"... After Credence (Abeforth's son) died, I left Hogwarts. After that, I first went back home — or rather, the place that could originally be called 'home,' although I don't have a good impression of it, but Mr. Scamander was very happy about my return."
Nagini said, her lips involuntarily pulling into a chilling arc, "He probably thought I would still perform hard for his circus?"
"So, he died?"
William tapped the armrest of the chair, using a succinct question to dissipate the increasingly cold atmosphere for some unknown reason.
"... How do you know?"
Nagini was stunned for a moment, finally couldn't help but ask.
"Because that's the normal development of the story, most likely after you turned into a snake, swallowed by beastly nature... Did I guess wrong?"
William was also stunned because he noticed Nagini's expression like she swallowed a rat — no, she had probably swallowed countless rats in her life.
"No, I killed him with my own hands — before I was swallowed by the beastly nature."
Nagini forced a somewhat reluctant smile, the atmosphere she initially built to tell the story was quite good, but now she could only dryly recount the events, and the woman couldn't help but tremble a little, as if she just realized now that the person sitting opposite her is Dumbledore, the greatest White Wizard, Chief Mage of Wizengamot, President of the International Confederation of Wizards...
But unexpectedly, neither of them showed any expression of dislike upon hearing these words, William remained serene, and Dumbledore's eyes even seemed to have a touch of heartache.
Of course, the object of his heartache was certainly not the circus leader.
"... Aren't you going to continue?"
Seeing the woman seemingly dazed, William couldn't help but ask.
"Why? I killed someone!"
The woman seemed even more unable to contain herself than William, she almost instinctively shouted.
"Do you think, after you were recruited by Voldemort, there aren't many who died by your mouth?"
"But after that, I wasn't conscious, yet Scamander was..."
"Do you really want to move into Azkaban? Although all the cells there are single rooms, the living environment is definitely not comfortable."
"No, I don't want to."
"Then shut up and keep talking."
William said irritably, "What's wrong with you people, so fond of accusing yourselves? Even in terms of being a 'murderer,' if we talk about experts, it must be... Wait, Mr. Sorting Hat, the hat I mentioned just now is only a metaphor, you can go back to sleep."
As he said this, he waved towards the direction of the old pointed hat behind Dumbledore, who loved to chime in, and it let out a dissatisfied "hissing" sound, similar to the friction of fabric. The fold under the brim moved slightly, and then returned to silence — it was probably truly "sleeping," or just too lazy to bother with William.
The atmosphere in the office sank into a curious stagnant state.
In the fireplace, the fire crackled, illuminating the uncertain expression on Nagini's pale face, fear, confusion, and a touch of helplessness.
Dumbledore's bright blue eyes observed her through half-moon spectacles warmly, that gaze like an invisible hand, soothing the woman's near-breaking emotions, calming Nagini's violently rising and falling chest slightly.
"Alright."
Nagini took a deep breath, calming her nervousness before continuing, "After Mr. Scamander died... everything changed — that was perhaps the last straw that broke me, my consciousness was quickly swallowed by the Blood Demon Curse, from that moment, I was imprisoned within my own mind, unable to interfere with any actions thereafter — like..."
Her voice lowered, carrying a dust-settling numbness, "A purely instinctive beast."
"Nagini..."
Dumbledore couldn't help but speak.
"Please let me continue."
Nagini shook her head, presumably signaling Dumbledore not to stop her from recounting the rest —
"Or rather, the curse ultimately made me complete, no longer troubled by those disturbances and sadness.
"Afterward, I wandered around in a forest for a long time... or maybe not that long? After all, time doesn't mean much to a snake, eating rats, eating birds, occasionally lucky enough to catch a rabbit... instinctively avoiding places with powerful strange smells... like the edges of human settlements, or the territories of certain powerful magical creatures."
"Then... one day."
Her tone changed with an extremely subtle shift, a bit of cold slipped into the almost numb pitch, "I remember, it was a fine afternoon with sunshine, a 'voice'... suddenly echoed in my mind."
Dumbledore's body leaned slightly forward, his expression began to grow serious.
"That man found me — Professor, he used a voice I couldn't resist to command my actions —"
"Parseltongue, effective against snakes."
"Yes... later I learned what it was."
Nagini nodded, thanks to the Blood Demon Curse, she understood the use of Parseltongue even in human form, "That voice... It was so fragile, like a flickering candle flame in the wind, yet so... indisputable, it called me, guided me, told me it could feel my pain, my loneliness... told me we were the same kind."
"... Unsurprisingly, this is Voldemort's remaining soul, after being hit by the rebounded charm, he fled to the forest where Nagini was."
Dumbledore began to act as the voiceover.
"Yes."
Nagini's voice carried tremors, "At that time, I didn't know his name... only knew that voice... that 'similar kind,' it said it was hurt, very weak, needed help, needed me, it promised me... power and belonging? No, more accurately, 'understanding,' it described in my consciousness, only beings like us... abandoned by the world, could truly understand each other, it needed my... strength."
Her face revealed an expression mixed with pain and mockery.
"What was I then? A snake left with only instincts. 'Power'? That term was as empty as air to me."
"He bewitched you." Dumbledore's voice carried regret.
"Bewitchment?"
Nagini shook her head, "It was parasitism, a weak, cunning soul found an equally weak, confused, instinct-driven body, he told me that if I helped him, he could help me get rid of the curse, regain my 'human' identity... that was probably my only obsession at the time — because Credence told me to live well..."
She took a deep breath, that memory clearly made her feel a bit suffocated.
"So I agreed with him, because there was no reason to refuse —"