Chapter 123. Evolution.
The previous night, Severus had finished his study of the fruit he had taken from the bear in the Magic Jungles. After almost five hours of examination using a series of rituals and spells, he had concluded that it was indeed harmless. There was only one problem: the stronger the creature, the lower the odds of triggering evolution. For Nagini, whose strength was comparable to the kings of the inner Magic Jungles, except for the Thunder Tiger and the Dark Hound, the odds were low.
Even so, they had two complete attempts, and if neither worked they could always return to the jungle and search for more. And so, after the conversation with Bella, they went up to his workspace.
It was a vast room, almost ten meters high and thirty meters long, bright and well-lit, with a cauldron on the left. Cabinets lined the walls, packed with jars of ingredients kept under Stasis Charms, and deeper in, a large empty area inscribed with runes, designated specifically for dangerous experiments and rituals.
Nagini showed little surprise at the sight. She had been here more than once, whenever she had pestered Severus to rest more often.
All the same, despite her effort to appear composed, wild excitement was building inside her for what was to come. Without quite meaning to, like an overexcited puppy, she wagged her tail, which brought a smile to his face.
"Get down and go over there," he said, crouching to set her on the floor and pointing toward the rune-inscribed area. "If this works, you'll most likely grow, so take your full size now and coil up so you don't accidentally bring down one of the walls."
"All right." She nodded and moved that way without delay, while he crossed to an iron cabinet beside the cauldron. He pointed a finger at it and drew the symbol "V" in flame. It sank into the cabinet, and a few seconds later the doors swung open.
He took out two fruits and a small golden vial filled with clear liquid. At the sight of it, his smile turned slightly crooked.
Felix Felicis. "Liquid luck." Whoever invented it had been a marketing genius to attribute such a miraculous effect to what was, in essence, a simple confidence potion. But still... He glanced at Nagini, slightly nervous, her eyes darting from side to side. He smirked and shook his head. For her, it was perfect. Confidence in herself might add a few percentage points to a successful evolution, because the emotional dimension played its part too. Leaving one of the fruits on the table, he walked over to Nagini, nearly ten meters of her coiled in the center of the room. Noticing his approach, she tried to compose herself. "Don't worry. You'll succeed," he said softly, looking at her with real tenderness as he held out his hand. Nagini lowered her head slightly and let him stroke her, squinting with pleasure. "You remind me more and more of a puppy." He pointed at her tail, still flicking from side to side, and she felt a flush of embarrassment.
"I can't help it... it's just excitement..."
"I've got something prepared for just this," he said, producing a golden vial.
"What's that?" she asked, tilting her head in puzzlement.
"Liquid luck."
"Liquid luck?"
"Yes. With this you'll definitely succeed. Open your mouth." She nodded and obeyed, and Severus poured the contents down her throat. "Now close." The moment Nagini complied, he watched her tail go still and her eyes brighten. With a faintly wicked smirk, he stroked her cheek and kissed her on the nose, which made her flinch from head to tail and instantly recoil, flooding his mind with waves of embarrassment. "I believe in you."
She nodded shyly in response, placing full trust in the miraculous potion and privately wondering where else one might find something like it. Then she bent down, opened her mouth again, and when he placed the fruit inside, she held still for a few seconds longer. Realizing there would be nothing more, she lifted her head, faintly disappointed, and bit down. Her expression twisted at the bitterness; it was deeply unpleasant. Still, she forced herself to continue, swallowed it, and with the foul aftertaste lingering in her mouth, began to wait.
Ten seconds passed with no effect. Twenty, thirty, forty, then a full minute, still nothing. A second minute crept by, and a disappointed sigh escaped her.
"Nothing..."
"Don't worry, we have another one." He smiled gently and held out the second fruit to cheer her up. Nagini looked at it with displeasure, but lowered her head and opened her mouth all the same.
Severus placed it inside, stroked her once more, and gave a confident nod as he met her eyes. She returned his gaze but did not bite. She swallowed it whole.
This time it will definitely work. I can become strong enough to stop getting in his way and actually help him! Nagini thought fiercely, clenching her teeth. I don't want to be a burden anymore. I'll succeed.
According to the Dark Hound, it should begin working within a couple dozen seconds. Taking out his pocket watch to be sure, Severus began watching, shifting his gaze from Nagini to the second hand, which had already passed the ten-second mark.
He said nothing and made no sound. He simply kept watching, so as not to distract her.
Another ten seconds passed. Still no change.
Fifteen seconds.
Then another fifteen.
He could already feel despondency creeping toward his mind like a tide, and behind it, sadness. Another twenty seconds slipped away, and nothing happened.
Nagini slowly opened her eyes, not daring to meet his gaze, painfully aware that for her sake he had spent a valuable potion and the two fruits he had struggled so hard to find in that vast forest.
"Sorry..."
"Don't talk nonsense." He smiled calmly, wrapping himself in a gust of wind and lifting off the floor, floating up to her level to stroke her cheek gently. "The odds of evolving were slim, so we naturally couldn't manage it. We can always go back and look for more, so don't be discouraged. As for the potion, I have more than enough money. I could buy a hundred of them if I wanted." Still, she looked miserable. "Stop being sad. In a few months, we'll visit that jungle again and find more fruits."
"Mm..."
With a quiet sigh, he decided to scan her body just to be safe. Those fruits held a great deal of magic, and he needed to be sure it had dispersed. But the moment he cast the first analyzing spell, he froze. He raised an eyebrow, cast another, and got the same result.
Why is this magic still inside her? It should have dissipated on its own, like last time. He stared, genuinely bewildered. A few seconds later, he noticed it was concentrated in one spot, not moving at all, as though something were holding it there. Wait, could it be...? "Did you swallow it whole?" he asked.
"It tasted so awful, I thought it would be easier that way. And my stomach acid should have broken it down," she answered, a little sheepish. A moment later her eyes widened as the implication struck her. "Does that mean it might still..."
"Exactly. But don't worry, the shell is gradually breaking down." He nodded with a smile, and she shifted slightly, looking awkward. "I can't say precisely when it will happen, but..." He ran the analyzing charm again and estimated the rate of decay. "About two days. Sorry, I should have thought of that before giving it to you." He did briefly consider telling her to bring it back up and eat it properly, but she was still a woman, even in her current form, and he had no particular desire to be crushed by a tail, gentle or otherwise.
"So I still have a chance..." Nagini murmured, relief softening her voice.
"Yes, but you'll need to stay here for a while. If you start evolving somewhere else, I'm afraid the house will need a great deal of repairing afterward."
"All right," she nodded, a little embarrassed, already flooding his mind with warm, bright emotions, which was far more pleasant than what had come before.
"Don't worry. I'll stay with you until it happens."
At that, she looked up at him in surprise, and a warmth bloomed in her chest. For her sake, he was willing to cancel his meeting with that woman. But Nagini knew his feelings, and she did not want to come between them like this.
"But what about your date?"
"I'll think of something. I need to make sure your evolution goes smoothly first." He already had an idea of how to be in two places at once, even if it came with its own complications.
"Severus..." In that moment, a wave of pure tenderness flowed into his mind, and Nagini pressed herself against his cheek.
"I love you too, but get ready."
"For what?" she asked, confused, but a few seconds later a wave of dizziness hit her and pain spiked in her head. "Why does my head hurt so much?"
"Did you think a 'miracle' potion has no side effects?" He smirked and pointed his palm to the right, and a large pillow appeared on the floor. He gently lowered her head onto it. "Rest. I'll work in the meantime."
"Mm..."
He stroked her head one last time, then turned and walked over to the cauldron.
I'll have to work hard today.
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