CH: 40 Anton's Shock

Anna truly embodies the innocence of a young child, as she still approaches things with a childlike mindset.

"Oops, how do we even enter the manor to see my mother?" She exclaimed, her expression twisting into a pout. "Although the castle is no longer enveloped in magic, my father is a powerful wizard, and there are many house-elves in the manor who would surely detect us!"

"Haha," Anton chuckled, finding amusement in her predicament. "I thought you were well-prepared, but it seems you didn't even have a plan for the first step. Did you come here without thinking?"

Anna playfully tapped Anton, then gathered her skirt and squatted down by the street, observing the bustling crowd with a hint of melancholy and despair.

A hand gently extended towards her.

Looking up, she saw Anton's radiant smile.

"Well then, lovely little princess, would you be interested in experiencing the sensation of transforming into a bird and soaring through the sky?" He proposed, his voice laced with intrigue.

Anna's eyes gleamed with an infectious enthusiasm, her entire being captivated by the prospect.

She placed her hand gently on Anton's, and he pulled her up.

The two of them walked towards a dark corner of the street. With a flash of a spell, the world around them transformed, taking on an otherworldly appearance. Everything seemed to expand, creating a sense of grandeur.

As Anton transformed into a bird, he hopped around playfully and lightly pecked at Anna's avian head.

The two plump birds frolicked for a while, flapping their wings and soaring into the sky.

The "Mutatis Plumage" spell, despite its name sounding like an animal, is actually a spore cluster capable of manipulating the wind. It cannot be seen by the naked eye, as it is a type of plant.

While the birds displayed agility and nimbleness, their long-distance migration speed could only be compared to that of snails when compared to the owls in the wizarding world.

Thus, the two birds perched on car roofs, the back seats of bicycles, the backs of skateboards, and even on the heads of pedestrians. They continuously changed their mode of transportation until they finally arrived at Ightham Mote Manor.

Anton finally understood why this place was called Ightham Mote Manor.

Looking down from the hillside, a European-style castle was almost engulfed by countless blooming flowers. Even the castle walls were adorned with floral beauty.

Amidst the most vibrant bloom of flowers, there stood a log cabin.

Anna and Anton materialized their bodies, cautiously approaching a window. Anna pressed her back against the wall, nervously clutching the hem of her skirt.

Anton gave her an encouraging look, and Anna took a few deep breaths before turning around and gently pulling the window open, revealing their heads.

Another head appeared beside Anna's.

The two of them peered curiously into the room.

The room was serene.

Exquisitely carved and gilded dressers and wardrobes adorned the space, while a rainforest oil painting hung on the wall.

In the center stood a grand bed with tall Roman columns. A sheer canopy cascaded from the ceiling, draping around the columns. In the middle, a wind chime made of seashells emitted a melodic tune with each passing breeze.

Next to the large bed, there was a smaller princess bed. A little girl, around 6 years old, peacefully slumbered upon it.

"It's you," Anton remarked, his interest piqued as he observed Anna closely.

"Yes," Anna nodded gently, her eyes lingering around the room, as if tracing the contours of cherished memories.

Before long, the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears, prompting Anton to swiftly grab Anna and transform into a bird once again.

The two of them perched on the windowsill, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Anna's mother.

"I should never have given birth to her!" A stunning oriental woman, her midnight-black tresses cascading around her, entered the room, her anguish reflected in her gaze. She glanced back at the man standing beside her, her voice heavy with sorrow. "I should never have given birth to her. It was a mistake!"

Anna trembled, nearly losing her balance on the windowsill.

Anton quickly caught her and flew down to the ground. The intense emotions caused their initially stable transformation spell to become highly unstable.

They appeared beneath the window.

Anna huddled near the window, her face pale and filled with disbelief. Her eyes widened, tears streaming down her cheeks as she shook her head, clenching her teeth.

Anton sighed silently, gently taking hold of her hand.

Memories can be like this sometimes. As time gradually passes, some of the images that once seemed vivid are now just fragments after much contemplation.

However...

Anton furrowed his brow, a sense of familiarity washing over him as he observed Anna's mother. He couldn't quite place where he had seen her before.

"Nana, please," Anton recalled the voice of Mr. Rosier. Yet, there was a distinct transformation - the timbre had matured, resonating with the intricacies of existence, and it now possessed a captivating allure akin to romantic verses.

"This is the embodiment of our love, the continuation of our lives," Mr. Rosier tenderly conveyed, his words laced with heartfelt emotion.

Anton cautiously peered out, catching a glimpse of Mr. Rosier embracing his wife from behind. After a while, Anna also leaned in, her eyes filled with sadness as she gazed at her mother.

Anna's mother sought solace within Mr. Rosier's comforting embrace, her sobs muffled as she buried her face in his arms. Her voice, tinged with anguish, emerged as a barely audible whisper, "No, Andre, it should never have been born. It should never have been born!"

Andre crouched down gently, placing his hands on her slender shoulders. "Nana, let's go find Pedro, okay? Let's find him together."

