Newt dashed through the Albanian winter forest with quick, light steps. The only sound was the faint crunch of thin ice under his boots.
That pitch-black Niffler perched steadily on his shoulder, its tiny claws gripping his coat as it scanned the surroundings alertly, nose twitching now and then.
The tracking wasn't always smooth sailing.
Nagini's lingering scent came and went, especially in this season of snow-covered ground and dormant life. The cold and the environment had washed away her unique traces, making them fainter than ever.
Whenever the clues got fuzzy, Newt would pause, using spells or calling on his magical creatures to help pick up the trail again.
With each stop and rediscovery, the excitement in Newt's heart grew harder to hide.
It had been so many years since Nagini had said goodbye and left them behind.
Over those years, questions like "Is she still alive?" "What has she become?" and "Is she suffering?" had nagged at Newt and their old circle of friends—comrades who'd faced life and death together—like little thorns pricking at odd moments.
A few times, the trail seemed to hit a dead end, but Newt didn't give up. He had plenty of patience for this forest, for the animals, and for his lost old friend.
Finally, following a barely-there winding imprint in the snow and the Niffler's sudden frantic sniffing and pointing, Newt arrived at a sheltered spot beneath a rocky cliff.
A cluster of ancient trees with gnarled roots leaned against each other, forming a deep, shadowy hollow at their base.
Icicles hung from the entrance, and the inside was pitch black, giving off a mix of earthy, rotting, and icy, fishy smells.
The Niffler on his shoulder suddenly let out a soft "squeak," its claws digging into Newt's curly hair—clearly warning him not to get any closer.
Newt was about to reach up and calm the jittery little guy when a "rustle—" sound echoed from deep inside the hollow.
It was slow and heavy, with the gritty feel of scales scraping against branches and frozen dirt.
An inky-green triangular snake head slowly emerged from the shadows.
Followed by a winding body covered in cold, glistening scales.
This green snake was way bigger than your average python, yet it slithered out of the hollow with an eerie lightness and power.
It even reared up its front half like some cobras do, locking its cold yellow slit pupils on Newt a few feet away, its forked tongue flicking out occasionally.
A wave of pressure rolled out—a mix of raw animal instinct and dark magic vibes.
Newt stared at his old friend, now fully in beast mode, a flash of pain in his eyes.
Even though he'd braced himself, seeing the once-beautiful woman with those melancholic, kind eyes turned into this cold, feral giant snake was hard to stomach.
In that moment, he understood even better why Nagini had chosen to slip away without a word back then.
When she sensed the blood curse was about to consume her completely, stripping away her humanity, how could she bear to let her old friends see her like this?
Newt slowly tucked his wand back into his pocket, the movement deliberate and clear, trying to signal he meant no harm.
He turned his body sideways to make himself look less threatening, then extended one hand palm-up, inching forward at a snail's pace toward Nagini.
His voice was low, with the gentle tone of calling to an old pal:
"Nagini... it's me, Newt. Don't be scared... see, I don't mean any harm..."
As Newt kept murmuring softly and edging closer ever so slowly, the wariness in the big snake's slit eyes seemed to ease up a bit, and its tense muscles relaxed just a touch.
Newt's heart skipped a beat with hope—could Nagini still hold on to some of her old memories and feelings?
The corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch up in anticipation.
But then Nagini's head tilted slightly, as if hearing a call or command only she could pick up.
That faint glimmer of something like "recognition" in her eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by pure, savage fury!
It was the look of a beast pushed to the edge.
Her slightly relaxed coils snapped tight, launching forward with incredible speed!
Her massive jaws gaped open, baring wicked white fangs, aimed straight for Newt's neck!
She was so fast, she left just a streak of green in the air.
Newt's experience kicked in the second he saw her eyes change—he sensed trouble before his brain caught up, and he dove into a hard roll to the side.
But Nagini's strike was faster than he'd imagined.
Just as the fangs closed in on his neck—
The plain-looking watch face on Newt's left wrist lit up!
Two solid beams of magic burst out: one a translucent round shield like "Protego," the other a rippling air-distortion field like "Impedimenta."
Defenses against spells and physical attacks stacked up in a blink, wrapping Newt in a tight cocoon.
At the same time, the gray buckle on his belt flashed!
A precise Petrificus Totalus shot out, hitting first despite being fired second, smacking Nagini square on the forehead.
"Bam!"
Nagini's ferocious lunge froze mid-air, her muscles locking up, attack pose held stiff as she thudded heavily into the snow and leaves.
And that wasn't all.
The necklace around Newt's neck, stamped with the Scamander family crest, blazed gold, shooting out a dozen thin golden beams like nails driving into the ground around Nagini. They linked up fast, forming a makeshift magical cage that trapped the petrified giant snake inside.
Newt finished his clumsy but effective roll, steadied himself, and caught his breath, still rattled.
He instinctively touched the watch and belt as they reset, a mix of lingering fear and embarrassment flashing across his face.
The fear came from Nagini's sudden flip-out—it was totally unexpected, deadly serious, and he'd caught a real whiff of danger.
The embarrassment? He'd completely forgotten he was decked out in all those "gadgets" Lucien had insisted he take.
A bunch of them were defensive or for trapping foes—alchemy stuff.
Who'd have thought their first real use would be stopping Nagini's attack?
Newt scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to brush off the snow and mud caking his clothes. Without a second's hesitation, he drew his wand again and flicked it lightly, lifting the petrified Nagini steadily into the air. Then he popped open the suitcase he'd kept right by his feet.
The case gently pulled in Nagini's massive body.
With that done, he snapped the lid shut with a "click" and grabbed the handle.
Newt glanced around the eerily quiet forest.
Not wanting any more trouble or delays, his form twisted and compressed suddenly—"pop"—and he vanished without a trace.