Chapter 237. Ronan's Help
"Help?" Hagrid cocked his head, his thick brows knitting into one.
"Wait and you'll see—oh, here he is."
Adrian Wesson and Hagrid had barely stepped into the Forbidden Forest when a flash of red swept towards them.
It was a centaur with a red beard and hair, and a handsome russet tail.
"Ronan?!"
Hagrid couldn't help blurting it out.
So the "help" Adrian had mentioned was Ronan?
That was odd.
Under normal circumstances, centaurs were not inclined to help wizards.
If it had been Firenze, that might be possible,
but Ronan belonged to the faction among centaurs that was extremely hostile to humans; usually, only those with giant blood could manage even a word or two with him.
Ronan came to a lithe halt before them, a trace of wariness in his eyes.
"Good afternoon, Ronan," Adrian stepped forward. "Thank you for being willing to help."
Ronan raised his head and spoke in his characteristic slow cadence. "You should understand, I am not here specifically to help you—only to see a friend."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the sky.
"A friend?"
Hagrid looked at Adrian, puzzled.
Adrian smiled faintly and pointed to Rai circling above.
Yes—Ronan's "friend" was not Adrian, but Rai.
It was for Rai's sake that Ronan had reluctantly agreed to guide them.
As for how Rai had forged a friendship with the centaurs, Adrian wasn't entirely sure; it seemed closely connected to the centaurs' foals.
Centaurs, after all, were a people who cared deeply about their young.
At that moment, Rai, who had been flying overhead, noticed Ronan's arrival, let out a cheerful cry, and performed a graceful dive, alighting on Ronan's broad back.
Unusually, Ronan permitted the little fellow's impudent gesture.
"Ronan," Hagrid rubbed his huge palms together and lowered his voice, "have you centaurs seen in the Forest… heard… anyone suspicious?"
Ronan's reddish-brown mane stirred gently in the breeze as he lifted his head to study the darkening sky.
"Mars's light has lately fallen in the northwest," he intoned, almost as if chanting, "but there is no evil there."
"What's that mean?" Hagrid scratched his tangled hair and glanced at Adrian.
He knew centaur speech was notoriously obscure and had braced himself, but he still couldn't grasp the exact meaning.
Adrian spread his hands.
What could be gathered was that the centaurs had likely read something in the stars.
"Could you take us to the place where Mars's light falls?" Adrian asked. "We'd be obliged."
"You will likely be disappointed," Ronan shook his head. "What you hope to find is not there."
"That's all right," Adrian smiled. "Take us anyway."
"Follow me."
Seeing Adrian's resolve, Ronan said no more, turned at once, and set off. Rai sprang from his back and took up a sentry's patrol in the sky.
Adrian and Hagrid hurried after him, and the three figures soon vanished into the Forest's depths.
On the way, Hagrid gave Ronan a detailed account of Sirius Black.
He described Black as a "cunning, treacherous criminal," listing the many heinous crimes he had committed.
Ronan, however, looked utterly indifferent.
He seemed not in the least concerned about a criminal appearing in the Forbidden Forest.
In truth, that was unusual.
Centaurs had always regarded the Forbidden Forest as their domain; if an outsider invaded, they would be the first to act.
Clearly, they did not consider Black a threat.
As they went deeper and deeper, Adrian suddenly felt the surroundings were familiar; he seemed… to have been here before?
Ronan led them through a stand of dead trees, around a small lake, and finally to an open clearing. At that moment, Adrian remembered—wasn't this near the spot where he had once tried to transplant the beech tree?
Come to think of it, he hadn't checked on that tree in a long while since the failed transplant.
Ronan stopped in the open space, and Adrian looked ahead; the beech tree stood not far away,
its outline faintly visible.
Ronan turned and said to Adrian and Hagrid, "We are here—your destination."
Hagrid looked around, frowning in confusion. "You're sure Black would hide in a place like this?"
Ronan slowly shook his head. "I never said that."
Hagrid was baffled. Then why bring them here—just because "Mars's light has lately fallen in the northwest"?
To be honest, he didn't believe in that mystical stuff, even from a centaur.
"Where do we go next?" He glanced around, then looked to Adrian.
Adrian did not answer. He walked forward in silence.
He heard it.
Something was calling to him.
A strange summons came from the direction of the beech tree, the sound seeming to echo directly inside his head.
"What is it?"
Seeing this, Hagrid followed at once, puzzled, and so did Ronan.
Soon, the two men and the centaur stood before the beech tree.
Compared with his memory, the tree had not changed much—only grown taller; its golden leaves rustled in the autumn wind. It was the season of falling leaves once more.
"This is… that tree!" Hagrid looked at Adrian in surprise. "Didn't you take it away? How's it back here again?"
He remembered almost chopping the tree down for furniture last year, and Adrian had stopped him just in time.
He had even watched Adrian with his own eyes pack the tree into a little suitcase.
"There were reasons," Adrian said. "The tree wasn't suited to my garden, so I brought it back."
At that, Hagrid's eyes lit up. "So you don't need it now? Brilliant! Shame I didn't bring my axe."
He rubbed his hands, already calculating what fine furniture such quality timber could make.
"I advise you to put that thought from your mind," Ronan said coldly. "This tree has life."
"'Course I know it has life," Hagrid said dismissively. "Every tree—every blade of grass does, but—"
His words cut off abruptly. His eyes bulged; his mouth fell open.
Before them, the beech tree's rough bark began to writhe, slowly forming a human face.
"Merlin's beard!" Hagrid stumbled back two steps and nearly tripped over his own boot.
He had never seen anything so uncanny.
"Hel…lo," the tree-face said, painfully slow.
Its gaze travelled over those before it and finally came to rest on Adrian.
"—!"
"Oh, Master!" it burst into a thunderous cheer, the whole tree trembling. "You've finally come to see me!"
The shout was so loud that it startled the birds roosting in the wood.
All three clapped their hands to their ears at once.
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium