RioRaRyu
patreon
Chapter 184: The End of a Period
🕑 Added 2025-06-10 12:30:03 +0000 UTCThe topic of trust always carries a certain weight.
Even though Noah could seem carefree at times, he was far from someone who trusted others easily—especially given how cautious he naturally was.
As for Nagini, the most Noah felt was sympathy. He pitied her tragic experiences, but trust? That was still a distant matter.
Nagini, however, seemed to see right through Noah’s thoughts. She had once been a blood-cursed orc performer in a circus, enduring all kinds of mistreatment.
To everyone, she was never seen as human—just a monster made to entertain.
It wasn’t until she met Credence Barebone that she finally felt like a person. That was the first time she had experienced true respect.
During her years in the circus, just to survive and not starve, she learned how to read people’s expressions and predict their thoughts.
She knew Noah didn’t trust her—not at all. But to her, that was normal.
If Noah had trusted her so easily, then despite how kind and simple he might seem, such people usually died the quickest and were the easiest to deceive.
Nagini didn’t expect Noah to believe her blindly, but she didn’t want to lose all means of communication after transforming into a snake again.
After a long silence, she finally spoke, expressing what she had in mind. As she explained, Noah quickly caught on to what she meant.
"You mean you want to bite me… and then use some of your abilities so I can understand you? Parseltongue?" Noah's face contorted with confusion.
"Something like that. Of course, if you don’t agree, just pretend I never mentioned it," Nagini replied flatly, unbothered by Noah’s reaction. She was simply stating the facts.
“You’re not trying to sneak in some venom or anything with the bite, right?”
"You can always take an anti-venom dose beforehand. Don’t you wizards and magicians love researching this sort of thing?"
Noah scratched his head. She had a point.
Not that it mattered much—even if he didn’t take an antidote, he could still use magic to manage the venom. He wasn’t Snape, after all, who had willingly dropped all defenses just to win Voldemort’s trust.
Well, maybe Snape had made preparations. But to ensure Voldemort’s downfall, he’d accepted death. The fatal blow had come from a sneak attack—Nagini’s bite, before Snape had any time to react.
Noah, however, was fully prepared. He wasn’t afraid of being poisoned. Nagini was just a woman with some magical ability, and he was far beyond her level.
Besides, he had always been curious about Parseltongue. It was rare, and this was a chance to experience what it felt like to converse with animals.
“But… are you sure you can still transform into a snake?” Noah asked, still skeptical. “And why are you so determined to leave with me? Isn’t it better to stay at Hogwarts?”
"I used to be a blood-cursed orc—that was a curse. You helped lift that curse. But I know the talent is still inside me… It’s in my mind. I just… don’t want to stay here. This place is full of sorrow. Sorry… I’d rather not explain."
Nagini’s answer left Noah scratching his head again.
Hogwarts, a sad place?
Was it because Grindelwald brought Credence Barebone here—also known as Aurelius Dumbledore? Did Dumbledore do something that led to Aurelius’ death?
If that’s the case… then the “old flame” really did outweigh the younger brother.
But all that was ancient history. Honestly, Noah didn’t care what had happened decades ago. Out of all the Fantastic Beasts characters, he found Newt the most interesting.
As for Nagini, he wasn't too worried. Under his control, Voldemort’s soul no longer lingered in her.
After some thought, Noah made his decision. If things got out of hand, he could shamelessly ask the Ancient One for help.
“Alright. Let’s give it a try. But I’ll warn you now—if I find out you're trying anything shady, I’ll kill you. No hesitation, no second chances.”
"I know. Aren’t all you magicians like that?" Nagini nodded and slowly began to shrink into her snake form.
This time, she looked much smaller.
Back when she appeared in Fantastic Beasts, she was basilisk-sized. And during the Voldemort era, she resembled a massive cobra. Now? She was closer to a green bamboo viper.
Noah carefully monitored her transformation with his magic. He was relieved—her soul and aura didn’t change. She was still herself.
This blood-cursed orc ability really was mysterious. It made Noah want to learn Animagus magic someday.
Nagini slithered up Noah’s extended arm and settled on his shoulder before biting into it.
Noah flinched slightly, but to his surprise, there was no pain—only a slight numbness.
His magic instinctively shielded him. He sensed no venom, just a strange, gentle energy flowing into him.
Upon deeper inspection, he realized it resembled a contract. Simple in structure—something he could break with time or unravel with a spell if needed.
And it wasn’t malicious. It simply allowed him and Nagini to understand each other—to sense one another.
“Did she just install a GPS and translation module in me?” Noah muttered.
Nagini released her bite and lay quietly on his shoulder, watching him.
It felt strange—having a snake wrapped around him. Yet, he sensed no danger at all.
He pulled up his sleeve to examine his arm. Sure enough, a new mark had appeared—it looked like a comma.
Noah sighed dramatically. “Should’ve let her bite my neck. Maybe even turned my eyes red. I could’ve done a whole Sasuke cosplay…”
He chuckled. “Well, I’ve got a snake now. A beautiful one. If I focus on fire magic… can I pass for that guy?”
Strangely enough, this “contract” really did make communication easier. Although she still spoke Parseltongue, he could fully understand her now.
Unfortunately, it didn’t help him “watch the movie early.” Nagini’s memories were foggy. She barely remembered Grindelwald, and all she recalled about Credence was that things went badly.
She didn’t even know how she ended up as Voldemort’s pet.
What she did remember was that she hadn’t aged. Still young, still beautiful—time had no effect on her.
The curse had given her an unnatural lifespan, but over the years, it stripped away her consciousness, turning her into a beast.
With that done, Noah moved on to other matters—like packing up for his last graduation ceremony.
It was, indeed, his final graduation. He likely wouldn't attend another one in the future.
---
“Today is a special day—a memorable one.”
Professor Dumbledore stood proudly in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, smiling as he addressed the students.
“After today, many of you will step into society. Some will join the Ministry of Magic, others will pursue their passions. This is the end of one stage—and the beginning of another.”
“Not just for you… but for me as well. I’m sure many of you have heard the rumors. Yes, I will soon be stepping down as Headmaster of Hogwarts. But I believe that my successor will be an excellent headmaster, just as I tried to be when I took this role.”
“Here, I must give special thanks to Mr. Noah Finniel. Without your help, many things would not have been possible. You are the best student I’ve ever taught—truly unmatched!”
“And yes, Mr. Noah Finniel is about to leave Hogwarts. Please remain calm, everyone. I’m sure you’ve heard the news—Kamar-Taj is founding a university. I can now confirm that this is true. Mr. Noah Finniel has been named as a founding student!”
The Hall exploded with excitement.
Despite Dumbledore’s repeated calls for quiet, it took nearly five minutes for the noise to die down. Yet, eyes still lingered on Noah in awe.
“I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen,” Dumbledore continued once the hall settled. “I don’t know when Kamar-Taj University of Magic will officially open. Some of you may have missed this opportunity—and for that, I apologize.”
“But don’t lose heart. I believe your futures still hold great promise. Keep going. New doors will open.”
“And once again, congratulations to Mr. Noah Finniel—for taking first place in his year. If I’m not mistaken, that’s three years in a row!”
“And finally, the winner of this year’s House Cup is… Ravenclaw!”
---
