Astronomical Observation

Kano was dumbfounded, not knowing why he was qualified to speak.

"I... this is centaur internal business, isn't it? It's not really my place to say anything."

The elder smiled and shook his head. "You are a Druid, and you demonstrated your power and spirit yesterday. By tradition, you are also entitled to speak."

Kano secretly complained to himself. Centaurs already looked like something Druids would create, and now that he thought about it, he was starting to believe it.

Could shapeshifters please keep their lower halves under control and stop causing trouble for the world?

"Then I'll say a few words..."

"Wait." The elder slapped his forehead. "I nearly forgot. You need to transform first."

Kano still looked at the elder in confusion. The elder placed a hand on his shoulder, and a thread of magic entered Kano's body.

"Use Druidic shapeshifting."

Kano did as instructed. He could originally only transform into a dog or a pig, but guided by that magic, he actually became a white centaur.

Kano looked at his new form in bewilderment and flicked his large black tail. The centaurs erupted in cheers.

"What a handsome young lad!"

"Elder, keep him in the tribe and make him our leader!"

"He's still just a little foal. Come here to your big sister."

"Boy, I need a son-in-law!"

Kano looked toward the one jumping around and shouting about needing a son-in-law. It was Bane, who had always disliked humans.

Next time, I'm definitely giving you a bit to clamp that mouth shut.

Once the elder had let everyone get their excitement out, he signaled that Kano could begin.

Kano cleared his throat and faced the centaurs.

"The next wizarding war will be a war between Voldemort's Death Eaters and the British magical world. Fundamentally, it is a continuation of the last wizarding war."

"It is destined to be a brutal war. The centaurs cannot remain untouched by it, but you do not have sufficient strength to intervene directly."

"Therefore, I support Firenze's idea. The centaurs need to send out an elite force."

"However, I suggest that the centaurs do not participate in direct combat. Instead, form patrols to scour the Forbidden Forest and protect Hogwarts' outer perimeter."

Kano did not think much of the centaurs' combat ability. Even if their arrows could pierce wizard shields, they had almost no magic resistance.

If the centaurs were pulled onto the front lines, they would not last ten minutes.

Only in home territory like the Forbidden Forest could the centaurs maximize their archery, preserving themselves while striking at the enemy.

Kano's suggestion was to turn the centaurs into sentries and rangers. The centaurs began discussing it in low voices.

After a while, most of the centaurs had moved to stand behind Firenze.

The elder waved his hand, and the discussions ceased. Firenze stepped forward and tossed the bundle of herbs in his hands into the bonfire.

Smoke immediately billowed from the bonfire and enveloped the entire gathering. The centaurs all raised their heads to gaze at the night sky, observing the stars.

Kano was currently transformed into a centaur, and the smoke from the burning herbs enveloped him as well.

Like the other centaurs, he raised his head and looked hopefully toward the night sky. But unsurprisingly, the centaurs' method of divination still did not work on him.

The heavy smoke merely made his eyes stream with tears. He could not see anything at all.

"Haha, Kano, aren't you a Druid? How come you can't receive the stars' guidance?" Abby laughed so hard beside him that she began coughing. The elder reached over and patted her head.

"Kano's circumstances are special. Why are you laughing at him? You can't divine either."

"That's really hard. Just memorizing the herb formulas needed for divination gives me a headache." Abby stuck out her tongue and stopped laughing.

Every centaur saw Firenze's divination results. Mars shone brightly, representing war, which was only to be expected.

The other bright planet was Jupiter, representing opportunity and wisdom.

Meanwhile, none of the stars that represented obstacles or a grim outlook—such as Saturn—showed any sign at all.

This gave the centaurs, who firmly believed in the guidance of the stars, great confidence. With the elder's approval, they decided to act according to Firenze and Kano's proposal.

"Oh, right. As for the Acromantulas, I'll find time to deal with them next year."

Kano added this to the elder. After all, Druids were meant to maintain the balance of species within the forest, while Acromantulas were a purely invasive species.

They originated from Kalimantan Island, within the territories of Indonesia and Brunei. They were genuine tropical creatures, and he truly did not know how they had survived in cold, rainy Britain.

"Thank you so much. But are you putting in this much effort because you really want to be Bane's son-in-law?"

Hearing that Kano could solve the Acromantula problem, Ronan also smiled and teased him.

Kano waved his hands repeatedly, and the centaurs burst into laughter.

After the meeting, the centaurs brought out their brewed wine and stored fruit. Strips of meat, already cut into portions, were placed on the tables.

The adult centaurs gathered around the bonfire, couples embracing one another while young men invited the girls they fancied. Before long, pairs of centaurs began dancing together cheerfully.

The underage foals crowded around the tables, stuffing food into their mouths while watching their older brothers and sisters dance.

Maintaining his centaur form, Kano learned a few dance steps from Abby. Unfortunately, he had no talent for dancing, and his four legs nearly tangled themselves into knots.

The next day, Kano left the tribe with Bane and several young centaurs, heading toward the Black Lake.

The little unicorn had stuffed itself with fruit last night. This morning, it gave Kano a gentle bite, leaving behind a slobbery mark, then turned and ran off.

Kano could sense that as long as he entered the Forbidden Forest, he would be able to send the little unicorn a signal.

"Alright, this is as far as we'll take you."

Bane's attitude had improved considerably. He patted Kano on the shoulder, then turned and headed deeper into the Forbidden Forest.

"Goodbye, Bane." Kano waved farewell.

To his surprise, Bane actually turned back, a lewd grin appearing once more on his dark face. "Abby is my daughter. If you want to marry into the family, come anytime."

"Fuck, Bane, you sly bastard!"

The black-furred centaur burst into laughter. Together with the other centaurs, who were laughing just as hard, he broke into a run and vanished from sight.

Kano let Hagrid, who was in the hut, know he was safe, then returned to the castle.

Harry came running over, pale-faced, grabbed Kano, and dragged him into an empty classroom.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?"

"Kano, my scar has started hurting." Harry covered his forehead anxiously. "Tell me, does this have something to do with Voldemort?"

"Why would you think that?" Kano looked at Harry in surprise.

"While you were gone these past two days, my scar suddenly started hurting at night, so I asked Ron and Hermione to help me look through books in the library."

"One book said that Dark Magic contains the caster's intense malice, so when the caster's emotions fluctuate strongly, the scar left on the victim will burn with pain!"

"Has Voldemort returned?" Harry gripped Kano's shoulders tightly.

"Has the Voldemort who killed my parents returned?"