Chapter 284: Dark Earth Mother
This incident actually took place in mid-August, shortly after Alexander and Kate returned to their respective homes from their summer travels.
Nagini — yes, that Nagini — was named after the Nāga and Nāgini of Hindu mythology, half-human and half-snake beings that could occasionally assume human form.
Specifically, "Nagini" refers to a female serpent spirit.
She was born in Indonesia, carrying within her blood a terrible curse inherited from her mother — a curse that allowed her to shift between human and serpent at will. That curse was both her gift and her doom.
Under normal circumstances, Alexander would never have encountered her, much less brought her home. But fate — or perhaps something darker — had other plans.
Two Dark Lords had appeared in her life.
When she was still a young woman, Nagini was captured by the Acanus Circus, where she became a sideshow attraction — a "freak" who could transform into a serpent.
It was there that she met Credence Barebone, the longest-lived Obscurial in recorded history, a young man rumored to share blood with the Dumbledore family.
Through Credence, she also crossed paths with Newt Scamander and even Gellert Grindelwald.
But after Credence's tragic death, Nagini lost her will to live. The blood curse soon overwhelmed her, and she permanently transformed into a serpent, losing all memory of her human life.
Years later, she met another Dark Lord — Voldemort, the Serpent Speaker himself.
Because she was once a witch turned snake, Nagini was unlike any other magical creature. Her serpentine form stretched nearly twelve feet long, her venom could prevent wounds from healing, and her mind retained fragments of her former intellect — though none of her memories.
Voldemort was fascinated by her. In the original timeline, he used her venom and unicorn blood to craft his temporary body after losing his own. Her venom became part of the black alchemical concoction that sustained him.
Eventually, during the summer following Harry's third year, Voldemort used the death of old Frank Bryce — the caretaker of Riddle Manor — to turn Nagini into his final Horcrux.
She would share eternity with him.
As the source of venom crucial to his resurrection, Nagini became one of Voldemort's most valuable and terrifying allies.
But now that the Horcrux diary had gained its own form, Voldemort's existence was no longer a secret. Dumbledore's investigations had seen to that.
And so, Alexander took action first — capturing Nagini, who had been living alone in a remote forest for more than a decade.
After all, she had once been a good witch.
And Alexander had no intention of letting Voldemort's schemes disrupt his peaceful plans for the coming school year.
He already had enough surprises to handle — including a certain young version of Voldemort wandering around.
Still, there was the matter of the blood curse itself. A curse so ancient and profound that not even Dumbledore or Voldemort could undo it.
Alexander's curiosity burned brighter than ever. What secrets lay hidden within that curse? And could he, perhaps, break it?
Lost in thought, Alexander barely noticed Penelope, who had been walking beside him, suddenly turn her sharp Ravenclaw gaze his way.
"Wait—did you just say blood curse?" she asked.
Her voice carried the tone of someone who had just spotted a mythical creature. "As far as I know, the only known carriers of that curse today are the Greengrass family, among the Sacred Twenty-Eight. And that curse only affects women."
"Was that snake also… female?"
Alexander sighed and rubbed his forehead. He knew what was coming. If Kate had asked the question, she would've dropped the topic the moment it turned academic. But Penelope? Once her curiosity was piqued, there was no escape.
"Her name is Nagini," Alexander said at last, resigned.
"She?" Penelope's eyes sparkled with renewed excitement. "So it is related to women! Fascinating!"
At the nearby Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, which had been fortified so heavily it resembled a small fortress, Kate sat at an outdoor table, eating a chocolate-nut sundae out of boredom.
She knew this look on Penelope's face — it meant they weren't moving for at least another ten minutes.
"Yes, Penelope, you're right," Alexander admitted. "But what you don't know is that this blood curse once crossed paths with two Dark Lords — and even Dumbledore himself."
"None of them could do a thing about it."
"That's why I decided to study it," he added quickly, hoping to steer her attention away from her favorite topic — jealousy.
But Penelope tilted her head. "Nagini must've been beautiful, wasn't she?"
Kate perked up instantly. "Right! We all know what kind of person Alexander is. That Nagini must've been gorgeous!"
"Wait, aren't you curious about why the curse only affects women?" Alexander interjected hastily.
"I'm not curious!" Kate said quickly, standing up in protest.
But Penelope leaned forward, notebook already in hand. "Wait, Kate. I am. Let him explain first — you can interrogate him later."
Alexander chuckled. "Fine. Ever heard of Mahadeva?"
"Indian mythology?" Penelope said, flipping open her notebook, eyes gleaming.
After spending so long with Alexander, she had learned one thing — that gods were not mere myths. They were ancient beings whose power and lifespan transcended even the greatest wizards.
"To be precise," Alexander explained, "Mahadeva refers to Shiva. And his consort, Shakti, represents his feminine half — the power that completes him. Without her, even Shiva is incomplete."
"Shakti has appeared in many forms," he continued. "As Sati, and later Parvati. Each incarnation is an aspect of divine femininity descended into the mortal world."
"The blood curse originates from one of Parvati's incarnations. It is, in essence, a divine brand — a mark of power that only women can inherit."
Penelope's pen scratched furiously across the page. "Parvati? Which incarnation? She had so many — and they all loved casting curses. Maybe Durga?"
Alexander shook his head.
"Durga is the embodiment of righteous power," Penelope murmured, thinking aloud. "So… it must be Kali!"
Her eyes widened in realization. "The Dark Mother Earth. The most fearsome form of Parvati — black-skinned, fanged, four-armed, crowned with skulls, blood dripping from her tongue. She is destruction, yet also creation."
Alexander nodded slowly. "Exactly. The curse bears the essence of Kali, the Dark Earth Mother. It's less a curse than a divine power bound by blood."
"That's why only women can inherit it. Those who succumb — losing their humanity, or even their form — simply lack the strength to bear a god's power."
He fell silent for a moment, then sighed softly.
"Every witch who's died from it wasn't cursed… she was overwhelmed by divinity."
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(End of Chapter 284)
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