The Return to Hogwarts

The centaur elder and Ferenze didn't linger for long. After giving some instructions to Kree, they left their habitat and entered the outer jungle. Upon reaching the spatial barrier of the secret realm, Ferenze took out the 'key' that Kree had given him and summoned the gate to enter and exit the place.

Amostah took one last deep look at this peaceful and tranquil secret realm, sighed softly, and left before the door disappeared.

The old centaur elder was far less physically strong than the young and vigorous centaurs. Every so often, it had to stop and rest, which made the return journey take much longer than the journey there. By the time the centaurs returned to the tribe, the distant castle had been transformed into a torch by the candlelight burning in hundreds of rooms.

On a night when the moon is obscured by clouds and the stars cannot be observed, most of the centaurs, who maintain their primitive way of life, have already gone to sleep. Only the centaurs on the watchtowers remain on duty.

Ferenze, Bain, and Ronan hadn't been home for half a month. After bidding farewell to the elder, the three centaurs hurried off, while the centaur elder slowly made his way back to the tallest wooden temple in the center of the tribe.

Although the temple was simply designed, it exuded a unique grandeur. The centaur elder, exhausted, shakily climbed the wooden steps, panting for a few moments before preparing to enter the temple. However, as soon as its forehooves touched the threshold, what came into view was a thin young man in the dimly lit center of the temple, his hands behind his back, looking up at the carvings on the temple's dome. The centaur elder was immediately taken aback, and his aged heart pounded in his chest.

The centaur elder instinctively wanted to call out to his people, but when he saw the young face clearly, his eyelids twitched violently, and he swallowed back the shout that was about to burst out of his throat.

"what is that?"

Amosta gazed at the image carved on the dome, a scene depicting centaurs, giants, werewolves, dragons, and humans—many species living harmoniously in a paradise.

"That was a scene from long ago, when the ancestors of the centaurs lived on the island of Avalon—"

After a brief silence, the centaur elder let out a few hoarse breaths.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Blaine--"

Avalon Island?

Amostah's brow furrowed instantly. He withdrew his gaze from the carvings on the dome and looked at the centaur elder at the entrance. Seeing the caution and wariness on the old man's face, he asked with slight surprise,

"you know me?"

"Centaurs have never liked dealing with wizards, but we know very well that we can't completely sever ties with wizarding society, Mr. Blaine. We always keep a close eye on the major events in the magical world, and I think there are probably very few people, whether wizards or intelligent magical creatures, who don't know you now—"

After a moment's hesitation, the centaur elder did not summon any of its people. Instead, it slowly approached Amosta.

"How is Mr. Albus Dumbledore?"

Chapter 641 Anger

2023-12-09

"When I was just a little pony, Mr. Albus Dumbledore was already teaching magic in the castle. Back then, I was full of curiosity about the wizarding world, and I once trespassed onto the castle grounds, which panicked some of the students. They attacked me, but Mr. Dumbledore stopped them and sent me back to the tribe. Like Hagrid, he was one of the few wizards among humans who could treat magical creatures as equals—"

The centaur elder approached Amosta and spoke to him in a friendly tone.

Amostella knew perfectly well why the old centaur had brought up Dumbledore.

He nodded to the centaur elder and smiled apologetically.

“I’m sorry to meet you in this way, Elder, but I believe that what I need to talk to you about must be kept strictly confidential.”

“You may call me Horn, Mr. Blaine--”

Elder Horn, a centaur, asked. Upon hearing Amostella's words, a glimmer of light flashed in his cloudy eyes. "What question can I answer for you?"

Amostella looked around. The spacious hall was empty, without a single chair, or even a deity to be worshipped. So, under Horn's wary gaze, Amostella took out her wand and waved it at the empty space. Two cushions, one large and one small, appeared in the dim air.

"Let's talk sitting down—"

Amosta gestured to Horn, then walked over first and sat cross-legged on the futon.

Once Horn had also knelt down, Amosta pointed to the picture on the dome.

“Before we begin our formal conversation, Horn, I would like to learn more about these murals. You just told me they depict a scene from Avalon Island—”

Horn was already starting to regret it. It had just blurted out 'Avalon Island' as a completely unexpected, subconscious reaction, but now it couldn't swallow its words anymore.

"Yes, Mr. Blaine--"

Horn had lived in this temple for nearly half a century, and even with his eyes closed, he could clearly remember every detail of the frescoes on the temple's dome. He spoke in a somber voice…

“It’s not surprising that you’re interested in Avalon. After all, Avalon has become a legend in the cultures of wizards and Muggles. Humans are no longer even sure if it actually exists, but we centaurs know it does. Our ancestors once lived there.”

"Is that so--"

To Horn's surprise, Amosta didn't show any particular astonishment, but simply asked,

“I thought you migrated to Avalon Island in this forest after Hogwarts was built. In wizarding and Muggle mythology, it appeared thousands of years ago. That means you have lived here for much longer than Hogwarts. That’s amazing. So, Horn, why did you migrate here? Why didn’t your ancestors continue to live there?”

"I'm sorry, Mr. Blaine—"

Horn was silent for a moment before shaking his head and saying in a low voice,

"The centaurs have lost records of these histories. Over the course of more than a thousand years, this forest has not always been peaceful. We have also experienced many wars, and many records have been lost in the flames of war."

Lying to Amosta isn't easy, but Amosta didn't expose Horn's lie; instead, she nodded thoughtfully.

"Indeed. Over the course of a thousand years, countless historical truths have been lost in the long river of time. So, what do you still know about this mythical island?"

“Very limited, Mr. Blaine—”

Seeing that Amosta Blaine didn't press the matter, Horn secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"All I know is that Avalon Island is a paradise. When it still existed in this world, it was inhabited by many kinds of life. There was no racial division, no war or discrimination, no hunger or exploitation. Magical creatures, humans, and nature lived in harmony, exploring the mysteries of nature together—"

Even though it was a lie, Horn's eyes still held a faint longing when he spoke of it.

In today's magical world, magical creatures are imprisoned, slaughtered, and kept as pets by wizards. Compared to now, if life on Avalon Island is truly that wonderful, it's no wonder that Horn yearns for it.

"So that's what it is-"

Amostra nodded, his face hidden in the shadow cast by a beam. Horn couldn't see Amostra Blaine's expression, but the young, powerful wizard's next casual remark made the blood rush through his aged veins.

"You still yearn for the days your ancestors spent on Avalon Island, which is why you pity the Druids who are also descendants of Avalon Island, and why you are willing to shelter them?"

The sudden fright almost made Horn jump off the cushion, but sitting there, the faint, thunderous aura emanating from his thin body, as seen by the centaurs, held him still, unable to move.

“Centaurs and Hogwarts have been neighbors for thousands of years. I thought that, given our relationship, the centaurs would have informed us before making such a significant decision—”

Amosta's calm tone sent a chill down Horn's spine.

"Or is it that, in the eyes of the centaurs, all wizards are a group of greedy and despicable creatures who enjoy using their magic to kill each other?"

These were the words Bain had said to Loya in the secret realm—Horn immediately realized this.

"How are you -- how have you already..."

Horn asked with difficulty, a wave of fear washing over him. He then realized that dwelling on the question was no longer important; the most important thing was to appease Amostra Blaine's anger and protect the druids in the secret realm!

“They are not dangerous, Mr. Blaine. Druidic practice focuses on the mind; only humans with pure and virtuous hearts can become druids. They adhere to the same principles as the centaurs, living in harmony with nature—”

"What do you think of Vitia Kriona?" Amostella interrupted Horn's explanation, her tone remaining calm.

What do you think of her behavior of lurking in the castle?

Horn stared at Amosta Blaine with disbelief in his eyes!

The old centaur could never have imagined that the castle's administrators already knew about the druids' current priestess, Vitia Kriona, who had been lurking in their castle all along.

"Do you think Vitia Creona's actions during the Wizarding Quidditch World Cup final were also a virtuous act?"

A cold glint flashed in Amosta's eyes.

"Horn, tell me, how much do you know about Creona's purpose in lurking in the castle?"

Horn opened its mouth, then remained silent for a moment, but finally, it said dejectedly,

“Miss Kriona told us that she entered the castle for the future of the Druids. She said it was very important, but she couldn’t tell us, otherwise it would bring war to the centaur tribe.”

"By the time she came to you, the war had already spread here—"

Amosta said coldly.

“You know nothing about her purpose in entering the castle. Perhaps the centaur simply wants to shelter the homeless druids, but have you considered that this might bring unnecessary danger to the young wizards in the castle?”

Chapter 642 The Origin of Magic

2023-12-10

Under Amostall's chilling gaze, Horn lowered his head, his brows furrowed in silence. It wasn't that he hadn't thought of it, but rather—he didn't care. Ultimately, these centaurs considered themselves independent of the magical world; they didn't care how wizards viewed them, and therefore, they didn't care what risks their actions might pose to the wizards.

Seeing that Horn had nothing to say, a hint of helplessness flashed in Amosta's purple eyes.

To say that these centaurs were completely without restraint would be an exaggeration. At least, the settlements they found for the druids were completely outside the sphere of influence of Hogwarts Castle, at a great distance. Even if the druids' sworn enemies came knocking, it wouldn't affect the castle.

The only problem was that the old centaur didn't know why Vitia Creona was lurking in Hogwarts, but it did know that intruders had infiltrated the castle. The centaur kept this a secret because the druids were also descendants of Avalon Island, and didn't even think to remind Hogwarts of it, which annoyed Amostella.

Of course, it was with his and Dumbledore's tacit approval that Creona was able to infiltrate the school under Moody's name, but there is a difference between being proactive and being passive.

Amosta rose from the cushion and turned toward the front wall of the temple. The inner wall was covered with a layer of tanned animal hide, engraved with many astronomical charts. Amosta glanced at it a few times, then lost interest and turned his gaze toward his feet.

After staring at the ground for a while, Amosta turned her gaze to the somewhat nervous Horn, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Horn's aged horse face was filled with bitterness, but in the end, it silently stood up, came to Amosta's side, and pried open the floor with its front hooves. Then, a sound of floor tiles scraping echoed in the solemn temple, and a dark hole appeared in front of Amosta.

"You are the first wizard to set foot in the sacred land of the centaurs, Mr. Blaine—"

"I feel incredibly honored--"

Amosta said calmly. He beckoned to the door, and a blazing torch flew into the hall and followed Amosta into the tunnel.

The tunnel extends down to a depth of over a hundred feet. For centaurs, who are not skilled in spellcasting, digging such a deep space must not have been an easy task. Moreover, the tunnel is very dry, which is quite rare in the damp Forbidden Forest.

With things having come to this point, Horn could only let things develop as they were. Even if he sent a signal to his people outside, it would have no effect and would only enrage Amostra Blaine, causing heavy casualties among his people.

It followed Blaine into the sacred ground that he never opened himself.