Hogwarts Lion Girl

A soft sound came from deep in the woods, and the branches and leaves swayed, startling a few black crows, which flapped their wings and flew into the inky sky.

Colin shuddered with fear and subconsciously moved closer to Salina, muttering, "Merlin's woolen pants, what is this?!"

Hagrid raised his huge pink umbrella vigilantly and stood in front of the four children, like a hen protecting her chicks.

"Don't be afraid, kids, I'm here." He comforted them in a gruff voice, but his clenched fists and alert eyes revealed that he was not completely calm at the moment.

Although Salina was a little nervous, she tried to stay calm.

Ginny poked her head out curiously, showing no fear at all. Instead, she was eager to try. "Maybe it's a dragon!" she said excitedly, "I have a brother who raises dragons in Romania..."

As soon as the words fell, a figure walked out from the bushes.

However, what appeared was not a fire-breathing behemoth, but a... centaur?

The little pony looked like it had not yet been weaned. Its body was covered with soft brown fur. Its big watery eyes were filled with confusion and fear, and it kept making pitiful neighing sounds.

It looked out of place among the other dangerous creatures in the Forbidden Forest, like a little lamb that had strayed into a pack of wolves.

"Oh, poor little guy, are you lost?" When Hagrid saw the pony, he immediately put away his umbrella, squatted down, and stretched out his hand to it. His tone was as gentle as if he was coaxing a child, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

The pony looked at Hagrid timidly, then looked at the children behind him, hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked up to Hagrid and rubbed his head against his big hand.

"It looks like it's been separated from its family," Hagrid stroked the pony's mane gently and looked up at the children. "We have to send it back. The Forbidden Forest is too dangerous for such a small centaur."

"Centaurs?" Colin asked in surprise. "You mean, this is a centaur's child?"

"That's right," Hagrid nodded, "The Centaur tribe is deep in the Forbidden Forest. We must hurry and send it back quickly."

Ginny almost jumped up with excitement, "Great! I have never seen a real centaur tribe!"

Although Salina was not as exaggerated as Ginny, she couldn't help but feel curious.

The centaurs are mysterious creatures who are proficient in astrology and prophecy and rarely interact with wizards. This opportunity to get close to the centaurs tribe is also a rare experience for her.

"Let's go then!" Ginny said, and wanted to hug the pony.

"Wait, Ginny," Salina pulled her back, "Centaurs are not as easy to talk to as Hagrid. We have to be careful not to annoy them."

Ginny stuck out her tongue and stood obediently next to Sharina.

Hagrid picked up the pony and continued walking deeper into the Forbidden Forest with the children.

As night fell, the atmosphere in the forbidden forest became more eerie and terrifying, with all kinds of strange noises coming one after another, making people feel creepy.

Colin clutched Salina's robe tightly, not daring to breathe.

Salina could feel Colin's body trembling slightly because of fear, and couldn't help turning her head to look at him. In the faint moonlight, she saw that Colin's face was pale, his lips were tightly pursed, and he looked like he was about to cry.

Salina gently patted the back of Colin's hand, gave him a comforting look, and whispered, "Don't be afraid, Colin, we are all here."

Colin looked at Salina, his eyes full of gratitude and... an emotion that Salina couldn't explain. He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing, just holding Salina's hand more tightly, as if this would give him an infinite sense of security.

Salina felt Colin's warm body temperature passing through her palms and did not refuse the little boy's hand.

"Shh, we're here." Hagrid, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and said in a low voice.

Salina and the other two looked up quickly, and saw an open space in front of them. There was a bonfire burning on the open space, and several tall figures were standing next to the bonfire.

It's a centaur!

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" A low voice sounded in the open space, with obvious hostility.

Hagrid quickly stepped forward and explained, "We're here to take this pony home. It got lost in the Forbidden Forest."

A tall centaur walked forward from the crowd. His strong hooves made a heavy sound when stepping on the ground. Salina could even feel the ground shaking slightly.

He took the pony from Hagrid's hands, gently as if he were a fragile treasure.

The centaur leader nodded slightly, accepting Hagrid's explanation.

His deep eyes swept across Salina, Ginny and Colin, and finally fell on Salina, not moving away for a long time.

Serena felt uncomfortable all over, as if she was being stared at by a ferocious beast. She couldn't help but take a step back and hold her wand tightly.

"Ben, don't be like this, they are our guests." The centaur who had been talking to Hagrid spoke up. He had thick, curly gray-green hair like seaweed, tied together with leather, revealing a weather-beaten face. "I am Bane, and this is the leader of our tribe, Magnus."

Magnus? Salina was secretly surprised. She had seen this name in a divination textbook. It was said that he was the most knowledgeable astrologer of the time and could predict the future. But the book also mentioned that Magnus was a loner and eccentric, and rarely interacted with wizards. She didn't expect to meet him here today.

"Welcome, young wizards. Tonight will be our annual Star and Moon Festival. If you don't mind, you can stay and spend the night with us." Bane's voice was low and magnetic, as pleasant as a cello.

Hagrid readily agreed, and Ginny almost jumped up with excitement. Only Colin was still a little scared, hiding behind Salina, looking timidly at the tall centaurs.

The dinner of the centaur tribe was simple and plain. They spread the fur of wild animals on the open ground, and put out various wild fruits and barbecue. The centaurs sat on the ground and talked loudly about the trajectory of the stars and the prediction of fate. Hagrid and Ginny were soon infected by the lively atmosphere and joined their conversation.

Salina ate the barbecue silently, and her eyes occasionally met with Magnus who was not far away. Every time they looked at each other, Salina felt as if her heart was tightly grasped by an invisible hand, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Hello, can I sit here?" A gentle voice sounded in Salina's ears. Salina looked up and saw a female centaur standing in front of her. She had long silver hair cascading down like a waterfall, dotted with a few white wildflowers, and her deep eyes sparkled with wisdom.

"Of course." Salina quickly moved to the side to make room.

"My name is Aria, and I'm Baine's sister." The female centaur sat down gracefully and smiled at Sharina. "What about you? You look worried."

"My name is Salina," Salina hesitated, "I'm just a little weird."

"Strange? What's strange?" Aria asked with a smile, as if she saw through Selina's thoughts.

Salina looked at her and asked softly, "I heard that centaurs can predict the future. So, did your leader see my future?"

Aria laughed softly, as clear and sweet as a silver bell. "Destiny is not immutable, Sharina," she said softly: "It is like the twinkling stars in the night sky, seemingly out of reach, but as long as you are willing, you can also change their trajectory."

Salina looked at Aria in surprise, her words seemed to hold a mystery.

"Come on, Salina," Aria stood up and extended her hand to Salina, "The starry sky is particularly beautiful tonight. Let me take you to see it. I will tell you the secrets about the stars."

Salina looked into Aria's sincere eyes. She held Aria's hand and let her lead her towards the vast starry sky.