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  This chapter was edited by Gdiusx. Check his works on HP and ASOIAF, I highly recommend them.

  Saturday, 10th of July

  The Three Broomsticks

  A dark-haired young man exited the floo smoothly, his eyes narrowing as the loud cmour of the patrons hit him.

  Aside from a few curious gnces, none paid him any attention. His grey eyes roamed around the busy taproom and fell on the massive form of Rubeus Hagrid by the bar, ughing boisterously as he spoke to the inn’s owner, the bodacious Madam Rosmerta.

  “Mr Snow, welcome back.” The woman’s eyes met his own, and her warm smile turned professional as he approached the counter. “Can I interest you with mulled mead? Or perhaps a fgon of ale?”

  “Not today, Madam, but I will have a slice of that apple pie and a cup of tea,” the dark-haired man nodded towards the delicious-looking pie on the counter behind the woman.

  “Certainly,” the blonde woman turned to a kettle on the stove to pour him his tea while the young man sat two seats away from Hagrid.

  “Don't reckon I've cpped eyes on yeh before, an' I'd wager I know jus' about everyone 'round these parts.” The beady eyes of the massive man inspected him from head to toe. “Name’s Rubeus Hagrid.”

  “Jon Snow.”

  The young man’s clipped reply did not invite dialogue, but Hagrid did not let that stop him.

  “So, what's got a young feller like yerself wanderin' over to this taproom, eh?”

  Jon narrowed his eyes at the far taller man, “… You’re a talkative fellow, aren’t you?”

  “Hah, one o' them quiet ones, are yeh? Fair 'nough, I was jus' about to head off anyhow.” Hagrid stood up and waved at the returning Rosmerta, “Thanks for the grub, Rosy.”

  “Oh, leaving already, Hagrid?” The blonde woman set his cup of tea and pte of pie on the counter before smiling at the massive man. “You have been leaving early over the past week or so.”

  “Got meself a proper taskmaster of a teacher, I have. Been learnin' a load from Snape, an' he's got no love for dawdlin' dunderheads.”

  Jon raised an eyebrow in curiosity; so Hagrid got himself a magical teacher, and Snape of all people? He shuddered at the idea of the ornery Potions Master teaching Hagrid all sorts of wicked magic before shrugging and quickly devouring his meal.

  He stuck around for a meal because using the floo and not ordering a drink was considered rude. Yes, he could always leave a knut on the powder cup next to the firepce, but Jon would not say no to a hot slice of pie.

  It did help that whoever was cooking in the kitchen was a deft hand that rivalled the Hogwarts elves or Tom. As he ate his pie, Jon listened idly as Rosemerta bbbed on about Hagrid getting a teaching position in school; Care Of Magical Creatures to be more exact.

  It was both exciting and unnerving to have the gentle giant as a teacher and handling dangerous beasts.

  Once he was done, The vertically challenged young man left a few sickles on the counter and left the inn, finding himself in the cosy vilge of Hogsmeade. He had visited the vilge daily over the past week but had not had the time to explore it, for he had far more important business. Making his way to an empty alley, ‘Jon Snow’ produced an ethereal looking cloak and wore it around his shoulders, turning him invisible.

  Then, he turned on the spot and, after enduring the sensation of being squeezed through a rubber tube, apparated outside the rundown Shrieking Shack with a resounding crack.

  Frowning at the noise he made, he looked around warily, his weirwood wand drawn and his senses heightened. His apparition was barely acceptable according to Chiara, yet he could only use it for short distances and had yet to learn how to make it silent. After a minute, he rexed, trusting the capabilities of his reliable Invisibility Cloak. Jon gnced at his watch, finding the time to be nine in the morning, before turning towards the foreboding woods of the Forbidden Forest.

  His mind wandered to his discussion with Henry Potter over the Huntsman Ritual…

  “Usually, that ritual can be done at any time of your life, but the younger you are, the better the results.”

