章節 1019: Spring Equinox Ⅱ
It had been a close match, but in the end, Hufflepuff had won. Gryffindor had been in the lead, but the Hufflepuff seeker had played a tough game and caught the snitch. It had been a vast disappointment to Sirius as the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Still ever optimistic Sirus vowed to be ready next year and regain the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor. In other words, it didn't matter if the Quidditch season was for Gryffindor, there was always next year to prepare for…
The rest of the day the students had been rushing about and simply enjoying the traditions of the Spring Equinox. There was a great big feast at the end of the evening. With such a long day even the most energetic of students were tuckered out much to the great relief of the Prefects. The majority of the students at Hogwarts went happily to bed with a few exceptions.
With the full moon tradition of running about, the marauders were out on the grounds romping about. Sirius as a great black dog happily romped on the grounds chasing Remus (now an animagus) wolf. Peter, a gleaming healthy black rat happily clinging to the mane of Severus, who trotted after them gamely behind them with his wings folded back. Alertly glancing about is the stag form of James, who is pulled into racing against Severus around the still frozen inky black lake. The four of them play on the grounds even daring to venture into the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.
On top of the Astronomy tower, Rowan sits despite the frigid winds. She closes her eyes carefully studying her mindscape ensuring that the marauders are safe. After an hour or so, they finally begin to tire and feel the cold, before eagerly heading inside Hogwarts. She continues her watch until they return back to their House dorms.
Half-frozen with teeth clattering, Rowan finally teleports to the outskirts of the centaur village. A thick wall of thorny bushes over twelve feet high creates a prickly barrier between the forest denizens and the centaur village. She would have teleported directly into the centaur village, but she had a feeling that would have given the shaman a heart attack. Hearing dragonhide boots, she makes her way through the snow-covered ground and closer to a small opening in the copse. Through the thorny hedges, she emerges in a green clearing as if still in the middle of spring.
The air itself feels wonderful to Rowan, who was half-frozen after sitting on top of the Astronomy tower for hours. On the grassy hills, large tents of deer hide, and other creatures of the forest are set up throughout the valley. The animal hide tents resemble the Native American Tipi's only less vertical and far more open resembling more of the Sámi Lavvu's. The largest difference is that the tents are much, much larger due to the Centaur's statures.
At this late hour, the newborns and centaur children have all been pulled inside the tents to sleep and rest for the evening. Yet there are plenty of centaurs who are wide awake, especially the youths who flirt and laugh with each other, while the adults gather around to chat about their children or the stars. The heavens were always the most popular subject to discuss among the centaurs.
Rowan almost chokes at spotting a rather human figure among the centaurs, it was Sybill Trelawney. At times like these, the Divination Professor truly appeared to be almost unrecognizable to the witch she had been in Potter's time. The Sybill Trelawney that Rowan knew dressed rather simply in a leaf green cloak with a silver pin, an amethyst ring, an amber pendant, and a moonstone bracelet. But more importantly, Professor Trelawney had all the signs of first love.
There was a soft, delicate flush on Sybill Trelawney's face. Her eyes gleamed as she stared into the eyes of Ronan, a handsome centaur with a gleaming chestnut lower half. Even more provocative, Sybill sat on the back of Ronan and leaned against his back. It was out of the greatest insult for a human to sit on a centaur's back and yet she was a witch doing so. It truly must be love!
"I knew you would come, Child of the founders," a youthful voice said causing Rowan to startle.
Almost glowing in the moonlight, there stands a youth with a slim muscular build and long white-blond hair with a matching palomino body. The eyes of Firenze sparkly like the brightest and palest of sapphires. The only blemish on his body is the rune scar on his shoulder that marks him as the next shaman.
"I suppose the heavens told you, Firenze," Rowan drily said.
Firenze sapphire eyes twinkled like the brightest of stars. "There is much to be revealed in the Heavens," he answered casting his gaze towards the stars gleaming above in a sea of darkness.
"Then you know why I have come," Rowan flatly retorted.
"Yes," Firenze murmured reluctantly pulling his gaze from the cosmos. "The Shaman is not pleased at all by thine visit, but he could not very well deny your request."
