Chapter 140
The Snake and the Staff
Note from J.M. Jackson: So, this is going to show a massive change to canon, and believe me when I say that there are a lot more changes happening. Dododum and I both hope you enjoy this chapter, and the other changes being made.
Walking into the house that Bathilda had led them too, Lily scrunched her nose up at the smell. It smelt like something had died and was still there. Was this just old woman smell? The place looked relatively tidy, though there was a lot of dust everywhere. Was that why Bathilda's voice was different?
"Miss Bagshot? What's going on?" Lily asked, looking around. She saw a series of books, including one that she hadn't heard of before, ' The Life and Legacy of Albus Dumbledore' but what caught her eye was that it had been written by Mairead Black. She made a note to find the book when they were done with Bathilda.
" Something feels off'" Lily said to Ginny mentally.
" No kidding," Ginny replied. "Miss Bagshot, why are you here? Why were you looking for Potter?"
" I was told of Potter's coming," Bathilda replied, staring at them. Lily felt a cold chill; who could have told Bathilda that they were coming to Godric's Hollow? No, there was something seriously wrong here.
"We should go, Miss Bagshot," Lily said. "We've got a lot to do."
" You will stay," Bathilda said, staring at Lily. She met Bathilda's gaze, before Lily realised what was going on. She took a deep breath.
" We need to run in a minute, be prepared to send sparks," Lily said mentally to Lily. " I think Bathilda is dead."
" But Inferi can't speak," Ginny said.
" It's not an Inferi," Lily told her. " We're speaking in Parseltongue."
" Oh… crap," Ginny said mentally, though Lily could hear the fear in her tone.
"I know who you are, Nagini. I know you're also not doing this willingly. Riddle forced you to serve him. But you fought alongside Professor Dumbledore, didn't you?" Lily asked. Bathilda looked at her. "And with Newt Scamander. I heard the story. You're a Maledictus and cursed. Please, talk to me, let us help you."
" You… you can't help. I have moments where I can be myself, but they do not last," Nagini said, standing there. " Not since he used his cursed magic on me."
"There has to be something we can do," Ginny said. "You don't deserve to be a slave like this."
" I… have not been able to talk to anyone for a long time. This is the reason I am fighting to keep control myself, but it is difficult. Because he is not here, I am able to use what little strength I have," Nagini told them.
"Then draw strength from us. Let us help you, even if it works for a little longer," Lily insisted. "Maybe we can try a transfiguration spell?"
"Is there one we can use?" Ginny asked. Lily thought for a moment.
"Wait, I have an idea, but it's a long shot," Lily said.
" Try it… I do not know how long I can retain control," Nagina replied, before letting out a hiss. Lily whispered to Ginny, and nodded, before pulling out her wand.
"Here goes nothing," Lily said. She aimed her wand and closed her eyes.
" Feminafors!"
A flash filled the room, almost blinding Lily and Ginny, causing them to cry out in shock, as they were sent backwards into the wall. Lily groaned as she tried to open her eyes but seeing nothing but light in her eyes.
"Ginny? Nagini?" Lily called out.
"I'm… I'm here," Ginny replied from nearby. Lily blinked a few times, before her eyesight began to clear. As it did, she heard Ginny gasp, understanding the feeling as she saw why; Nagini was no longer a snake, but a beautiful woman standing in front of them, looking at herself!
"Oh…my…god!" Lily gasped, looking at Nagini, who immediately then ran to Lily, embracing her in a warm hug.
"You… you freed me!" Nagini said, smiling happily before kissing Lily's cheek. "I don't believe it. I feel… I feel like myself for the first time in years! I'm finally free!"
"It worked!" Ginny exclaimed happily, embracing Nagini in a hug. "We should get you out of here, before Riddle figures out something's gone wrong."
"Agreed. Where can we go?" Nagini asked.
"Let me summon my friends, and we'll go from there. We've got a few secret places we can go to," Lily said, as she went to the door, grabbing the book as she went, and sending up red sparks. It took less than thirty seconds for the others to all appear.
"We need to get Nagini out of here. I'll explain everything later," Lily promised.
