Volume 5: The Burning Golden Flame Chapter 344 The Right Hogwarts
Even Hagrid was not as familiar with the layout of the forbidden forest as the centaurs.
Soon, Firenze, John and the others came to a relatively open space. There were no fire dragons stationed nearby, and during the competition, there would be no Aurors or the like appearing here. It was a very suitable place to talk.
After finding a good place to settle down, the centaurs immediately dispersed to look for food and prepare a temporary resting place, leaving only Firenze, John and Cedric to talk.
Jon pulled out the little wooden plaque Hagrid had given him.
"The Forbidden Forest is now completely surrounded by Aurors' magic. Hagrid tried to get in before but failed. He could only ask me to contact you during the competition to ensure your current situation and needs. Also, Hagrid asked me to find a man named Parsons among the centaurs."
After hearing Jon's last words, Firenze remained silent.
The air suddenly fell into silence, but even without any answer, just from this situation, Jon could guess Parson's ending.
"A lot of my people died." Firenze raised his head and looked at Jon with his only remaining eye. "We didn't have much desire for the outside world. Even when wizards determined the categories of humans and magical animals, our ancestors voluntarily separated themselves from humans and disdained to associate with wizards."
His voice was soft and calm, so calm that one could hardly hear the tremor in it.
"But even if we only live in this forbidden forest, the British Ministry of Magic is unwilling to let us go. Killing us will not benefit them at all, but they still did it. The reason is actually because we have dirty blood in our bodies."
Jon could understand Firenze's feelings.
There are only a few centaurs in the wizarding world. In the whole of Britain, and even in the whole of Europe, the centaur tribe living in the Forbidden Forest can be said to be the largest centaur tribe.
But now an unexpected disaster has befallen them, most of their compatriots have been slaughtered, and the remaining old, weak and sick can only hide from the enemy. Two or three fire dragons can almost trap them all to death.
It would be strange if Firenze didn't have any resentment towards wizards.
Cedric on the side also had a guilty look on his face. He should feel guilty, no matter what he thought in his heart. However, as a half-blood, whose father worked in the Ministry of Magic and who was considered to have officially joined Voldemort's camp and enjoyed privileges, everything he enjoyed now was built on the oppression of others.
But Jon wouldn't be fooled by just a few words from him. The centaurs' current situation is regrettable, but is it really not their fault at all?
"I sympathize with you and your people, Mr. Firenze, but I have a question for you to answer." Jon did not avoid Firenze's unusually blue eyes. "Since you are in your current situation, you all thought of asking Dumbledore and Hagrid for help at the first time. What about the entire Hogwarts' war against the Dark Lord at that time? What was the position of the entire centaur community?"
Jon's question made Firenze close his eyes, and also made the guilty Cedric look up to listen to his answer.
After a long while, Firenze spoke again.
"At that time, I tried my best to persuade other members of the tribe to leave the Forbidden Forest and help Dumbledore. No matter who wins or loses in the end, Dumbledore and his people are our most steadfast allies. But others don't think so. They think that since the centaurs are not even considered human beings, they should not interfere in disputes between wizards. No matter who rules this school, the centaurs can live well in the Forbidden Forest."
Jon was not at all surprised by his answer. Even though neither Dumbledore nor Hagrid had ever mentioned this matter, if the centaurs had participated in the war that led to the fall of Hogwarts Castle, then Dumbledore would have done his best to take the centaurs out of the Forbidden Forest. Leaving them there would only lead to their extinction.
But there is not a single centaur in the Order of the Phoenix today, so it is possible that the centaurs at that time were just standing by and watching.
"Excuse me, Mr. Firenze, if the centaurs had chosen to help us, we might have been in a difficult situation, but we would never have fallen to the point where we are now."
Jon's words were very blunt, and he had to be blunt. He couldn't be like Cedric, who was fooled by a few words and felt that it was all his fault.
It is true that we want to help the horse people, but this help can never be defined as compensation.
In response, Firenze did not show any intention of being stubborn and trying to lump Voldemort and Dumbledore together, or attributing the current plight of the centaurs to the fault of the wizards. He took a deep breath and looked at Jon with bright eyes.
"I don't mean to take this fight against you because of this. I know who the enemy is better than anyone else. In the eyes of other centaurs, wizards may be wizards, but I know the difference between the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, and I know who our friends are. So this time I am asking you, Mr. Green, to contact Dumbledore and help rescue the rest of my people. If we continue to stay in the Forbidden Forest, we will only be exterminated."
He kept a very low profile. Although he was clearly half a body taller than Jon, he bent his waist and lowered his head, which made Jon, who had always kept his back straight, look even taller.
This is a request, an unequal and extremely humble request on one side.
The ponies around were all huddled together for warmth. Their faces were a little dirty, and they looked at their leader with their eyes that were slightly shining and reflecting the moonlight.
These cubs were all well protected. Almost every adult centaur who survived had injuries to varying degrees, but most of these children were just a little dirty without many scars.
Jon looked up at the bright night sky and suddenly spoke.
"How much did Cedric tell you about the Triwizard Tournament?"
This time, Cedric answered before Firenze could speak.
