The concept of replacing the past self with the future self to escape from indelible pain and curses had long been dismissed from the goblin's memory.
This was due to the creation of a powerful time paradox, which would require three days and three nights to fully explain.
However, what was subtle was that after this day, Nagini lived for the next 52 years solely on the instincts of a snake.
The effect of the potion was to seal a person's soul, leaving them with only their instincts.
There was still room for action.
The original Nagini had suffered a devastating blow from Andre, resulting in her death and with her human will completely consumed by the snake. Therefore, as long as the potion was administered before her death, the effect would be the same.
The crucial point was to make her drink this bottle of potion!
Of course, no one knew whether this could be accomplished or not. Anton could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.
"Protego!"
Anton first cast a Protego charm on himself and rushed forward without hesitation.
The large snake instantly noticed him, spitting out its core. Its vertical pupils were filled with madness as it lunged towards him.
The speed was so fast that it left only a faint blur on the retina.
Anton did not dodge. He raised his wand and softly chanted, "Animus Transferro!"
The spell's light illuminated the scene and instantly disappeared into the serpent's head.
At that moment, the large snake's mouth was only a few centimeters away from him.
Anton felt profound emptiness within himself. This kind of dark magic spell was not something he could easily wield at this moment, and a tear-like pain spread from the depths of his soul.
But it was worth it.
The powerful dark magic caused the large snake to instantly collapse onto the ground.
It became stiff, unable to move.
The Soul-Shifting curse inverted a person's soul, causing it to be displaced from the body. The effect was akin to the story of "Sleeping Beauty" or turning a turtle on its back—no matter how hard you struggled, you couldn't turn it over.
This was Anton's carefully selected life-saving spell from the countless spells in Fiennes's diary, and its effectiveness was remarkable.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
Using the spell once more, the massive body of the snake floated up as light as a feather, allowing Anton to smoothly pour the potion in his hand.
This potion would imprison a person's wisdom, knowledge, and will, leaving them with only their instinct.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps and calls in the garden, searching for Anna's mother, grew closer.
With a steely glint in his eyes, Anton regarded Pedro with an icy coldness, his voice laced with impatience. "Why are you just standing there?" he demanded, his tone cutting through the tension. "Hurry over here and carry her away, and release the other Nagini."
Pedro's throat tightened as he swallowed hard, quickly casting aside any hesitation that lingered within him. Urgency fueled his movements as he swiftly emerged from the pile of rocks, the golem faithfully trailing behind him. Their purpose clear, they converged upon the large snake, seizing hold of it with tenacious determination.
"Catch it!" Anton commanded sharply.
Anton waved his wand once more. "Reverta Mentis!"
This was the counter-curse to the Soul-shifting curse, capable of removing its effects.
The large snake woke up once more and struggled in the grasp of the golem.
But Anton collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Having cast the advanced spell twice, he could no longer hold on.
Feeling the urgency of their mission, Anton mustered what little energy remained within him and conveyed his instructions amidst his weary state. "Hurry," he urged, his voice strained yet resolute. "Release the future Nagini. Keep your distance, as Andre will attack later. If the wind blows the cloak and it is discovered by Andre, it will be disastrous!"
Pedro hesitated for a moment, his concern for Anton evident in his gaze. He could see that Anton was reaching his limits. "But, you..." he began, his words filled with hesitation.
In response, Anton fixed him with a resolute gaze, coldness lacing his eyes. "Stick to the plan," he asserted, his words carrying an unyielding edge. "Release the large snake, go to Anna's side, cover her, and hide. Understand?"
The remark about Pedro's delay in taking action earlier carried a note of frustration, flashing a glimmer of Anton's impatience. In this critical moment, time was of the essence, and he harbored little patience for contemplation that could have been avoided.
Shaking his head, Pedro expressed his astonishment with a mixture of admiration and self-awareness. "What remarkable willpower," he marveled, acknowledging the strength that burned within Anton's weary body.
Anton didn't have time to pay him any mind and quickly ran to his hiding spot. He also had the responsibility of protecting six-year-old Anna.
