Chapter 80 – The Centaur's Warning
"My goodness, Firenze!"
Hagrid hurried forward.
"What happened to you?"
The centaur standing before them looked as though he had just survived a battle.
Bruises covered his body.
Fresh hoof marks scarred his flanks and shoulders.
Several wounds still bled freely.
Firenze remained calm despite his condition.
"My tribe has exiled me."
His voice carried neither anger nor regret.
"They refuse to accept what the stars revealed."
Hagrid stared.
"Exiled?"
Firenze nodded.
"It doesn't matter."
Then his eyes shifted toward Liam.
"What matters is that I succeeded in meeting him."
To Liam's surprise, the centaur lowered his upper body and bowed deeply.
A gesture of genuine respect.
"Good evening."
Liam returned the greeting politely.
Whatever Firenze wanted, he was at least showing courtesy.
The centaur straightened.
Then he looked toward Hagrid.
"Hagrid."
"Hm?"
"Would you leave us alone for a while?"
The request was direct.
"I need to speak with Liam privately."
Hagrid hesitated only briefly.
Then nodded.
"Alright."
He trusted Firenze.
"I'll walk around nearby."
Within moments, the gamekeeper disappeared into the darkness with Fang.
Soon only Liam and the centaur remained.
Silence settled over the clearing.
Then Firenze spoke.
"Liam Hale."
His tone became solemn.
"I have studied the stars."
Liam listened quietly.
"The heavens reveal that you are an incarnation of destiny."
The statement was delivered with complete seriousness.
Liam blinked.
Then blinked again.
The phrase sounded absurd.
Firenze continued before he could interrupt.
"I ask you to think carefully before every major decision you make."
The centaur's expression became almost pleading.
"Please."
His voice lowered.
"Show mercy."
Liam frowned.
"Mercy?"
"Do not kill merely because someone opposes you."
The intensity behind those words immediately caught Liam's attention.
For several seconds he remained silent.
Then he raised a hand.
"Wait."
Firenze stopped.
"I think we're skipping several steps."
Liam looked genuinely confused.
"What exactly do you mean by 'incarnation of destiny'?"
The centaur seemed unsurprised by the question.
"You are a turning point."
His voice was calm.
"The future changes around you."
Liam frowned.
"That still sounds extremely vague."
Firenze nodded.
Then explained further.
"In some futures, countless lives survive."
"In others, civilizations collapse."
"The difference begins with your choices."
The words carried unsettling weight.
Unfortunately, Liam remained unconvinced.
"You're overestimating me."
His response came immediately.
"I'm just a wizard."
A talented wizard, certainly.
But still human.
"Perhaps I'm more knowledgeable than most."
"Perhaps I'm stronger than my peers."
He shrugged.
"But destiny?"
The title sounded ridiculous.
Firenze simply shook his head.
"Look up."
Liam followed his gaze.
The night sky stretched endlessly overhead.
Thousands of stars glittered above the forest.
Then he noticed something strange.
A shape.
A constellation.
No.
Not a constellation.
Something more.
A dragon.
A silver dragon.
One remarkably similar to his transformed form.
Liam's expression finally changed.
Firenze spoke softly.
"Astrology is an ancient discipline."
"The stars reveal many things."
He pointed upward.
"You see it too."
Liam remained silent.
"That dragon is not an ordinary magical creature."
The centaur's eyes reflected the stars.
"It is a divine beast."
Those words immediately caught Liam's attention.
Divine beast.
Not dragon.
Interesting.
Firenze continued.
"Perhaps you do not understand the significance now."
"But one day, much of the magical world will revolve around you."
His voice carried certainty.
"Power."
"Opportunity."
"Conflict."
"They will all gather around you."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"My greatest concern is that you might become blinded by them."
For a moment neither spoke.
Eventually Liam folded his arms.
"I'll keep that in mind."
It wasn't agreement.
But it wasn't dismissal either.