  “But it was different in my case. I already killed the Basilisk a month ago, yet the ritual has not ended. I even ate most of the damn beast, yet even now, I can feel that something is missing despite the absurd amount of power I got from the ritual.”

  “That is certainly curious, especially as that power you mention comes in bursts of adrenaline; almost like a berserker's rage, especially as it tires you out when you calm down. It seems to me as if it is more of a defensive mechanism, which may expin your constant state of hunger that acts as fuel for that power, but if the ritual is still active then perhaps that is a benefit. Your thirteenth birthday approaches, we can combine your Maturing ritual with the Huntsman ritual for the best results.”

  “Oh? And how do we do that?”

  That was a week ago, and since then, he had visited the forest several times, yet he had not gone too deep. Today, however, was different, for he aimed to go as deep as he could to get what he needed, no matter how long it would take.

  Thirteen parts total for his thirteenth birthday; five primary parts that he needed to personally hunt, and eight secondary parts that he could collect.

  Naturally, he had adopted the character of Jon Snow to avoid any needless questions about why Harry Potter was visiting the Wildnd. While he was assured that it was not particurly illegal, he still would rather not deal with any hassle stemming from it.

  As Jon walked into the woods, his hands trailed down to his belt where several pouches were tied to it, idly making sure he had all the tools he prepared for this venture. He had everything he would need to camp in the forest for a week: a mokeskin pouch with all his camping gear, another one containing food and water, one more that held the potions Chiara prepared for him, and finally, a pouch with a change of clothing as well as other essentials such as his toiletries.

  Estelle Greengrass had not yet finished researching Gryffindor when he st visited; while being very careful to avoid Tracey. Jon was unsure how to feel about the girl. Her confession was very fttering, and he would not deny to being attracted to her. Still, Susan was his woman now, and he would never do anything to break her heart. Both girls could settle whatever rivalry they had on their own.

  Regardless, Jon did not particurly need the sword, as his hand found the hilt of a different bde sticking from his belt. Cw was a long dagger made from Goblin Wrought Silver, almost a short sword, that he had purchased from the Alley. The bde was hidden in a special sleeve also made from mokeskin.

  The material had quickly become a favourite of his, and using the gold he had started to earn from Reginald’s business deal, Jon invested in a breeding farm for mokes with the Carrows. Jon’s mind wandered to the many applications of having an entire tent made from mokeskin. Was it possible to have further expansion charms applied to it afterwards?

  Chiara had made him several different kinds of potions for his endeavour; the older girl had wanted to join him, but she would not have fit under the cloak with him. Besides, she was far too busy during the day as an apprentice to Ted Tonks to make the time to join him.

  Jon pnned to spend up to a week in the forest, and he would rather not have her waste her chance to be a healer. However, Jon would need Chiara’s expertise if he got hurt, so it was best if she was home when he returned. Hedwig would be used in case of an emergency, for she could still find him in the Wildnd to deliver any letters. He had already expined to Susan that he would be away for a week or so, and his…lover? Woman? What did people call it here? Ah, girlfriend… Jon rubbed his brow in confusion of the term but regardless; Susan had been kind and understanding enough to be patient with him.

  That intimate kiss they shared yesterday, one of many since that first date, was still on his mind and he could feel heat in his cheeks. Gods, he was acting like a lovestruck fool…perhaps he was.

  Jon shook his head and focused on the approaching woods. It was a shame that apparition did not work deep in the Forbidden Forest, nor most Wildnds from his understanding, yet that would not discourage him from his quest. His first stop was to find a guide, and he knew just where to find one.

  As he entered the woods, the excitement of what was to come had Jon smiling; his blood sang with glee, and he flexed his fists in anticipation of a fight that could happen at any time.

  His senses heightened as he carefully made his way into the woods, using all the skills in woodcraft he inherited from his time in Westeros.

  A*L*S*M

  A certain camp deeper into the woods

  The Centaur

  “I refuse.”

  The sudden decration had half the tribe turn to her with various expressions, yet Laura stared defiantly at the chieftain.

