The Return to Hogwarts

Looking around, the water in the forest was deep enough to navigate by boat, and on the ground, only a few gnarled tree stumps and rocks covered with emerald green moss protruded from the water.

After quickly determining his direction, Amosta once again transformed into a shadowy figure and swiftly swept across the water. Ten minutes later, he appeared at the entrance to the centaur camp.

The rain had just stopped, and the dim sunlight no longer held the brightness of summer. One after another, blazing torches illuminated the dark forbidden forest.

The centaur tribe in the Forbidden Forest has existed there longer than Hogwarts itself.

With enough experience, they were naturally not troubled by a heavy rain, and the centaurs' settlement was built on high ground in the Forbidden Forest.

Amusta glanced up at the several corpses, their bodies pierced like hedgehogs by wooden spears but still relatively fresh, hanging from a tall pole beside the wooden gate frame. He raised an eyebrow.

"Are these the ones who recently wandered into the woods?"

Elder Horn, the centaur who had been waiting at the gate for a long time, flicked his silvery-white mane and dug shallow pits in the wet ground with his forehooves.

Unlike Ferencze and Ronan, who were holding torches behind him, Horn's aged voice carried a hint of sorrow.

"They are not British."

Amosta, hands behind his back, strolled over to several corpses swinging on high poles under the watchful eyes of the three centaurs. He carefully examined their faces, and upon finding no 'familiar faces,' shook his head in disappointment, only to smile again.

“You know, if Hogwarts fails, there will be even more foreigners coming here, Horn—”

Upon hearing this, Ferenc and Ronan both showed some unease, and they both looked at the elder's back.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Blaine—”

Horn lowered his head, his aged voice sounding exceptionally weary.

“The centaurs will not defy the will of Heaven. The movement of the planets has already shown the centaurs what is about to happen. It is destined to happen, and we will not get involved in the wizarding war.”

"Heh, Horn, what do you think this is—"

Amosta gestured with his gaze towards the few men in mid-air, then looked back at Horn.

"The Wizards' War?"

Ferenze looked anxious, as if he wanted to say something, but Ronan stopped him with a look. Horn, meanwhile, continued to avoid Amosta's gaze, keeping his head down and remaining silent.

Seeing this, Amosta didn't press the matter further, simply saying...

Let's go--

The sound of three centaurs wading through the woods dominated by darkness echoed, while Amosta floated slowly beside Horn, his hands behind his back.

"Are they aware of this visit?"

Amosta's emotionless voice tore through the oppressive atmosphere of the dark forest.

“I received your notification, but I haven’t had a chance to negotiate with them yet.”

Horn said.

Amosta nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and then said in a lower voice,

"How much do they know about Vitia Kriona's fate?"

"They were unaware that Miss Clona had been imprisoned in the wizarding prison—"

Horn stumbled in a shallow puddle, and Ferenczer and Ronan quickly helped him out. After kicking his hooves a couple of times, Horn said wearily...

"When Miss Clona sent the members of the sect into the secret realm, she told them that they could not maintain contact with the outside world, otherwise they would face dangers from all sides."

Before being sent to the wizarding prison, Miss Clona seemed to have anticipated it; she told her people that she had a mission to undertake and would be gone for a long time.

Thinking of something, Horn looked at Amosta, whose face was solemn, and hesitated.

“If possible, Mr. Blaine, I hope you won’t tell those people this when you meet them later.”

As you probably know, she was very beloved, and this news will be very cruel to them, and…

Horn hesitated to speak, so Amosta, expressionless, helped him continue.

"Moreover, it will exacerbate the conflict?"

After a long silence, the breeze carried away two sighs that sounded almost simultaneously.

Chapter 1008 Less-than-Friendly Contact

2024-07-02

The rest of the journey was shrouded in silence. As we ventured deeper, the surrounding forests gradually exuded a primitive, secluded atmosphere.

Behind the giant trees and bushes shrouded in a thin mist, several dark shadows occasionally flashed by—these were magical animals that lived deep in the forbidden forest, all of them extremely dangerous creatures.

However, these wild creatures did not choose to launch an attack. The magical creatures that live in the wild have keen senses. They could detect the destructive aura surrounding the wizard who was floating forward. Moreover, the centaurs were definitely the 'tyrants' of the Forbidden Forest. Even those terrifying eight-eyed spiders were no match for them.

Finally, the group arrived at the former territory of Greyback and his men.