Firenze appeared satisfied.
Then, unexpectedly, he changed subjects.
"The Chamber of Secrets."
Liam's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
He hadn't mentioned that.
Yet Firenze continued as though it were perfectly natural.
"There is a basilisk hidden within."
Now Liam's full attention was captured.
"A basilisk?"
The centaur nodded.
"One of the most dangerous magical creatures in existence."
That certainly matched the legends.
"Only the true Heir of Slytherin can control it."
"Not merely a Parselmouth."
Liam listened carefully.
"If you attempt to tame it..."
Firenze's expression became serious.
"...never allow your eyes to meet its gaze."
The warning was immediate.
"Not directly."
"Not through a reflection."
"Not through a mirror."
Liam stored every word.
The centaur continued.
"If your goal is to kill it, however..."
A faint smile appeared.
"Transform into your dragon form."
Liam blinked.
"Why?"
"The basilisk's gaze is effective against lesser creatures."
Firenze's voice remained calm.
"But your dragon exists at a higher level."
That was fascinating.
"You could also fight it as a phoenix."
He considered briefly.
"Though given the difference in size, the dragon would be preferable."
For several moments Liam simply stared.
This was information nobody should have possessed.
Not unless divination was far more reliable than he had believed.
"You learned all this from astrology?"
Firenze nodded.
"Partly."
Then he clarified.
"Centaur divination doesn't focus on small details."
"We observe broad currents."
"Major events."
"Important intersections."
He looked toward the stars again.
"The future is fluid."
"It changes."
"Even now, our conversation alters possibilities."
That explanation sounded far more reasonable.
A prediction of trends rather than absolute certainty.
Liam could accept that.
"Useful information."
He nodded slowly.
Then another thought occurred to him.
"If we're discussing futures..."
Firenze looked back.
"What about Voldemort?"
The centaur's expression darkened slightly.
"Can you locate him?"
Liam asked directly.
"I'd rather eliminate him sooner rather than later."
Firenze stared upward for nearly a full minute.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally he answered.
"I cannot see exact locations."
Disappointing.
However—
"I can see his star."
Liam waited.
"It is dim."
Very dim.
"Yet not extinguished."
The centaur's voice carried warning.
"There remains a possibility for it to brighten again."
In other words, Voldemort was still recovering.
Exactly as Liam suspected.
"You must remain cautious."
"I always do."
Firenze nodded approvingly.
"Good."
Then his expression softened slightly.
"Eventually, you will defeat him."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"That certain?"
"The stars suggest the possibility."
A diplomatic answer.
Liam laughed quietly.
The centaur truly was careful with his predictions.
Eventually he stepped back.
"Well."
He glanced toward the direction Hagrid had gone.
"This has been useful."
More useful than expected.
The basilisk alone made the trip worthwhile.
Combined with everything else he'd learned tonight, the journey had been a success.
"If that's everything, I should head back."
Before he could leave, Firenze spoke again.
"One last request."
Liam paused.
"What is it?"
The centaur lowered his head slightly.
A gesture of humility.
"If you encounter my people in the future..."
His voice became quieter.
"...and if they treat you poorly..."
Liam immediately understood where this was going.
Firenze continued.
"They may challenge you."
"They may attack you."
"They fear what the stars revealed."
The wounds covering his body suddenly made much more sense.
"They do not wish to believe a human could become something beyond their control."
The centaur closed his eyes briefly.
"I ask only one thing."
Liam waited.
"Spare their lives."
For a moment the forest fell silent.
Then Liam smiled faintly.
"That's all?"
Firenze nodded.
"That's all."
The answer was simple enough.
A few hostile centaurs weren't particularly important to him.
"Very well."
Liam extended his hand.
"For your sake, I promise."
The centaur looked up.
"Even if they attack me, I won't kill them."
Relief immediately appeared in Firenze's eyes.
And for the first time that evening, the centaur truly smiled.
....
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