Nagini in the Cavern
Riddle hissed intermittently, and the vipers all around responded, forming neat lines. Led by them, Xiwen and the others returned to the cave that had been previously explored by the Ghost Xiwen and Aurelius.
Under Riddle 'Parseltongue control, the vipers in the cave became harmless and obediently made way for everyone, even if it meant squeezing their companions.
Several larger vipers patiently led the way, winding their way around several natural stone pillars until they finally reached a very secluded cave entrance.
The cave entrance was only about the width of a bucket, hidden among a pile of rocks. A large boulder also blocked the view of the entrance, so neither the Ghost Xiwen nor Aurelius noticed it when they first explored the cave.
Ahead, the larger vipers stopped at the entrance of the cave, hissing incessantly, but dared not take another step forward, seemingly afraid of something.
"They say that's where the snake king lives," Riddle explained.
Looking at the hole, which was about the size of a water bucket, Xiwen and the others exchanged bewildered glances.
"So we have to crawl in?" Kama asked, frowning. He shone his Wand-Lighting Charm on the entrance and found it to be extremely deep, with no end in sight.
"What else can we do? Can we dig this hole open?" Aberforth said, eagerly rolling up his sleeves and preparing to crawl inside.
Aurelius, more eager than Aberforth, stopped him, saying, "I can manage on my own. I will awaken Nagini."
"No, it's too dangerous!" Aberforth shook his head. "What if she really loses her humanity and attacks you recklessly? If we go in, we can help you think of a solution."
"I am capable of protecting myself and will not be harmed," Aurelius retorted.
"Just to be on the safe side..."
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Ghost Xiwen silently floated between them.
"I mean... have you two forgotten my abilities?" He looked speechlessly at the two who still wanted to continue arguing, and said helplessly, "I can travel through objects without regard for them. All I have to do is go in, open a portal, and send you there..."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Strange." Dumbledore had already thought of this plan, smiled at Xiwen, then grabbed Aberforth and Aurelius's arms and pulled them apart, who were arguing heatedly.
Ghost Xiwen shrugged, lowered his body slightly, and buried himself in the ground to ensure his head was positioned just above the opening.
The pure white Light of Nirvalon shone once more, illuminating the narrow tunnel ahead. Then, the Ghost Xiwen drifted forward along the tunnel.
The tunnel was clearly dug by reptiles—the walls around it are smooth and solid, suggesting that reptiles frequently traversed it. Occasionally, the remains of small animals can also be found inside.
The tunnel wound downwards and was quite long. Even at Xiwen's speed, it took him about two minutes to finally reach the end of the tunnel, where a wide, open cavern suddenly appeared!
Under the Light of Nirvalon, a vast space appears outside the tunnel—a strange cave filled with stalagmites, columns, and curtains of stone in all shapes and sizes. A clear stream flows gently from the depths of the cave, so clear that you can see the white streambed.
Deeper into the cave, beside the stream, several exquisite stalagmites surround a flat rock, forming a platform resembling a lotus flower.
On the lotus-shaped platform, a large snake coiled up, its body rising and falling occasionally, as if it had fallen into a deep sleep.
Xiwen instinctively held his breath.
Then he realized that he didn't need to breathe, so he confidently summoned a Dimensional Gate and called Dumbledore and the others over.
"It's amazing that there's such a large cavern here." Dumbledore first to emerge from behind the portal, looking around with great interest at the bizarre stalagmites and stalactites.
As he looked around, he also saw the large snake coiled around the lotus-shaped platform.
"Aurelius, is that Nagini?" Dumbledore asked Aurelius in a low voice.
At this moment, Aurelius's expression said it all.
His excitement was barely contained, and he almost instinctively called out Nagini's name.
"Nagini!"
The serpent was startled awake by Aurelius's voice, and her body swayed slightly.
With a complex expression, Aurelius walked forward with a mixture of anxiety and uncertainty. He didn't care about stepping into the puddles or streams, but walked slowly and steadily until he reached the giant serpent.
Standing in front of the platform, he reached out his trembling hand, wanting to tentatively touch her.
Xiwen and the others behind him watched his movements nervously, without saying a word or going forward to disturb him.
Everyone wants to know if Nagini has truly lost all her humanity, and whether Aurelius can truly awaken her consciousness.
Finally, Aurelius placed his hand on the serpent's head and gently stroked it. The serpent made no move to resist, seemingly enjoying his comfort.
However, just as everyone was quietly breathing a sigh of relief, a sudden change occurred!
The giant serpent suddenly opened its massive jaws and bit down hard on Aurelius's hand!
Aurelius's right hand dissipated into a cloud of black mist, then reformed in an instant. Although he was not physically injured, his expression was one of utter agony.
"Aurelius!" Aberforth immediately tried to rush forward, but Dumbledore held him back firmly.
"Tom, try Parseltongue!" Dumbledore called out to Riddle, his arm around Aberforth's shoulder tightly.
Riddle understood and hissed, attempting to communicate with Nagini in Parseltongue.
However, the enraged Nagini paused only briefly before launching a further attack on Aurelius, unaffected by the attack!
"The Parseltongue is ineffective..." Riddle stared in disbelief at the giant snake that was still attacking relentlessly, his expression dazed.
"Parseltongue's failure might be a good thing," Newt exclaimed from the side. "It just proves that Nagini hasn't completely lost his 'human' side and become a viper!"
He then quickly opened his briefcase and released another Fantastic Beasts.