Witcher at Hogwarts

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From the bushes emerged a horse-man, unexpectedly handsome. His eyes, like pale sapphires, were astonishingly blue. Sparkling white-gold hair adorned his head, and his lower body transformed into a horse's, with a silver body and a flowing silver ponytail.

"Witcher, the planet guided us to find you. Please come with me," the centaur's magnetic voice resonated, and his calm sapphire eyes focused on Ethan.

Wary of this sudden and identity-aware creature, Ethan inquired, "Who are you?" Confirming no prior dealings with centaurs since arriving in this world, he felt a cautious curiosity.

"I am Firenze. Mars has guided us. Your destiny intertwines with ours. I will lead you to find the truth. Please come with me, Witcher," Firenze declared with utmost seriousness.

Ethan left with little choice, followed Firenze through a winding path. They traversed thorny bushes, with Firenze skillfully finding hidden paths. Ethan, relying on his Witcher senses, navigated through without a snag.

Silent throughout the journey, Ethan gazed at Firenze with curiosity. Hogwarts books offered a glimpse into centaurs, describing their talents in divination, astrology, magic healing, archery, and astronomy. Centaurs, eschewing wands, burned sage, and fragrant mallow during stargazing for further interpretation.

Firenze guided Ethan through bushes, forests, and rivers, reaching a grassy hillside. Ascending, they discovered a wide valley. Firenze whistled loudly, causing the bushes to tremble as various centaurs emerged, resembling knives and axes cut into dumpling fillings.

A particularly majestic horse-man stepped forward, blond-haired with a beard, his lower body a shiny brown-red horse with a trailing red tail.

Firenze immediately bowed his forelimbs, lowered his head, and touched his chest with his left hand, offering a centaur salute. The golden-red-haired centaur nodded in response.

"Welcome, Witcher. I am Margery, the leader of the centaurs. The stars have foretold that we were destined to meet," Margery declared with a powerful and melodious voice.

Mirroring Firenze's salute, Ethan asked, "Dear centaur leader, is there anything I can do for you?" He preferred avoiding celestial guessing games.

A black-haired, bearded centaur behind Margery snorted in dissatisfaction at Ethan's words. His front hooves stomped twice, prompting Margery to turn and calm him with a gesture. Margery held prestige among the centaurs.

Margery revealed their need for help, explaining the intrusion of an eight-eyed spider into their territory. The spider's venomous bites had affected the centaurs deeply, and they sought Ethan's assistance.

Dumbfounded by the unexpected witch hunt request from centaurs, Ethan realized the eight-eyed spider's likely intrusion was prompted by the basilisk in the castle, exerting pressure on their habitat.

As Ethan hesitated, Margery assured, "The centaurs will never treat those who help us poorly. If you can aid us, we'll do our best to repay your deep friendship."

Perplexed by the centaurs' complex approach to a simple transaction, Ethan was about to respond when the sound of horse hooves in the forest interrupted him. A young centaur with red hair and a brown-red horse body emerged, carrying a small figure. In the moonlight, Sen recognized the young centaur.

"Margaery, the acromantulas attacked us again, and little Betty was bitten" the young centaur reported breathlessly.

Frowning, Margery bent down to inspect the pony's body. The pony, bitten by the eight-eyed spider, lay in a coma. Affected by the toxin, its body exhibited alarming symptoms, turning blue-gray, with fur on the lower body becoming extremely grey.

Margery placed her hand on the pony's bite wound, murmuring something under her breath. The spot where Margery's palm touched the pony's wound began to emit a green glow. After a while, Margery withdrew her hand, and the centaurs gathered to observe the pony's condition.

Unfortunately, the pony showed little improvement. Firenze approached Margery, whispering that the venom of the eight-eyed giant spider required professional medicinal materials. The centaur tribe's stock of such materials had been depleted in treating earlier poisoned centaurs.

After a pause, Firenze whispered to Margery, suggesting that they might need to seek help from the humans in the castle. The bearded centaur, upon hearing Firenze's proposal, snorted coldly. He seemed inclined to object but hesitated upon glancing at the dying pony. Ultimately, he turned away, neither supporting nor opposing the idea.

Centaurs, being mysterious creatures, avoided contact with both Muggles and wizards. The Ministry of Magic's classification of centaurs as magical creatures with "approximate human intelligence" in Article 15 of the Division for the Control of Magical Creatures was considered a great insult by the centaurs. Consequently, they harbored a negative impression of wizards.

Yet, in this dire situation, the centaurs found themselves compelled to seek help from wizards. Balancing their tradition of avoiding humans with the imminent threat to the pony people's lives, the centaurs struggled with their decision.