A fallen giant tree and a small rocky hill formed an inconspicuous doorway.

Amosta slowly landed on the ground, his gaze fixed on the centaur elder Horn, who, understanding the gesture, reached into his mane and stroked something within it.

“Mr. Blaine—”

Ferenze hesitated, then stepped to Amosta's side. Amosta could see that the young, strong centaur, whose appearance was much more rugged than that of a human, had a look of unspoken words on his face.

"Oh, what's wrong?"

Amosta asked gently.

"Um, it's nothing, I--"

Ferenze noticed the warning look Ronan gave him, which made him even more hesitant. He pawed at the ground a few times, then asked,

"How's the Potter boy doing lately?"

"You mean Halima?"

Amosta smiled as she looked at Ferencze.

"He's doing well, I mean, thriving. But Ferenczer, is that not what you're trying to say?"

"Firenze!"

Ronan gave a low shout, and the centaur elder Horn, who had taken out the key, also turned to look at the uneasy Ferenze.

“You’re right, Mr. Blaine—”

Ronan's blunt warning did not deter Ferenze; ​​despite its deep concerns, it gritted its teeth and continued speaking.

"Well, we don't know why you've come to visit the druids, but—"

Ferenze took a deep breath of the cold, foul-smelling air to calm his rapidly pounding heart.

"Those druids are all kind-hearted humans. Oh, of course, I know Miss Kriona committed an unforgivable sin against the wizards, but the people within the Secret Realm are... all of them."

"Innocent?"

Amosta smiled and finished what Ferenczek couldn't say.

The three centaurs fell silent. Horn clutched the key to the secret realm tightly in his hand, not opening the door, as if waiting for something.

Don't worry—

Amostah took in the expressions of the three centaurs, then stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the entrance to the secret realm, and calmly said,

"I'm only here to ask them for their permission to do something. Oh, and of course, if we don't reach an agreement, I won't go on a killing spree."

Amostra's assurances undoubtedly put the three centaurs at ease. As fellow descendants of Avalon, they did not want to see the druids meet their doom.

Horn bowed to Amosta, then walked to the stump of the giant tree and pressed a verdant leaf into an inconspicuous indentation on the stump. A magical vortex of gold and green intertwined then appeared before Amosta.

Although this was the second time Amosta had entered the secret realm, the scenery of the secret realm still filled him with sincere admiration.

The time cycle and weather system here are separate from the outside world. Unlike the outside world, which has been drenched by heavy rain, the secret realm is still warm and sunny. The soft, pale golden sunlight shines on the lush green lawn and the umbrella-shaped canopies of the towering trees. Everything is beautiful, and the fragrance of flowers and the ethereal birdsong in the air make people feel deeply comfortable and relaxed.

In the middle of the secret realm, the towering oak tree stood like a giant supporting the world. Amosta gazed at it silently, and the events she had experienced on the collapsing Avalon Island reappeared before her eyes.

Merlin's power in creating such a vast secret realm and moving Avalon Island thousands of feet into the air is truly terrifying.

Of course, this may be related to the world's magical environment, but even so, if a powerful wizard with magical power similar to Merlin appeared in the modern world, Amosta really doesn't know how to resist him.

The sound of the door opening had already attracted the attention of the people living here. A little girl with soft brown hair led a group of children happily rushing in.

Amostah shifted his gaze from the giant oak tree to the group of children; if he remembered correctly, the little girl's name was Loya.

"Grandpa Horn!" (From afar)

From afar, the little girl laughed and waved at Horn.

And Uncle Ferenczer and Uncle Ronan, what brings you here? It's not time to resupply yet!

Because of their height, the children only saw the three tall centaurs. But when they climbed over the last hill and Amosta came into view, the dozen or so children who had been cheering and running towards them suddenly froze, their bright eyes filled with terror!

A wizard has intruded into their secret realm!

The children, who had developed a strong sense of vigilance during their wanderings, immediately realized this. The joy on their faces vanished, and they all turned and ran towards the sacred tree. Only one child remained standing, staring blankly at Amosta.

But as the centaur and Amostra took their first steps forward, the little girl instinctively began to back away.

"Don't be afraid, Loya—"

Horn glanced at the gentle, smiling Amosta, and waved to her with a kind smile. "No one will hurt you."

The assurance from Elder Horn, who held great prestige here, did give Loya some courage. She stopped retreating and stood still, waiting for them to approach.