Nagini Rescue Plan

The laboratory had been tidied up, and the Magic Images on the walls had been taken down. With a flick of his wand, a line of words appeared on the wall: Nagini Rescue Plan.

"The plan is simple. The only thing we need to do is be cautious—extremely cautious. We cannot let the Anna and Rosier of this era discover any trace of us."

"Once we leave an image of ourselves in either of their memories, unpredictable changes may occur."

Anton looked at everyone with a grave expression.

Everyone nodded.

"First, we know that after Anna woke up in bed, it took her five minutes to find her mother by the pile of rocks in the corner of the garden."

"So we have at least five minutes to feed Nagini the Sealed Prison."

"There's something that needs to be stressed. Nagini herself is quite powerful. Once she senses danger and transforms into Viper, her speed will be extreme, and she'll be even harder to deal with."

"Anna will handle this. You may look a little different from when you were six, but Nagini was muddled at the time. Besides, it'll be cloudy and rainy, with no moonlight. She won't notice. Even if she does, she won't hurt you."

"Of course, I'll be nearby. If she attacks you, I'll cast a Shield Charm on you. Lead her toward me, and I'll respond on a Flying Broomstick."

Anton tapped the table. "Nagini can't fly, but we can. Then we'll keep close to her and lead her away from this place."

"I've tested it. My Shield Charm can withstand Nagini's attacks."

Pedro stared at him in astonishment. "When did you test it?"

Anton shrugged. "We've been here so long. There are always opportunities. I needed to know how strong my Shield Charm was, so I tested it whenever I could. Don't bring up such irrelevant topics again."

He looked at Anna. Anna nodded solemnly. "Anna can do it!"

"Good."

Anton turned to Pedro. "We're pulling tricks right under the nose of Rosier, a powerful Dark Wizard. He's someone even you can't stand against."

Pedro looked irritated. "Thanks for the reminder. Damn it, I don't remember how I ended up becoming his friend."

Anton continued, "Back then, in Knockturn Alley, the Pedro from that time covered us with a huge piece of cloth. No one noticed us, not even Rosier."

Pedro nodded. "That was one of our Goblin alchemical treasures. It wasn't cloth at all. Its true nature was—"

He paused. "Why am I explaining this to you?"

Anton merely smiled. "Do you know where the Pedro of this time is? Ah, good. Go find him. No matter what method you use, bring that cloth here. When Anna feeds Nagini the potion and brings her back, you'll restrain Nagini and cover us with the cloth."

Pedro nodded. "All right."

Anton turned to the Old Wizard. "You'll keep watch. Hide inside a large tree. If you see Rosier appear, stick a finger out of the tree. Pedro will keep an eye on where you're hiding."

"Also, for the next two days, teach Anna the Levitation Charm. If Nagini cooperates and drinks the potion, she'll fall asleep immediately. Anna can use the Levitation Charm to bring Nagini to Pedro herself."

The Old Wizard cackled. "Wonderful. I can do my part too."

Finally, Anton pointed at himself. "I'll protect Anna. Both Annas, so neither of them gets hurt by the Nagini from a different era."

"Three days remain." Anton braced both hands against the table and stared intently at each of them. "Hold yourselves to the highest and strictest standards. That is my attitude toward this matter, and I hope it will be yours as well."

"Meeting adjourned!"

Everyone got busy.

Anton locked himself in a room with Nagini and repeatedly cast the Biomimetic Spell on both himself and Nagini.

They transformed into Chameleon Windbirds, a state that even Rosier would not notice.

This was their contingency measure in case the plan failed.

No matter who slipped up, one spell would immediately make them disappear before Rosier's eyes.

The three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Night quietly fell.

Thick clouds covered the moonlight, blurring everything in sight.

Anton and the others emerged from the stone steps beside the fountain at the castle entrance and looked at one another.

"Follow the plan!"

The Old Wizard drifted toward the garden entrance where Rosier would appear, slipped into a tree, extended a translucent hand, made an OK gesture, and withdrew it again.

A massive Goblin Golem with purple skin appeared behind Pedro. Its ten hands grabbed the transparent cloth and the large snake. The cloth fluttered through the air, covered him, and made him vanish from everyone's sight.

He would enter the corner by the pile of rocks, where he would provide support and hold the line.

Anna looked a little nervous. She clenched the potion bottle tightly and breathed heavily.

