Snape showed his friends the borrowing slip signed by Dumbledore. "I need your help."
"Unlimited access?" Abbott took the parchment curiously. "How could something like this exist?"
"The Headmaster gave it to me," Snape said, taking the slip back. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's walk by the lake."
The four of them went down the stone steps toward the lakeside. The surface of the water was as smooth as a mirror. After confirming that no one else was around, Nagini slowly poked her head out from Snape's collar.
"A snake?" Barty Jr. took a wary step back. "It doesn't bite you?"
Snape extended his left arm, letting Nagini coil around his wrist before gently placing her on the ground.
"She," he corrected, "was once a human girl. It was a curse that trapped her in a serpent's body."
"Blood-cursed beast?" Pandora blurted out.
"What's that?" Abbott and Barty Jr. asked in unison, their faces filled with confusion and alarm.
"It's an ancient hereditary blood curse," Snape explained. "A blood-cursed beast refers to a woman afflicted by such a curse. At first, they can still control their transformations, but eventually... eventually the curse forces them to remain in their animal forms forever, losing all traces of humanity."
"Nagini's condition is worsening. Her soul is trapped inside the body of a snake, and the curse is devouring what remains of her humanity." He looked up at his companions. "There isn't much time left. I need your help in the library, perhaps we can find something that might help her."
Pandora crouched down, meeting Nagini's gaze, her eyes filled with pity. "How much time does she have left?"
"Uncertain," Snape shook his head. "Maybe days, maybe longer. But with each passing day, more of her humanity fades away."
"But how do you know all this, Sev?" Abbott asked, puzzled. "I mean, I can't see any difference between her and an ordinary snake."
"I can understand her." Snape hesitated a moment, then decided to tell them. "Parseltongue."
"Come here, Nagini." With a few soft hisses, Nagini obediently slithered back up onto his shoulder and rested her head against his neck.
"You can speak Parseltongue?" Barty Jr.'s face flashed with a strange eagerness. "No wonder you didn't want to join-"
"Ahem." Snape quickly cut him off. "In any case, Professor Dumbledore knows about this as well. As friends, I trust you, but I hope you'll keep it secret."
Pandora nodded first. She reached out to touch Nagini, then stopped midway.
"What are we waiting for?" she said, turning toward the library. "If there's anything we can do to help her, we shouldn't waste time."
Abbott and Barty exchanged a quick glance and nodded lightly.
"Thank you," Snape said.
Inside the library, Madam Pince sat alone behind the desk at the entrance.
"Studying so early?" she asked dryly, eyeing them with suspicion.
Snape stepped forward and pulled out the parchment. "We need access to the Restricted Section, Madam. The Headmaster's authorization."
Madam Pince snatched the slip, squinting at every stroke of ink as if it might be forged. Her lips moved silently as she read it.
"'Permission for Severus Snape and his designated companions to consult any material in the Restricted Section,'" she read aloud, frowning. "That's far too broad. Professors usually specify exact titles."
"The signature is indeed the Headmaster's," Snape said calmly. "You can verify it yourself with Professor Dumbledore."
Madam Pince stiffened, offended.
"I will verify it, young man. Wait here." Clutching the parchment tightly, she strode away, her footsteps echoing down the stone corridor.
"She thinks we'd forge the Headmaster's signature?" Abbott rolled his eyes and dropped onto the hard wooden bench beside the counter.
While they waited, Pandora softly recited a legend she'd heard from her father. In the story, a family of African witches had borne such a curse for generations, until every female descendant turned into a white lioness among the pride.
At last, Madam Pince returned, breathing heavily, her face darker than before.
"The Headmaster confirmed it," she said grudgingly. "But any misconduct, and I will revoke your privilege at once."
"Of course, Madam." Snape gave a polite nod.
Madam Pince huffed and waved them toward the Restricted Section, but instead of returning to her desk, she began hovering nearby, pretending to dust shelves or straighten books, yet clearly keeping a close watch on them.
The Restricted Section was darker than the rest of the library, as though even sunlight feared the knowledge contained within.
"Spread out," Snape whispered. "We need anything related to blood curses or soul magic."
They quickly dispersed, the only sound the soft rustling of turning pages.
Snape drew a heavy black-bound volume from the shelf, The Shackles of the Soul: On the Symbiosis of Curses. The metallic ornament on its spine turned into a spider at his touch, its fangs bared. Unfazed, Snape tapped it with his wand, and the spider froze back into lifeless metal.
They gathered around a large oak table, each buried in a growing stack of books.
Snape flipped through the index rapidly until he found a chapter on "Blood Curses." His fingers trailed along the yellowed page until they stopped on a paragraph:
"The peculiarity of a blood curse lies in its deep binding with the victim's soul. Counter-spells are ineffective because the curse becomes part of the soul itself..."
"Found anything?" Pandora whispered, pressing down on a wriggling book titled A Millennium of Curses.
Snape shook his head. "Just confirmation of what we already knew. The curse has fused with her soul."
"Look at this," Pandora pushed her book toward him. "For such accursed creatures, only death can quell the wrath of the blood curse."
"So that means there's no way?" Barty's disappointed voice came from behind a stack of books.
"Keep looking," Snape said quietly.
They continued reading, trading discoveries in hushed voices.
Just as Snape was pondering a particularly obscure passage about the nature of souls, he caught a glimpse of a nearly bald head peeking between the shelves before vanishing again. He raised his head sharply and saw Professor Slughorn attempting to sneak away.
"Professor Slughorn?" Snape called softly.
The figure froze, then slowly turned. Slughorn's round face appeared from behind the shelf, his green velvet robe gleaming faintly.
