Dumbledore, standing on the streets of Bangkok, felt that something was off.
It was probably because the news came so suddenly, after all, the two brothers had been waiting for more than half a century.
As Aberforth stepped into the bustling and exotic Chinatown, his excitement was palpable.
Led by Dumbledore, they arrived at the door of a shop with rather strange decor.
The little square signs full of ghosts and monsters were alright, and the golden baby statues were also alright, but the straw dolls covered in steel needles were a bit unbearable.
Aberforth frowned.
Selling things that easily cause physical and mental discomfort— Nagini was indeed abandoned.
"Ring ring—" Dumbledore pushed open the door.
Compared to the outside, the inside is a greater test of endurance.
In the dim light, the first row of shelves displayed dried animal carcasses, some of which appeared to be human.
Aberforth followed Dumbledore expressionlessly.
"Sawadika—" a deep, hoarse voice rang out, sending chills down one's spine.
An old witch slowly sat up from the shadows.
She seemed to be a little hunched over. After waving to light a few candles hanging from the ceiling, she leaned on her cane and left the rocking chair where she had been lying.
"Oh—so you're a guest from abroad." The witch's English was a little broken.
"Welcome to our shop. Is there anything you two need?"
Dumbledore nodded to Aberforth, then smiled at her.
"I need an answer, an answer that my brother and I have been searching for for more than half a century."
The witch raised her cane and tapped the ground lightly, summoning a crystal ball from who-knows-where.
The surface is very smooth, and you can vaguely see some swirling smoke inside.
She seemed somewhat excited.
"Gentlemen, I am the only sorcerer in the entire Southeast Asia who can still communicate with Vishnu. No matter what the problem is, I can give the correct answer."
He squinted at the kind-looking Dumbledore, then at Aberforth, who seemed anxious about something.
Judging from their appearance, they are brothers.
Judging from the crooked nose and the fact that the two barely communicated throughout the entire conversation, the relationship between the brothers was quite strained.
They're all gray-haired now; this must have happened decades ago.
Is it really possible to find the correct answer to every difficult problem?
"If even I can't do it—" She paused, lowering her voice even further,
"Even if we find those so-called prophets, we probably won't be able to solve the problems in your hearts."
Dumbledore surprise and slightly opened his mouth. "Great!"
How should I address you?
"Surya".
Aberforth's brow furrowed even deeper.
The older brother's responsibility is to take care of his younger brother.
The one whose nose looks like it's been broken is the older brother, while the one who looks anxious and confused is definitely the younger brother.
Having sorted out the relationships, the witch, leaning on her cane, controlled a crystal ball to float in front of her and walk towards them.
The steady, repetitive impacts suddenly stopped.
Because she recognized her brother.
"Dumbledore!?"
"It's me."
Just before she was about to fall, Dumbledore very gentlemanly conjured a chair and caught her... Being shown off in front of this great man was incredibly disheartening.
"Surya—?"
"That's fine, ma'am."
He looked up slightly at the ceiling. "Ms. Surya, could you make this a little brighter?"
"Please make yourself at home." She leaned back in her chair, seemingly indifferent to everything.
With a simple wave of the Elder Wand, the candles and their flames grew several times larger.
To witness the magic of the strongest wizard of our time, I could die without regrets!
"Hmph—" Aberforth coldly averted his eyes, which had been fixed on her the whole time.
He's just pretending to be a ghost or spirit; he probably makes a living doing this.
Huh—either it's soaked internal organs or insect specimens, this is definitely a case of fraud and deception.
Unlike him, who wore his emotions on his sleeve, Dumbledore smiled and conjured a chair to sit opposite Surya.
"Madam, we've come all the way from Britain, of course not to expose you."
Surya's gaze refocused.
Yes, they're a very busy person!
Instead of coming to this remote and backward place, you might as well go to the International Confederation of Wizards to discuss the future of the global Wizarding World, or go back to Hogwarts to nurture a few promising students.
Exposing counterfeits? Obviously, that's impossible.
She opened her eyes wide and straightened her back, no longer acting all mysterious.
"Dumbledore, may I ask your true purpose...?"
"To find an answer."
We had never met before today, and we had never even crossed paths.
"You are joking, sir. You know only true prophets. How could I possibly give the correct answer?"
Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. "Madam, only you can solve this problem."
Surya's smile turned bitter. "You must have the wrong person. 'Communicating with Vishnu' is just a terminology used in our line of work."
"No, no, no—madam, you're the one I'm looking for."
He wiped the smile from his face and met her particularly guilty eyes.
"Madam, may I ask where you are from?"
Surya could feel another burning gaze.
"Thailand - Indonesia"
Aberforth strode forward, "You really are Nagini's relative!"
She was startled and somewhat stunned. "What Nagini? I've never heard of that name before."
Aberforth walked straight past Dumbledore, bent down and brought his face close to hers, "Does your family have a hereditary Blood Curse?"
Don't lie to me; he can read your mind.
"I can't." Dumbledore reached out and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Madam, please forgive our offense."
Only Aberforth stepped aside did Surya dare to breathe a sigh of relief.
Those lion-like eyes really frightened her.
"Although I don't know where you got this information—" she nodded very earnestly.
"But I can answer you, yes."
My parents have told me countless times that my mother's family was cursed.
"If that curse that gradually drives the living to madness and ultimately turns them into beasts is the Blood Curse, then I think I must be the person you're looking for."... "Where's Nagini?" Aberforth's eyes were filled with rage. "Why did you abandon her!"
Surya was speechless.
She doesn't seem to know Nagini at all.
Didn't your parents tell you?
"No, I'm growing up."
Aberforth shut his mouth in astonishment.
They were completely unaware?
His anger did not dissipate; instead, it shifted elsewhere.
Where are your parents?
The sadness in Surya's eyes didn't seem to be feigned.
She slightly raised her cane and caught a slightly yellowed photo frame.
"My mother died when I was 10 years old, and my father died shortly after I came of age..."
They participated in that Muggle rebellion, probably because they were wounded during that time.
Indonesia was brutally colonized by the Netherlands for 349 years.
More than a hundred years ago, in 1873, their people could no longer tolerate the exploitation and decided to unite and resist the rulers.
It started as small skirmishes among Muggle, then escalated into a small-scale war, and eventually even wizards got involved.
"I was born in 1913, the year the war ended."
Aberforth's eyes widened as he looked at the photo.
A young man is embracing a young woman who is holding a baby.
She looks exactly like Nagini.
.