Harry's eyes widened, his gaze fixed on the magnificent centaur before him. "I don't understand," he stammered. "Why are you so concerned with my fate? I mean, I'm nothing special. And even if my fate changes, it doesn't really mean anything, does it?"
Firenze looked deeply at Harry, his ancient, sorrowful eyes seeming to pierce through to his very soul. "None of us wish to return to that Dark Age, Harry Potter. Your fate is not just your own; it represents the fate of the entire magical world. The stars have changed, and your destiny is gradually becoming impossible to divine. I am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. But what you need to know is that the castle, and the Forbidden Forest, are becoming unsafe. You need to be cautious at all times."
Firenze's words caught Harry completely off guard. His heart filled with a whirlwind of doubt and confusion, and he instinctively turned to Dudley, searching for some solid ground in this sea of uncertainty.
"I want to know," Dudley asked softly, his voice cutting through the tense silence, "when did this change in the stars you mentioned happen?"
"Roughly," Firenze replied, his gaze shifting to Dudley, "since July."
Dudley's gaze flickered slightly, but he simply nodded. His birthday was June 23rd, not far from July. The timing was… significant.
"In any case," Firenze said, his attention returning to Harry, "protect yourself. Understand, Harry?"
"I understand," Harry nodded, though his mind was still reeling with questions. "Thank you for the warning."
"May I ask you a few questions?" Dudley spoke again, his tone polite but firm.
"You may," Firenze replied, his gaze calm and steady. "But I may not answer."
"Firenze, this is my cousin, Dudley," Harry interjected quickly. "He's very talented." His intent was clear: he wanted Firenze to take his cousin's questions seriously.
Firenze said nothing, his gaze simply fixed on Dudley. Ron, standing beside them, felt as if he had stumbled into another world, a conversation of secrets and destinies far beyond his comprehension.
Dudley pondered for a moment, then posed his first question. "What is the purpose of unicorn blood?" He had researched the topic in the library, but the books available to first-years mentioned only the purity of unicorns and the use of their hair in wands. The deliberate omission of their blood suggested a darker, more forbidden knowledge.
"A unicorn is a very pure creature," Firenze began, his voice a low, sonorous hum. "Killing one is an extremely cruel act. Only those who have nothing, and yet desire to gain everything, would commit such a heinous sin." He paused, his gaze locking with Dudley's. "Unicorn blood can prolong your life. Even if you are on the very brink of death, it can pull you back from the edge."
"Of course," he added, his expression growing solemn, "you must pay a heavy price for it. To save your own life, you would slaughter such a pure magical creature. The moment your lips touch the unicorn's blood, you become a half-dead, cursed being."
Dudley's expression flickered. When Firenze spoke of a "cursed life," he couldn't help but think of himself. From the moment he had first come into contact with Beyonder Characteristics, hadn't he also been cursed? A life of constant danger, of teetering on the brink of losing control. It was only because this world seemed to suppress the risk that he was not so different from the being Firenze described. He quickly pushed the thought aside.
"Who could be so desperate?" Harry blurted out, seeing Dudley fall silent. "If you're cursed for life, wouldn't it be better to just die?"
"Indeed," Firenze nodded in agreement. "Unless… unless you can obtain something else. Something that can fully restore you. Once you get it, you can…"
Suddenly, the sound of hurried hooves echoed through the forest. Several more centaurs, their powerful bodies moving with a swift, silent grace, emerged from the darkness.
"Firenze!" The voice that roared through the clearing was a deep, angry rumble. A second centaur emerged from behind a towering yew tree, his glossy black coat and beard gleaming in the faint starlight. It was Bane. "What is the meaning of this? Have you forgotten our sacred oath? We do not set ourselves against Fate. Have you not read what is to come in the movements of the planets?"
"Bane, be calm," urged another centaur, Ronan, his voice softer than Bane's but laced with worry. "I am sure Firenze's intentions are noble."
"Noble intentions?" Bane sneered, his lip curling. "What do his intentions matter? We are the keepers of ancient knowledge, Ronan, not pack mules for wizards!"
"The signs are changing, Bane," Firenze countered, his own voice steady, though he stood over the pale form of the boy on the ground. "Mars is bright tonight. Unnaturally so. It suggests the future is not as clear as we once believed. Perhaps what is written can be altered. I would rather attempt to change a grim fate than stand by and watch it unfold."
"Others in our herd have been harmed for meddling in the affairs of wizards," Bane said coldly, his dark eyes sweeping over Harry, Ron, and Dudley. "That is a warning from the cosmos, Firenze. A clear sign that we must not interfere. You had best be certain of your path. If the herd brings the wrath of the stars down upon itself because of you, we will not be merciful."
Firenze's shoulders slumped slightly, his argument lost in the face of such rigid tradition.
"You three," Bane said, his voice a cold command that sent a shiver down Harry's spine. "Leave the Forbidden Forest. Now. And whatever Firenze has told you, I would advise you to forget it. When calamity strikes, do not say, We did not warn you."
"Let's go," Ron whispered, tugging on Harry's sleeve. Harry looked up at Firenze. "Thank you for your help."
Firenze gave a solemn, sorrowful nod.
As the three of them stumbled back through the tangled roots and out of the clearing, they heard the centaurs' voices rise again.
"You should not have brought them here, Firenze," Ronan said, his brow furrowed. "You should not have spoken to them of these matters."
"An innocent has been slain, Ronan," Firenze replied, and the grief in his voice was as deep as the forest itself. "A unicorn. You know what that signifies. The blood of an innocent spilled to save a cursed life."
Bane's face was grim stone. "What is foretold cannot be defied. We centaurs observe the great tapestry of the cosmos. The petty struggles of humankind are not our concern."
"And when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returns to full power," Firenze countered, his voice ringing with a desperate challenge, "do you believe we will still be left to live in peace in this forest?"
A heavy silence fell, broken only by the rustling of unseen things in the darkness.
"If that is what the stars have decreed," Bane declared, his voice final and absolute, "then that is what will be."
[Chapter Complete]
***
Want more? Check out my Patreon for:
✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories
✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics
✓ Early access content www.p@treon.com/meowthtl
💪 Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter!
Thanks for reading and supporting the story