Tree shadows stretched long on the ground. A little girl stood shyly in the shade of an oak tree, her fingers tightly clutching the wicker handle of a flower basket. She looked about seven or eight, wearing a faded linen dress, her bare feet smudged with mud.
Beside them, a dull-eyed, filthy man followed. His skin was an unhealthy grey-white, his arms hung limply by his sides, and he seemed utterly lifeless.
"It's so late, mister," the old woman noticed Snape's arrival, her eyes brightening. A wide, exaggerated smile spread across her wrinkled face, revealing a mouth with only three black-yellow teeth left. "Are you lost? Do you need help?"
"Thank you for your kindness, no need," Snape's fingers subtly slid towards the wand hidden in his sleeve. "I'm just—passing by."
"You look so pale, poor child, you must be starving," the old woman stepped forward without waiting for a reply. "Would you like to have dinner at our house? My granddaughter just picked some fresh mushrooms. We can also point you in the right direction."
The little girl flinched, seemingly shyly hiding behind the old woman, yet she couldn't resist peeking at the stranger from behind her.
Snape noticed that the dull-eyed man instinctively moved two steps closer to the little girl.
"Such touching hospitality," Snape said slowly, his fingers subtly tightening around his wand.
"Stupefy!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
Two spells erupted almost simultaneously in the twilight.
Snape rolled to the side. The green light grazed his shoulder and burned a charred hole in the tree trunk behind him.
His hastily cast Stunning Spell went wildly off target, not even brushing the old woman's robe.
Worse, he felt an unusual tremor from the wand in his hand. This ancient wand, found in the cavern, seemed somewhat overwhelmed.
Where's Nagini? he thought anxiously. Why isn't she showing up now?
The little girl seemed paralyzed by the sudden battle, standing still.
The man beside her remained in his dull state.
"Grandma, look out!"
In a flash, the seemingly frail little girl suddenly erupted with astonishing strength, pushing the old woman with all her might.
The ancient witch shrieked, falling face-first into the mud, her remaining front teeth shattering out. Her wand spun through the air, flying into the bushes.
Snape didn't miss this fleeting opportunity. He lunged like a cheetah towards where the wand had flown. In the nick of time, his fingertips brushed the wand's handle.
When the old woman struggled to prop herself up, she saw him slowly rise, holding her wand.
"Goodbye, old woman," Snape grinned, a somewhat savage smile on his face.
A dazzling red light shot from the newly acquired wand.
The old woman was struck by the spell, her feet leaving the ground. She flew like a kite, crashing heavily against the oak tree behind her before falling to the ground. "Thank you, sir!" The little girl's face showed an expression of delighted surprise, large tears rolling down her cheeks, creating two pale streaks on her dirty face. "This old witch killed my mother and tied me here, boohoo—she also did terrible experiments on me."
She trembled as she rolled up her sleeve, revealing a dense network of scars on her wrist.
She then pointed at the standing man, sobbing, "This is my father; she turned him into this—"
Snape's expression subtly shifted. He lowered his wand, his voice softening slightly: "Thank you, little girl. Don't be afraid; you're safe now."
The moment the little girl looked relieved, he suddenly raised his arm: "Incarcerous!"
A thick rope appeared out of thin air, binding the little girl tightly, rendering her arms immobile.
The tears on her face instantly froze, replaced by an expression of incredible shock.
"Always stay vigilant," Snape growled. "Sorry, I have to ensure safety first."
He flicked his wand, adding two more Binding Charms to the unconscious old witch and the dull-eyed man.
The old witch's wand twirled nimbly in his hand. Although it still couldn't compare to his original wand, it was far more cooperative than the broken one he'd found in the cavern.
He lightly tapped the old witch's chest with his wand: "Enervate!"
"Hello, old woman," Snape leaned down, speaking gently. "What are you and your lovely granddaughter doing here? Can you tell me how to get out of this forest?"
"Oh my, handsome young man, why be so rough?" The old witch opened her cloudy eyes, saw herself tightly bound, but unexpectedly cackled. "Release Grandma, and I'll lead you out of the forest—"
"Do you take me for a three-year-old troll?" Snape looked at her calmly, his wand slowly lowering, pointing between her eyebrows. "Since that's the case, let's have some fun. Perhaps the Cruciatus Curse will make you more honest."
He inhaled and shouted, "Crucio—"
The old witch suddenly let out a grotesque cry like an infant.
"Look out!"
Snape hadn't even finished the spell when the little girl's heartbroken scream came from behind him, followed by the loud "snap" of ropes breaking and an inhuman roar.
Snape only managed to half-turn before he was struck by an immense force and sent flying.
He tumbled through the air, his back breaking several branches, and finally crashed heavily into a thicket of bushes.
When he struggled to get up, he saw that the previously dull-eyed man's nose and mouth had protruded into a snout, grey-black fur had spread over his entire body, and his fingers had curved into sharp claws.
Seconds later, a complete werewolf stood on its hind legs in the forest clearing, saliva dripping from between its fangs.
"You're still not vigilant enough, are you?" the old witch hummed a strange tune.
Under her command, the werewolf carefully cut the ropes binding her with its sharp claws.
Just then, a familiar rustling sound came from the bushes.
The old witch turned alertly, shouting, "Who—"
A huge dark shadow shot out from the dense forest, colliding with the werewolf from the side.
Nagini's massive body coiled around the werewolf, scales and fur rubbing together with a teeth-grating sound.
The moment her fangs pierced its shoulder, the werewolf let out a painful roar, its claws raking a shower of sparks across her scales.
Snape seized the opportunity to scramble up, snatching his wand: "Crushing Curse!"
The old witch let out a painful shriek.
The spell knocked her to the ground. She struggled to stand but could only writhe helplessly like a fish out of water.
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