Chiron was indeed a genuinely great figure, and it wasn't merely his legendary talent but his fundamental strength of character that earned Allen's profound admiration.
Allen knew the tragic details from historical and mythical records. While pursuing centaur bandits, Hercules had accidentally wounded his own revered teacher, Chiron, using an indestructible arrow that Chiron himself had crafted and gifted to the hero years earlier.
The arrow, after piercing a bandit, lodged deeply into Chiron's side. The centaur was an immortal being, but Hercules's arrow had been saturated with the potent, agonizing venom of the Hydra. Chiron immediately felt a searing, crippling pain far worse than any mortal death.
At the time, the Titan Prometheus was being perpetually tortured by Zeus on Mount Caucasus for the ultimate sin of stealing divine fire for the benefit of humankind. One day, Hercules, wandering the mountains in search of the Hesperides, came across the scene. He saw the cruel eagle tearing at Prometheus's liver, drew his bow, and instantly shot the bird out of the sky.
He then unchained Prometheus, freeing him and carrying him away from the cliff. However, to satisfy the terms of Zeus—that an immortal must take Prometheus's place to truly complete the Titan's release—Hercules sought an exchange.
Chiron, despite his agonizing wound and the opportunity to live eternally, was willing to sacrifice his own life to liberate Prometheus from the endless torment inflicted by the Hydra's incurable poison. Chiron agreed to the exchange, willingly relinquishing his immortality to relieve Prometheus of his endless suffering. Thus, both were finally freed.
Allen had noticed subtle depictions of this dramatic trade-off woven into the complex patterns on the stone walls of the Centaurs' sacred heritage site.
Chiron could have lived forever, yet, seeming to foresee his own necessary demise before the arrow struck, he had painstakingly designed and constructed this intricate fortress as the ultimate Centaur Heritage Site, carefully concealing his most precious knowledge and physical treasures within. Only his direct, worthy descendants knew the precise means of entering this secret inner chamber.
It was a crucial comparison Allen couldn't ignore: Voldemort sought immortality even at the horrific cost of systematically shattering his own soul. Chiron, conversely, possessing the gift of eternal life, willingly surrendered it for the salvation of another.
This noble, decisive choice—this spirit of profound selflessness for the benefit of others—was entirely beyond the comprehension of ordinary beings, let alone the Dark Lord. It was this singular, heroic experience that earned Allen's deepest, most unreserved respect.
Magorian, standing before the altar, said nothing further. He raised his two mighty front legs and, to Allen's utter astonishment, began striking the large, flat stone platform directly in front of him with a rapid, measured rhythm.
As the final, resounding note of the percussive striking faded into the stone silence, the platform instantly sank into the floor. A smooth, vertical stone pillar slowly ascended before Allen and Magorian.
After the pillar reached its full height, Magorian uttered a strange, short syllable. It wasn't an animal sound, and Allen couldn't immediately grasp its meaning, but based on the immediate response—stone drawers snapping open from the pillar—he guessed it simply meant "Reveal."
The sight of the shimmering blue jewel resting within the revealed drawer completely captivated Allen. All interest in deciphering the meaning of that single Centaur syllable vanished. His mind and gaze were entirely fixed on Merlin's Jewel.
"It is rightfully yours, Allen," Magorian motioned for the wizard to take the jewel.
Holding the gemstone carefully in his palm and examining it closely, Allen realized it wasn't a deep, oceanic blue. The colour was that of shallow, sun-drenched seawater, or perhaps a pale, perfect sky blue. A faint, almost electric blue light occasionally glimmered across the gemstone's surface, seeming to whisper to Allen of its unusual origin and deep, mysterious history.
Although the jewel's full magical wonders were as yet unknown, Allen was already utterly captivated. Even without knowing its full provenance or capabilities, its sparkling, mesmerizing appearance alone established its immense value and status as a genuine world treasure.
Perhaps blue simply held a unique, powerful allure for wizards. Ancient sorcerers universally regarded blue gemstones as the most important of all, believing they possessed the power to unlock mysteries and predict the future.
That makes sense, Allen thought. He understood the profound magical value of the Moonstone when he first possessed it, but he had never cherished or obsessed over that yellow stone with the same intensity as he felt now for this blue relic.
"You are welcome to admire this beautiful jewel as often as you wish, Allen. But after a night of such profound work and revelation, we should enjoy the remaining wonder of the starry sky," Magorian gently hinted that their time in the inner chamber was done.
Allen understood the cue. He carefully placed the beautiful Merlin's Jewel in his arm, secured it within his System inventory, and followed Magorian out of the dark room. The very moment they exited, the shimmering, void wall snapped back, returning to its seemingly solid, unyielding state.
Outside, the brilliant starry sky, the delicate scent of the forest flowers, the quiet, melodic chirping of the night insects—everything seemed overwhelmingly comfortable and beautiful.
Allen felt a surging lift in his spirits. He had secured the deep friendship of the Centaurs, witnessed the spectacular, world-altering Gift of Chiron, and, most importantly, now possessed the precious Merlin's Jewel, a treasure Allen knew he would cherish fiercely.
Bidding farewell to Magorian, Allen politely but firmly refused Firenzo's offer to escort him out of the Forbidden Forest, genuinely not wanting to disturb the Centaurs, who were already immersed in their post-ritual observation of the stars. After ensuring he was alone, he quickly cast a powerful Disillusionment Charm on himself and ran swiftly toward Ravenclaw Tower.
By the time Allen returned to the comforting familiarity of his bed, the first faint rays of the sun had already begun to touch the earth, bathing the eastern horizon in a pale, quiet white. Despite the approach of dawn, the air within Hogwarts remained profoundly peaceful.
A gentle breeze lifted the sheer curtains by the window, its softness filtering through to soothe Allen's agitated nerves and settle his restless heart.
Allen fully expected that he would be too exhilarated to sleep, but after a final, happy mental kiss toward Merlin's Jewel in his inventory, the calming environment instantly pulled him into a deep, dreamless slumber.
For the next two days, Allen maintained an exceptional mood. Even though the official exams were long over, he diligently adhered to his strict schedule. His morning exercise routine and the quiet contemplation of Merlin's new gemstone before retiring became his most cherished, private moments.
On the third day, Hermione and Ron excitedly rushed into the library to inform Allen that Harry had finally woken up. At Harry's insistent request, they had received permission from Madam Pomfrey to go in and speak with their friend for approximately fifteen minutes!
Although Allen had no intention of disturbing Harry's delicate recovery with a lengthy visit, he went to the Hospital Wing as a simple courtesy. He asked Madam Pomfrey to deliver the Gaia-gifted forest berries he still had on hand to Harry, believing the natural goodness would aid his recovery, but deliberately chose not to enter the main ward to greet Harry personally.
It was abundantly clear that Madam Pomfrey was quite pleased with his considerate, non-intrusive visiting style, giving him a rare, appreciative nod.