Narcissa gazed at Erwin with eager anticipation. "Try it, child!"
Erwin nodded, though a knot of unease twisted in his gut. Lucius, standing nearby, stared at the steak on the table and swallowed hard. As a seasoned Death Eater, he seldom felt outright dread, but this came close. He remembered the one time the Dark Lord had sampled Narcissa's cooking. Voldemort had gone uncharacteristically silent afterward. From that day on, even the ever-cautious Lord had never set foot in Malfoy Manor again.
Seeing Narcissa's hopeful smile and the flicker of terror in Lucius's eyes, Erwin felt his own tension mount. Something disastrous loomed.
He sliced off a small piece of steak and slipped it into his mouth, chewing cautiously.
His eyes bulged. "Merlin's beard! What in the world...?"
He couldn't pinpoint the flavor—or lack thereof. No words, not even from his vast knowledge, could capture the horror of that bite. Was it even meat? Magical cuisine could be eccentric, like Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which Erwin avoided for good reason. But this? This transcended the bizarre. If Voldemort or Grindelwald had endured it, they'd starve themselves into defeat before Dumbledore even arrived. It wasn't just poor cooking; it was a curse from the underworld.
Narcissa beamed expectantly. "How is it, child? Delicious?"
Erwin clutched his knife and fork like lifelines. If she weren't his mother's dearest friend, always doting on him, he'd suspect foul play—an assassination attempt disguised as hospitality. How could anything taste this abysmal?
He dabbed his mouth with a napkin, forcing down the rising bile. "It's... wonderful, Aunt Narcissa. I had no idea you were such a talented cook! What a treat."
Her face lit up like a Lumos charm. "I'm so glad you like it! Have more!"
Lucius blinked in stunned silence. Delicious? Had Narcissa been holding back all these years? Heart pounding, he carved a tentative sliver and popped it in.
His pupils dilated in horror. He gaped at Erwin. How could the boy stomach this? No wonder Erwin excelled—he endured agonies others couldn't fathom. Lucius sighed inwardly; another area where he paled in comparison.
Erwin eyed the untouched plate, trapped in a bind. How to escape without offense?
Suddenly, a prickle at his arm—the Dark Mark stirred. Then Old Tom's voice echoed in his mind.
Erwin's face tightened. "Aunt Narcissa, Uncle Lucius, I'll have to take a rain check on the rest. Duty calls back in Diagon Alley—urgent business."
He rose swiftly. Lucius's expression darkened. "Trouble? Need assistance?"
Narcissa's concern deepened. "Be careful, dear."
Erwin shook his head. "Just a minor issue; I can manage. Sorry to cut this short, Aunt Narcissa—I'll return soon for a proper meal."
She waved it off with a warm smile. "Nonsense, come anytime! Draco mentioned you can Apparate from Hogwarts. Pop in whenever school's on; I'll whip up something special."
Erwin forced a nod—Malfoy Manor for dinner? A nightmare he'd dodge forever. With a crack, he Disapparated to Cavendish Mansion in Diagon Alley.
Chaos greeted him. Several wizards gripped their wands, magical energy crackling as they pinned down a thrashing Nagini in the center of the foyer.
Erwin pushed through the crowd, eyeing the enormous python writhing on the floor. He frowned. "When did this happen?"
"Just before I contacted you," Old Tom replied. "She took ill suddenly and shifted back."
Erwin nodded and flicked his wrist, signaling the wizards to ease their suppression spells. He approached cautiously.
Nagini's feral glare softened at his sight. She slithered forward, coiling around his leg before climbing to his shoulder. She nuzzled his cheek affectionately.
Erwin's mouth quirked. "Easy there—you're no lightweight housecat. Acting like a tiny serpent when you're this massive?"
He shook his head and pressed a finger to her scaled forehead, probing with a thread of magic. The diagnosis clicked: Unlike his own bloodline, which had settled into equilibrium after adjustments—especially post his vampire purge in the Forbidden Forest, where Pendragon heritage briefly overshadowed his Dragon Speaker lineage—Nagini's case was thornier.
The blood curse's surge, fueled by the very magic meant to stabilize her, amplified her serpentine side. Erwin's harmonizing ritual had balanced her dual natures, but the influx tipped the scales, forcing the transformation. Her human form's innate magic couldn't match the serpent's raw power, so permanence eluded them. Repeated treatments were the only path forward.
Fascinating—another puzzle from the last Maledictus. He murmured the incantation bound to her finger.
Nagini uncoiled and slithered to the floor. To the wizards' awe, her form shimmered and reshaped into human.
Erwin dismissed the group with a wave. Moments later, alone, Nagini stirred and blinked awake.
"What... what just happened?"
...
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