CH: 24 Butterfly Effect

People who have not experienced Voldemort's reign of terror cannot fathom the fear of being killed by a Death Eater who could burst into their homes at any moment.

It is a precarious fear, knowing that the kind old man and mischievous child in the family could perish before their eyes at any time.

Not to mention uttering Voldemort's name, even the mere mention of the phrase "You-know-who" has left an indelible scar on many hearts.

And this audacious individual actually planned to use the name of a You-know-who as a gimmick.

It's simply a lack of understanding of the value of life!

This was outrageous, and some people even shattered the wine glasses in their hands.

The wizard in the golden leather jacket leaped onto the round table, delivering a hard punch to the spirited boy's head, knocking him to the ground. He then waved his wand to cast the Iron Armor Charm, and shouted loudly, "Everyone, everyone, I apologize on his behalf. Please be patient."

"In a little while, someone will offer you a small token of compensation."

"This exclusive round table event will be canceled."

This sorcerer is clearly famous. Despite everyone's complaints, they are still drawn to his presence, and they all stood up, eager to leave.

At that moment, Snape stood up.

"Tucker, I don't have much free time. I came because you wrote to me and said there was something good."

The wizard in the leather jacket apologized once again, "Mr. Doe, I'm sorry."

Snape shook his head, "No need to apologize. I just hope the round table will continue. I want to see what he's offering."

Upon hearing Snape's words, the people around paused, and one of the bearded strong men nodded in agreement, "Yes, it would be a waste to end it."

In the end, the exclusive round table event would continue.

Anton glanced at Snape and smiled softly.

Mr. Doe? That nickname is quite intriguing.

He finally understood why he had encountered Snape. Perhaps it was the allure of the 'You-know-who' gimmick that had drawn him in.

The wizard in the golden leather jacket grabbed Pete by the collar, lifting him off the ground, and whispered something angrily. Pete nodded fearfully.

Then, Pete stood in the center of the round table once again.

"Alright, something just happened." His words matched the sparkle in his big, dark blue eyes, and he appeared quite pleased, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

"Two months ago, I ventured to Albania. I was afraid of being hunted down by a powerful dark wizard, so I used alternative means to get there."

Pete spoke with emotion, seemingly still frightened by the memory.

The crowd burst into laughter once more.

"As we all know, that place is as desolate as the edge of the world." Pete's enthusiasm grew, "but little did I know, besides the forests, there are hundreds of thousands of bunkers."

The bearded strong man exclaimed, "So many? Impossible! I know Albania, it's very impoverished."

Pete shrugged, "They say they were built using something called 'cement' provided by a distant Muggle country in the East. I'm not entirely sure, and who really cares."

"I didn't find anything there..." Pete's words were cut short as he met the stern gaze of the wizard in the golden leather jacket, causing him to swallow his remaining words in fear.

"But I did find this!"

Having said that, he walked over to the iron cage and lifted the black cloth covering it.

Inside the iron cage was a massive python, measuring twelve feet long (3.6 meters).

However, aside from its size, this viper was clearly not in good condition.

Its body was covered in wounds, with large patches of scales missing, and even bright red flesh exposed in some areas.

"That's it?" the bearded strong man bellowed, "You're just wasting my time!"

"Don't worry, this is a very, very magical snake. It's not an ordinary snake," Pete said, smiling mysteriously as he pulled out his wand from the wizard's robe.

He glanced at the wizard in the golden leather jacket and asked, "May I cast a spell?"

Once given permission, he exaggeratedly looked at everyone and said, "Now, please keep your eyes open because the transformation will only last a moment."

With that, he waved his wand, uttering the incantation, "Crush to pieces!"

The curse's light passed through the iron cage and struck the viper.

The viper screamed and writhed, and at a certain moment, the triangular snake head suddenly transformed into the head of an oriental woman, with long black hair billowing in the air.

But in just a moment, this transformation vanished, as if it were nothing more than an ordinary snake.

Anton tightly gripped the tree trunk in his hand.

Could it be?

Isn't this Nagini?

In the beginning, in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," they followed a descendant of the Dumbledore family, accompanied by Newt, as they went to Hogwarts to find an old acquaintance.

Later, this snake became Voldemort's beloved pet and was eventually turned into a Horcrux.

She was ultimately beheaded by Neville, wielding the Gryffindor sword.

Although Anton is unaware of the details and whether it is mentioned in the original book, Pete clearly stated that it was found in Albania.

Anton realized that Voldemort must be hiding there now!

In other words...

He stared blankly at Pete, who stood proudly on the stage.

"I released him, otherwise she would have died. Damn Voldemort never got to meet his pet because he wasn't dead?" he muttered to himself.

Did Snape miss out on Nagini?

"Oh my God," Anton murmured unconsciously, "Did I change history? The butterfly effect?"

Nagini is not just a minor character; she holds significant importance in the Harry Potter plot.

She is one of Voldemort's seven Horcruxes and even killed Snape.

As Anton thought about this, he glanced diagonally ahead. Sure enough, Snape appeared quite intrigued and held up a sign.

"Very well," the wizard in the golden leather jacket presided over the auction on the stage, "This gentleman has raised his bid. Is there anyone else?"

Pete eagerly rubbed his hands together and looked at the most assertive bearded man in the audience.

The strong man shrugged and showed no interest, saying, "Her head is quite unique, but I don't want my baby to end up in a snake's mouth. That's just disgusting."

Laughter erupted throughout the crowd.

A certain wizard who had intended to raise his bid quickly put his card down upon hearing the bearded man's words, turning to explain to his female companion.

The bearded man's remarks were a perfect buzzkill, completely dampening the interest of the people who had been eagerly awaiting the bidding.

Pete's face darkened, and it seemed like he wanted to cover his mouth with his hand.

"Has no one raised the bid yet?" the wizard in the leather jacket asked three times in a row before exclaiming, "Congratulations to Mr. Doe! You have won the auction for this exquisite round table."

Two staff members approached, picked up the iron cage, and discreetly placed it in a suitcase using a traceless stretching spell.

The crowd dispersed.

Anton finally glanced at Snape once more before leaving as well.

As he wandered through the hall, he did manage to find someone selling Muggle currency. Unfortunately, they didn't have any francs, only British pounds.

The pound is a legitimate currency with a gold content of 2.13281 grams. Its value is calculated based on the price of gold per gram, and one pound is not a decimal.

Anton recalled reading in Sherlock Holmes that Holmes believed a single woman could live comfortably on an income of 60 pounds per year.

Using this as a reference, he exchanged a hundred pounds.

At Gringotts, he would have needed 20 Galleons for the exchange, but in this black market, it only cost him 9 Galleons.

The Ministry of Magic strictly prohibits communication between wizards and the Muggle world, so dark wizards cannot be as reckless as Anton imagined.

Wizards rarely have access to Muggle currency, and the reason it's so cheap is because "it's a hassle to extract gold from it."

Anton nodded seriously, "Sparrow Eat."

How foolish would one have to be to want to extract gold from metal currency? Isn't it easier to simply take the money to a gold store and buy it directly?

Rather than shopping here, Anton exchanged the money he needed. The old wizard explained that the relaxed atmosphere of certain gathering places can make people forget about the hidden dangers, which often makes them the most dangerous.

Anton continued on his way without delay.

However, before he could reach the hiding spot for the communication broom, a spell struck him.

"Expelliarmus!"

His old wand flew out of his hand.

Anton calmly turned around, quietly retrieving the spare wand hidden in the dark clasp of his large wizard's robe. It was Fiennes's wand.

Upon seeing the approaching figure, Anton raised an eyebrow.

Snape!