In this forest, the trees were tall and dense, almost completely covering the sky overhead.
Draco was not unfamiliar with the Forbidden Forest.
Unicorns, Thestrals, Centaurs, giant spiders, and other magical creatures all lived in this forest. And one of those Centaurs was right in front of Draco.
At that moment, Firenze, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
He stood steadily on a large rock and raised his head to look at the pitch-black night sky.
"...The moon is being eroded. We don't have much time left."
"..."
Although Draco could not quite understand what the Centaur was saying, he seemed to sense something as well and looked toward Hogwarts Castle.
In the distance, the sound of magical explosions rang out from time to time.
In the sky, the Dark Mark hung high above Hogwarts Castle.
Beneath his feet, he could clearly see small stones occasionally bouncing up and down, as if shaken by the collapse of some enormous object.
Although there was still some distance between them, and although he was not there in person, Draco could still feel what was happening on that battlefield and just how intense the fighting had become.
In any case, Firenze, who had not said much along the way, suddenly turned back and reminded Draco, "We're almost there. Be careful."
"This place... should already be deep within the forest, shouldn't it?"
Although there was no precise marker, Draco could still feel that they had likely reached the depths.
Strictly speaking, this should be his first time venturing so deeply into the Forbidden Forest.
As for what he needed to be careful of...
Draco guessed that Firenze was probably referring to his own kin.
The thought had only just flashed through his mind when the sound of bowstrings being drawn reached his ears, along with the sight of beautiful manes reflecting the moonlight.
"Firenze... what are you doing bringing a wizard's foal here?!"
"Bane."
Draco looked up.
Only then did he realize that, at some point, they had been surrounded by Centaurs.
The arrows faintly aimed in their direction made his scalp prickle.
...
Centaurs.
These Centaurs were a kind of magical creature. The upper half of their bodies was human, while the lower half was no different from that of a horse.
First of all, it had to be understood that they were a species of their own, not half-human, half-beast hybrids.
And proud Centaurs would never acknowledge such a thing. Nor were they pleased that wizards placed them in the same category as other magical creatures.
They were always looking up at the stars, as if nothing interested them apart from whatever lay around the moon.
It was worth noting that after spending enough time with Centaurs, one would discover that it was nearly impossible to get a straightforward answer from them. Yet when Centaurs spoke among themselves, their conversations were much more normal.
At the very least, when Firenze spoke with Bane, who seemed to be the leader of the Centaurs, Draco could still understand them.
"You, who have turned into an ordinary mule, actually dare to appear before us again, and you even brought a wizard into our territory."
...An ordinary mule?
Was this how Centaurs insulted people?
Just as Draco found this interesting, he noticed that Bane had shifted his gaze toward him.
Along with those gazes came fully drawn bows.
It had to be said that being targeted by these arrows was a rather fresh experience for Draco.
Do not assume that these weapons, which had been eliminated centuries ago, could not cause any harm to a wizard.
In truth, Draco could sense faint magical fluctuations from those arrows.
Although he was not sure what they were, and although there were no records of them in any books, Draco did not believe they were ordinary weapons.
At the very least, he could faintly sense a trace of threat from them, and he had no intention of testing them personally.
Without drawing his wand, Draco slowly gave the Centaur leader before him a wizard's bow.
Then, without beating around the bush, he stated the purpose of his visit. "Hogwarts needs help."
"..."
"..."
Draco raised an eyebrow.
From the silent air, he sensed hostility and rejection.
To be honest, Draco was not surprised.
After all, Centaurs had never liked wizards much. Proud as they were, they were unwilling to approach those who called them magical animals of "near-human intelligence."
Just as Draco was considering whether he should use Voldemort's threat as leverage to persuade them, Firenze lifted a hoof beside him and took a step forward. "Mars is drawing near, Bane. It is time for us to make a decision as well."
"Listen, Firenze. You are defying the will of the heavens. Neutrality..."
"No one will acknowledge it. The Dark Lord does not like the word neutrality either."
"The Dark Lord..."
As expected of Voldemort.
The moment those three words appeared, Bane and the surrounding Centaurs showed obvious signs of wavering.
Although they were proud and had little interest in the direction of the magical world, the destruction brought by the Dark Lord did indeed make them wary and uneasy.
At that moment, Firenze looked up at the sky, his tone somewhat distant. "The Star of Hope has already descended... Bane, all of you should be able to see it too."
"..."
Although Draco did not quite understand the current situation, he saw the Centaurs surrounding them silently lower the bows in their hands.
Had it worked?
He had not even said anything yet.