Flames erupted from Erwin's wand, surging skyward before twisting into roaring fire dragons. They hurtled toward the vampires with a deafening roar.
Lily Elise stared in horror as the beasts plummeted from above. Terror widened her eyes.
"This... this is Fiendfyre! Run!"
The vampires needed no urging—they scattered like leaves in a gale the instant the cursed flames appeared. Lily bolted after them.
The inferno caught the Forbidden Forest ablaze, the blaze spreading relentlessly. The night sky glowed an ominous crimson over the treetops.
Erwin pocketed his wand and glanced at Snape. "That's enough, Godfather. Let's go. If those bloodsuckers make it out alive, it'll be their lucky day."
He had no plans to pursue; chasing them would waste precious time. Under a blaze this fierce, survival was a matter of sheer fortune. If they were that lucky, Erwin saw no harm in letting them slink away.
Snape inclined his head. He had no qualms about Erwin torching the woods. It wasn't his problem—if Erwin wanted to play arsonist, so be it. As for fallout, Snape would handle anyone sniffing around.
The pair prepared to Apparate.
But then, from the corner of his eye, Erwin caught a shadowy form darting through the underbrush amid the flames.
Snape followed his gaze. Slithering through the grass, evading the licking fire, was a massive serpent—easily twelve feet long.
A spark of recognition hit Erwin. Nagini?
It had to be. In the original tales, Voldemort had crossed paths with her in 1994, using her venom and other means to claw back his strength in that infant's body. After the old Muggle's death, she'd become one of his Horcruxes.
But not yet. She didn't even know him.
Intriguing.
"Go on ahead, Godfather," Erwin said. "I'll catch up shortly."
Snape nodded curtly. "Watch yourself. Nothing in the Forbidden Forest is straightforward."
Erwin grinned. "I know. No worries."
With a crack, Snape vanished.
Erwin dashed forward, cutting off the serpent's path. He materialized abruptly in the firelight, forcing her to skid to a halt.
Nagini coiled warily, her forked tongue flickering. She sized him up but held her strike.
Erwin blinked in surprise. His innate affinity for magical creatures seemed to work even on a cursed being like her—a Maledictus, twisted by blood magic. What an odd gift.
The Fiendfyre surged closer, hungry tendrils probing toward her. Panic flashed in Nagini's slitted eyes—no creature faced those flames without dread.
Erwin tapped his finger lightly. The blaze obeyed, parting around her like water around a stone.
Nagini's gaze locked on him, stunned.
He beckoned her closer.
After a hesitant flick of her tongue, she swayed forward, gliding to his side.
Erwin knelt and rested a hand on her scaled head. "You're magnificent. I always pictured you striking in human form, but this... this is something else. Care to join me?"
Warmth radiated from his touch—comforting, inviting. No revulsion stirred in her; instead, an urge to stay near.
In serpent form, Nagini was all instinct and cruelty. The blood curse had warped her, severing the link between her human and reptilian sides. No shared memories, no gentle personality—just primal savagery that had all but buried her true self, trapping her as a snake.
She tasted the air again.
Erwin chuckled. "That's settled, then. I'll look into that curse of yours back home—pure curiosity."
He flicked his robes; the fabric brushed her coils as he Apparated. A swirl of air swallowed wizard and serpent whole.
Moments later, Aurors from the nearby Ministry outpost materialized at the forest's edge. They stared at the roaring blaze, faces ashen.
"Who unleashes Fiendfyre here?" one growled. "This scale—it's aimed at wiping out the Forbidden Forest!"
"Less chatter, more action!" barked another. "Contain it before the whole place goes up. Ministry's sending backup. We can't let those dark creatures slip away."
The team nodded and scattered, Apparating to encircle the inferno. Wands stabbed into the earth.
"Finite Incantatem!"
Golden barriers erupted from the soil, arching toward the flames' heart.
They shattered on contact.
The Aurors paled. "Impossible. That's no standard Fiendfyre!"
"Call for more—now! This isn't normal. Grindelwald couldn't have pulled this off. We're outmatched!"
Desperate signals flew as reinforcements poured in. By then, half the Forbidden Forest was a sea of fire. Over twenty Aurors assembled, led by the local Auror Office head.
He scowled at the devastation. "Form up for Finite Incantatem—full spread!"
They fanned out, wands plunging deep. "Finite Incantatem!"
A brilliant golden dome surged skyward, crashing against the blaze.
The Fiendfyre twisted, birthing snarling fire dragons that spiraled upward. As it consolidated, the flames shifted hue—from orange fury to eerie violet.
A colossal purple dragon now loomed, its eyes gleaming with unnatural cunning as it scanned the wizards below.
The Auror Patriarch recoiled. "Purple Fiendfyre? And it's... aware?"
The beast bellowed, jaws unhinging to spew a wall of violet death.
The Patriarch dove aside, but the flames bore down relentlessly.
At the last instant, a figure interposed—clad in flowing white robes, silver hair and beard catching the firelight.
Dumbledore.
He flourished the Elder Wand. "Stand down!"
...
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