First Meeting with the Maledictus Nagini
Dorset.
In front of the cabin.
An invisible ripple spread through the air, and Lucien and Liuguang's figures appeared out of thin air.
After contacting Newt via Instant Whisper, they were teleported directly over.
As soon as Lucien landed, the door to the cabin opened.
Newt stood in the doorway, his signature curly white hair even more disheveled than the last time they met.
He nodded to Lucien, and without further ado, stepped aside to make way for him.
"Come in quickly."
Lucien followed Newt into the cabin, through the living room filled with all sorts of Magical Creatures items, where Newt crouched down and opened the Trapdoor in the floor.
The two climbed down the ladder.
We traversed various spaces, passing through the habitats of a variety of Magical Creatures.
Finally, they arrived at an iron house. The four walls were made of thick steel plates, and there was no exit except for a door at the front.
Newt drew his wand and gently tapped it on the lock of the door.
The lock plates popped open one after another, making a crisp "click" sound.
The door opened.
In the corner of the room, a huge green python was coiled up, its scales gleaming with a dark luster in the dim light.
They remained motionless, as if they had fallen into a deep sleep.
Nagini.
"She doesn't recognize me at all." Newt sighed, scratching his already messy curly hair, his voice full of exhaustion. "And she's become incredibly ferocious. I can only give her a little bit of the Draught of Living Death ' each day to keep her in a deep sleep most of the time, to prevent her from causing trouble."
Lucien remained silent, simply gazing at the sleeping giant serpent.
He walked toward Nagini, drew his wand, and waved it lightly.
A tight iron cage rose from the ground in an instant, trapping Nagini inside.
Immediately afterwards, he took out a small medicine bottle from his pocket, took out a drop of the antidote for the Draught of Living Death, and used magic to control it, letting it slowly Nagini's slightly open mouth.
A few seconds later, the giant snake moved.
It suddenly opened its eyes.
Those eyes were cold, vertical pupils, devoid of warmth or emotion, containing only the most primal alertness and murderous intent.
It immediately fixed its gaze on the boy in front of it, its body tensing, instinctively sensing a restrained yet real threat emanating from him.
Lucien crouched down to be at Nagini's eye level.
Dark green eyes and cold, vertical pupils stared at each other silently through the bars of the iron cage.
"Mr. Scamander," Lucien said calmly without turning around, "What methods have you tried to deal with the curse on Nagini?"
Newt stood behind him, silent for a moment.
"A lot of."
He looked down at the snake on the ground, his voice tinged with a deep sense of helplessness. "Restoration potion, Mandrake juice, spirit-awakening water... we tried every known method to lift the curse back then."
He paused, then added, "We also consulted witch doctors in Black State; they're especially skilled in curses, their families have been dealing with these things for generations. But..."
Newt didn't continue.
But the result is already quite clear.
Lucien nodded slightly, his gaze never leaving Nagini's eyes.
He tried to listen.
After receiving the Unicorn's blessing, he could understand the languages of most animals—bird calls, beast growls, and even the complex communication of Magical Creatures.
But at this moment, Lucien could not hear Nagini's low hissing at all.
That felt very awkward.
It's like different languages mixed together, with chaotic grammar, strange pronunciation, and inverted order.
Because Nagini is Maledictus?
Tormented by a curse in their bloodline, they were transformed from humans into beasts with magical abilities.
It's neither a purely Magical Creatures nor a purely human, so it's stuck in some incomprehensible middle ground?
Lucien glanced at Liuguang beside him.
The little Qilin immediately understood, its clear eyes looking at the giant snake in the iron cage, attempting to communicate with Nagini through its talent for telepathic communication.
A moment later, Liuguang voice echoed in Lucien's mind:
"Master, I tried to communicate with her, but her responses are very confusing. One moment she's begging to be let go, the next she's saying she wants to eat Mr. Scamander first, and then eat you..."
Liuguang paused, a hint of confusion in her voice:
"And there are so many meaningless shouts..."
Lucien shook his head slightly.
The spiritual communication of Liuguang can transcend language and allow for direct dialogue, but it requires the other party to be conscious, even if they possess only a simple consciousness like a small animal.
But Nagini was even more ferocious than a wild beast.
but...
Lucien remembered that in the original story, Nagini was highly intelligent, unlike most snakes.
They can understand Voldemort's commands and instructions, complete complex tasks, and even communicate with Voldemort to some extent.
Is it because it's still in the final struggle phase of the curse? Has it not yet degenerated into a completely cold-blooded beast? Is its consciousness torn and confused between human and beast?
Or is it...?
Does one need Voldemort's Parseltongue to establish a true connection with her?
Should we ask Harry to help with the communication?
Newt looked at Lucien with some anticipation.
This old man has seen too much, experienced too much, and lost too much.
"Lucien, do you have something on your mind...?"
Newt's voice was soft, tinged with a cautious anticipation.
Lucien's eyes gradually deepened, and a dark vortex appeared in his pupils.
"I'm not sure either, but I'll try my best."