Hogwarts, the Room of Requirement.
The Room of Requirement had been transformed into something resembling an expanded version of Severus Snape's potions lab. Countless potion bottles and cauldrons were scattered about, while potion-making ingredients were meticulously arranged on a long table.
In the center of the room sat a massive, black cauldron, a bubbling green potion within its depths. Its purpose was a mystery. Tom placed a chair before the cauldron, then sank into it, magically animating a wooden stick to stir the concoction.
A black-striped viper slithered silently toward Tom. Nagini gazed up at the steaming cauldron with curiosity. "Hiss hiss hiss~?"
"You want to know what it's for?" Tom smiled, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "To make snake soup."
"Hiss...???" Realization dawned, and Nagini recoiled in mock horror.
"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore." Looking at his 'adorable' little snake, Tom chuckled drily. "This potion will remove the Blood-Bind Curse afflicting you. I can see it wrapped around your soul, but your soul is too fragile right now. Furthermore, there is also the issue of Voldemort's remnant soul to consider. Therefore, I need a potion to protect your soul when I separate you; and then..."
After Tom's lengthy explanation, Nagini merely tilted her head, a picture of serpentine confusion. He might as well be speaking Parseltongue.
Tom paused, then smirked, "Anyway, it won't harm you."
Hearing this, Nagini ceased her inquiries, obediently watching the potion. She trusted Tom. Mostly.
The two remained in silence. After a while, Tom withdrew a jar from the dragon-hide pouch Snape had provided. "And this... a sufficiently fresh adult Hungarian Horntail heart." The jar opened, and a dark red heart floated out to land in the potion.
As the dragon heart was added, the potion's color began to lighten, the bubbling subsided, and the white smoke dissipated.
"Alright, Nagini, time for a bath." Tom rose, a mischievous glint in his eyes, seized Nagini, and tossed her into the black pot.
Before Nagini sank completely, she heard Tom mutter, "Simmer for half an hour." Then, darkness.
...
Nagini felt as though she were trapped in a neverending dream. She was bipedal, like Tom, but she was not happy. The feeling was indescribable: anger, loneliness, despair, and a sliver of joy and hope, like drowning but still able to gasp for air.
She seemed to have drifted aimlessly, doing nothing but eating and sleeping, until she met her first "master." Though that master had provided her with food and drink, her life had remained stagnant. But she hadn't thought much of it, nor could she.
She returned to the primeval forest in a daze, living a life of utter confusion, until she found her "master" again. But this time, her "master" seemed different.
What has changed? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she was less unhappy now.
He took her everywhere, showed her different places and people, talked to her, played with her...
She had experienced all of this before, so why was it different now?
Memories flashed through Nagini's mind, and her consciousness gradually cleared. She slightly opened her eyes and vaguely saw those familiar eyes looking at her with concern. That's right… his eyes, the way he looked at her had changed, becoming… so warm.
Nagini subconsciously reached out towards those emerald green eyes, as if wanting to grasp them, or perhaps to embrace him.
"Ahem..." Tom's calm voice pulled her back to reality. "The clothes are on the chair. Get dressed and come out."
"..." Hearing this, Nagini glanced down before immediately retreating into the potion, only half her head sticking out, cautiously watching Tom.
Tom didn't object to Nagini's behavior; after all, he had no interest in his little snake. Or rather, for him now, apart from immortality and magic, he wasn't particularly interested in anything else.
Watching Tom's departing figure, Nagini blinked, lost in thought.
...
Eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle, at the door of the Room of Requirement.
Tom emerged, took out a small bottle, and uncorked it. With a flick of his wrist, the remnant soul of Voldemort floated out.
"..." The bewildered remnant soul hadn't figured out what was happening. Isn't that "me" in front of me? Why can't I move? How did I wake up to find myself captured by myself?
Tom didn't care whether the thing was confused or not; he had kept it for experiments.
The Blood-Bind Curse specifically targets the soul. What would happen if I placed such a curse on this remnant soul? Would it turn into the soul of a beast? Tom looked thoughtfully at the small, translucent wisp.
"..." Are you even speaking human language? I'm just a remnant soul! And you still want to curse me?!
The remnant soul cried out, "Wait! Let's talk about... the tonic!!!"
Tom was too lazy to respond and simply reached out and grasped the remnant soul. A wisp of transparent red light flew from each of Tom's five fingers, spreading and coiling around the soul, until it was completely absorbed. This was a curse carved from Nagini's soul. New curses needed to be prepared in advance, so Tom simply used an existing one.
"What have you done to me? What have you done to me!" The remnant soul cried out repeatedly, but Tom had bound it tightly with magic.
"I'll come back to see you when you've turned into an animal." With that, Tom stuffed the remnant soul back into the small bottle.
Just as Tom put the bottle away, the door to the Room of Requirement opened, and Nagini, dressed in a long black dress, slowly emerged.
Nagini, now human, was beautiful, a classic beauty, her long, black hair styled in an elegant updo.
"Master..." Nagini began to speak, but Tom raised a hand to stop her.
"Just call me by my name."
"Hmm... Tom."
Tom nodded slightly, then walked towards the stairs. "Let's go."
"...Tom."
"What is it?"
"Nothing, just wanted to call out your name."
Nagini followed behind Tom, looking at the tall, slender figure in the black robe, a slight smile playing on her lips.
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