"I know where we can go," Hermione said, grabbing a few random items and creating Portkeys.
Lily was thankful that none of her friends questioned her; it showed the trust they had in her, which meant a lot to her, and as they all grabbed the portkeys, she was reminded why she hated Portkeys; the jerking motion almost made her sick, and as they landed, she felt thankful for that.
"Where are we?" Lily asked, standing up and brushing off the dirt and snow from her jeans.
"The Forest of Dean, near to where the Quidditch World Cup was held," Hermione replied. "So, what's going on?"
"This is Nagini," Lily said. "Riddle's former snake. Remember what we learned when Mr. Weasley was in hospital, she's a Maledictus. She was waiting for us, but we figured it out, and spoke to her," Lily replied.
"The fact that they did allowed me to be surprised enough to gain some control over my own thoughts," Nagini said, her voice gentle and sweet. "Then Lily here cast a spell I've never heard of."
"I thought of Aunt Minnie, and some of what she taught me about creating spells, and with Ginny, we cast a transfiguration spell, wanting it to turn Nagini into a woman. Had no idea if it'd work, but it did," Lily said.
"I'll be back shortly, just going to the house to grab something," Hermione said, before disapparating. Lily turned back to Nagini.
"In my human form, I'm free of his commands. I've been forced to do… so much… the lives I've taken… I never wanted to do any of it," Nagini said, tears flowing freely. Lily embraced her gently. She couldn't even begin to understand what the poor woman was going through. "I've missed the feel of air, the taste of real food… he treated me as his servant and just a monster to be used."
"He does that," Lily replied, gently patting Nagini's back, hoping it was of some comfort. "But not to you; not anymore. Hopefully, this keeps up, but we'll keep an eye on you, and help as best we can."
"I used to support him," Draco said, taking her hand. "But I saw the light. I did some nasty things, even though I was a kid."
"Right now, you've got your own mind, Nagini, and we'll be here to do what we can," Ginny added.
"I'll call Dobby and sort some food out, whilst you all talk," Ron offered. Lily smiled at him, nodding, before turning back to Nagini.
"Take some time; you've been stuck for a long time," Lily said. "I'm glad we were able to help you. I always wanted to do so."
"I still can't believe this is happening," Nagini said, as Hermione reappeared with a tent. Lily could see how hard it was for Nagini to fight back the tears.
"I got the tent, so we can settle here for the night," Hermione said, as she began to set the tent up.
"I appreciate everything you're doing," Nagini said weakly. "I'll try and warn you if I start losing control. I don't know how you managed to return me to my human form."
"Lily and Ginny together are stronger than most people. Ginny is the Seventh Daughter of a Seventh Daughter," Draco said. "And Lily is pretty damned powerful, coming from a powerful family line."
"That makes sense," Nagini said, as she looked up at the moon. "I just… there's so much I want to say, see, and do."
"You'll get that chance, Nagini," Lily promised. "Riddle's taken way too much from us; we won't let him get you back."
"Just promise me that you won't let him get me, even if you have to kill me," Nagini pleaded.
"We'll find a way to keep you human," Lily promised, meeting her eyes.
"If you can't, and if I start losing who I am, I need you to kill me. I won't serve him willingly ever again," Nagini insisted.
"I don't want to hurt you, Nagini. You're his victim," Lily said softly. "I can't hurt you. I don't want you to pay because of that bastard."
"If you won't, Lily, then I will," Draco promised, his voice firm as he met Nagini's gaze. "I won't do it unless I have to, but I don't want you being forced to go back. I wouldn't want to go back either."
"Thank you," Nagini said. "It's good to see you again Draco; I'm glad you got away from him."
"I saw her as a snake," Draco clarified. "After Riddle returned, my father introduced us. I think he wanted me to join the Death Eaters eventually."
"Well, that didn't happen, thankfully," Lily said, with a small smile, as Hermione opened the entrance to the tent.
"Come on in; it's comfortable enough, and I just finished putting up as many defensive spells as I could think of," Pansy said. As they all entered the tent, Nagini sat down on a chair, with a small smile. Lily could see the haunted look in her eyes, however. She knew this was going to be difficult for her, more so than anything she'd faced before.
