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Chapter 1034: The Centaur
Chapter 1034: The Centaur
Professor Trelawney's outburst before her departure had truly stunned the entire faculty and student body of Hogwarts, refreshing everyone's impression of the old fraud.
No one would have thought that someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes, and the actual operation was not that difficult.
Professor Trelawney herself was an experienced fraudster, a master of deception and bluffing for decades; in Albert's gentle words, she was a "language master."
With the help of Felix Felicis and a well-crafted script, her exceptional performance was not surprising.
The previous successful case was Harry Potter.
For this, Albert was amazed to discover that he had triggered a task called "Spotlight Moment."
Unfortunately, the task was challenging to complete, especially since Albert was about to graduate from Hogwarts and didn't have much time left. It relied more on luck. Although Albert always claimed to others that he was lucky, he himself did not like to leave things to chance.
What puzzled Albert was that when Potter strongly confronted Fudge during the trial, he didn't trigger a similar task.
After this incident, Professor Trelawney's prophecy, left before her departure, was once again dug out from the trash heap of history.
In addition to the recent prophecy about Potter being banned by Toad, the second prophecy about her dismissal by Toad had also come true.
The next prophecy was: "Headmaster Dumbledore will hire a Divination professor who is not human to teach at Hogwarts."
This prophecy would be verified in the next few days and would not keep everyone waiting too long. If the third prophecy came true, would the remaining other prophecies gradually come true as well?
The prophecy left by Trelawney was like a slap that stunned Umbridge.
Umbridge never thought that after going to great lengths to get rid of Trelawney and planning to install "one of her own" at Hogwarts, Dumbledore had already found a new Divination professor.
Could it be that he had anticipated this? What made Umbridge even more annoyed was that Dumbledore refused to tell her who the new Divination professor was. He only mysteriously said that they would know in a few days and even confidently assured her that if the new professor didn't arrive within three days, the Ministry could appoint a new Divination professor themselves.
The smile on Dumbledore's face gave Umbridge a terrible feeling. She did not want the old fraud's prophecy to come true, not just because of Trelawney's subsequent prophecies but also because it implied that she had driven away a professor who could genuinely predict the future.
People would not only question Minister Fudge's actions but also her ability as a Senior Undersecretary.
Umbridge had indeed guessed correctly; Albert had dug a hole for her to jump into.
After seeing the flustered Umbridge off, Dumbledore couldn't help but shake his head. He walked to the window, looking in the direction of the Forbidden Forest, and fell into a brief silence.
To be honest, the elderly man had indeed overlooked some things initially. If it weren't for Albert's reminder, he might have made a terrible mistake.
The Centaurs were very averse to wizards.
Moreover, the sense of superiority that most wizards exhibited tended to easily irritate the Centaurs.
However, for an elderly man who was always busy and often had to think about many things, it was sometimes inevitable that he would forget some matters.
Fortunately, he had been reminded.
When Dumbledore found the only Centaur, Firenze, who was willing to teach Divination at Hogwarts, he had privately reminded Firenze and invited him to return to the school with him. However, he was refused by Firenze, who insisted on returning to his herd to share this news with his kin rather than going to Hogwarts directly with Dumbledore.
This was undoubtedly a troublesome development.
Therefore, when Dumbledore returned from the forest, he asked Hagrid to go to the Forbidden Forest to meet Firenze.
To be honest, this was not a wise choice, but Dumbledore had limited options.
If he involved another Ministry official, it would only make the situation worse and might even lead to Trelawney being expelled entirely.
Dumbledore never thought of letting Trelawney leave Hogwarts, especially after she made the prophecy about Voldemort. Her situation had become dangerous.
Her current departure was obviously related to someone.
In fact, Dumbledore would rather have Trelawney stay quietly at Hogwarts under his protection than have her leave in such a high-profile manner as she did now.
However, what had happened had happened, and there was no point in saying anything more. He believed that the other party would ensure her safety, just as Trelawney had said before leaving—she would return to teach at the school next semester.
Hagrid had heard about what happened yesterday and knew that Trelawney had been fired by a woman named Umbridge, but he never expected that Dumbledore would hire Firenze the Centaur as the school's Divination professor.
