Hookah Skull

The Potion Brewing process for the 'Eye of the Wizard' potion was extremely complicated and took at least six or seven days.

Although Anna's Castle had an abundance of potion ingredients, some that could not be stored still had to be purchased from Knockturn Alley.

Things like leeches and rats—living creatures.

And to avoid interfering with 'time,' they also had to brew Polyjuice Potion and obtain hair from Muggle society in order to disguise themselves for the purchase.

Time stretched out once more.

While Anton brewed the potions, the Old Wizard drove Pedro the Goblin away. He did not want his knowledge passed on, especially not for his enemy to learn.

More importantly, while the potion was being brewed, he continued explaining his Fiennes Potions lessons.

He used the perspective of magic and the angle of spellcasting to deconstruct the discipline of Potion Brewing all over again.

Anna consciously avoided peeking from the side. Her good family upbringing had taught her what she should and should not look at.

Especially since she had finally returned to thirty-eight years ago, she begged Pedro to take her to see her mother.

Heaven knew how much courage Pedro had needed.

After all, his strength was not what it had been thirty-eight years ago, and thirty-eight years ago, that Pedro had nearly been blasted into scraps by Rosier.

Now, that Pedro had faked his death to escape, while Rosier was hunting him across the world with murderous intent.

And he was supposed to sneak into the man's home?

Was he tired of living?

But Anna's pleading was simply too pitiful, stirring the heart that had begun to grow old and weary within him.

Anna was happy every day.

Whenever she returned, she would come to the laboratory and chatter beside Anton about the interesting things she had seen.

Her mother told the six-year-old her the story of The Little Prince to lull her to sleep, only to fall asleep first. Her mother braided her hair beautifully. Her mother's favorite Snakejoy Grass had finally bloomed today, its petals elegant and carrying a faint fragrance.

Anna even wrinkled her little nose and said sorrowfully that perhaps it had been this flower, so beloved by snakes, that drew the great serpent there, leading to her mother's death while saving her.

Until this day.

Pedro caught a giant snake in a corner by the castle's outer wall.

It was twelve feet long, a Viper Species, with countless mottled scars left by injuries covering its body.

It was the giant snake Anton had saved on the island.

Anna wept bitterly. "So it was Anna's oversized Time-Turner that brought this giant snake to thirty-eight years ago, and that was what got Mother killed. Anna is a bad person!"

Pedro the Goblin sighed and rubbed her little head. "Time travel is dangerous. Sometimes, we think we will change something, but it is all merely fate mocking and toying with us."

The Old Wizard fell silent as well. Stroking his own head in his arms, he did not let out his usual strange cackle, only sighed. "Fate really is cruel."

Anton wore a peculiar expression.

He silently set down the potion in his hands, removed his Dragon Hide gloves, and looked at Anna with a complicated expression.

He hesitated, but ultimately sighed and seriously patted Anna's hand.

"The truth is crueler than what you have seen."

"I don't know whether I should tell you, but you will learn eventually."

Anna looked up at Anton in shock, her eyes full of panic.

She glanced at Pedro, then stared at Anton with an unusually resolute expression. "I remember you mentioned that you knew about my mother's deeds. Tell me. I am stronger than you think!"

"Perhaps."

Anton pointed at the giant snake.

Pedro's magic had restrained the snake with a huge purple-skinned magical puppet, which gripped it viciously. It looked as though, with a single command from Anna, the golem's ten hands would tear the giant snake apart.

"This snake's name..."

"Is Nagini."

"What?!" Anna was stunned, staring at the giant snake in disbelief.

"What?!" Pedro was stunned. In a panic, he dismissed the golem. The giant snake fell to the floor and swiftly slithered into a corner of the room.

"What?!" The Old Wizard was stunned. He... well, this had nothing to do with him at the moment. There was no need to care about his reaction. Skip it.

"Yes." Anton looked seriously at Anna and Pedro. "She is Nagini!"

"Impossible!" Pedro the Goblin shrieked.

The air before his eyes rippled, countless waves spreading outward like water. Seen through those ripples, his already bulging eyes seemed to grow even larger than his head.

Anna tightly clutched the hem of Pedro's suit jacket, staring nervously at his mouth as she waited in terror and hope for his answer.

"I..."

"I don't know."

"I can tell that there is a woman's soul inside the giant snake, but she has completely transformed. The curse's effects have penetrated her soul. Her body cannot turn back, and her soul has completely solidified into the form of a snake."

Pedro stared blankly at Anton, his voice dry. "You mean... if Rosier did not lie, then she... she really is my daughter? And the Blood Curse I invented..."

He seemed to have suddenly aged greatly. His already short body hunched over, his eyes filled with bitterness.

He collapsed weakly onto the ground and slapped himself again and again. "I'm a bastard. I'm such a bastard..."

Everyone fell into grief.

Anna wept as she looked sorrowfully at the giant snake. "Anna used to be so afraid of her. I did not even dare look at her. She was right beside me for half a year, and Anna never gave her a proper look."

She took small steps toward it, but the giant snake abruptly reared up, flicking its tongue. Its wary posture made it seem ready to attack.

The Old Wizard cried out anxiously, "Anna, don't get close! She's only a snake now. She'll kill you!"

Clink!

Clink, clink!

Crisp sounds rang out.

Everyone turned to look.

Anton was tapping the potion-brewing cauldron with his wand.

"My 'Eye of the Wizard' potion is finished. Mr. Pedro, didn't you say you wanted me to use the Biomimetic Spell to learn and imitate your secret 'Goblin Eye' technique?"

"Now is the perfect time. You can demonstrate how the Goblin Eye explores memories."

"Yes!" Pedro the Goblin suddenly leaped to his feet.

"Yes, I need to examine her memories. The Goblin Eye is no ordinary Goblin secret art. It is unique to the profession of Time and Memory Goblin Collector. Even if the Blood Curse has erased her memories, I can still see them!"

Anton waved his wand, and a portion of the potion in the cauldron floated into the air. "Then, shall we begin?"

"Wait!" Anna cried out anxiously. "Wait for me!"

After Anton and Pedro both agreed, she ran swiftly deeper into the castle. Before long, she returned carrying a strange magical object.

It was made from a skull, with a flexible tube extending from the base.

A line of German was engraved on the skull's forehead: "For the Greater Good—1898."

"Use this. It was left behind by my relative, Leta Lestrange." Anna held up the skull and passed the tube to Pedro.

"The Hookah Skull can display what you see for me to see at the same time." Her gaze was more resolute than ever. "I! Want! To! See!"

P.S. Leta from Fantastic Beasts 2 was far too pitiful. The man she liked was not straight at all.