After walking around the fortress, Ryan returned to the school dormitory contentedly. After cleaning up the blood on his clothes and hands, he lay on the bed, feeling a bit down.
This time, hosting the guest had not only failed to bring him any benefits but had also cost him a lot of money. Ryan decided to wait until she woke up and then ask which world she was from—perhaps he could still gain something. He comforted himself with this thought and soon fell into a deep sleep. Just before drifting off, he heard his roommates excitedly discussing today's Quidditch game.
The excitement of winning the Quidditch Cup faded quickly as final exams approached. Without a basilisk causing chaos this year, exams were unavoidable, and an atmosphere of tension and anxiety filled the school.
During this period, some small changes took place at Hogwarts. Lucius Malfoy arrived one day with a house-elf and entered the headmaster's office. When he emerged, he was alone, looking pale. From that day on, Draco no longer strutted around the school as if he owned the place. Instead, he wore a gloomy expression, full of resentment.
It was rumored that Lucius had made a mistake, leading to the forced release of his house-elf under pressure from the headmaster. Additionally, he lost his voting rights on the school board. It seemed Dumbledore had uncovered significant information from that notebook, forcing the Malfoys into submission.
Meanwhile, Lockhart faced his downfall. Rita Skeeter, Britain's greatest tabloid journalist, published an article titled The Rise of the Liar. She exposed inconsistencies in Lockhart's books and pointed out his pathetic performance at Hogwarts. His weak attempts at defense only led to more holes being uncovered.
Three days before the exams, a team of Aurors arrived at Hogwarts to arrest Lockhart. It turned out he had stolen the achievements of an old wizard in America by using memory charms. After Rita Skeeter's report went viral, several wizards stepped forward to testify that the werewolf crisis was not solved by Lockhart, as he had claimed. This led to an official inquiry from the Magical Congress of the United States.
A week later, the Wizengamot sentenced Lockhart to three years in prison and ordered him to pay substantial compensation to his victims. Ryan and his classmates celebrated the news. The only ones upset were the Weasley twins, who realized that the expensive novels they had purchased were now worthless scraps of paper.
With Lockhart gone, this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts exam was prepared by Snape. His difficult questions left students who had spent the year slacking off in despair. Fortunately, the practical portion was designed by Professor Flitwick, who created an exam closer to real-world combat. This gave many students a chance to redeem their grades.
The exam took place in a classroom filled with obstacles. Students had to navigate the space while using magic to disarm mobile dummies that popped up unexpectedly. Thanks to his real-world combat experience, Ryan secured first place in the exam.
A few nights before the results were released, while studying magic in the Emerald Dream, Ryan received an invitation from the centaur Betty. She invited him to attend this year's coming-of-age ceremony for the young centaurs.
The foal's coming-of-age ceremony? Ryan recalled the memories of Overton, a Viking wizard, and realized that this was one of the most sacred rituals among centaurs. It was a rare event, as only outsiders recognized by nature could witness it. In Overton's youth, his tribe had good relations with nearby centaur tribes, yet only one old shaman had ever been invited to such a ceremony.
Realizing the uniqueness of the opportunity, Ryan eagerly accepted.
The next night, he arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest as planned, where he was greeted by Wolfe, the wise giant wolf.
"Betty asked me to apologize on her behalf," Wolfe explained. "The tribe is too busy preparing for the ceremony, so she sent me to escort you instead."
"It's no problem. We shouldn't disturb them during such an important time. Let's go," Ryan said, ready to walk the path himself. However, Wolfe stopped him.
"My friend, I think you should ride on my back. The druids predicted that the auspicious time will arrive earlier than expected. If you walk, you might miss the ceremony."
With that, Wolfe bent his knees slightly, motioning for Ryan to get on.
Ryan, who had poor riding skills, clumsily climbed onto Wolfe's back and gripped the fur near his neck tightly as instructed. To his surprise, Wolfe's fur smelled clean, without any unpleasant odors.
After confirming that Ryan was securely positioned, Wolfe gradually picked up speed before sprinting through the jungle. Trees blurred past on either side, and the rushing wind howled in Ryan's ears.
After about 20 minutes, Wolfe came to a stop by a river. Ryan immediately rolled off and collapsed to the ground, retching. Riding a wolf was nothing like riding a horse—wolves moved with more unpredictable motion, making the journey unbearable for someone unused to it.
"Hey, are you okay? Humans ride wolves in books all the time, so why couldn't you last a short trip?" Wolfe asked, surprised.
Ryan weakly lifted his head and replied, "My friend, if I had opened my mouth during that ride, I would have vomited all over you. Also, you should learn to distinguish between fiction and reality. Books describe dragon riders too, but neither of us has ever seen a living dragon, have we?"
"Yeah," Wolfe muttered, wide-eyed, his ears perked up like a curious husky.
By this time, Ryan had recovered enough to take in his surroundings. Across the river, the lights of the centaur village flickered warmly.
Centaurs built their villages in perfect harmony with nature. Unlike human settlements, which often clashed with their surroundings, centaur communities maintained a delicate balance. They never let any member starve or suffer but took only what they needed from nature. They also practiced sustainable methods, such as crop rotation, to maintain wildlife populations.
Under the glow of lanterns, Ryan could see the village—modest huts and shacks made from natural materials, blending seamlessly into the riverside clearing. It was not grand, but it radiated warmth and unity.
The river was fast-moving but not too wide. Ryan used a hook rope to swing across and, along with Wolfe, approached the village entrance.
A centaur was already waiting for them.
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