Cohen was in far greater need of repentance than Voldemort, because Voldemort would never repent, but Cohen just might.
Still, repenting wouldn't bring back the lollipop lost by the kid at Number Six, Privet Drive, just like Old Serpent wouldn't suddenly feel guilty and return the fish it snatched from those cubs.
"Keep yammering, and I'll swallow you all whole," Old Serpent hissed.
Since Cohen refused to eat the fish slobbered on by various creatures, it naturally became Old Serpent's prize. After gulping the fish down whole, Old Serpent coiled up lazily amid the noisy chatter of nearby cheetah cubs, manticore kittens, and the like, hissing threateningly, "I earned this fair and square. If you want some, go beg that old griffin for more."
"Purr, purr—"
"Rawr, rawr!"
The cubs formed a pitiful circle around Old Serpent, whining and occasionally pawing at its tail.
Whether on purpose or by accident, Old Serpent waited out their complaints before slowly uncoiling. Muttering something like, "What am I gonna do with you lot?" it led the little gang off to hunt for more fish.
"I'm never coming back to Greece," Cohen declared, watching the scene unfold. "Everything here is just too weird."
---
On August 1st, Cohen and Newt arrived at the Erechtheion Temple as planned to join the festival.
Cohen had zero interest in the formal rituals, and neither did Old Serpent. They made a beeline for the altar, where Old Serpent could finally dig into the deep-sea octopus it had been raving about.
Maybe thanks to Frik's preparations, the pile of fish on the stone altar was massive, practically a small mountain.
"Grandkid, you sure you don't want some? This one's definitely free of my slobber," Old Serpent said, nudging a still-wriggling octopus toward Cohen with its tail.
"I'm more of a sweets guy," Cohen replied, holding up the snack bag Frik had shoved into his hands.
Judging by Old Serpent's eating speed, Cohen figured he'd have to team up with a chimaera to haul the snake back to its case within the hour.
The way snakes ate was so reckless that Cohen couldn't fathom how Old Serpent had survived this long. It was practically a miracle of the magical creature world. Didn't anything that ate snakes ever mistake a freshly fed Old Serpent for a stuffed snack?
Invisibility was one thing, but scent was another. Cohen doubted predators couldn't smell their prey.
"It's over," Frik announced, rushing over without even changing out of his priestly robes. The singing and parade outside had wrapped up. "You're still here—phew…"
Seeing Old Serpent still munching, Frik let out a relieved sigh.
"I made sure to stock extra fish…" Frik said, approaching nervously. "It's…"
Frik trailed off, struggling to find the right words, and ended up just leaning against the stone altar, watching Old Serpent slowly swallow fish and octopuses.
"Could you tell him to stop staring at me?" Old Serpent muttered to Cohen after downing a grouper. "It's weird."
Back in the day, if a wizard stared at it while it ate, Old Serpent would've vanished in a heartbeat.
"You can pet it," Cohen said, completely misreading the vibe.
"Really?" Frik's eyes widened, his hand trembling as it reached out.
"What's he up to? I thought this was all for me! Is he gonna steal it?" Old Serpent froze, eyeing Frik's outstretched hand in panic. "Grandkid, what'd he say?"
"He wants to pet you," Cohen said, gently nudging Old Serpent's head toward Frik.
But Frik's hand stopped midair, never touching the horn on Old Serpent's head.
"What's wrong? It doesn't bite," Cohen said, thinking Old Serpent's hissing and tongue-flicking had spooked Frik.
Frik shook his head. "Nah, I'll pass…"
"Didn't you spend your whole life looking for it?" Cohen asked, tilting his head. "Now you've found it, and you're not gonna give it a good scratch?"
"Hahaha!" Frik burst out laughing at Cohen's description. "You're talking like it's a pet. This isn't some kneazle… I just wanted to see it for real, you know? And now I have."
Frik gazed at Old Serpent, his expression unreadable.
"It's not like other serpents," he said.
"It's just old," Cohen replied with a nod.
"No, it's more than that," Frik said. "See that gem on its head?"
"Isn't it just dull because it's old?" Cohen asked curiously. "I bet when it was young, it sparkled like a Runespoor's—"
"A what now?" Frik frowned.
"Er…" Cohen paused, trying to backtrack. "A snake from a fairy tale. Never mind, keep going…"
"A serpent's gem doesn't lose its shine, even after death," Frik explained. "The magic in it lets them turn invisible and sense danger. If it can still go invisible, the gem's power hasn't faded."
"That tracks," Cohen said, recalling how Old Serpent had casually cloaked an entire squad of assassins infiltrating the Ministry. He nodded.
So why was Old Serpent's gem always so dull?
"Maybe the future it sees is just… like that," Frik said with a sigh. "Or maybe it sees more than other serpents—like a future far beyond."
"That's a bit out there," Cohen said skeptically. How far could it possibly see?
The collapse of the universe? This was a magical world, not sci-fi. The Killing Curse didn't mess with spaceships.
Cohen preferred to think the gem reflected the glow of a Dementor Empire.
"Why's your gem different from your kids'?" Cohen asked Old Serpent directly.
"Why're you asking me that out of nowhere?" Old Serpent mumbled around its last fish. "It's always been like this. Maybe it's like those colorful reef fish—every snake's got its own pattern. Come to think of it, my mom might've kicked me out of the nest for it… or maybe that was a story a goat told me. Can't remember."
"Take care of it, kid," Frik said, patting Cohen's shoulder. "I might not be able to bring it fish anymore…"
"People who say stuff like that usually end up meeting again," Cohen quipped. "But if you ever have a funeral, invite us. I'll bring Old Serpent to chow down on your offerings."
---
As the Greece trip wound down, Cohen picked up Little Basilisk and Sissoko from Rhodes Island, ready to head home. Little Basilisk seemed reluctant to leave, probably because it had fully embraced its role as a top-tier predator in the food chain.
"You swam all that way just to bite a golden sheep?" Cohen said, exasperated.
"Couldn't resist!" Little Basilisk chirped.
"Never seen a golden sheep before," Sissoko added. "Couldn't resist…"
After landing at London's airport, Newt insisted on seeing Cohen home, saying he was "responsible for this trip."
Back at Number Five, Privet Drive, Cohen pushed open the door and met Edward's shocked stare.
Edward glanced at Cohen, then up at the ceiling, as if…
"Why're you looking at me like, 'Weren't you just upstairs? Why're you at the door?'" Cohen asked.
"Weren't you just upstairs? Why're you at the door?" Edward echoed.
"I think I know what's going on…" Cohen muttered, lips pursed.
Seconds later, the culprit behind the mix-up appeared.
A Dementor glided down from upstairs.
"Left Azkaban… came to find you…"
---