Chapter 119: End of Term and the Centaur's Invitation
Chapter 119: End of Term and the Centaur’s Invitation
After a quick tour around the Fortress, Liam returned to the school dormitory, feeling satisfied. After cleaning the bloodstains from his clothes and hands, he lay down on his bed, feeling somewhat dejected.
The visit had yielded no benefits and had even cost him a lot. Liam decided to wait until she woke up to ask which world she came from, hoping it might lead to some gains. With this thought, he drifted off to sleep, still hearing his roommates excitedly discussing today’s match.
The excitement of winning the Quidditch championship soon faded, as the final exams were approaching. Without the Basilisk causing chaos, there was no escaping this, and the students were plunged into a tense and anxious atmosphere.
During this time, some small changes occurred at the school. One day, Lucius Malfoy arrived with a House-Elf and entered the headmaster’s office. He later emerged alone, his face ashen.
From that day on, Draco no longer strutted around the school as if he owned the place. Instead, he now wandered with a perpetual scowl, his heart filled with resentment.
Rumors spread that Lucius had made a grave mistake, and under pressure from the headmaster, he was forced to free his House-Elf and lost his voting rights on the school board.
It seemed that Dumbledore had uncovered a lot from that notebook, compelling the Malfoy family to make concessions.
Another significant event was the fallout involving Gilderoy Lockhart. Rita Skeeter, the greatest paparazzo in the wizarding world, wrote and published an article titled "The Rise of a Fraud."
She exposed various inconsistencies in Lockhart’s books and his poor performance at Hogwarts, casting doubt on his adventures. Lockhart’s feeble defenses only revealed more holes in his story.
Finally, three days before the exams, a team of Aurors arrived at the school to arrest Lockhart. It turned out that he had used magic in America to steal the memories of an old wizard. After Rita Skeeter’s exposé, several wizards came forward to testify that Lockhart had not solved the Werewolf problem. The American Magical Congress subsequently sent a letter of inquiry to the Ministry of Magic.
A week later, the Wizengamot sentenced Lockhart to three years in prison and ordered him to pay a substantial sum in compensation to his victims. Liam and his classmates celebrated this news, as the school wrapped up the final exams. They had plenty of time to enjoy this rare leisure and celebrate Lockhart’s downfall. The only ones not celebrating were the Weasley twins, who realized that the expensive novels they had bought were now worthless.
With Lockhart’s arrest, this year’s Defense Against the Dark Arts exam was set by Professor Snape. The questions were particularly challenging, causing groans of despair among the students who had slacked off all year. Fortunately, the practical portion was set by Professor Flitwick, who devised a realistic test that gave many students a chance to improve their scores.
The exam took place in a classroom filled with obstacles. The task was to navigate the obstacles while using magic to knock the weapons out of the hands of moving dummies. Liam came in first place, thanks to his extensive practical experience.
A few nights before the results were announced, while Liam was studying magic in the Emerald Dream, he received an invitation from the Centaur Bettie. Bettie invited him to attend the Foal Coming-of-Age Ceremony this year.
A Foal coming of age? Liam recalled the memories of the Viking Wizard and realized that this was one of the most important ceremonies for the Centaurs. It involved the natural forces blessing the Centaurs who were coming of age this year, and only those from outside tribes who were recognized by nature could be invited to witness the ceremony. In the memories, the tribe the Viking Wizard belonged to had a good relationship with several nearby Centaur tribes, but only one Elder Shaman had ever been invited.
This kind of rare event is definitely worth seeing. The next evening, Liam arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest as agreed and met Wise Wolf Wulf, who had come to greet him.
"Bettie asked me to apologize because they are very busy today and couldn't spare anyone to come. So, I'm here to pick you up", Wulf explained to Liam upon seeing him.
"It's fine. We shouldn't trouble them at this hour. Let's go ourselves", Liam said, preparing to set off along the path. However, Wulf stopped him.
"My friend, I think you should let me carry you. According to the auspicious time the Druids divined before I left, it's slightly earlier than usual this year. If you walk, you might miss the ceremony", Wulf explained, bending his knees slightly to indicate that Liam should climb on.
Liam, who had terrible riding skills, awkwardly clambered onto Wulf's back and, at Wulf's prompting, grabbed the fur near his neck to steady himself. Wulf smelled clean, with no hint of odor.
Once Liam was secure, Wulf slowly picked up speed until he was running through the forest. Liam saw the trees blur as they rushed past, and the wind whistled in his ears.
After about 20 minutes, Wulf stopped at the edge of a river. Liam immediately rolled off his back and fell to the ground, retching. The difference between a wolf and a horse, especially in the way their backs move while running, made the 20-minute ride extremely uncomfortable for Liam. He would have preferred walking to riding on Wulf's back.
"Hey, are you okay? Books say humans can be Wolf Riders, so why couldn't you handle it for a little while? I was hoping to chat with you on the way, but you didn't say a word the whole time", Wulf said, sounding surprised.
Liam weakly lifted his head and replied, "My friend, the bouncing was so bad I couldn't open my mouth without vomiting all over you. Also, seriously, you should distinguish between literary fiction and reality. You might as well say books also have Dragon Riders flying around, but I doubt either of us has seen a live dragon, right?"
"True", Wulf said, looking enlightened, but his wide eyes and perked-up ears made him look more like a husky.
As Liam caught his breath, he looked around. Across the river, the twinkling lights indicated the location of the Centaur Village.
Centaur villages differ significantly from human settlements. One of the most notable features is that each Centaur village, regardless of its size, maintains a perfect harmony with the surrounding natural forces. As the ancient Viking Shaman who visited a Centaur village once said, among all races, centaurs have the closest connection to their environment. They have an innate awareness of the balance needed between themselves and nature.
Centaurs ensure that no member goes hungry or cold, but they do not over-exploit nature. They gather resources from the natural world in a sustainable manner, ensuring the regeneration of wildlife populations. For example, they practice crop rotation to maintain the delicate natural balance.
Under the light, Liam saw that the Forbidden Forest Centaur village was built in a peaceful clearing by the river, with huts and shacks constructed from the abundant materials of the forest. They were not ornate, but they had a unique warmth.
The river was swift but not wide. Liam used his Grapple Hook to swing across, then joined Wulf at the entrance to the village, where a Centaur was already waiting for them.
(End of Chapter)
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