"I haven't felt this comfortable for a long time. I remember fighting alongside Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore, against Grindelwald. After, I knew I was starting to lose control of myself, and left, hiding and travelling. Just over three years ago, I think, he found me, with Pettigrew, and he was the first person to speak to me in a long time," Nagini explained.
"And he was charming, right? He was always able to charm people," Lily said.
"He wasn't himself yet, not fully, but by then, I'd lost my sense of humanity," Nagini said. "I'd been alone for so long."
"And he was able to convince you that he could help you," Lily guessed. Nagini nodded, looking at the floor, her voice breaking.
"But then he… he killed a woman, Bertha Jorkins, and the next thing I knew, I'd lost all control," Nagini confirmed. "He turned me into a Horcrux."
"Because you have a part of him inside of you," Lily agreed. "We're working on ways to destroy them without hurting the person."
"Your friend that his other piece took over," Nagini surmised. "That got you started."
"Exactly," Ginny confirmed. "We're also trying to find his other Horcruxes."
"I'll help as much as I can," Nagini offered. "It's the least I can do."
"Thank you," Lily said kindly. "We'll get him out of you."
"How? I can still feel him there, wanting to take control, but… I'm scared," Nagini admitted. Lily decided to take a risk with something; she wanted to trust Nagini.
"You're not alone, Nagini. Ginny and I…" Lily began. Ginny took her hand, and then continued.
"Lily and I have half of a horcrux within us. Because of our bond, it split, and so we can't be controlled, so we know it can be damaged, and we're looking into ways to remove it. We've been told it can be removed, so don't worry," Ginny reassured her.
"Do you want something to eat, Nagini?" Ron asked.
"Yes please. I don't want anything meat though. I mean… I've…" Nagini said. Ron smiled softly at her.
"Believe me, I can get that. I'll get Dobby to help make something vegetarian," Ron said, before heading to the kitchen area and calling for Dobby, who appeared next to Ron.
"We can talk more tomorrow though. You should get some rest. Tonight, you don't need to think about anything other than how you're now free. I'll summon my Uncle and some friends; they can test to make sure the curse is gone or if we need to remove it somehow," Lily offered.
"How? They never could find it when I was a child," Nagini replied.
"No offence, but it's been a long time, muggle technology and magic has come a long way," Lily said, smiling. "I am curious though; how do you look so young?"
"Because the Maledictus curse, when complete, halts the ageing process, as part of the genetic defect," Hermione explained. Nagini's eyes widened as she looked at Hermione. Lily, Draco, Ginny, Pansy, Fleur, and Lavender just chuckled.
"When someone asks any kind of question, Hermione just has to answer it and know the answer," Lily explained. "Kind of her thing."
"It's incredible," Nagini complimented. Hermione blushed.
"And now you broke her. She doesn't take compliments well," Pansy teased, smirking.
"I just do what I can," Hermione replied.
"It's impressive," Nagini said, smiling. "Be proud of it. At least you know of his weakness."
"We've destroyed a few already," Draco said. "And I can say this, knowing we won't let you go back to him, but we know how to destroy them."
"Good," Nagini replied. "Personally, I want a wand to kill the bastard myself. After everything he's done, he needs to be stopped."
"Agreed," Lily said, sitting next to her. "But that's not gonna happen tonight. Right now, Ron's making food, and we'll relax a little. I'll be back shortly; I'm going to summon my Uncle as I said."
"Agreed. Thank you," Nagini replied, as Hermione handed her a glass of orange juice.
"Hope this is okay," Hermione said. Nagini smiled as she took a sip.
"I've really missed this," Nagini told her, sniffing the juice as well. "It smells so good, so does that food."
"We're going to do light food," Ron called over. "I remember when we were ill when we were kids, after being sick or not eating, we have to start with toast, or soups and sandwiches, so I've got a special toasted cheese sandwich, with four different types of cheese, and tomato soup."
"Okay Ron, I'm officially impressed," Ginny said, grinning. Ron shrugged.
"I do have my moments," Ron said.
