While his classmates made their way to Hogsmeade, John had other plans. Upon reaching Hogsmeade, he promptly apparated to Belby Manor. The sharp sound of his apparition faded as he materialized outside the grand estate. With determined strides, he entered, finding Dharma Alex engrossed in potion-making. The sight of John brought a smile to Dharma Alex's face. "You've arrived just in time. The great serpent is on the brink of awakening," he greeted.
Dharma Alex, recently returned from a victorious escapade at the Ministry of Magic, couldn't hide his glee. His successful overthrow of a Minister had inflated his ego. Under John's guidance, the potion they were working on had undergone numerous revisions. The addition of mandrake leaves transformed the scarlet liquid into a vibrant green. John then produced a bottle containing a soul, its white light stark against the dimness of the room. Initially dismissive, Dharma Alex's attitude shifted to shock upon recognizing the contents. "What have you done?!" he exclaimed, a mix of incredulity and panic in his voice.
John responded with a calm smile. "Don't worry, I haven't killed anyone."
Dharma Alex was skeptical but, seeing John's serene expression, he relaxed. "I'll need an explanation later, but I trust you wouldn't engage in such acts," he conceded after a moment of silence.
With that understanding, John added the soul to the potion, which then shifted from black back to white, signaling their success. The potion now glowed a holy white, casting a fluorescent light in the dungeon. The next step was the surgery on the great serpent, Nagini.
John approached the slumbering creature, using water elemental magic to guide the potion into Nagini's mouth. Silver threads began to emerge, weaving around the serpent. "Success," John murmured, observing the transformation under the potion's influence. Dharma Alex, too, watched intently, documenting every detail.
As the silver and white threads multiplied, Nagini's voice echoed in John's mind. "John?" she inquired.
"It's me," he replied, his voice a comforting presence amidst the chaos.
John then ventured into the heart of the spell, his consciousness traveling through myriad tunnels until he arrived in a misty, white expanse. This realm, a limbo between life and death, was formless and infinite. There, he encountered a woman in a blue dress, her features distinctly East Asian, her beauty marred by a blood-green curse that clung to her.
"Nagini?" John's voice was soft, tentative.
The woman looked up, disbelief in her eyes. "John?" she whispered, her voice a mix of hope and despair.
Her appearance was haunting—a once graceful figure now ravaged by the curse, her body a tapestry of wounds and decay. In her hand, she held a small silver-white figure, the essence of the potion that John had introduced. This soul fragment worked tirelessly to mend the fractures threatening to consume her.
Approaching Nagini, John observed the blood-green aura that enveloped her, a stark reminder of their intertwined fates. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to confront the daunting task ahead. This situation was dire, but John was determined to restore Nagini, to heal the deep wounds that bound her to this cursed existence. John's expression was more solemn than ever as he faced Nagini, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on him. "Nagini, I'm going to start the treatment now," he announced with a determined look. As he raised his hand, his mirrored action was reflected by the external body, allowing for a synchronized and intuitive view of the soul's transformation. "If it becomes too much for you, don't hesitate to let me know," he added, his tone serious.
Nagini, filled with hope, nodded energetically. A temporary soul protector was in place for Nagini, giving John the confidence to proceed with the treatment without worry. He meticulously opened all the soul bottles from his small bag, and a holy white orb of light began to circulate around him. With precision, John directed his wand through one of the orbs, uttering the spell, "Return of the soul." The orb morphed into a hundred soul scalpels, piercing into Nagini's serpentine form. In a blurred vision, Nagini felt the sharp pain as the scalpels penetrated her, her face contorting in agony.
John, with unwavering focus, manipulated the soul scalpels to extract the malignant blood curse, drawing it out bit by bit. The curse, in retaliation, transformed into a boa constrictor, launching an attack on the scalpels. Despite the assault, John remained unfazed, his movements steady and precise. As the soul mass depleted, he transformed another soul into a scalpel, continuing the painstaking process. Nagini's soul, fragmented and vulnerable, was meticulously cleansed of the blood curse, hidden even in the most minute crevices.
Outside, Dharma Alex watched intently as Nagini, enveloped in a silver and white brilliance, underwent a transformation. The sight filled him with a mix of anxiety and awe. "Could it really be happening?" he thought, barely containing his excitement. It was a sight unprecedented, something not even Merlin could have claimed to achieve.
John, with the precision of an orchestra conductor, methodically removed the remnants of the blood curse. Under Dharma Alex's watchful eye, Nagini's form began to shift, her serpentine body gaining human limbs. The transformation was grotesque, a bizarre amalgamation of human and snake, yet John's focus never wavered.
The blood curse, stubborn in its resistance, morphed into a giant python, emanating a sinister, blood-green aura. It lunged at John, attempting to swallow him whole. With a flick of his wand, John countered, transforming a soul into a dazzling white light that struck the curse head-on. The Soul Crushing Curse left the python dazed, allowing John to form a large sword from another soul and deliver a decisive blow to its head.
As the blood curse attempted to retreat back to Nagini, John enveloped her in a protective soul barrier, intercepting the curse. Seizing the moment, he struck at the python's root, causing a burst of white light as the creature writhed in agony, unable to flee.
"Trying to escape?" John sneered, summoning another soul orb that ignited into a white flame. The flame morphed into a dragon, fiercely attacking the python. The blood curse, now in the form of a python, was consumed by the soul fire, its wails echoing as it was utterly vanquished.
John watched intently until the last vestige of the blood curse vanished. Turning his attention back to Nagini, he noticed the soul protector within her weakening, rapidly diminishing as if deflating. Nagini's fragmented soul looked on in disbelief, hardly able to comprehend that the blood curse that had plagued her was finally gone. "Okay, it's all over," John said with a chuckle. Despite the evident fatigue etched on his face, his smile radiated genuine happiness and contentment. Approaching Nagini, John expended the last fragment of his soul to repair Nagini's fragmented spirit. The souls he used were distilled from centuries of dementors consuming the essence of others. Upon connecting with Nagini, these souls began to seamlessly merge with her being.
"Welcome back, Nagini," John greeted, extending his hand with a courteous gesture. Nagini regarded the boy for a moment before slowly reaching out her own hand in response. Suddenly, an unexpected transformation occurred!
The air around them seemed to pulse with a newfound energy, hinting at the profound change taking place. John's gesture, simple yet laden with the weight of his sacrifice, bridged the gap between them, symbolizing a new beginning. However, the tranquility of the moment was shattered as the unexpected transformation unfolded, hinting at the unpredictable nature of magic and the complexities of their intertwined destinies.
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If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge