The two continued to walk forward.
The light in the forest grew dimmer, with only the faint glow from Hagrid's lantern.
Under the canopy ahead, a shadow suddenly moved.
Hagrid stopped, nervously gripping his small pink umbrella.
"Who's there?"
Charlie also looked in the direction of the sound.
The shadow approached; it was a group of Centaurs.
The leading Centaur was tall, his silver mane gleaming coldly in the moonlight, holding a bow in his hand.
Hagrid breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face.
"Magorian! It's you, you startled me."
Magorian did not respond to Hagrid's warmth; his expression was serious.
"Hagrid, what are you doing here?" His gaze turned to Charlie, a flicker of hostility in his eyes.
"And bringing a Wizard's cub."
Charlie raised an eyebrow; it was the first time anyone had called him that.
Hagrid quickly explained:
"This is Charlie; he has some things to do, and I'm bringing him to meet Aragog."
"No matter what it is," Magorian interrupted him, his voice cold.
"This is not a place for you Wizards. Leave now, before danger arrives."
The atmosphere instantly solidified.
Hagrid opened his mouth, unsure what to say.
He knew where the Centaurs' hostility towards Wizards came from—Wizards always treated Centaurs as inferior beings, discriminating against and oppressing them. It was only natural for Centaurs to be hostile towards Wizards.
Just then, a young Centaur walked out from the Centaur group.
His coat was light gold, and he looked much younger than Magorian.
He looked at Charlie and said, "I once heard Hagrid speak of an exceptionally gifted Wizard named Charlie. Might that be Lord Charlie?"
Charlie gave Hagrid an unexpected glance.
Hagrid scratched his head awkwardly, explaining softly, "It was just casual chat during idle times."
Charlie nodded.
"I am Charlie."
Upon hearing this, the young Centaur bowed to Charlie.
"My name is Firenze. I hope Lord Charlie will forgive Magorian's rudeness just now."
Magorian's face instantly turned ashen. He turned to stare at Firenze, his voice suppressing anger.
"Firenze, what are you doing? Are you going to be a human's pet?"
Firenze did not respond, only raising his head to look at the night sky.
His gaze passed through the gaps in the tree canopy, landing on the stars, and his voice became ethereal.
"Magorian, have you forgotten? Today, Cepheus and Cassiopeia are exceptionally bright."
Magorian froze.
He also looked up at the starry sky; those two constellations were indeed brighter than usual, emitting dazzling light in the night.
Magorian's expression changed, from anger to shock, and then to disbelief.
"Are you saying..."
He turned his head, his gaze falling on Charlie, his eyes complex.
Charlie stood still, his face full of speechlessness.
Why are all the Centaurs at Hogwarts such riddlers?
"Can you two just speak plainly?" Charlie couldn't help but ask.
Firenze turned around, his head bowed.
"My apologies, Lord Charlie. This is a Centaur prophecy; the stars foretell that a king will descend today."
He paused, then looked up at Charlie.
"And the king is Lord Charlie."
Hagrid's eyes widened, looking at Charlie in shock.
But soon, he felt that it seemed quite reasonable. After all, with Charlie's outrageous performances, it wouldn't be strange to call him a king.
Charlie, however, was very calm; wasn't this obvious? Don't treat a Tyrant as anything less than an emperor.
Behind Firenze, the Centaurs exchanged glances.
They looked at Charlie, some doubt in their eyes.
He didn't look particularly special; was this the future king?
But Centaurs are a race that believes in astrological prophecies; the stars never lie.
Magorian was silent for a moment, then finally stepped forward and bowed deeply to Charlie.
"Lord Charlie, I was presumptuous just now. I hope you don't mind."
Charlie waved his hand.
"It's fine."
Seeing the atmosphere ease, Hagrid quickly seized the opportunity to ask.
"By the way, Magorian, I remember your Centaur territory isn't over here. Why are you here?"
Magorian's expression grew even more serious.
"Hagrid, we had no choice," he said in a deep voice.
"Originally, in the Forbidden Forest, we Centaurs and the Acromantulas kept to ourselves, hunting in our respective territories without interfering with each other."
He paused, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes.
"But the Acromantulas are breeding too fast. Their numbers are growing, and they are constantly expanding their territory, already encroaching on our hunting grounds."
Firenze took over, his tone equally displeased.
"Last month, they even injured our kinsmen."
Hagrid's face changed.
"What? They injured your people?"
He waved his hands somewhat frantically.
"That shouldn't be; Aragog promised me it wouldn't let its offspring harm innocent creatures."
Magorian sneered.
"Hagrid, you are too naive. That old spider can no longer control its descendants."
He gripped the bow in his hand, his gaze sharp.
"So we are here today to clear out these Acromantulas."
Hagrid grew anxious.
"Wait, Magorian."
He quickly walked in front of Magorian, his voice pleading.
"I can talk to Aragog, to make it restrain its offspring and stop encroaching on your territory. We can resolve this peacefully, without violence."
Magorian shook his head.
"It's too late, Hagrid. We have already given them a chance."
Just then, there were clacking sounds all around.
It was the sound of spider legs moving on the ground, dense and grating.
Charlie turned his head, his eyes sharpening.
Unbeknownst to them, a group of Acromantulas had crawled out from the depths of the forest, surrounding them.
Each of these giant spiders was as large as a calf, their dark bodies almost merging with the shadows in the night.
Their eight eyes glowed with an eerie green light, and their massive fangs reflected a cold gleam in the moonlight.
The Centaurs immediately became alert, drawing their bowstrings, arrows aimed at the Acromantulas.
The Acromantulas showed no intention of retreating; they slowly moved forward, forming a encirclement.
Hagrid stood in the middle, pacing anxiously.
"Wait! Everyone calm down!"
He turned towards the Acromantulas, raising both hands.
"I'm Hagrid! You know me! I'm Aragog's friend!"
But the Acromantulas did not stop.
The largest one, at the front, opened and closed its two giant fangs, emitting a low sound.
"Hagrid... we certainly remember you."
The voice was hoarse and chilling.
"But this has nothing to do with you. The Centaurs have invaded our territory, and we will tear them apart and claim the entire Forbidden Forest for ourselves."
Magorian snorted coldly.
"Absurd! You were the ones who crossed the line first!"
He drew his bowstring taut, the arrow pointing directly at the leading Acromantula.
The other Centaurs also raised their bows and arrows, ready to shoot at any moment.
The Acromantulas likewise adopted an attacking posture, their fangs spread open, emitting threatening hissing sounds.
Hagrid was sweating profusely with anxiety, but no one listened to him.
The hatred between the Centaurs and the Acromantulas had accumulated for too long; a conflict was destined to erupt tonight.
Charlie stood to the side, his expression somewhat grim.
He had come to the Forbidden Forest for the Acromantulas' help in finding Peter Pettigrew, but he encountered this situation as soon as he arrived.
If the Centaurs and Acromantulas started fighting, no matter who won, they wouldn't be able to work for him.
Charlie sighed, thinking it was truly troublesome.
He slowly raised his right hand.
As he raised his right hand, a circular wall of fire rose from the ground, separating the Centaurs and the Acromantulas.
The flames were a full three meters high, burning fiercely and emitting scorching heat waves.
Charlie stood in front of the wall of fire, saying coldly,
"Everyone, step back."
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