After the award ceremony, he had attended a private gathering with those prominent figures of the Magical World, but the atmosphere had noticeably cooled the moment Dumbledore appeared.
Hearing the question, Newt smiled helplessly.
"Perhaps it's because Dumbledore has been running around trying to find a new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Most of those people have probably received invitations from him before, but considering the rumours surrounding the position lately..."
The corners of Lucien's mouth twitched.
The Defence Against the Dark Arts position at Hogwarts had already "claimed" one professor after another. It had become infamous. It wasn't that those famous figures disliked Dumbledore; they simply didn't dare touch such a cursed position.
"I did recommend someone to Dumbledore," Newt continued, "but because of his own special circumstances, he's been reluctant to accept."
His own special circumstances?
Lucien's thoughts stirred. Just as he was about to ask further, Newt spoke first.
"Lucien, that great serpent you mentioned in your letter before, what exactly is it?"
"Mr. Newt, that was a rumour I heard while travelling through Albania during the Christmas holidays..."
As Newt listened to Lucien's account, his expression gradually grew solemn.
A giant green snake had attacked both Wizards and Muggles, and there were witnesses who claimed they had briefly seen the snake transform into a human and into a half-human, half-snake form...
Lucien noticed a hint of wistfulness in Newt's eyes, as though he were recalling an old friend, so he continued:
"When I first heard the local Wizards describe it, my first thought was an Animagus. But after thinking it over, an Animagus doesn't possess that kind of half-beast transformation ability. A failed Animagus merely retains some animal characteristics and cannot freely transform into an animal... Could this be some kind of magical creature? I haven't found any similar records, and even the Gorgon, which has a somewhat similar description, doesn't quite fit..."
When Lucien finished speaking, Newt remained silent for a moment. His tone became melancholy.
"That... that shouldn't be a magical creature. Lucien, have you ever heard of a Maledictus?"
Lucien replied, "A person afflicted with a Blood Curse? A curse that resides within the bloodline and is passed down through generations, where one of its manifestations is a gradual transformation into a beast, eventually causing the victim to lose their human reason and become a beast permanently?"
Newt nodded and rubbed his temples tiredly.
"Yes. Based on your description, I think I may know who she is..."
The contents of Lucien's earlier letter had already reminded Newt of that old friend, and after hearing the details in person, he felt the possibility was even greater.
Nagini was a Maledictus capable of transforming into a giant snake, and her snake form closely matched Lucien's description.
This was fundamentally different from the transformation of an Animagus. She was constantly being eroded by the curse in her blood, enduring continuous suffering, and would eventually become a true beast.
Back then, after Nagini's close friend Credence had been deceived and recruited by Grindelwald, Nagini joined Dumbledore's side. In that sense, Newt and she could be considered former comrades.
But one day, Nagini suddenly disappeared without saying goodbye.
Everyone understood that she could no longer suppress the Blood Curse within her and did not wish to show her increasingly beast-like form to her friends.
Dumbledore, Newt, and others had all attempted to treat Nagini's curse, but unfortunately, they had never found a solution.
This kind of curse was almost fused with the bloodline itself, making it extraordinarily difficult to remove. Severing the curse was nearly equivalent to severing the victim's life.
"Lucien, could you tell me the exact location?"
After some hesitation, Newt still wanted to try to find Nagini.
Even though he understood her desire not to reveal herself in her current state, Newt could not simply ignore an old friend forced to live a life of drinking blood and eating raw flesh.
Lucien provided the location.
The reason he had told Newt about Nagini was precisely because he wanted Newt to help find her after she had already transformed into a giant snake.
Although Lucien knew Nagini's general location, the forest itself was vast. If he searched for her personally, he simply wouldn't have enough time.
Newt, however, whether relying on Magic or his magical creature companions, was exceptionally skilled at tracking. As long as the search area could be narrowed down, the chances of finding Nagini were high.
At this point in time, Voldemort had not yet turned Nagini into a Horcrux, so there was still an opportunity to prevent that from happening.
Furthermore, Lumen's pure flame could purify curses to a certain extent. After a year of growth, that ability had become even stronger, so it might be worth trying.
"Mr. Newt, if you do find that Maledictus, could you bring her to meet me? I have some ideas regarding Blood Curses..."
...
On the second day of the new term, the announcement for the Triwizard Tournament appeared on the notice board in the Great Hall.
The Young Wizards gathered in groups, craning their necks to read the tournament announcement.
The tournament would be jointly hosted by Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang, and would take place at Beauxbatons, located in the Pyrenees Mountains.
The competition would officially begin in ten days and last for half a month.
"Why is the theme of the tournament Alchemy? This has nothing to do with us..."
The Young Wizards, who had been full of enthusiasm for the event, immediately let out a collective groan when they saw that the competition focused on Alchemy.
At Hogwarts, Alchemy was a subject offered only to sixth and seventh-year students.
Although some Young Wizards had acquired knowledge of Alchemy through their family backgrounds or personal interests, such students were still a minority. Most of the younger students could only watch for the excitement.
"I was hoping to use this opportunity to broaden my horizons. Beauxbatons is a prestigious school, after all!"
"Broaden your horizons? You just don't want to stay at school and attend classes, do you?"
"That's a bit harsh. If you've figured it out, don't say it..."
The Young Wizards discussed the tournament enthusiastically, making the atmosphere particularly lively.
The previous lesson had been shared by Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Lucien and Malfoy happened to pass through the Great Hall after class and stopped to read the announcement together.
"Hey, Lucien," Malfoy said. "Are you going to participate in the tournament? With your level of Alchemy, winning the championship should be easy, right?"
This term, Lucien had introduced many magical items at school, and Malfoy naturally knew that his Alchemy skills far surpassed those of his peers.
During Christmas, his father had sent him a special Alchemical self-defence item, and one glance at the trademark had revealed that it was produced by Lucien.
To Pure-blood aristocrats, items capable of automatically activating defensive magic were priceless treasures. The more wealth and power a person possessed, the more they valued their own life.
Lucien smiled.
"There are countless talented people in the world. Let's get through the school's preliminary selection first."
For this tournament, each school had two representative places, and Hogwarts would hold its own preliminary selection beforehand.
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