As long as Andre didn't arrive in time when the snake attacked Anna, Anton would have to cast a Shield charm to protect her.
As a backup plan, Pedro was prepared to be constantly vigilant and protect six-year-old Anna, in addition to controlling the large snake that no one else could catch.
But now, their cover was blown, and this was their last option.
After all, in the presence of the powerful wizard Andre, Pedro was prone to making mistakes, while Anton could transform into an invisible magical bird without being noticed.
The next step was to protect six-year-old Anna.
The plan could fail, but if Anna were to be killed instead, it would be a true catastrophe.
After Anton had hidden himself, Pedro swiftly released the large snake. With a soft thud, he appeared beside Anna and covered them both with the cloak.
With a trembling grip, Anna clung tightly to Pedro's suit jacket, her worry etched upon her face. "Is Anton going to be alright?" she questioned, her voice tinged with worry and fear.
Pedro let out a weary sigh, his own concerns mirrored in his expression. "I do not know," he admitted, his voice heavy with uncertainty.
Anna's anxiety intensified, her mind racing for a resolution. "What should we do then?" she pressed, her voice tinged with desperation.
Taking a brief glance at the large snake held by the purple golem, Pedro's eyes held a flicker of contemplation. "Although it has been affected by the time correction, it is still part of the plan, at least for now." he remarked, his words carrying a measured tone.
Anna had no choice but to keep her gaze fixed on Anton in the distance, hoping that she could also cast such a high-intensity Shield charm, so that he wouldn't have to fight alone.
Fiennes clicked his tongue and once again merged into the tree.
...
Gurgling.
Anton downed a large bottle of potion.
He had instructed Pedro to leave quickly, just so he could secretly consume this potion.
It was the 'Stubborn Phelps' potion, one of the secret recipes of the goblins, and one of the two potion recipes that Anton had discovered in Pedro's memories.
The potion had a peculiar effect. It couldn't change anything externally, but it could instill an incredible willpower and the ability to persist stubbornly.
In simpler terms, it could be described as the passive type of perseverance, where one grits their teeth and endures.
Among the goblins, this potion was considered a high-end elixir known only to a select few, as it delved into the realm of death.
It allowed individuals to persist in an uncomfortable yet resolute state, which was the secret behind Pedro's centuries-long existence.
Pedro had endured for hundreds of years, defying death with sheer determination.
If Pedro were to find out, he would undoubtedly be furious.
Of course, the effect of this potion was simply to "grit your teeth."
Anton struggled to suppress the dizziness in his head.
The magic in the wizarding world of Harry Potter was not akin to the flow of internal energy or the mana coursing through meridians. It was perhaps a form of spiritual force.
It originated from the human will, memory, and soul, and was an intangible power.
This potion possessed no magical properties.
The easiest way to recover was to rest for a while. The body would naturally replenish itself. If the depletion was severe, then a few more days of sleep would be necessary.
Casting the "Soul-shifting Curse" twice had exceeded Anton's own capabilities, leaving his entire body on the brink of collapse.
This included the Shield charm and the Levitation charm.
Anton no longer possessed the magical power to cast any spells.
However, what was intriguing was how the "Stubborn Phelps" potion instilled an extreme firmness of will, aligning perfectly with the teachings of Fiennes: "Wizards are gods, and will commands everything."
In Anton's perspective, this potion was equivalent to a secondary magic system.
"Mother?" Anna called out with a mixture of worry and confusion, her young voice echoed across the garden. "Can you hear me?"
Rubbing her eyes in bewilderment, the six-year-old Anna scanned her surroundings, searching for any sign of her mother's presence. Clutching tightly onto her beloved rabbit doll.
The rabbit doll was the Animagus form of her mother, as Anna believed her mother had transformed into it and would always be there to accompany her.
The lie of an adult had become a misunderstood truth in young Anna's mind.
Memories could be quite unbelievable at times.