Moreover, Trelawney's dismissal made Hagrid feel uneasy.
Although Hagrid was confident about his lesson on Thestrals, he still worried that he might be removed from his position. This was not just because Umbridge had recently reviewed his class but also because of Albert's warning.
The reminders Albert gave usually came true, implying that he might also be driven away by Umridge one day. This was undoubtedly bad news.
After Dumbledore left, Hagrid seemed to remember something. He took out Albert's letter from the cabinet, read it carefully, then threw the parchment into the fireplace to burn before heading to the Forbidden Forest with his bow and arrows to meet Firenze.
"I hope the situation isn't that bad."
Hagrid ventured into the Forbidden Forest, quickly making his way toward the Centaurs' herd.
Before Hagrid could get close to the Centaurs' herd, he witnessed a shocking scene—half of the herd was surrounding something and kicking it violently.
Undoubtedly, what Dumbledore had feared had happened.
"Stop, stop right now! What are you doing?" Hagrid hurried forward, trying to stop the violence.
"Get lost, Hagrid. This is an internal matter of our herd," Bane said angrily as he glared at Hagrid, who had forcibly pushed him aside.
Hagrid helped the fallen Centaur up from the ground. Firenze looked miserable, with horseshoe prints all over his body.
"Firenze has betrayed us and willingly become a slave to humans."
The Centaurs did not attack Hagrid; instead, they glared at him with dissatisfaction.
"Betrayal? Just because Firenze intends to help Dumbledore?" Hagrid glared back at the stubborn Centaurs in front of him.
"Our customs are different from yours, and so are our laws," said a gray Centaur with deep wrinkles on his face. "Hagrid, do not interfere in the internal affairs of the Centaurs."
"I only see a murder here," Hagrid said loudly.
"Firenze tried to sell out our knowledge and secrets to humans," Magorian emerged from the herd and stood in front of Hagrid, saying coldly, "This is a disgrace to us Centaurs, and we must stop it from happening.
"Your knowledge is not as valuable as you think, and I cannot stand by and watch as you murder my friend. If Dumbledore knew of your plans to kill one of his professors, I'm sure he would be very unhappy." Hagrid had no choice but to bring up Dumbledore, knowing that only the elderly wizard could possibly intimidate the centaurs before him.
However, this did not have the intended effect, and it only served to anger the already agitated centaurs further.
"Dumbledore is currently dealing with a minor issue, and it will be resolved within half a year at most," Hagrid said loudly. "He merely invited Firenze to teach at Hogwarts, which is a respectable position worthy of your respect."
"Firenze, if you insist on leaving us, we will consider you a traitor. You will be expelled from the herd and forever banished from the forest. Otherwise, we will kill you," Magorian said calmly as he looked at Firenze. He was aware of Dumbledore's troubles, but the centaurs did not wish to be entangled in the conflicts and wars of wizards. Firenze's actions would undoubtedly bring trouble to the entire herd.
"I'm sorry, Magorian, but I do not regret my decision," Firenze replied, turning and walking away from the Forbidden Forest.
"Hagrid, you have lost the friendship of the centaurs," Magorian said coldly, watching Hagrid's departing back. "From now on, do not set foot in our forest again. You are no longer welcome here."
"This forest does not belong solely to you," Hagrid retorted.
"Are you going to let them leave just like that?"
Bane, with his black body and bearded chin, grew anxious, scraping the ground with his hoof. "We know what he's hiding in this forest."
Magorian did not respond to Bane and turned to leave.
As the leader of the centaurs, Magorian was calmer than the others, and if possible, he did not want any unpleasant conflict with Dumbledore.
After all, the Forbidden Forest was located near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and as their neighbor, the centaurs were well aware that the elderly wizard was a respectable figure worthy of their respect. Perhaps this was why Firenze had chosen to help Dumbledore.
...
On the other side, Firenze limped over to his old friend and quietly said, "Thank you, Hagrid. You've helped me a great deal."
