Chapter 277 Requirements Of The Centaurs
In the dark Forbidden Forest, Evan suddenly pondered this possibility.
He felt the blood in his veins turning cold, and the ominous premonition in the depths of his heart growing stronger.
Firenze must have seen something in Mars' trajectory before warning Evan. What he had just mentioned was vague. He only mentioned war. No one could guarantee that in the future he saw, Evan would be the chosen one.
If this were true, in the dark temple of the Centaur colony, Evan would be marked by the magic left by Voldemort, aiding him in his return and gaining unprecedented power.
If such a thing were to happen, then the entire magical world would be engulfed in terror and chaos...
A breeze blew, Evan shook his head, and simply could not dwell on it any longer.
Voldemort was evil and powerful enough; if aided by even more powerful forces, he would become invincible and the future would be unimaginable.
Such things cannot occur, and Dumbledore would not stand idly by.
Moreover, the idea of being the chosen one was too ludicrous and absurd. Evan was certain that unless under the control of dark magic, like the Imperius Curse, he would never assist Voldemort.
Just as Sirius told Peter Pettigrew, he would rather die than betray his friends. Faced with the mighty and wicked Voldemort, he would only choose to fight to the death.
Like Sirius, Evan also held his own articles of persistence, faith, and protection.
He would rather perish than aid Voldemort.
He took a deep breath and secretly vowed.
No matter what awaited him, he must secure the treasure left by Gryffindor, grow stronger, and protect Hermione when the time came.
But was the future truly as straightforward as he imagined?
In the darkness, the dense smoke in front of the elder Centaur was dissipating, and the blue flame was gradually fading. He completed his observations of the flames and smoke. He seemed to know the fate of Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and made a decision.
With the dissipation of the smoke, Evan felt the strange magical aura around him vanish.
Before all, the old Centaur looked very weary, the wrinkles on his face deepening as he slowly gestured farewell to Magorian.
The strong Centaur approached and whispered something.
Then, the elder Centaur raised his gaze and looked at Evan and the others. He turned around and ventured into the Forbidden Forest surrounded by other Centaurs.
The army of Centaurs retreated, the thunder of hooves fading into the distance.
Magorian stood still, casting an arrogant gaze upon Evan and the others.
They all watched nervously, awaiting his final verdict.
"The elder has made his decision..." shouted Magorian. "The stars clearly indicate that you four foals may earn the recognition of the Centaurs."
Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had not had a chance to rejoice when they heard him continue. "But to earn that recognition, you must prove yourselves and achieve one thing..."
He did not seem satisfied with the elder's decision. There was a hint of anger in his voice.
"What is it?" Sirius asked, frowning.
"Diminish the power of those Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest and bring their eyes to the tribe. The elder will be waiting for you in the center of the temple."
"Diminish the power of the Acromantulas?" Sirius furrowed his brow even more. "Magorian, do you know what you're talking about? These dark creatures are very formidable. It's not something young wizards can handle. And how many Acromantulas do we need to kill to satisfy you?"
"That is for you to consider," said Magorian sternly, "Remember, you have only one chance to earn the recognition of the Centaurs. Before we completely lose patience, bring the eyes of those beasts to the tribe."
Magorian turned around and left without looking back.
No one spoke as they saw Magorian's back. No one expected the Centaur Elder to make such a request. As Sirius mentioned, encircling and suppressing the Acromantulas was something Evan and the others were reluctant to do.
These dark creatures are highly dangerous, with individual combat abilities rivaling those of adult wizards, not to mention their tendency to group together.
They held a deep-seated hatred towards Evan after he set Aragog's Nest on fire. Now, whenever he dared to appear in their territory, it was expected that all the Acromantulas would rush to attack him.
Facing thousands of Acromantulas at once, not even Dumbledore should be able to accomplish it.
"Firenze, what in the heavens is this?" Sirius asked. "Why would you want to weaken the power of the Acromantulas?"
"These fierce creatures do not belong in this forest. I do not know when they started, but their numbers are increasing, causing us many problems," Firenze replied softly; now he was the only Centaur left in the grounds. "Especially after the fire a month ago, they became increasingly irritable, attacking Centaurs and other creatures indiscriminately, causing great harm to the ecology of the Forbidden Forest."
He looked into Evan's eyes as if he knew it was his fire.
"I know the Acromantulas have caused you many troubles, but let us..." Sirius said concerned.
"The elder has made a request, you can only choose to accept or reject," Firenze said with his sapphire eyes unwavering.
"Well, how many Acromantulas must we kill to satisfy you?" Sirius asked. "We cannot kill them all."
"The quantity does not matter; what is crucial is the attitude!" Firenze turned and looked at Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and said calmly, "If you wish to be acknowledged, the Centaurs want to see the hidden courage in your four hearts and the importance you place on the Centaurs."
"Courage... and importance?" Evan repeated.
"Evan, I recall you telling us about what Gryffindor left in the Chamber of Secrets," Hermione seemed to remember something, pondered, "Brave Gryffindor; emerge from the swamp of desolation! He will grant the greatest rewards to the bravest! The key to unlocking the treasure is the courage buried deep in your heart. You need to earn the recognition of his proud followers!"
Although there had been many speculations before, it was now very clear.
The proud followers referred to those proud Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, and the key to the treasure left behind is the courage buried in the heart.
The colony of Centaurs does hold the object Gryffindor himself left, but what use is courage here?!
Do the Centaurs want to test the four and then decide whether to give them the object?
"That phrase has also been circulating in the tribe," Firenze turned and looked at Evan, saying slowly, "Remember, courage is key to obtaining that object."