Time quickly passed, and April arrived.
During this time, Vison continued to keep an eye on Quirrell's behavior. Although he was convinced that Lord Voldemort had completely taken control of Quirrell's body, he could only obtain insights about Quirrell when he asked the Tree of Wisdom to analyze him. This left Vison puzzled.
Could Voldemort have found a way to hide from the Tree of Wisdom's analysis?
Or perhaps Vison's judgment was wrong?
Adding to the mystery, Dumbledore hadn't taken any action against Quirrell either. Everything on the surface remained strangely calm.
Aside from these observations, Vison was given a new task—assisting Hagrid with nightly patrols of the Forbidden Forest.
Lately, Hagrid had sensed that something strange was stirring in the forest. He described it as if some kind of monster was lurking in the shadows. The Centaurs had also warned him of unknown invaders recently and asked him to stay alert.
So, Hagrid turned to Vison for help. They were on good terms, and Vison happily agreed.
One night in late April, under a hazy moonlit sky, Vison and Hagrid were patrolling the Forbidden Forest as usual. The Devil's Snare vines slipped out from beneath Vison's robes, twisting and playing in the cool night air.
One vine stretched a little too far and brushed Hagrid's boot.
"Hey, Vison, mind your little guy," Hagrid said with a chuckle, raising his lantern. "It nearly tripped me."
"Oh, sorry."
Vison tapped the vine lightly with his toe, and it obediently slithered back beneath his robe.
But it didn't calm down entirely. The Devil's Snare wriggled playfully and even pulled out the spare wand Vison kept hidden in his robe, fiddling with it like a curious child.
"How many times have I told you," Vison said, exasperated but amused, "plants can't use magic—wait… What did you just do?!"
To his amazement, the vines awkwardly wrapped around the wand and, suddenly, a brilliant white light burst from the wand's tip, flooding the forest clearing with brightness.
It was the Wand-Lighting Charm.
And it had been cast nonverbally.
Then again, the Devil's Snare couldn't speak at all.
Sensing its master's shock, the Devil's Snare proudly twisted its vines in the air. The ball of light floated, bobbing playfully with each movement.
"Nice Charm, Vison," Hagrid said, shielding his eyes. "But tone it down, will you? We'll give ourselves away if there really are invaders out here."
Still thinking Vison had cast the spell, Hagrid turned back around.
The Devil's Snare seemed to understand and obediently waved the wand again. The light faded slowly.
But then—something went wrong.
A wisp of green smoke puffed from the wand's tip, followed by a loud crack. A visible scorch line appeared along the wand's length. The Devil's Snare flinched and released the wand, which fell into a pile of leaves with a crisp snap.
Vison knelt quickly and picked it up. The upper half was badly damaged, and the core of unicorn tail hair was now exposed.
"What happened?" Hagrid asked, turning around.
"Nothing serious," Vison said, casually waving it off as he tucked the damaged wand back into his robe.
"That's good," Hagrid said, unconcerned. "Same as usual—I'll lead, you follow."
"Alright."
Vison nodded and then glanced down at the Devil's Snare. The vines now drooped, curling back into his sleeve like a child who knew it had done something wrong.
A few timid vine tips poked out, wrapping softly around Vison's fingers in a show of guilt and seeking forgiveness.
"I'm not mad," Vison said gently, patting the vines. "Don't worry, little one. We'll go to Diagon Alley this weekend and find you a proper wand."
The Devil's Snare perked up immediately, snuggling happily against Vison's wrist before retreating fully beneath his robes.
This naughty little plant…
Just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes ahead.
Hagrid instantly raised his lantern, its flickering glow casting long shadows through the trees.
"Who's there!"
His booming voice echoed through the forest.
From among the trees, a tall silhouette emerged—a Centaur, with dark red hair, a full beard, and the body of a chestnut-colored horse with a long red tail trailing behind.
"It's you, Ronan," Hagrid said, lowering his lantern in relief.
The Centaur, Ronan, didn't reply immediately. He sniffed the air, eyes scanning the area warily.
After a few moments, he spoke, his deep voice like distant thunder. "Good evening, Hagrid."
Vison had seen Centaurs before during his school days, but he'd never actually spoken to one. They generally avoided human contact—except, of course, for Hagrid.
"Are you Centaurs patrolling too?" Hagrid asked curiously. "This isn't really your usual ground."
"The entire Forbidden Forest is under our protection," Ronan said solemnly. "Darkness spreads here. The stars' alignment is chaotic. We've seen omens."
"Thanks for the warning, Ronan," Hagrid replied.
Then he leaned toward Vison and whispered, "Centaurs never speak plainly. But he means something's off in the forest—maybe something from outside got in."
"I think I follow," Vison whispered back.
Another Centaur stepped out from the underbrush—this one had long, platinum-golden hair and striking blue eyes.
Even Vison could tell—this Centaur was remarkably handsome.
"Good evening, Firenze," Hagrid greeted warmly.
"Good evening, Hagrid," the Centaur replied with a calm and graceful tone. Then, he turned to Vison. "Hello, sir."
Vison extended a hand. "Hello, Firenze. I'm Eldrein Vison, a professor at Hogwarts."
Firenze hesitated, but then shook his hand.
Ronan snorted, clearly displeased, and flicked his reddish tail with irritation.
"Firenze, fraternizing with humans again," he muttered. "Did the stars not warn you how that taints our wisdom?"
"Don't mind him," Hagrid said quickly. "They're always like this."
Vison shrugged. He'd already heard Centaurs were wary of humans, so Firenze's willingness to shake hands had exceeded his expectations.
"Have you looked at the stars tonight, Ronan?" Firenze asked. "This man is… different."
"Different?" Vison repeated, confused.
Ronan lifted his head and gazed at the sky for a long moment before looking down at Vison.
"You're not the brightest star," he said in a slow, pensive voice. "But you're not insignificant. I retract my earlier judgment."
"Uh… thanks?" Vison said uncertainly.
Ronan nodded, then said to Hagrid, "Farewell. We'll continue our patrol."
With that, the two Centaurs disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
Hagrid and Vison continued walking in silence for a while.
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