"Eeek!" Anna instinctively squealed, her heart leaping in her chest as the large viper slithered forward, its predatory gaze fixated upon her with dilated pupils. Surprisingly, instead of displaying aggression, the viper's forked tongue playfully darted out, gently and ticklishly grazing Anna's face.
Despite the initial shock, Young Anna couldn't suppress her laughter, a burst of joy rippling from deep within her. "Hahaha!" she giggled, her fear momentarily forgotten in the face of the unexpected tickling sensation.
In the distance, everyone's eyes held a mixture of emotions.
Anton pursed his lips.
Fiennes sighed, feeling the weight of a lifetime.
Anna, covered by the cloak, tried to stifle her voice but still managed to speak with a choked tone. She looked at Pedro with sadness in her eyes. "I feel like I'm sacrificing my future mother to save my past mother. I don't know how this will end. Whether it's right or wrong..."
Her distress clear, she lamented, "I am the cause of her pain."
Pedro's smile remained gentle and reassuring as his hand tenderly brushed against Anna's head. "Although this is a time paradox that goblins have debated, believe me, it's the right thing to do," he assured her, his voice carrying a steadfast conviction. "She is who she is, and she is who she was at that time."
He continued, his voice holding the weight of certainty and empathy. "No matter how her memories have changed, no matter what she has experienced, no matter how different she may seem now, she is still herself." Pedro emphasized. "This is our effort and her self-salvation."
Anna stared at Pedro with a blank expression. Despite her intelligence, she was only ten years old and couldn't fully grasp the meaning behind his words.
Pedro's smile widened, a sense of pride gleaming in his eyes. "My child, you have mastered all my secrets of the time-turner," he praised, his voice carrying a hint of admiration. "In the future, you will follow in my footsteps as a 'time and memory collector and explorer.' Sooner or later, you will understand."
With a bittersweet farewell, Past Nagini nuzzled her head against young Anna's face, a final display of affection before reluctantly making her departure, before slithering away.
From within the confines of the large cloak, Anna watched this parting exchange with a peculiar mix of emotions. "If that's the case," she pondered aloud, a sense of uncertainty lingering in her words, "Even though my mother has left, everything will be different. Doesn't this change history?"
Pedro shook his head with a wistful sigh, his expression carrying a deep understanding. "Time will correct everything," he explained, his voice filled with a quiet certainty. "You'll see, there will be subsequent changes that will forcefully bring everything back to the original path guided by fate."
Crack!
A soft sound echoed.
The house-elf, ever watchful and protective, materialized next to young Anna, her eyes narrowed as she fixed a vigilant gaze upon the large serpent. "Young master, be careful!" she advised, her voice tinged with concern.
The large snake hissed suddenly, spitting out its core, its vertical pupils filled with coldness, retaining only the ferocity of a beast.
"Let's go!" The house-elf's expression shifted, a sense of urgency overcoming her face as she swiftly began to Apparate, firmly grasping Anna's small hand and pulling her along.
Anton, who had been hiding nearby, tightly gripped his wand.
However, the large snake was incredibly fast. It swiftly coiled around the house-elf's body, which was as thick as a truck tire, and tightened its grip.
Snap!
The elf burst like a watermelon under the weight of a speeding truck.
The large snake rapidly advanced towards Anna.
In that moment, Anton noticed Fiennes's fingers swiftly extend from the large tree. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to transform into a "Morphoventus Aves."
The "Avis charm" he had invented was incredibly powerful, but it required a prolonged motion and had a slower casting speed.
A panicked cry pierced through the garden, resonating with alarming urgency. "Nana, stop! That's our daughter!" The anguished voice echoed from the gate, carrying the weight of a parent's distress.
Indeed, Andre had returned just in time.
However, Nagini paid no attention to him whatsoever. She moved so swiftly that Andre feared for his daughter's life.
"No!" Andre cried out in a voice filled with desperation and anguish.
A surge of black fog billowed forth, shrouding the scene in an ominous haze.
Boom!
Heavy rain poured down from the sky, and Andre discovered Nagini's lifeless body among the debris, overcome with grief.
Meanwhile, Anton transformed into a bird and soared through the sky.