"Don't be nervous. You can do it." Anton smiled and patted her shoulder. "Elegant, proud Anna—she's also incredibly resilient. Not everyone at that age could lock themselves in a factory and face the same machine every day."

Anna focused on him, then grinned and softly said, "Anton, thank you."

Anton raised a brow. "I accept your thanks."

Anna smiled sweetly. In the two years since her mother's death, she had thought of her every moment.

Now that she had traveled back to this point in time, simply being able to watch her mother from afar every day already made her happy.

But now, she could actually touch her, speak to her, and hug her!

Anna felt more fulfilled than ever before.

It had to succeed. She had to bring her mother, who could still be saved, back to thirty-eight years later. Even if her mother would still be a snake, it represented hope!

"You've brought hope to so many people." Anton's reflection filled Anna's deep emerald eyes as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

Then she strode ahead.

Anton froze, touched his cheek, and chuckled.

"Actually, I was just looking for someone to rely on."

Fate always liked playing jokes on him. He had wanted Lupin to be his nanny. He had planned everything out and put all his effort into it.

Then he had successfully become Lupin's nanny instead.

He shrugged.

All he could do was smile at fate.

What else could he do? There was nothing he could do. He could only choose to lie flat, stop caring about safety, stop caring about life and death, and stop worrying about the future.

Do what he wanted, regardless of gain or loss, unafraid of life or death.

He drew his wand and walked step by step toward the pile of rocks.

"Ah~~~"

Nagini covered her mouth tightly, refusing to let her cry of pain wake her daughter in the wooden cabin.

Her body was constantly changing, only for her to forcibly turn it back into human form. She realized she was beginning to lose control.

She could no longer switch freely between human and snake form. Sometimes, she would only realize she had transformed after becoming a snake.

And most dangerously, she suddenly realized that after turning into a snake, she would lose her human consciousness and become a beast driven by nothing but animal instinct!

She had to escape this place as soon as possible. She was afraid she would hurt little Anna.

"No, I have to leave this place!"

She staggered outside and reached a pile of rocks, where she finally collapsed to the ground.

A violent transformation spread through her body. She felt herself stretching longer and longer as she turned into a snake, while her consciousness was slowly swallowed by that serpent shell.

She resisted the sensation desperately, forcing herself to turn back.

It made her body convulse in agony.

She lay on the ground, panting, her eyes full of despair. "Andre, come back quickly. Stop looking for Pedro. Come back, quickly."

Just then, a figure appeared before her.

She opened her eyes, now bearing vertical pupils, and vaguely saw Anna's figure.

"Mother!"

With a choked but resolute voice, the small figure pulled the stopper from the potion bottle and held it to her lips. "Quick, Mother, drink it."

No! It was useless. Back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore had tried every possible method, yet she had never been cured. In the end, she could only leave in disappointment.

"Anna!"

Nagini reached out with a trembling hand and touched her daughter's cheek. Her convulsing body seemed to erupt with endless strength as she suddenly shoved her away.

Bang.

Anna's tiny body shot away like a cannonball, then was carried by a gust of wind and gently lowered to the ground.

"Anna!" Nagini used every ounce of her strength to roar, "Quick, Anna, run! Run far away!"

That push had contained magic. Though it sent Anna far away, it also left Nagini unable to hold on any longer. Her body began transforming rapidly.

It stretched straight out, swiftly becoming a giant snake.

Then the snake opened its eyes. Its icy vertical pupils were filled with the madness of a predator ready to devour its prey.

The potion in Anna's hand fell to the ground and shattered. She stared blankly as the liquid seeped into the soil, then scrambled up in panic. "No, don't!" She threw herself forward and dug at the ground frantically, trying to gather the potion back up.

Shards of glass sliced open her fingers, and blood streamed down them, but she simply kept digging without a care.

"Mother?"

The voice of six-year-old Anna came from the garden. "Mother, where are you?"

"..."

"..."

The Old Wizard floated out of the tree in shock.

Pedro threw back the cloth, his face filled with terror. "It's over. I knew it. We can't change anything. We'll only make things worse. I never should have—"

Anton rolled his eyes and pulled another potion bottle from the bag at his waist. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy."

He quietly crept to a spot very close to the giant snake, drew his wand, and said, "My dictionary has never contained the word surrender."