"Mr. Scamander, this was something I heard while traveling through Albania over Christmas break…"
As Lucien recounted what he'd learned, Newt's expression grew steadily more serious.
A massive green serpent—one that had attacked both wizards and Muggles—had reportedly been seen shifting into a human form, and at times into a half-human, half-serpent state.
Lucien noticed a distant look in Newt's eyes, as if old memories were stirring, so he continued:
"My first thought was Animagus transformation, but Animagi don't partially transform like that. Failed Animagi transformations leave permanent animal traits and prevent full shifting—but nothing like this. Could it be a magical creature? I've never read about anything quite like it. Even the closest entry I can think of—gorgon-like creatures—doesn't match…"
After Lucien finished, Newt remained quiet for a moment. His voice, when he spoke, carried a trace of melancholy.
"That… probably isn't a magical creature. Lucien, have you heard of a Maledictus?"
"You mean someone born with a blood curse—one passed down through generations? The kind where the curse slowly transforms the person into an animal, until they lose their human mind completely and become a true beast?"
Newt nodded, rubbing his temple wearily.
"Yes. And based on what you described… I think I may know her."
Lucien's earlier letter had already brought an old friend to Newt's mind. Now that they were discussing it face-to-face, the possibility seemed even stronger.
Nagini—cursed to transform into a giant serpent—was a Maledictus. Her serpent form matched Lucien's description almost perfectly.
This was nothing like Animagus Transfiguration. A Maledictus lived with constant pain as the curse slowly devoured them from within, and eventually they would become a beast forever.
Years ago, after Credence was manipulated into betraying them, Nagini had joined Dumbledore's side, and she and Newt had fought side by side.
But one day, she simply disappeared.
Everyone understood why. She could no longer suppress the blood curse within her… and she didn't want her friends to see her lose herself to it.
Dumbledore, Newt, and others had tried to help her, but there had been no cure. The curse ran so deep it was essentially fused with her blood. Destroying the curse would have meant destroying her life.
"Lucien… could you walk me through the exact area again?"
Newt hesitated, but in the end he couldn't ignore the possibility of helping an old friend. Even if he knew she likely preferred isolation over exposing her cursed form, he couldn't bear the thought of her living like a wild beast, feeding on whatever she could catch.
Lucien gave Newt the location. The reason he'd brought the matter to Newt was precisely because he hoped the magizoologist could track Nagini down.
He did know the general area—but the forest itself was large, and searching it thoroughly would take too much time on his own.
Newt, however, had far more options. Whether through magic or the help of magical creatures, tracking was one of his greatest strengths. Once the area was narrowed down, the chances of finding Nagini were high.
And right now, Voldemort had not yet turned her into a Horcrux. They were still early enough to prevent that fate entirely.
As for the curse itself, Qilin's Purifying Fire might help. Over the past year, the little Qilin's powers had grown noticeably stronger. There was a chance—maybe a small one, but a chance—that it could weaken or even cleanse part of the blood curse.
"Mr. Scamander," Lucien added, "if you do find the Maledictus… could you bring her to me? I have some thoughts about the blood curse I'd like to test."