"The injuries on your body look terrible!" Hagrid noticed the horseshoe prints on Firenze and was concerned about his wounds. Being encircled and kicked by a group of centaurs was no laughing matter, and Hagrid suspected that if he hadn't shown up in time, Firenze might have been kicked to death by the others.
"Don't worry, I can heal my wounds," Firenze assured him.
Along the way back to Hogwarts, Firenze gathered some herbs to treat his injuries. The centaurs were skilled in healing magic, and their methods were quite different from those of wizards.
Unfortunately, it was winter, and not many useful herbs could be found. There were reserves in the herd's store, but Firenze could not return there.
"Hagrid, I need some white fresh branches," Firenze requested.
Firenze knelt and lay down near Hagrid's pumpkin patch, tending to the herbs he had gathered along the way.
"You're in luck. Someone gave me a large bunch of white fresh branches recently. I'll go get them for you," Hagrid said as he headed into the hunting cabin to retrieve the white fresh that Albert had given him some time ago for treating injuries.
"Oh, it seems my luck is holding out," Firenze said as he accepted the large quantity of fresh white branches from Hagrid.
"These are from Albert. I was always curious as to why he gave me so much, but now I think I understand the reason," Hagrid said as he helped crush the white fresh, mixing it with the herbs Firenze had prepared. "I dare say he knew you would be coming to teach at Hogwarts, which is why he asked me to keep an eye on you to prevent the other centaurs from killing you."
"Albert?" Firenze murmured the name, unfamiliar with the person.
"Albert is a genius, a truly remarkable one, and he's skilled in divination. He's helped me a lot, and he's a great person. I'm sure you'll like him too," Hagrid said, introducing his friend while helping to apply the herbs to Firenze's wounds.
Firenze picked up some white fresh branches and quietly chanted the centaur healing spell. A green light seemed to flow along the branches, sweeping over the herb-covered wounds. Firenze wiped away the herbs, and the areas injured by the hoof kicks had improved significantly.
If Albert were there to witness Firenze using the white fresh branches as a conduit for the healing spell, he would have immediately understood the reason.
White fresh could, in fact, be used as a wand core, and when combined with willow and unicorn horn, it could create a highly effective and rather extreme healing wand.
As for how Albert knew this, it was because he had crafted such a wand himself and presented it to Professor McGonagall, hoping to curry favor with his future mother-in-law.
"Can this Albert predict the future?" Firenze asked, intrigued.
"Yes, he can divine the future, and he's extremely talented at it. Many people say he's even better than a young Dumbledore. Perhaps you know him; I recall Albert often venturing into the forest," Hagrid boasted, not holding back in his praise.
"I think I know who he is. I recall Ronan mentioning him a few years ago," Firenze said, recalling a certain incident from the past.
One night, a young colt had ventured into the forest alone in search of other lost colts. Later, the centaurs discovered numerous dead Acromantulas in the forest, and they remained vigilant against those large spiders.
Of course, Firenze might have forgotten about this incident if Hagrid hadn't brought it up.
"You stay here and tend to your wounds. I'll go inform Dumbledore that you've arrived. I'm sure he'll help sort everything out," Hagrid offered, preparing to find Dumbledore and tell him about Firenze.
"That won't be necessary, Hagrid. I'm already here," Dumbledore said, appearing near the hunting cabin. He noticed the horseshoe prints on Firenze and sighed inwardly. "Thank you, Firenze, and thank you, Hagrid, as well."
"Don't mention it. It's the least I could do," Hagrid said, almost puffing out his chest with pride.
"I must also thank Albert for his reminder. I believe he's quite eager to meet you, and I'm sure you'll get along splendidly!" Dumbledore said to Firenze.
Firenze looked puzzled, not quite understanding Dumbledore's words.
"Albert is a seer, and I think he'll be delighted to exchange knowledge with you on the subject of prophecies," Dumbledore explained with a smile. He felt that Albert's reminder was likely motivated by a desire to gain something from the centaurs.
As for what he wanted, it wasn't difficult to guess. Albert had a keen interest in the knowledge of the centaurs.
"I look forward to meeting him," Firenze said softly, a hint of curiosity in his voice as he thought about the young diviner.
(End of Chapter)
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