"That you do," Lily agreed, as she stood up. She left the tent, and the defensive field, before sending a message to Sirius, hoping he'd be there quickly.
"You'll be pleased to know that there's no trace of the Maledictus curse within your blood," Scrimgeour said, looking at Nagini. "We've also got this necklace for you to wear, it's a recent invention of Fred and George Weasley; it acts as an Occlumency shield."
"Wait, there's such a thing?" Hermione asked, clearly impressed.
"It's a new invention they've been working on. If they weren't hellbent on returning to their joke shop after the war, I'd have them working for the Ministry," Scrimgeour replied, chuckling. "Now, with that, it'll stop Riddle from accessing your mind, and controlling you, we believe, until we can remove the Horcrux within."
"Thank you, Minister. I really can't tell you how much this means to me," Nagini said, smiling at him.
"Honestly, we're happy to help. As Lily told you, you're a victim here. You've been used by Riddle, and we won't let him do that ever again," Scrimgeour assured her.
"I'll make sure to be worthy of your efforts," Nagini promised. "Anything I can do, I will."
"For now, get some rest. We can talk more tomorrow, but I'll leave here shortly, and head for a safehouse, preparing it for you. Once there, you'll be able to rest and relax. Tomorrow, we'll start making plans to find the next Horcrux," Scrimgeour told her. He then faced Lily and Ginny. "Lily, Ginny, once again, you astound me at how incredible you both are."
"Ginny helped, and we just… well, we didn't even know if it would work," Lily admitted.
"Maybe, but you've just cured an ancient curse, and saved Nagini's life. There's a lot to learn about the how, but what you've done is nothing short of historic," Scrimgeour told her. "You'll be in the history books for all time with all you're doing, though I know you'd rather not be."
"Well, that aside, we know Riddle expected me to go to Godric's Hollow, though I'd love to know how he knew," Lily said.
"He didn't; he said you were sentimental and just expected you to go there," Nagini chimed in. Lily sighed.
"Great, so I'm predictable," Lily shook her head as she sat down.
"He actually expected you to go a lot sooner. I was told that had you not arrived by Year's End, he'd give up on you going there," Nagini replied. "I'm glad you did come though."
"Likewise," Lily said, smiling at her. Her smile then faded. "So, we've found another Horcrux, and we'll remove it, but the hardest one is yet to come, I suspect."
"I can help there," Nagini told them. "The ones he made was from Slytherin's locket," Nagini began.
"Now destroyed," Ron told her.
"His Diary," Nagini added.
"Also destroyed," Ginny said. Nagini nodded.
"His Grandfather's ring," Nagini continued.
"Again, also destroyed," Sirius said.
"Myself, as we know, Hufflepuff's Goblet, Ravenclaw's Diadem," Nagini told them. "And then there was the one he created last year, with the intention of using it to take over Nicolette Delacour."
"Wait, he did make another one?" Lily asked. "I thought he'd only be able to make seven."
"That was number seven," Nagini said. Lily shook her head.
"No, number seven was me," Lily said. "That night in Godric's Hollow, when his first body was destroyed, his soul fragment went into me. Right now, it's split between myself and Ginny."
"Right, you mentioned that, but I don't believe he knows that," Nagini told them. "I don't know everything, but he'd definitely be worried about it if he did know."
"Which means he created an eighth Horcrux," Remus surmised.
"Ninth," Nagini replied. "He also used the same container to replace the horcrux, though it did weaken him. He knows he can't create anymore."
"Seven was likely more than most people could create. If anyone else had created nine, it would have killed them," Crouch said, looking at her. "But he doesn't know about Lily, so he thought he was creating an eighth Horcrux."
"Agreed," Nagini said. "I know he put it where he found it, though I'm not sure of the exact location."
"Did he put it somewhere we could find it easily?" Lily asked hopefully.
"No, he put it somewhere very few people know of," Nagini replied. "He created it from Merlin's Staff."
"Wait, the actual staff of Merlin? It was lost generations ago," Crouch said.
"Not lost. Hidden. Merlin's staff was used five hundred years ago, where it was hidden somewhere that only a dark wizard could find it," Nagini said. "In the Tomb of Salazar Slytherin!"