Rowan numbly nods her head, before glancing at the two guards up ahead, who bowed towards Firenze. "I presume that everyone was expecting me."
"Naturally," Firenze hummed leading Rowan forward past the two dead centaur guards.
Rowan nods her head in greeting the marron-colored centaur and the thinly bearded centaur she had met during her last visit. They politely also greet her in the same manner, before remaining alertly at their post. There were plenty of hungry beasts about and more so as many awoke from their long slumbers as the weather grew warmer.
They gave the centaur tents a wide breech, but Rowan curiously asked, "Will Ronan wed Professor Trelawney?"
"The Shaman is most displeased at their courtship," Firenze truthfully admitted. "But the tribe is in favor of their being tied together, Sybill Trelawney is the descendant of an extraordinary human seer. With the tribe in favor of their union, the Shaman can only bow his head and properly train Sybill Trelawney in her abilities."
"In that case, I am happy for them," Rowan sincerely remarked. Sybill Trelawney in Potter's time had taken to drinking her sorrows away. A rather neurotic witch, uncertain of everything including herself. If Professor Trelawney could be happy in the present, it would be for the better.
"A handfasting will be held as summer approaches," Firenze interjected pulling Rowan back to the present.
"I am certain the Shaman is most excited to preside," Rowan darkly smirked.
Firenze chuckles lightly, before pausing to greet a high-cheek-boned centaur with long black hair standing guard over the tribe. "Magorian, the stars are bright this evening."
"Yes, they are," the Chief of the Centaurs proudly answered, before casting his gaze towards Rowan. "Child of the Founders," he titled his head in acknowledgment.
"Magorian," Rowan respectfully greeted the tribe chief.
"The shaman awaits your presence, Child of the Founders," Magorian matter-of-factly stated, before turning to his post to watch over the tribe. He did know what else the Child of the Founders would bring to his tribe, but it would not be out of ill will.
They had gained a powerful shaman to be in the form of Firenze and the protection of a powerful guardian. There was even once again a human among them, who was willing to become the mate of one of their own. They had no humans among them since their ancestor's found sanctuary in this land. Yet they could not forget the human fathers that sired their kind and their human mothers, sisters, and brothers that their tribe had once held. When the tribe had sought sanctuary, they had left behind their human kin.
The great Shamaness at the time declared that their human kin would not survive the dangerous journey. Furthermore, there was the fear that their slave masters would find them after their escape. They had departed in the dark the night and the centaur tribe had not once regretted the actions of their ancestors to ensure their survival.
Not until recently, the arrival of the witch, Sybill Trelawney had changed greatly the mind of the tribe members. In many ways, she was weaker than they as most humans are, and most certainly lacked any grace when traversing through the forest. However, she surpassed them in terms of knowledge even regarding the stars. Wizards and witches had come a long way since their ancestor's time and there was much to learn from them regarding the stars.
Some of the elders were frightened by the rapid change, but many of the tribe members embraced the newfound knowledge. Sybill Trelawney had become the bridge between their world and that of wizardkind. And for the first time, the tribe began to regret and wonder what had occurred to their human kin by blood that had been so abruptly abandoned.
In retrospect, it was likely that they had been punished for the escape of their ancestors. Perchance they were even slain and separated, before being cruelly sold. Their human kin surely would have been scattered to the winds. And for that much of the tribe felt sorrow and had begun to also offer offerings to the Great Beyond on behalf of their human ancestors and kin, whom they had never known.
The tribe could only offer penance for the actions of their ancestors, but they vowed to mend the gap in the present. They would never again abandon their human kin and should a human child ever be born to Ronan and his mate, Sybill, they would accept and protect their human blood kin. This much the tribe promised along with Magorian, Chief of their tribe. Never again, they vowed. And centaurs kept their vows, unlike humans.
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EsliEsma
EsliEsma It's November! So, good and bad news. Good news, I am still alive. I had a severe asthmatic attack, so breathing is apparently a challenge now...... Here's to recuperating and hopefully, this is only one time attack. I haven't been able to write at all, so I will try to post every 7 days. December will likely be on the same schedule...... I will say, Covid didn't do me in, but I find it ironic an asthmatic attack did...
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