Harry Potter and the Norse Gods

{17} Nagini

STORM'S POV

"This feels illegal," I remarked. 

"That's your only comment?" Severus asked incredulously. 

"It's not illegal," Albus dismissed. 

"I mean, I'm willing to bet a large sum of money that this exact thing has never happened before, but you could make a good case for it classifying as proxy murder." 

"Once again, is that really your only takeaway?" Severus repeated. 

"No, it's just the only one I'm going to vocalize at this point in time," I replied before turning my attention back to Albus, "I must say, this is terribly on-brand for you." 

"What led you to that conclusion?" he inquired, frowning. 

"'For the greater good'," I quoted snidely. 

Albus visibly winced. 

"This isn't like that," he refuted. 

"Yes, it is," I countered firmly, "And you're going to have to deal with it. Although I will admit that it seems like the only plan we have, and assuming everything pans out the way you intend it to, it could work." 

"He might not die," Albus revealed suddenly. 

Severus sat up straighter in his seat, his interest suddenly palpable.

"Please, enlighten us," I offered. 

"I'm not sure yet," he said, "But even if he won't die, he can't know that beforehand." 

"Wow, we're really hammering down on the whole secrecy thing today, aren't we?" 

"Neither of you can tell him," Albus pressed. 

"I was never going to. I'm not stupid." 

"You have my word, Headmaster." 

"Thank you. Now, onto our next order of business." 

I sighed, my shoulders drooping. 

"Seriously?" I groaned. 

"I really should be getting back to class," Severus argued, but after a sharp look from Albus he quieted. 

"You won't need to be here for much longer, Severus, although I suspect that Storm will want to stay awhile longer just to make her feelings on the matter clear." 

"This should be fun. We could make a new game out of it. We can guess who or what I have a personal connection to that you are planning on screwing over?" 

"Voldemort has a pet snake." 

"Ah, so he's a reptile person. Good to know." 

"He used her venom to give himself a new body." 

"Magical snake. Fun. What does this have to do with me?" I demanded. 

"Her name's Nagini." 

Oh. 

"Why is Nagini important, Albus?" Severus inquired. 

"To most of us, because I suspect that she may be one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. To Storm and myself, because I suspect that I knew her when she was human." 

"Human?" Severus frowned. 

"Back in the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, during the Global Wizarding War against Grindelwald, there was a woman who fought alongside us. She couldn't do magic, but she was a Maledictus. She could turn into a snake at will, and could since birth, but eventually, she would turn and not be able to turn back. She'd be stuck in the body of a snake for the rest of her life. Her name was Nagini, and her snake form looked identical to that of Voldemort's Nagini. I believe her status as a Maledictus was why she was resistant to Voldemort's possession, and why her venom was so useful to him." 

"If she really is his Horcrux, she's going to have to die," I pointed out bitterly. 

"That is a possibility, but I think that I can find a way to reverse the curse, perhaps in a way that would destroy the remnants of Voldemort's soul inside her, if she is, in fact, a Horcrux." 

"No one has ever reversed a blood curse," Severus cautioned, "It's impossible." 

"There are very few things in life that are actually impossible," Albus said flippantly, "The details aren't important, I just need to know that should I formulate a cure, it gets to her, whether she's a Horcrux or not." 

"It will, Headmaster," Severus vowed. 

"Thank you, Severus, but this duty should only fall to you should Storm refuse to or be rendered unable to for whatever reason." 

Both men looked to me. 

I already knew that I was going to say yes, but it was fun to keep them guessing a moment later. Besides, that 'yes' didn't mean I wasn't pissed, because I was. Albus could've chosen anytime to reveal to me that he believed Nagini was still alive and that he knew where she was, but he only chose to when it also came with the possibility of having to kill her. 

He didn't tell me because he felt obligated to inform me about the wellbeing of an old friend, he told me because telling me would be beneficial to him. 

But as mad as I was at him, I would do it for her. She was one of the only links I had to my nephew, and she was my friend. 

"Yes," I agreed. 

"Wonderful," Albus replied, "You can go now, Severus." 

"Gladly," he muttered, casting me a long glance before hurrying out the room. 

The moment the door slammed shut behind him, I stood up. Had I been a cartoon, there would have been smoke pouring from my ears. 

"What the hell?" I demanded, "Why didn't you tell me this before?" 

"I wanted to be sure." 

"You're not sure now." 

"Not entirely, no" he conceded, "I know she means a lot to you-"

"Don't say that like she's some silly crush or something, Albus. She was basically family - to both of us. She fought Grindelwald with us despite not having magic, even after Aurelius was killed. She should mean something to you too. Then again, I know how you treat family." 

"I love my family." 

"Family? You only have your brother left, and you aren't exactly on the best of terms, are you?" 

"We were getting there." 

"That was decades ago - and then you got his wife and only child killed. Before that, he was mad that you got his little sister killed." 

"Ariana was my sister too." 

"And she was my closest friend. She was the first in a long list of casualties of your blood bind with Gellert."

"I miss her too," he admitted quietly. 

"I know. I also know that you blame yourself for her death. Once upon a time, maybe I would've tried to convince you otherwise." 

I slumped back down in my chair, leaving us sitting in tense silence for several minutes. 

"Do you really think that you can cure it?" I asked softly. 

Albus' expression changed to one I had seen often in his youth - one of ambition and determination (although some might call it stubbornness). 

"I do."

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