"Severus!" he said, forcing a calm smile while his small eyes darted toward the books on the table. "And... er... Mr. Crouch, Mr. Abbott. What a coincidence."
Snape calmly closed the book in his hands, showing him the title From the Egyptian Book of the Dead to Modern Necromancy. "Professor, we're researching ways to lift a blood curse from a victim."
"These aren't exactly light bedtime reading, my boy," Slughorn chuckled nervously. "Carry on, carry on, I'll be off now."
"Sir," Snape stopped him, stepping closer and lowering his voice. "I've formed a preliminary hypothesis, and I'd like to consult you. Suppose, just suppose, that thing you're very familiar with, the one starting with 'H,' could it absorb the curse from someone's soul?"
Slughorn looked around, pulled out an embroidered handkerchief, and dabbed at his sweaty forehead.
"Merlin's beard, Severus, what are you talking about..." His voice wavered. "And how would you protect the victim's life? Unless, of course, you plan to destroy both the victim and the curse together, that would certainly work..."
He finished the sentence hastily and hurried away.
Slughorn's reaction gave Snape a flicker of hope, in theory, a Horcrux could work, but the risk was enormous. The key lay in controlling the process, letting the Horcrux draw out the curse while keeping Nagini's life intact.
Glancing at his watch, Snape decided to contact Lucius and arrange a meeting.
"Keep searching," he told them softly. "I have something to take care of."
After leaving the library, Snape climbed the spiral stairs of the West Tower up to the owlery at the very top.
The owlery was a circular stone chamber, its high windows unglazed. A cold wind whistled through as dozens of owls perched along the beams, round eyes gleaming down at him.
Snape pulled a roll of parchment and a small ink bottle from his robes and leaned against the rough stone wall to write.
Dear Lucius,
I hope this letter finds you well. I still remember your days at school fondly, and the kindness and guidance you offered me.
Even though we chose different paths afterward, it was your generosity back then that spared me much unfair treatment from the other houses.
Perhaps we should meet again, for your father, Abraxas Malfoy, is in mortal danger. Within the ancient grounds of Hogwarts, there exists a power seeking his life. I swear upon my life this is no falsehood.
The matter is too grave and secret to be written in detail. If you would not mind, meet me at the Three Broomsticks, three days hence at two in the afternoon. I await your reply with urgency.
Snape set down his quill, rereading the letter. If he wanted to ensure Lucius's presence, invoking concern for his family would be the surest method.
He rolled the parchment and selected a snowy owl, the fastest among the breeds. Tying the letter securely to its leg with a silk ribbon, he gently stroked its white feathers. "Wiltshire. Malfoy Manor. Go quickly."
The owl gave a soft hoot, spread its wings, and soared out through the window into the blue sky.
Snape watched until the small white dot vanished into the distance, silently calculating the time.
It was not yet noon. From the Scottish Highlands to Wiltshire, England, was less than four hundred miles in a straight line. At a snowy owl's speed, the letter should arrive within ten hours.
If Lucius intended to come, Snape would receive a reply by the next afternoon. If not, the silence would speak for itself.
When he returned to the library, his friends were still engrossed in their research.
Pandora looked up, questioning. "Any progress?"
Snape shook his head, picking up a copy of The Curability of Stubborn Curses and silently flipping through its pages.
"Severus?" Barty's voice pulled him back to reality. "Pandora's asking if you're coming to dinner tonight."
Snape realized the sky outside had darkened. He closed the book.
"I doubt we'll find more today," he said. "Let's go."
In the Great Hall, candlelight flickered across the four long tables crowded with students. They chose a quiet corner to sit.
"You needn't worry," Snape said. "Even if she can never regain her human form, at least I'll make sure she isn't used as anyone's tool again."
His friends looked puzzled, not fully understanding his words.
"Severus," Pandora asked hesitantly, "the next Dueling Club session is coming up soon. Do you still have the heart to instruct the new students?"
"Oh," Snape blinked. "I almost forgot. Then..." His gaze turned toward Barty Jr. "Why don't you take charge of the next dueling lesson?"
Barty stared. "Me? Why? I-"
"You're quite capable," Snape interrupted gently. "Your command of spells is exceptional. You're more than qualified to guide them.
More importantly, from the first time I saw you, I knew you had a teacher's talent. Try adapting your teaching to different students' personalities and skills, help them discover their strengths. Perhaps even guide their future career choices."
"Yeah," Abbott nodded in agreement. "Barty, you're better than me, and I'm a seventh-year. Twelve O.W.L.s! I'll be sure to tell everyone."
Barty still looked unsure, but Snape patted his shoulder. "The students are simple and earnest. Just be yourself. You've got limitless potential as a teacher..."
The next afternoon, Snape leaned against an old oak at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching Nagini glide lazily through the grass.
Bored, he raised his wand and murmured, "Expecto Patronum!"
A silver-white python burst from the tip, circling playfully around Nagini.
Nagini lifted her head, her green eyes curious as she stared at the spectral serpent so similar to herself yet somehow different.
"Close enough to count as a white snake," Snape hissed in Parseltongue. "Let me tell you an Eastern tale..."
"...So you see," he said quietly when the story ended, "in that story, the snake cultivated herself into a human. You, on the other hand, went the other way around."
Nagini rested her head lightly against his leg. Snape wasn't sure how much she understood, but he relished the peace of the moment, the sunlight, the shade, the silver Patronus, and the green serpent.
The sun slowly sank, stretching the shadows of the Forbidden Forest. He glanced skyward from time to time, no sign of an owl.
It seemed Lucius did not intend to accept his invitation.