"I don't know much. Dad never told me these things. He just told Firenze that you will come to Hogwarts Castle for this competition, and the victory or defeat will have a great impact on the situation."
Jon said seriously.
"Not very much. The outcome of this match will determine the outcome of the current situation between us and the Dark Lord. This match is a gamble. As long as we win in the end, we can achieve a complete victory in the main battlefield in France, retake Hogwarts Castle, and completely eliminate the situation of two Hogwarts coexisting."
Cedric and Firenze were both stunned. Firenze had thought before that this event had been suspended for such a long time, and that resuming it under the current circumstances must be related to some key issues, but he had never imagined that the Dark Lord and Dumbledore would bet so much on this game.
Hogwarts is of great significance to any ruler of the British wizarding world. It can even be said that only by controlling this castle can one achieve the most thorough control over the entire United Kingdom.
Once the legitimacy of this thousand-year-old school was lost, it would be like Voldemort had lost half of Britain. This was much more serious than the so-called loss of France, and it directly shook the foundation of his rule.
John and Dumbledore understood this very well, and the reason why Dumbledore agreed to the bet without investigating clearly why Voldemort proposed this match was because they had two plans from the beginning of the match.
John only needs to do his best to complete the game, while Dumbledore will make other preparations and investigations.
"So what do you need us to do?" Firenze asked Jon.
"You don't need to do anything. You'd better stay at the edge of the Forbidden Forest near Hogsmeade for the time being. I will explain your situation to Professor Dumbledore after the game. If you want to leave the Forbidden Forest directly, we can help pick you up and take you to France, which is under our control. You will be safe there."
As soon as Jon finished speaking, Firenze shook his head, with hatred clearly lurking in his eyes.
"The cubs can go to France for protection, but the men have to go to the front lines. We are not afraid of sacrifice, and we are not afraid of sacrifice for hatred and blood!"
Jon knew the value of these centaurs. Even if they couldn't use any magic, they were all good fighters. Not only did every adult centaur have superb archery skills, they were also far superior to wizards in agility and physique. Otherwise, facing so many years of siege, these centaurs in the Forbidden Forest would have died long ago.
"I will tell Professor Dumbledore about your thoughts, but what you need to do most now is to protect yourself. I don't think it's a coincidence that the three dragons would block your way out just at the right time. If this is not a coincidence, then someone has ulterior motives towards you."
After giving the centaurs his instructions, Jon turned his gaze back to Cedric.
"Can we talk alone?"
Cedric was a little at a loss when he saw Jon's sudden look, but he quickly calmed down and nodded.
Firenze was very tactful in organizing the tribesmen to build this new temporary camp, and Jon also began to have a private conversation with the mixed-race student.
"You should be very clear about what your actions now mean to your principal."
Jon's expression and tone were serious. He was not threatening Cedric, but stating the facts.
Cedric was of course very clear that although in most cases now Voldemort would only show his "kindness" to those who supported him, so that few people in Britain today would mention his previous methods, but since Cedric knew Dumbledore and John, he must have known the true face of Voldemort.
"If I am discovered, it will not only be me who will die, but also my father and mother. They will all be punished."
Cedric's voice was trembling slightly, but his expression and eyes were firmer than the night wind that was always blowing.
"But I can't deceive myself. The education I received since childhood has taught me what is right and what is wrong. Maybe I could comfort myself with the illusion that mixed-blood students in Hogwarts did not suffer much injustice, but what you said when you rescued that punk girl that day made it impossible for me to accept everything I have with peace of mind."
Jon looked at him.
"The British have announced that I am the dark wizard who sneaked into Hogwarts ?"
"No." Cedric shook his head. "They will never admit that they were fooled by a student like you who has not yet graduated from school, but this is no secret in the Ministry of Magic. Many employees know that the person who did that last year is the same person who killed the Lestranges in public this year. I know this because my father accidentally said it out loud when he was drunk during the summer vacation."
He looked at Jon, his clear eyes reflecting the moonlight.
"I know I'm not as good as you, Jon, but I don't want to be a slave of the pure-bloods. I know what I'm doing now will bring danger to my family, but I can't force myself to admit that something that should have been wrong has become right just because of such danger."
Jon never had any doubts about Cedric's integrity. Even when he first met the boy, the first question he asked using Legilimency was to confirm whether he was really Cedric Diggory, because the name itself was convincing enough.
"Excellence is never about a person's contribution, but what he does." Jon said earnestly, "What you did tonight has left you with no way back, Cedric. Now you need to make up your mind and stand with us."
Cedric said calmly without hesitation or hesitation.
"When I decided to help Firenze and the others, I had already made up my mind. As long as I can change the current Britain and let people who should be equal regain their freedom and human rights, I am willing to do anything."
Jon showed a smile that he only showed when facing Hermione and Neville, and he patted Cedric on the shoulder.
“When expressing your determination, there is no need to make the atmosphere so heavy. The road we are walking on is no longer so difficult. At least the scene in front of us is no longer dark.”
Cedric also exhaled, a smile on his face .
"Does this count as me abandoning the dark and joining the light?"
"You just went back to a proper Hogwarts."
