The Brightest Star Of The Darkest Night

9. You're My Son

Nagini ignored the stupid Wiggle carrying stupider Wiggle following her, as she slithered as quickly as she could following the trace of the smell of her hatchling. She was cursing herself inwardly for focusing solely on Tom, forgetting their son can understand what they're saying just fine; which he did and took it differently. Her poor hatchling must have thought they're rejecting him. That his father is rejecting him. She wanted to bang her head on the nearby tree. How could she forget that her hatchling was so easy to guilt?

Nagini sighs inwardly as she slithers past another quicksand; thankful that she taught him how to identify them. How fast a spooked mamba can run? Nagini knows a green mamba can run up to 12 miles per hour, but a boy with mamba instincts and two legs to jump around like a monkey? At least 15 to 18 miles per hour. Especially if the said boy has run on his adrenaline until his legs can sprint.

The whole journey was quiet, except for the dead logs splintering and rasping of dry leaves as Nagini made her way through the forest, and the heavy breathing of the overgrown stupid Wiggle as he jogged behind her, carrying Tom in his arms.

After hours of following the smell; it was almost nearing midnight when she found the river bank. She was still following the smell; that's how she discovered what her hatchling left behind. She slithered towards them, her triangular head bending downwards as she stared at the familiar resized robes and glasses. The robes smell of forest breeze and seem to be colder, which means they were left behind for at least three or four hours.

Nagini cursed aloud as she raised her head, looking around at the dark forest. Damn it, where did her hatchling go?

Nagini ignored as Barty picked her hatchling's robes and glasses; and showed them to his Lord. Neither did she pay mind to Voldemort whose hand shook as he accepted them and clutch them to his chest as if they were some long-lost treasure.

Nagini slithered off the big stone and picked up the smell once more and followed it. Soon she realized the smell become duller and duller, then completely vanished as they came to the edge of the river bank. Did he go in the river in his full serpentine form?

" :Did you teach him to swim?: " Voldemort asked, coming to the same conclusion as her.

" :No I didn't.: " Nagini said bemused, glaring at the river as if it was the river's fault her hatchling is not with her at the moment.

Harry doesn't know how to swim. What if his slender serpentine form was swept away with the flow of the river? She knows snakes are natural swimmers, so Harry wouldn't drown. Still, she couldn't help but feel the worry constricting her inside constantly. Nagini tried to smell the surface of the river for his scent but cursed inwardly when she realized the river's continued flow has erased any existence of smell. Maybe he drank some water and then went away?

Nagini spent more time tasting and smelling around the riverbank, ignoring the chilly early winter coldness creeping into her bones. There is no other trace of his smell that indicates he may have returned from the river. Which only meant, he didn't come back after he went inside the river; maybe he went to the other side of the river?

There's one way to find out.

Nagini tasted the water and shivered when she realized how cold is it. Did her hatchling go into this chilly water? Why he would need to do that? Just how desperate was he? Did any other predator chase him?

The last thought sent a chilled sensation throughout her spine, and without wasting another second, she almost jumped inside the river.

Merlin, it's cold!

Nagini ignored the cold and swam across the river with graceful movement. Her focus was only on searching for her hatchling.

Glancing behind to see the stupid Wiggle transfiguring some tree log into the makeshift bridge, and then crossed the river to follow her; still carrying the quiet Dark Lord. At his instruction, Barty cast a warming charm on her which she was internally thankful for, but her heart clenched painfully when she remembered her hatchling didn't have the same privilege.