  “What do you mean, you refuse? Magorian is my heir, and you would be an excellent mare for him.”

  “Of course I would be, for I have been blessed by the forest itself, yet I still refuse.” Laura gred at the chieftain’s son, Magorian, whose face slowly turned ugly as it twisted in rage.

  “Laura, my dear. You have been deying your duty for years now. Perhaps you could expin to the tribe what is going through your mind?”

  Laura flicked away her sunny blonde hair as she turned to her mother, Tina, her warm brown eyes meeting her own defiant blue.

  “I have read the stars, mother, and the heavens dictated that I shall not take a stallion from this tribe. I understand it is my duty to be wed, yet I shall not be forced to become Magirian’s or any other Centaur's mare, for I have a greater destiny ahead of me.”

  Naturally, it was all codswallop. Despite what they pretended before the outsiders, not all centaurs were actual seers. The tribe might feel it was important to maintain that air of mystique to the humans, yet there was no need to put on airs among themselves.

  Still, becoming a broodmare was the destiny of any female and she would readily accept it if not for what her brother told her.

  “You lie! The stars have decreed that my broodmare shall be blonde of hair with blue eyes.” Magorian seethed as he stomped the ground of the clearing in the centre of their camp. “You are the only mare that fits this description. Speak some sense to your sister, Firenze.”

  Her brother was the finest stargazer in the tribe and a true seer. He gazed at her with his astonishingly blue eyes, and Laura stared back confidently.

  “My twin shall venture alone into the woods, for the stars have decreed she shall find her stallion there.” Firenze turned to the indignant Magorian, “I am not convinced you are destined to mate with Laura.”

  Breathing a sigh of relief, the young centaur grinned even as her mother shook her head in disapproval. She owed too much to her mother for taking care of her and her brother without a sire’s support. Still, that did not mean her mother knew what was best for her.

  Only the heavens could cim so.

  Laura was sure her mother would get over it; wanting her to be the next chieftainess of the tribe was ambitious, considering they were outsiders. Still, her brother had assured her that his prophecy was true; she would find her destined mate in the forest, a stallion with a pelt as bck as the sky on a starless night, and Laura had to prepare for the undertaking ahead of her.

  She turned away from the gathering while her brother and mother worked to calm the chief and his son. Entering her tent, she stood before a rge silver mirror her brother had bought from that half-giant near the human school.

  Putting on a silken vest, she was forced to leave it half open due to the rge size of her breasts, yet it did not matter. It was rare for centaurs to wear clothes in the first pce, for they did not feel shame from being naked. Still, considering she was going into the dangerous depths of the forest, Laura opted to wear a gorget over her neck, pauldrons over her shoulders, and vambraces on her forearms.

  Tying her blonde hair into a bun, she covered it in an enchanted leather cap that provided suitable protection from physical attacks. Then, she wore a simirly enchanted leather bodice that protected her stomach yet made her already ample chest appear even rger.

  Laura sighed and hoped the gorget would be enough protection, yet she would simply have to be careful.

  Next, she covered her back with a sheet made from the silk of those wretched spiders and secured it with saddlebags full of supplies before tying a bronze breastpte around her waist, protecting the flesh under her human torso.

  She then focused intently before waving her hands as everything secured itself tightly. While centaurs could not use magic like humans, they were still capable of many minor spells and charms, along with various rituals.

  With her armour secured, she turned to her armaments. The centaur grabbed a longbow, seven quivers of arrows, an axe, a dagger, a shield, and various other tools she might need. She tied them all on her back, giving her human form plenty of flexibility, while her horse part carried the weight except for a single quiver over her shoulder. As a centaur, she was blessed with exceptional stamina and strength, so all that weight barely caused her to flinch.

  “You look ready to go to war, sweet sister.”

  Laura turned to the open tent, finding Firenze smiling serenely. “I very well might be, brother. Do you think I’m ready?”

  “I believe you are.”

  She beamed at him before hugging him tightly. Despite being twins, Firenze was smaller than her. In fact, she was considered one of the rgest centaurs in the tribe. Her mother never spoke of their sire, yet she had suspicions over their identity. Her brother had agreed, for only a truly magical creature could sire two exceptional centaurs like themselves.

  Herself with her physical prowess, and her brother with his magical potential.

  “I dreamed of a dark-haired human warrior whom you shall meet in the forest,” Firenze said as they let go and inspected her armour, making sure all the straps were tied correctly.

  “A human?” Laura grimaced in distaste. “Shouldn’t they come to our camp first to gain permission to hunt? Or are they friends of that poacher from their ministry?”

  “No, he appeared young with a wolf-like countenance.”

  “A werewolf?”

  “That remains to be seen.” Firenze smiled at her anticipation of a worthy foe as he held her nce. “Who knows? He might prove a worthy ally.”

  Laura was not so sure about that. Humans and their mongrels have always used deception and cunning when dealing with her people. Still, that was what the elders said, but she had met with Hagrid and Dumbledore several times, and they had been friendly and honourable.

  She accepted the nce from her brother as they exited the tent; like all her armour and weapons, it was enchanted by Firenze. The nce was six metres long with a wicked cross bde that allowed her to pierce and slice at her foes. Laura focused her magic on a certain rune, causing it to shrink to a meter-long javelin and tied it around her human back, opposite the quiver.

  Tina awaited her outside the tent,

  “You are certain about your journey? How would you even recognise your mate?”

  “The same way you have recognised our sire, mother,” Firenze spoke in his serene voice, causing their mother’s pale face to redden deeply as she opened and closed her mouth several times. “The stars showed me the truth.”

  “Do not worry, mother. I shall make you proud and do my duty to the tribe.”

  Soon, Laura was waving goodbye to the other centaurs while ignoring the dirty looks thrown by most of the males. She smirked, for even if she rejected Magorian, many of the other males hoped to make her their broodmare, yet they would not dare to duel her.

  .

  .

  .

  That was three days ago, and now Laura was starting to think her quest for a mate was becoming more complicated than she thought. She had gone on hunts plenty of times and for much longer, but those were usually in the company of other centaurs. Now that she was on her lonesome, the denizens of the forest had decided to try their luck and saw her as prey.

  Naturally, Laura would teach them the error of their ways as she shed out with her nce and stabbed into the head of her many-eyed foe.

  “Damned horse! She killed Skreel.”

  “And I will kill many more of you if you don’t retreat… Or don’t. I could always use meat for my belly and more silk for my wardrobe.”

  Laura brandished her nce, forcing the spiders to shy away, and licked her lips in excitement, yet she worried about their numbers. They had ambushed her at dawn in a clearing near a massive ke where she had been bathing after camping for the night.

  Unlike the Bck Lake near the school, this ke was deep inside the Forbidden Forest and home to many magical pnts and herbs… as well as other creatures.

  The wretched spiders had always caused trouble for her kind; the tribe’s elders told stories of when their tribe waged war with the Thornback spiders back in the day until they managed to banish them deeper into the Wildnd. None knew where the Acromantus came to be a few decades ago, yet some suspected it was wizard interference. Those new spiders were bigger, meaner, and far more intelligent, for they were capable of speech.

  Only they seemed to use that ability for the wrong purposes.

  “Curse you, horse-girl. We shall feast on your flesh!”

  “No, better to use her as an incubator. Her size would allow plenty of our children to grow as they feast on her guts.”

  Many of her foes cackled as their mandibles clicked, and Laura narrowed her eyes as she raised her shield and assessed the situation. Four spiders were on the ground, and at least six more in the trees. Thankfully, she had the foresight to pce noise traps in the woods and had enough time to dress in her armour and ready her nce and shield, but not string her bow.

  One of the spiders was about to attack when crashing noises erupted from the woods behind them, causing trees to shake and sending more spiders scurrying into the clearing.

  Laura used that chance to rush forward and skewer the closest Acromantu in the head just as a massive three-headed dog charged into the clearing, a spider in the jaws of the two heads on the fnk while the centre one growled savagely at the rest.

  The Acromantus were frozen in fear, and Laura would admit to also being shaken until she noticed the dark-haired human riding on top of the middle head, sending red bolts at the spiders.

  Each fiery streak of magic sent shivers all the way down to her tail.

  “Quickly, get them now!”

  The young voice startled her into attacking the stunned spiders, and within a minute, the eight-eyes in the clearing were all sin. Laura used the lull to collect the rest of her belongings before approaching the massive dog, ignoring the crunching sound as it feasted on the spiders.

  “I think a couple of them got away.” The wizard on top of the dog frowned at the woods before jumping down, and Laura realised how short he was.

  How young he was! Was this the warrior Firenze warned her about? Gncing at the massive dog that stopped eating to enjoy the scratches the foal gave to one of its heads, she would admit that only a powerful being of nature could tame such a beast.

  “Are you alright, my dy?”

  The human foal barely reached the bottom of her human waist. Laura knew she was exceptionally tall even for a centaur, the top of her head nearly reaching ten feet if she stretched to her limits. The foal looked at her confidently with a curious glint, yet he maintained a respectful, perhaps wary, distance.

  Smart of him.

  “I am well. I thank you for the aid, the spiders have got increasingly bolder.”

  “Indeed, I also have my issues with them. Ah, where are my manners?” The boy sheathed his wand which was made from an unknown yet queer wood that felt both inviting yet made her neck tingle. “Jon Snow, at your service. I would offer to kiss your hand, but…”

  “Laura, daughter of Tina.” She giggled at the boy’s boldness, sheathed her nce and shield before trotting towards him, and bowed her waist to offer him a hand which he kissed. “A pleasure to meet you, Jon Snow. I confess that I did not expect to find a human in these woods, let alone expect aid from one of you. You are usually… reserved when interacting with our kind.”

  Selfish, was what she wanted to accuse the humans of, but that would be too rude. The foal had been nothing but courteous and deserved no such bias from her.

  “It was what anyone would do in my position.” Jon waved his hand before scratching his brow, “I was also saved by one of your kind in this forest over a year ago. Firenze was his name. Came galloping out of the woods and kicked a wraith in the face, causing it to flee, before guiding me back to school.”

  “Ah, I recall Firenze telling me of that. He is my brother, you see.”

  She recalled her twin telling her of that incident; the whole herd had been furious about the murder of the unicorns. It was the reason neither she nor her tribe had yet to find a single unicorn since that day. Although she could have sworn the foal’s name was different.

  “Truly? I say it was fated for us to meet then. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to collect some Acromantu parts. I have a quest to fulfil, and I believe Fluffy here wants one final petting session before he wanders back home.”

  The ridiculously named monster of a dog panted gleefully as Jon patted his neck and stomach as it rolled on its back. Meanwhile, Laura used this opportunity to inspect the young warrior known as Jon. He had messy bck hair that reached his neck, eyes the colour of molten silver, and a sharp face that she was certain would grow handsome with age.

  Laura was more intrigued with what he wore, however.

  A dark green outfit that blended well with the forest background, with several pouches painted the same colour around his waist. It seemed to be made entirely of the same material, some sort of hide or leather. She would have thought it was from a snake, yet the scale patterns appeared far too rge for a normal snake.

  A dragon, perhaps? She could see a shirt sticking out under his vest made from Acromantu silk, causing her to nod in approval.

  The wretched spiders were a nuisance, yet their silk was a luxury even to the Centaurs.

  Soon, the foal had sent the massive dog away, but not before the dog had him pull out a loose fang from one of its mouths. Then, Fluffy grabbed yet another spider in each of its other heads as a snack for wherever it was going and ran off into the woods.

  “Sorry about that. I only befriended Fluffy yesterday, but I couldn’t drag him further into the dangerous parts of the forest.”

