She allowed Hermione to take what she wanted from her body, letting her brand her marks in the most private places, asserting a sovereignty that was on the verge of collapse.
When Hermione, driven by total loss of control and endless despair, bit down on her shoulder, leaving a deep red bite mark as a declaration of ownership, she only trembled slightly and gave no other reaction.
Lia's body was covered in Hermione's saliva and tears, yet her eyes remained hollow.
At the peak of their intense emotional merging, Hermione looked at Lia's unperturbed face and felt an overwhelming sense of despair.
The next day, Hermione went to see Dumbledore.
Speaking as fast as she could, she skipped over the unspeakable parts of the night and told the Principal everything about Lia's abnormalities, including that most hurtful word.
"She has been contaminated by Tom Riddle's soul, Professor. I... I can't control her anymore." Hermione's voice carried an irrepressible sob; her strong outer shell crumbled into powder before her mentor.
Dumbledore listened solemnly, a flash of deep sorrow passing through his deep blue eyes.
He asked, "Miss Granger, did the Phoenix tail feather I gave you—that gold and red ribbon that reinforced the collar—not serve as a suppression?"
Hermione's face went pale, her lips trembled, and she finally, with great difficulty, admitted the truth.
"Because... for certain reasons, in order to fight Umbridge... I... I allowed Lia to actively touch that memory and power."
Dumbledore's gaze instantly became incredibly grave. He let out a long sigh, his voice as soft as a whisper.
"You fed the abyss with love, child, and expected it to become your weapon. But you forgot that once the abyss is fed, the first thing it devours is the light closest to it."
"Take me to her," he stood up, "I hope it's not too late."
When Hermione hurriedly led Dumbledore back to the Gryffindor Common Room, the corner by the fire was empty.
The windowsill was also deserted.
Only the half-open window, letting in a cold wind mixed with the scent of damp earth and pine needles, announced the fact.
Lia was gone... Lia regained consciousness in a bone-chilling dampness.
She suddenly found herself again after a long, endless bout of sleepwalking.
That word... that word she had said to Hermione scorched her soul like a branding iron, the pain so intense she nearly curled up.
Lia found herself barefoot, stepping on cold, soft decaying leaves, her body seemingly still moving uncontrollably toward some dark direction.
Surrounding her were tall trees that felt vaguely familiar, blotting out the sky, with moonlight only leaking through in mottled, pale fragments.
The air was thick with the scent of rotting leaves and damp earth.
She was deep within the Forbidden Forest.
How did she get here? She didn't remember. She only remembered a long, vivid dream.
In the dream, she wasn't herself. She was a giant snake named Nagini.
Her body slithered against the stone floor, her perspective low and slimy, and everything around her was exceptionally tall. She could smell the thick metallic scent of rust in the air, the smell of disinfectant from the Ministry of Magic, and a bloody scent that made her nauseous.
She was in a dim corridor, attacking a man.
The man had the red hair she was familiar with; he was Ron's father, Mr. Weasley.
In the dream, she had bitten through his body with her fangs, feeling the spray of warm blood.
A strange, cruel pleasure echoed in that consciousness that did not belong to her—the ultimate satisfaction of hunting and killing.
"Blegh—"
Lia jolted awake from this horrific memory, her stomach churning. She leaned over the ground and dry-heaved violently, but could vomit nothing except for sour bile that burned her throat.
"You're awake, child," a gentle voice came.
Lia turned her head alertly and saw a Centaur standing in the moonlight.
He had a handsome human upper body and a powerful chestnut horse body, and in his hands, he held some plant roots covered in soil.
"Eat some. You need to replenish your energy." He handed the food over.
Lia didn't smell anything bad, so after a moment's hesitation, she took it and said in a very low voice, "Thank you."
A more elderly, more majestic figure stepped out from the shadows of the trees.
He was the leader of the Centaur tribe, Firenze.
Firenze's bright blue eyes looked at Lia, his gaze piercing through her soul to see the light and darkness coexisting within her.
"The stars have long foretold your arrival, Nine-Lived Creature." Firenze's voice was like an ancient chant. "You have stepped onto a path where you dance with destiny, drawing power from death and feeding on darkness."
Lia listened quietly, raising her head, her eyes full of confusion.
Firenze also looked up, gazing at the narrow patch of sky dotted with stars, and spoke the prophecy he had interpreted from the tracks of the stars.
"I see flames, I see sacrifice, and I see the fall of a Dark Crown."
"But what is clearest of all is your own choice."
"On the final day, for the sake of your only one, you will actively offer up everything you possess."
"Your life, your power, your memories... your very existence."
"You will actively walk toward your own demise."
Darlings, if you've read this far, please click the 'remind to update' button to give me some motivation!
I'm begging you, meow~
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