

Note: In this AU, there is magic, but the strict Statute of Secrecy laws aren't in place

Word Count: 1182

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.

Hufflepuff

Year 1

Category: Musical

Prompt: The Greatest Showman

Enjoy!

Nagini felt a smile stretch across her face, her arms out wide and her chest puffed out in triumph. She was panting heavily, her dark hair plastered to her skin with sweat. Her muscles trembled with the excursion she'd just put them through, but she didn't care. They were applauding her. They were actually cheering.

Her dark eyes found the blue ones of the ring master. He'd brought them all together—brought them out of the shadows, put them in new lighting. She was indebted to him.

Newt Scamander. A great man, indeed. She would never be able to repay her debt to him. Nagini looked around at the others Newt had gathered, all beaming from the sheer joy of being recognized as something marvellous. They, too, owed him an unpayable debt.

She turned back to the crowd, dragging her gaze away from the others in the circus tent. She arched her back, felt her limbs grow long and scaly, and the crowd roared.

Nagini could feel their eyes on her as she walked down the street. She tugged her cloak tighter around herself, shame threatening to overwhelm her. She could hear them whispering about her, afraid. There were always rumors circling her—that she was a demon, a witch come to steal their children and set fire to their homes. Unnatural. A freak.

Nagini couldn't even remember the last time someone had looked at her like she was a person.

She walked the stone streets of London with her head down, buying the necessities and saving the rest for a day when the market would be less crowded. Nagini hated those stares. She was doomed to one day succumb to her curse, but some days she wished that she could just get the final transformation over with, if only to escape the world.

"Miss?"

Nagini felt a tap on her shoulder and whirled around in fear, coming face-to-face with a man with a soft smile and freckles splashed across his face. There was no fear in his eyes, and that more than anything else made Nagini untense her shoulders. Still, she kept her guard up.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled and tipped his hat at her in greeting. "Newt. Newt Scamander." Mr. Scamander's voice was soft and kind. "I heard you are Nagini?"

She nodded slowly. It didn't surprise her that he knew her name; she was a bit infamous in these parts. "What do you want?" she asked him. She tugged at the hem of her threadbare cloak nervously. They were attracting attention, which wasn't something she wanted.

Mr. Scamander smiled and pulled a flyer out of his coat pocket. He held it out to her, and she caught a glimpse of a wand in his sleeve—so he was a wizard. She took the flyer and he continued.

"I want to give the Muggles something remarkable to hold on to, something magical." He smiled brightly at her. "I think you can help me."

Nagini reached out with a shaking hand and read over the invitation. "A… a magical circus? For Muggles?"

"They'll think it's an illusion," Mr. Scamander explained. "Imagine, being cast in a whole new light. I know…" He swallowed, his eyes darting about the street, and Nagini realized that he was not entirely comfortable in crowds, either. "I know what it's like to be the outcast. I think it's time we are seen as the miracles we really are."

Nagini stared at him, astounded. "You don't even know if I fit in with this… crowd. Why are you approaching me?"

Newt's brown hair flopped in front of his eyes. "I'm, ah… a bit of an expert when it comes to magical creatures—or curses involving magical creatures. I recognize the signs."

Nagini stiffened and her breathing turned shallow. "Then… then you know why people stay away."

Newt cocked his head to the side, looking almost sad. "Nagini," he began slowly, "you don't deserve to be stuck in the shadows. No one does."

And for some reason, she believed him.

As she made her way to her private tent to recover from the performance, reporters crowded her.

"How do you turn into a snake?" one of them asked. "What trick do you use?"

Nagini just smiled and winked. "Magic," she answered easily.

The reporters laughed, assuming it was a joke. Newt had been right; the Muggles thought it was all an illusion, and they loved to come to his circus for the pleasure of being fooled. They loved it, and she loved having the chance to turn her curse into something that evoked joy. In that pit, she wasn't a monster. She was something special, something beautiful.

Nagini slipped into her tent and sat in front of the mirror, then washed away the stage makeup. There were bags beneath her eyes from lack of sleep—insomnia had struck again—but she was smiling. She always felt alive after performances, where she was free to be herself without fear or consequences. There was nothing in the world more valuable than that.

Sometimes she felt guilty about fooling so many people into believing she was something incredible; a snake was not an innocent creature, after all. The final transformation could be catastrophic.

But it was hard to feel afraid when she was out there with the others, seeing the smiling and cheering audience.

Nagini was dragged out of her thoughts when she heard the flap of her tent open. She turned in her seat to see Newt poking his head in, a smile on his face. Nagini felt one of her own break out at the sight of him; the older man had become something of a brother to her during the many months they'd spent together.

"That was a great show," he told her. "I'm not sure what they loved more—your transformation or Credence's magic."

Nagini's heart warmed at the mention of Credence, an Obscurial Newt had somehow trained to keep his explosive magic under control. She knew that the older man was only glad that Credence survived as long as he had and wanted to preserve that life, but Credence loved and needed the outlet that their performances provided.

"It was all very spectacular," Nagini agreed softly. She tilted her head to the side as she considered the man in front of her and all he'd done for the outcasts of the city. In addition to all the people he'd plucked from the shadows, he provided a loving home for all magical creatures he came across. He really did have a big heart.

Overcome suddenly by emotion, she reached out and grasped one of his hands. "Thank you, for giving us this family."

She wouldn't have it forever. But she had it now, and she wanted to let him know how much it meant to her. For the first time in her life, she was free, and she was happy.

The surprise in Newt's blue eyes quickly melted into fondness. He put a freckled hand on top of Nagini's. "It's been my pleasure."

Nagini knew that he meant they'd become his family, too.