  Strangely, Jon’s eyes appeared darker now, though they still retained a silvery speck.

  “It is no issue. I am surprised you managed to tame such a savage-looking beast.”

  “My friend Hagrid would cim he is simply a misunderstood creature,” She raised an eyebrow at the half-giant’s name but filed it for ter. “I have always had an affinity with canines, wolves in particur.”

  She could certainly see the wolf-like countenance that her brother warned. Despite their genial conversation, the foal–no, the warrior in front of her did not once let down his guard as he spoke to her.

  Even now, all his muscles were tensed, and his gaze was sharp, as if he expected a fight at any moment. Even with his wand sheathed, she noticed his hands were never too far from a dagger’s hilt on his waist.

  For a moment, she was tempted to say farewell to this mysterious warrior and continue her quest, yet something her brother said had her curious. She had wasted the st three days looking for her quarry to no avail. Perhaps this Jon Snow was what she had been waiting for.

  “Interesting.” She walked to the campfire she had set up and sat her equine legs in front of it. “I am grateful for your aid, Jon Snow. Would you like to join me for breakfast while we share stories of our quests?”

  The foal tilted his head curiously before shrugging and joining her opposite the firepit. “Why not?”

  .

  .

  .

  “I see. Please forgive me if I sound rude, but…”

  “My brother tells me that everything that comes after the word but is contrary to the previous statement,” Laura stated calmly as she ate the grilled leg of the giant spider and winked at the young warrior.

  “Er, yes.” Jon coughed. “I just find it strange that, despite being part horse, centaurs eat meat.”

  “Is it not because we have two sets of stomachs?” Laura giggled, “While we do not graze on grass like mundane horses, we eat plenty of roots and vegetables. Meat and other foods that humans consume can also be consumed by us and very tasty indeed.”

  “So I see,” Jon gnced at the several devoured Acromantu remains, before eating the grilled long tube-like heart of the spider. “It has been a while since I’ve met someone who could eat more than I could.”

  “You certainly eat like a centaur. I reckon it is due to the Huntsman ritual.”

  They had butchered and dismantled the dead spiders, Jon carefully harvesting their venom gnds and storing them in one of his magical pouches. He had already discussed his quest with her, and Laura was certainly interested in such a young man already attempting the Huntsman ritual. Her tribe had not allowed her to attempt it until she was fifteen, yet Jon had syed much worthier foes at twelve if he spoke the truth.

  “Most likely. Now, I told you all about my quest - how about you tell me about yours?”

  Laura chewed the st spider leg before swallowing and throwing the remains on top of the growing pile. “I am in search of a mate. The stars and the heavens have decreed that I shall meet my mate in the Forest and that he would be a mighty stallion.”

  “I see,” The foal blinked but kept a neutral face. “Do you have any idea who your mate shall be? I doubt there are many other centaurs in the forest aside from your tribe.”

  “I have my suspicions, yet I shall remain patient until fate delivers me to my destiny.” Laura smiled at the young boy, stifling a strange urge to pat his head. My, her maternal instincts must be acting up. “However, I would not mind if I gain a companion for my quest. You mentioned you are still missing some parts for your ritual?”

  “Wait, you would truly offer me help?”

  “Why not? You have proven yourself brave, capable, courteous, and noble. I would be honoured to have you as my companion for this quest while we aid each other.”

  Jon Snow hesitated for a heartbeat before a small but genuine smile graced his face.

  “The honour is all mine! I will confess to not knowing as much about the Forbidden Forest as I thought. I have been here for two days, yet I have not even managed to collect half of my parts.”

  “You should have contacted the tribe first,” Laura tutted in disapproval. “We have an unwritten agreement with your ministry that any hunter would be provided with a guide so long as they abide by our rules.”

  “Yeah… I heard about that, and I promise I had pnned to seek you out at the earliest chance, but… I got lost?”