Nana's emotions surged, her countenance contorted with bitterness. She clenched her jaw tightly, declaring with unwavering resolve, "Never, I never want to lay eyes on him again!"

Andre remained resolute, his touch gentle as he wiped away his wife's tears. He gazed into her eyes, his own deep blue orbs reflecting an unwavering love and tenderness, as he assured her, "For you, and for Anna, my dear."

Nana hesitated, her focus locked upon Andre, as she cautiously inquired, "For Anna's sake?"

Andre's conviction radiated as he nodded vigorously. "He created the blood curse, and he was the one who inflicted the curse upon your mother. We must find him and have him lift the curse! We cannot allow this vicious curse to continue running through our bloodline for generations. We must put an end to it!"

Nana's gaze sharpened with unwavering determination. "Yes!" Her voice rang out with fervor. "We must make him lift the curse on Anna. She cannot endure the same tragedy as me!"

Andre tightened his lips, a mixture of concern and caution etching his features. "He is a dangerous being, and we cannot afford to take such a risk. Let us confront him first, just the two of us, alright?"

Nana looked at Rosier, her face pale, and eventually nodded. She tenderly caressed her daughter's face.

Rosier summoned the house-elves and instructed them to prepare the carriage.

In due time, the couple gradually departed, their figures fading away as Anna stood there, her gaze vacant and lost. "My mother truly loves me, doesn't she?" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

Anton's smile widened, his nod confirming her query. "I could see the love in her eyes."

He motioned towards Andre, who stood at a distance, issuing instructions to the house-elves. "Would you like to follow them?"

Anna brushed away her tears, mustering unwavering resolve as she nodded in agreement.

With her emotions stabilized, Anna transformed back into a bird under the soft glow of a spell.

Anton gracefully landed on top of the carriage, while Anna flew directly into the carriage and nestled into her mother's arms. Her transformation was so light that her grieving mother didn't even notice.

With a gentle cry, the white horse flapped its wings and lifted the carriage into the air.

They soared through the sky, racing along the Thames River, skirting Buckingham Palace, and even passing through a rippling distortion in the air, heading straight towards the skies above Knockturn Alley.

From a height, Anton looked down and noticed a large lake behind Knockturn Alley, adorned with numerous tombstones.

"I have conducted inquiries, and he is present," Andre conveyed solemnly.

Throughout the journey, Andre spoke many comforting words, but none seemed to elicit a response from Nana. However, upon hearing this particular sentence, Nana burst into tears.

"I don't know, Andre. I don't know how I should face him. I'm scared," Nana confessed, her voice laced with vulnerability.

There was a pause as Andre contemplated her words. "We always have to face our fears, don't we?" He spoke softly.

The carriage came to a halt. Gazing out onto the vacant expanse before them, Rosier announced loudly, "Master Pedro, Andre Rosier of the Rosier family and his wife Nagini have arrived for a visit."

Shortly after, the open expanse quivered, causing a dilapidated structure to materialize. From within emerged a youthful-looking individual, identified as Fiennes. "Alex Fiennes, I extend salutations to you on behalf of teacher. Please, do enter," He invited cordially.

Anton's gaze fixated on Anna's mother, incredulity etched across his face. "Nagini? Nana?"

"What the fuck!" He exclaimed, his shock reverberating through his voice.

His lips trembled, unable to articulate the turmoil swirling within his mind. The tumultuous blend of emotions left him speechless, lost for words to encapsulate the whirlwind that encapsulated his present state.

In any case, he was utterly shocked. He had been oblivious to the truth, like a figure hidden behind a large tree.

Anna also transformed back to her human form, sporting a bewildered expression. "Have you heard about my mother's past? Can you enlighten me? So, my mother's name was Nagini all along. I never had the courage to ask my father about my mother until now. I want to know."

Anton's face mirrored Anna's confusion as he gazed vacantly at her, his expression a reflection of his own bewilderment.

How was he supposed to respond?

Should he say that Nagini had good taste in men?

Her first boyfriend was Credence from the Dumbledore family, the last was Voldemort from the Gaunt family, and now there was Andre from the Rosier family?

At that moment, a voice chimed in from beside them, "I must have been quite handsome when I was young, don't you think?"

Anton swiveled his head in astonishment, only to discover a disembodied head suspended in mid-air. "Teacher?" he exclaimed, taken aback.

"What brings you here?" He inquired, curiosity tinged with a hint of incredulity.

The headless Fiennes shrugged his non-existent shoulders. "You should be grateful that you planted ivy at your home. It blocked the fluctuations of the time converter, otherwise people from all over London would have flocked here."

"!!!" Anton's jaw dropped in astonishment, rendering him momentarily speechless.

"Even my foolish teacher woke up and joined the fun. Quite amusing, isn't it?" The headless Fiennes couldn't help but exude a sense of amusement.

Amusing? Anton's throat went dry as he struggled to find his voice. "Where did you come from?"

"Oh, the safe house. I just saw him enter." The headless Fiennes responded nonchalantly.

Each bombshell, delivered one after another, left Anton in a state of emotional detachment, rendering him numb to the core.