Goodbye, Hogwarts
Quirrell, concealed beneath his invisibility cloak, was struck with disbelief as he beheld Nagini. His heart churned with a whirlwind of emotions.
"This woman... Nagini? Voldemort's pet, the serpent?" Quirrell's mind raced with confusion. Hadn't Nagini been given to Saruman? How could she have reverted to human form?
A flicker of understanding crossed Quirrell's thoughts as he recalled Nagini's mention of lifting the curse. It sparked a memory of the notorious Blood Curse. Could it be that Nagini was once afflicted by this curse, transforming her into a snake?
Suppressing his doubts, Quirrell listened intently from under his invisibility cloak, his gaze fixed on Nagini.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore furrowed his brow in puzzlement. He had never questioned Nagini about her past, unaware of any connection to Saruman.
"After losing my human form and being trapped as a snake, I encountered Voldemort," Nagini began, her voice tinged with reminiscence. "He was young then, a Parseltongue. He sensed my presence and took me to Romania."
Nagini's words unveiled a piece of her history previously unknown to Dumbledore and the others.
Quirrell, standing at a distance, caught his name in Nagini's narrative. Though mentally prepared, he couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear. However, Dumbledore's lack of surprise affirmed Quirrell's earlier suspicions.
"I must depart soon," Quirrell thought. "Now that I'm certain the Philosopher's Stone lies within the mirror. The enchantment Dumbledore placed upon it can be gradually unraveled by my master."
Quirrell felt a wave of relief wash over him at this plan.
"That fateful day, I awoke in a cave, and there was Voldemort, parasitically attached to Quirrell's form, with a formidable wizard clad in white beside him."
"Saruman..." Dumbledore uttered the name, his eyes betraying a flicker of apprehension as his mind raced.
Why was Saruman allied with Voldemort? In the Forbidden Forest, Saruman had hinted at trouble brewing within the castle involving Quirrell...
"Is he good or bad?"
Dumbledore mulled over his previous speculation. If that were indeed the case, it would simplify matters greatly, sparing him the task of discerning the virtue or malevolence of Muggles.
"At the time, Voldemort instructed me to shadow Saruman in the future. Naturally, he also tasked me with observing Saruman's activities, his associations, his residence, and his concealed knowledge..."
"He mentioned he'd reach out when necessary, then departed Romania, leaving me in the care of Saruman, who led me to an unfamiliar locale, its whereabouts remaining a mystery to me till this day."
Nagini shot Dumbledore a fleeting glance, her current narrative veering from the truth, shielded by her soul-bound contract with Artel, keeping Dumbledore oblivious to the Lord of the Rings' sway.
"The place was enchanting, serene, imbued with tranquility and the essence of goodness... Saruman guided me to a forest, where I dwelled..."
"Then, I encountered a woman, gracefully traversing the woodland, exuding an air of nobility and sanctity..."
Nagini recollected the portrait Saruman had unveiled, offering genuine praise.
"The woman noticed me too, seemingly detecting my uniqueness, approaching with a vial of shimmering starlight. There was a trace of gratitude in Nagini's tone, directed towards Saruman.
"She turned to me, uttering softly: '[Nagini, your curse is lifted...]', and just like that, I became human, realizing I was still twenty years old..."
"And then what?" Tina inquired, engrossed in the unfolding tale, having absorbed every detail.
"She informed me her name was Galadriel and bid me farewell... She escorted me out of the forest, whereupon I ventured in a single direction and arrived at a Romanian town, eventually finding myself at Hogwarts, where Professor Dumbledore sensed my presence and appeared before me."
Nagini glanced at Dumbledore, expressing remorse: "I apologize, Professor, but that woman left an imprint in my memory, rendering it inaccessible to your scrutiny..."
Nagini placed her wand against her temple, attempting to retrieve the memory, to no avail.
Dumbledore dismissed the matter, offering Nagini reassurance: "I understand your predicament. It's a cunning form of magic, beyond my ability to unravel. Persisting in memory extraction might result in permanent brain damage."
Newt, contemplating for a moment, theorized: "I suspect it's to safeguard the secrecy of that place, given Nagini's apparent lack of recollection regarding its whereabouts and ingress."
"Galadriel... I've never come across that name, much like I hadn't heard of Saruman until that day..." Tina brandished her wand, casting a discreet spell, then turned to Dumbledore, her voice lowered: "I believe she might be akin to Gandalf, the one Saruman referred to... a Maia."
Both Newt and Tina were well-versed in Maia lore, including details about Saruman, knowledge Dumbledore had not concealed from them.
Dumbledore nodded subtly, concurring; the individual who lifted Nagini's curse likely belonged to the same order as Saruman.
"A realm inhabited by Maiar? Overflowing with tranquility, serenity... Saruman did mention such a place," Dumbledore murmured, his mind racing to piece together the fragments of information.
Recollections flooded Dumbledore's mind as he thought back to his encounter with Saruman. The mention of Rivendell, a serene abode of elves, resonated with him. It was where Gandalf's parchment originated, and where the Fellowship of the Ring was formed.
"Yes, Rivendell exists... Nagini remains there to sever the blood curse," Dumbledore muttered, his certainty in the Glen growing stronger with each passing moment. However, doubts lingered, faint whispers that needed addressing.
Dumbledore's trust in Nagini remained unshaken. He had always known her to possess a noble heart, her loyalty unwavering even in the face of dark forces. Together, they had faced Grindelwald, united in their cause.
"But it seems Rivendell prefers to stay hidden," Dumbledore reflected, feeling the weight of uncertainty settling upon him for the first time. The immortal Maiar added a layer of complexity to the situation.
"Let's table this discussion for now, Newt, Tina. Today is for reuniting with old friends," Dumbledore declared, raising his beer in a toast. Newt and Tina joined him, smiles lighting up their faces.
"As for other matters, they can wait," Dumbledore added with a hint of finality.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, Quirrell slipped away unnoticed as Tina used her magic to conceal their departure. The night air was crisp, adding to the air of secrecy surrounding them.
Under his invisibility cloak, Quirrell mulled over Nagini's words, struggling to reconcile them with Dumbledore's unwavering trust. There was clearly more to the story than met the eye.
"Hogwarts grows more perilous by the day," Quirrell muttered to himself, his mind racing with possibilities. It was time to leave Hogwarts behind, to seek answers elsewhere.
As Quirrell made his way through the deserted corridors, a plan began to form in his mind. The revelation about the Philosopher's Stone and Dumbledore's beliefs aligned perfectly. It was time to get it.
"Tonight, Dumbledore drinks at the Three Broomsticks—a perfect opportunity," Quirrell murmured, seizing the moment. His initial plan to fabricate a letter to lure Dumbledore away seemed unnecessary now.
Summoning his resolve, Quirrell donned his cloak and swiftly made his way to the classroom housing the Mirror of Erised. The absence of Harry's cloak posed no hindrance; Quirrell found himself alone with the imposing mirror.
To his delight, no protective enchantments guarded the mirror, a testament to Dumbledore's concern for Harry's safety. With a deft flick of his wand, Quirrell cast a Traceless Stretching Charm upon a box, carefully hoisting the mirror within. Without pausing to tidy his tracks, he vanished into the night, bidding Hogwarts farewell with a sardonic smirk.
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