  She giggled at the foal's embarrassed face. Truthfully, Laura thought she trusted the d too quickly, for he was still a human wizard. Yet, her bias against humans stemmed from what the other centaurs had told her. She had met and respected Hagrid and the elderly Dumbledore, though she always wondered why the thrice-cursed spiders never seemed to bother them.

  Now that she had properly met her first human, the centaur could confidently say she felt endeared towards the foal. Jon Snow had not given her any reason to distrust him, for he had been truthful in the reason for his presence here.

  Besides, even if she was mistaken and he turned out to be a liar, she had the utmost confidence in beating him down… lightly, of course, for she would not lower herself to harming foals, no matter how lost in their ways they were.

  “It is a good thing I know this nd very well.” Laura stood up and secured her saddlebags and the rest of her items. Jon followed suit and doused the fire before waving his wand on the ground to dig a pit where he buried the remains of the spiders. “Come, let’s walk.”

  Jon quickly followed her.

  “I need two more parts from creatures that I, personally, need to hunt and devour their hearts. I also require five parts from creatures that either give them to me willingly or for me to steal them. I prefer if it was willingly however; I was told magic would approve of the gesture.”

  “Indeed, a willing sacrifice, no matter how mundane, would always be better than unknowing ones.” Laura grinned as the much shorter boy struggled to keep up with her walking pace. “I know of a few invasive beasts that have been let loose in the Wildnd due to human interference, and the tribe had pnned to sy them. I can lead you to them, but are you sure you could handle them?”

  “Don’t worry, I am capable of protecting myself.” Laura nodded in approval at the confident reply. “Although, I have a few questions for you if you do not mind.”

  “Ask away, Jon.”

  “Could you tell me more about the Forest? I have stumbled into a couple of regions that defy any sense of logic by existing in the cold climate of Scotnd.”

  “Ah, you must have found the Scorched Vale and Desert Dunes, two of the nine known habitats of the Forbidden Forest. My tribe prefers to live in the Forest and the Lake, though we sometimes venture into the Grassnds and the Dark Forest for hunts.”

  “I take it the Wildnd is still predominantly woodnd?”

  “Indeed, otherwise, it would not be known as the Forbidden Forest, would it?” Jon chuckled as he abandoned the notion of walking and simply jogged beside her. “The three other regions are the Rocky Mountains, the Foggy Moor, and the Dusknds. You will find all manner of creatures there–ah, speaking of which. I can see the mountains already.”

  Far in the distance, above the trees, they could see the Rocky Mountains. For a few hours, they discussed more about what creatures they could expect to meet in each region. They had come upon many creatures on their journey, yet none of them was hostile or harmful, from mundane birds to an augurey and a mooncalf.

  She had stared at the augurey for a moment, yet it remained silent.

  “Augurey cry when rain approaches.” She eborated as Jon was looking at the bird cautiously.

  The young warrior nodded seriously as he wrote down all sorts of notes on a notepad he brought out earlier. Teaching an attentive and diligent student was a new experience. She had never taught anyone anything due to her young age and inexperience.

  Laura liked that feeling.

  As she approached a certain clearing, she stopped behind a tree and raised her hand, yet there was no need for it as Jon had already stopped and narrowed his eyes at the scene before them.

  “I assume whatever invasive creature you mentioned is near?”

  “Indeed, we should be silent now.”

  They inspected the clearing carefully, noting the cw marks on the single massive tree and the broken branches on the ground. There were many animal bones in the clearing, as well as animal corpses that were savagely killed yet remain uneaten. It was as if whatever had killed them simply hunted them for sport.

  Laura strained her hearing, trying to find their hidden foe from their hiding spot.

  Jon, however, had other ideas.

  “Thank you for guiding me, Laura. I shall take it from here.”

  Before she could reply, the young warrior dashed out of their hiding spot, his wand glowing an ominous turquoise before he sent a jinx at a tree branch, causing a massive beast to jump away. The centaur’s eyes widened; she had not noticed the monster.

  “Hehehe, more prey come for the sughter!”

  The cruel voice came out from a massive beast nearly as rge as she was. The body and head of a lion, a human-like face with savage yellow eyes, and a long scorpion tail eagerly waving behind it, the stinger dripping with bright purple.

  A manticore.

  Laura was frozen with fear, yet the young foal bravely charged the beast with savage yellow eyes, a wand in his right hand and a silvery dagger in his left.

  Suddenly, the manticore pounced, its mouth open impossibly wide to show rows of sharp fangs. Jon cast the same turquoise spell at the beast, yet it spshed harmlessly on its skin. The foal’s eyes widened before he barely dodged sideways from the monster’s paws, yet its cws managed to carve a line into his armour.

  It held, but judging from Jon’s grimace, he still felt lit. Jon ran sideways while casting spell after spell at the beast, and Laura bit her lip in worry. The monster’s hide was highly magically resistant; combined with its agile and powerful body, it was a fearsome foe.

  The manticore roared as it charged at Jon again; only this time, he seemed to realise the futility of casting spells.

  He waved his wand at the ground and tree roots burst out of it in an attempt to wrap around the paws of the beast. The manticore was wily, however, and managed to dodge sideways, yet Jon prepared for that as, with a wave of his wand, all the animal bones in the clearing floated into a ball above him. The monster ignored the danger in favour of charging at its foe, its tongue rolling out as it screamed bloody threats and gruesome murder.

  Jon sshed his wand at it, sending the rge ball of compressed bones crashing down on the beast’s back. The manticore stumbled heavily, clearly hurt, yet continued its charge at the wide-eyed foal who sent a stream of fire at it while dashing away from the beast.

  The manticore screamed in pain, and Jon managed to dodge its cws, yet Laura stifled a scream as the beast’s stinger shed out with impossible speed, seemingly stretching to an unexpected range, and stabbed into the boy’s stomach.

  The manticore barely had time to ugh in glee before a growl of rage came from the young warrior as he grabbed the stinger with a powerful grip, withdrew it with a burst of blood, and pulled.

  Laura would forever remember the incredulous scene of the foal, who barely reached her waist, grabbing the scorpion tail with both hands and turning on the spot several times, dragging the manticore with him as he waved it around the clearing like a spin top. The beast’s shocked face twisted as it passed by her several times, screaming in fear, before, with a roar, Jon sent it flying at blistering speeds to the tree.

  The manticore crashed so heavily that she could hear its bones breaking; its hind legs were broken clean in half, and its back looked twisted at a wrong angle as it was stuck in the broken tree trunk.

  Jon did not let up as he dashed at the beast, not giving it a chance to recover as he stabbed through the monster’s open maw and up the roof of its mouth, the silvery bde sticking out of its left eye.

  With the beast dead, Laura cantered out of the woods in worry as Jon staggered backwards before falling on his back. Manticore venom was so fatal it caused instant death in most cases. That the foal still lived long enough to kill the beast was a testament to his vitality; the manticore certainly did not expect him to survive the sting.

  “Jon, stay with me.”

  She kneeled as best as her horse body would allow and stripped his shirt away, finding a small hole in his stomach where dark liquid pulsed.

  “D-Don’t worry. I-I’m immune to m-most venoms.”

  “This isn’t most venoms, you foolish boy.” She was lost on how to treat him. He was not a centaur, and the wound itself was shallow, as his armour protected the worst of the stab.

  “Yeah, I-I noticed. It burns like hell, but not as bad as–I think I’ll be f-fine.” The stupid boy grinned as he opened his clenched green eyes, “I j-just need a nap.”

  With that, Jon Snow id back on the ground… sleeping. Laura sighed at the recklessness of the foal, though one thing confused her.

  Weren’t his eyes grey?

  We finally arrive at the Forbidden Forest incursion.

  Introducing the female centaur on a very noble quest.

  The regions of the Forbidden Forest are based on the Magical Creatures Reserve from Hogwarts Mystery. Once more, that does not mean that the pce is canon; only that you can use it for reference.