Dorset.
In front of a small wooden cabin, invisible ripples spread through the air as Lucien and Lumen appeared out of nowhere.
After contacting Newt through Instant Speech, Lucien had teleported directly there.
The moment Lucien landed, the cabin door opened.
Newt stood in the doorway, his signature curly white hair even messier than the last time they had met.
He nodded to Lucien and, without any unnecessary pleasantries, stepped aside.
"Come in quickly."
Lucien followed Newt into the cabin, passing through a living room filled with all kinds of supplies for magical creatures. Newt crouched down and opened a trapdoor in the floor.
The two climbed down the ladder.
They passed through numerous enclosures and habitats housing various kinds of magical creatures.
Eventually, they arrived in front of an iron room. All four walls were made from thick steel plates joined tightly together, with no exit except for a single door at the front.
Newt drew his wand and lightly tapped the latch.
The locks sprang open one after another with a series of crisp clicks.
The door swung open.
In the corner of the room, a massive green python lay coiled into a ball, its scales reflecting a dark sheen in the dim light.
It remained completely motionless, as though sunk in a deep sleep.
Nagini.
"She doesn't recognise me at all anymore." Newt sighed and scratched his already messy curls, his voice filled with exhaustion. "And she's become extremely aggressive. I can only give her a small dose of Draught of Living Death every day to keep her asleep most of the time, otherwise she might lose control."
Lucien said nothing and quietly observed the sleeping giant snake.
He walked toward Nagini, drew his wand, and gave it a light flick.
A sturdy iron cage instantly rose from the ground, securely enclosing Nagini inside.
Then he took a small vial from his pocket, drew out a drop of antidote for the Draught of Living Death, and controlled it with magic, guiding it slowly into Nagini's slightly open mouth.
A few seconds later, the giant snake stirred.
Its eyes suddenly snapped open.
They were cold, vertical pupils devoid of warmth or emotion, containing only the most primal vigilance and killing intent.
Its gaze immediately locked onto the boy before it, its body tensing as it instinctively sensed a restrained yet unmistakable threat from him.
Lucien crouched down and met Nagini's eyes at the same level.
His dark green eyes and those icy vertical pupils stared silently at each other through the bars of the iron cage.
"Mr Scamander," Lucien said calmly without looking back, "have you tried any methods to deal with Nagini's curse?"
Newt stood behind him and remained silent for a moment.
"Many."
He lowered his gaze toward the snake on the floor, his voice carrying a deep sense of helplessness.
"Restorative Draughts, Mandrake juice, Awakening Water... back then, we tried every known method we could think of to break the curse."
He paused before adding,
"We even sought out witch doctors from Africa. They've dealt with curses for generations and are particularly skilled in that field. But..."
Newt didn't continue.
The result was already obvious.
Lucien nodded slightly, his gaze never leaving Nagini's eyes.
He tried to listen.
After receiving the Unicorn's Blessing, he could understand the language of most animals, whether it was the chirping of birds, the growls of beasts, or even the complex forms of communication used by magical creatures.
But now, faced with Nagini's low hissing, Lucien couldn't make sense of it at all.
It felt extremely strange.
It was as though several different languages had been mixed together, with chaotic grammar, distorted pronunciation, and everything turned upside down.
Was it because Nagini was a Maledictus?
Tormented by the blood curse, she had transformed from a human into a beast with magical characteristics.
Neither truly a magical creature nor truly human, had she become trapped in some state that no one could fully understand?
Lucien glanced at Lumen beside him.
Lumen immediately understood.
Its clear eyes turned toward the giant snake inside the iron cage as it attempted to communicate with Nagini through its telepathic ability.
A moment later, Lumen's ethereal voice sounded in Lucien's mind.
"Master, I tried communicating with her, but her responses are chaotic. One moment she's begging to be released, the next she's saying she'll eat Mr Scamander first, and then you..."
Lumen paused, its tone carrying a trace of confusion.
"And there are many meaningless cries mixed in."
Lucien shook his head slightly.
Lumen's telepathy could transcend language and allow direct communication, but it still required the other party to possess a clear consciousness, even if it was only the simple awareness of an ordinary animal.
Yet Nagini was actually more frenzied than a wild beast.
However...
Lucien remembered that in the original story, Nagini had been highly intelligent, nothing like an ordinary snake.
She could understand Voldemort's orders and instructions, carry out complex tasks, and even communicate with him to a certain extent.
Was it because she was currently in the final stages of struggling against the curse?
Had she not yet completely fallen into the state of a cold-blooded beast, leaving her consciousness torn and chaotic between human and animal?
Or...
Did it require a Parselmouth like Voldemort to establish a true connection with her?
Should he ask Harry to help communicate?
Newt looked at Lucien with a hint of expectation.
The old man had seen too much, experienced too much, and lost too much.
"Lucien, do you have any ideas...?"
Newt's voice was very soft, carrying a trace of cautious hope.
Lucien's eyes gradually darkened as a black vortex appeared deep within his pupils.
"I'm not sure either, but I'll do everything I can to try."
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