Who let this Dementor into Hogwarts!

Chapter 400: Dementors Take Over the Dementor's Nest

Cohen needs to repent more than Voldemort, because Voldemort will not repent, while Cohen will.

But even if you repent, you can't return the lollipop that the child at No. 6 Privet Road lost, just like the old water snake won't return the fish he stole because of a change of heart.

If you keep making noise, I'll swallow you all whole.

Since Cohen refused to eat the fish, which was covered in the saliva of various animals, it naturally became the old water snake's property. After swallowing the fish whole, the old water snake coiled up in a sullen manner amidst the commotion of the surrounding cats, leopards, and scorpion cubs, hissing threateningly.
I stole it with my own skills; if you want to eat it, go ask that old griffin for it yourselves.

"Snoring—"

"Ooooooo!"

The little ones pitifully circled around the old water snake, constantly chirping and occasionally pawing at its tail with their paws.

Whether intentionally or accidentally, after waiting for them to call out for a while, the old water snake slowly stretched out its body, saying something like "I really can't do anything with you guys," and then led the group of little guys to catch fish.

“I will never come to Greece again,” said Cohen, an observer. “Everything in Greece is too weird.”
-
On August 1st, Cohen and Newt arrived at the Erechtheion Temple as planned to participate in the festival.

Cohen wasn't interested in the formulaic sacrificial procedures, nor was the old water snake, so they headed straight for the altar so the old water snake could feast on the deep-sea octopus he had been longing for.

Perhaps because Flick had prepared in advance, there were a lot of fish this time, almost piling up like a mountain on that rather large stone platform.

[My dear grandson, are you really not going to eat? This time it definitely won't be as drool-worthy as mine—] The old water snake used its tail to push a still-wriggling octopus toward Cohen.

"I prefer something sweeter," Cohen said, holding the bag of snacks Flick had given him.

Based on the old water snake's current eating speed, Cohen felt that in less than an hour, he would have to drag the Chimera Beast along and carry the old water snake back to the box.

The snake's eating habits were so careless that Cohen thought it was an incomprehensible miracle that the old water snake could live to such an old age—couldn't any snake-eating animal really eat an old water snake that had just finished its prey as a packaged snack...?

Invisibility is one thing, scent is another. Cohen doesn't believe those animals can't smell their prey...

"It's over." All the singing and parade outside had ended, and Flick rushed over without even changing out of his priest's robes. "Is it still there—phew…"

Flick breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the old water snake hadn't finished eating.

“I specially prepared extra fish…” Flick walked over, looking a little nervous, “It…”

Flick struggled for a long time, unable to come up with what he wanted to say. In the end, he simply leaned against the stone altar, watching the old water snake slowly swallow the sea fish and octopus.

"Could you tell him to stop staring at me?" the old water snake whispered to Cohen after swallowing the grouper in his mouth. "I'm not used to it."

If a wizard stared at me like this while I was eating in the past, I would disappear and run away the next second.

“You can touch it,” Cohen replied, having already read the rest of the message.

"Really?" Frick's eyes widened, and his hands began to tremble involuntarily.

"What's he going to do—didn't he say these were all for me to eat? Is he going to steal them?" Old Water Snake looked at Frick's outstretched hand in horror. "What did my precious grandson say?"

"He wants to touch you," Cohen said, pushing the old water snake's head toward Flick.

But Frick's hand remained suspended in mid-air, ultimately failing to touch the horns on the old water snake's head.

"What's wrong? It doesn't bite." Cohen thought that the old water snake's open mouth and flicking tongue made Flick a little scared.

Flick shook his head:
"Still not..."

"Haven't you been looking for it your whole life?" Cohen asked, tilting his head. "Now that you've found it, aren't you going to give it a good scratch?"

“Hahahaha.” Frick was amused by Cohen’s description. “You’re talking about a pet, but it’s not a pet… I really wanted to see it in person, and now I have, haven’t I?”

Frick looked at the old water snake with a complicated expression. "It's different from other water snakes."

“It’s rather old,” Cohen nodded.

“No,” Frick said. “It’s not just about age. Do you see that gem on its head?”

"Isn't it just getting old and losing its brightness?" Cohen asked curiously. "I bet it looked just like a limp snake when it was young—"

“What is a rascal snake?” Frick asked, frowning.

“Emmmm…” Cohen recalled for a moment, “A snake from a fairy tale—you go on, ignore what I’m saying…”

“The water serpent’s gem will not lose its luster even if it dies,” Frick said. “The magic on this gem can make them invisible and foresee danger—the fact that it can still be invisible means that the gem’s function has not diminished.”

“That’s true.” Cohen nodded, recalling the old water snake’s casual feat of leading a small team to assassinate Ministry of Magic officials in stealth.

So why does the gemstone on the old water snake always look dull?

“Maybe this is the future it has always seen,” Frick sighed. “Perhaps it can see more than other water snakes, like… a more distant future.”

"That's a bit far-fetched." Cohen didn't quite agree. How far away would it have to be for it to be completely black...?

Is the universe collapsing?
This is clearly a magical world, so considering these things is a science fiction matter—and the Avada Kedavra curse doesn't believe in science fiction.

Cohen is more inclined to believe that the scene inside the gem is the glow of the Dementor Empire.

"Why is the gem on your head different from the one on your child's head?" So Cohen asked the old water snake directly about this.

"Why are you suddenly asking me this?" The old water snake swallowed the last fish and mumbled, "I've always been like this, maybe like those colorful sea fish, every snake has its own patterns... Speaking of which, I think that's how my mother kicked me out of the burrow... I don't remember very clearly, maybe the story about being kicked out of the burrow is from a story the goat told me..."

“Take good care of it, kid.” Frick patted Cohen on the shoulder. “I might not be able to bring it fish anymore…”

“People who say that usually meet again later,” Cohen said. “But if you ever have a funeral, remember to call us. I’ll bring the old water snake to your place to eat your offerings.”
-
As their trip to Greece drew to a close, Cohen picked up the little basilisk and Sissoko from Rhodes and planned to go home. The little basilisk seemed reluctant to leave, as if it had fully experienced the biosphere hierarchy of the "top predator".

"You swam all that way out to sea just to go to an island and bite a golden sheep, is that it..." Cohen said helplessly.

"I can't help it!" said the little snake monster.

"I've never seen a golden sheep before," Sissoko said, "I can't help but..."

After disembarking at London Airport, Newt insisted on taking Cohen home because "he had to take responsibility for Cohen's trip."

Back at No. 5 Privet Drive, Cohen opened the door and was met with Edward's surprised gaze in the living room.

Edward glanced at Cohen, then at the ceiling, and seemed to...

“Why are you looking at me like that, like you’re upstairs and asking why I’m at the door?” Cohen said.

"Weren't you upstairs? Why are you at the door—"

“I think I know something…” Cohen pursed his lips.

Within seconds, the culprit who caused this misunderstanding was revealed.

A Dementor slowly floated down from the building.

I've left Azkaban... I'm looking for you...