Chapter 78: Ronan

Harry continued to examine the Ancient Barrier for a good while. Maybe there was a specific method to open it that didn't require him to break through it by force. But no matter how much he studied it, his conclusion didn't change.

It fit into the mindset of a Dragon really well, as if they had placed a barrier to be opened in a specific manner, only to be found by some kind of adventurer or Treasure Hunter. Now when they leave their lair, they would just leave a strong barrier to keep all the small fry out. A dragon would be easily able to break through a barrier that they placed themselves.

But there was a shimmer of hope. The barrier must have been here for thousands of years and was greatly weakened. What Harry perceived as Super Devil level was only a greatly weakened remnant of the Barrier one of the heavenly Dragons left behind.

That told him quite a lot about the true strength of the two Heavenly Dragons and the beings on levels above them. Big G probably only succeeded in sealing them into Sacred Gears because they were greatly weakened. Dragons were on a completely different level.

He kept studying the Barrier for a while until he decided that there was nothing he could do right now. His Spells didn't even weaken it in the least when he tried to bombard it. He thought he could bomb it down with enough time, but it didn't have any effect. The Barrier was powerful enough not to be affected at all by the strongest Spells at his current level.

In the end, he chose to leave the Cave and return to the Castle. He had succeeded in what he was planning to find out and got more than he had expected. Although he didn't find out much about the Chamber itself, he learned more about the Snake, a Snake that was the enemy of all Spiders.

After saying goodbye to the Old Spider, he left the former Acromantula Lair and made his way back to the small Path. Unfortunately, this seemed harder than he expected as he had lost track of the way. It wasn't the Darkness that was troubling him since it already became night and the Moon was shining high above the treetops, illuminating the night. No, his problem was the thick mist engulfing the thick and dark forest.

The mist still affected his ability to see, and he had no idea whether he was going in the right direction. But by his estimation, he should have arrived at the Path a while ago, but he couldn't find it anywhere.

Just when he was about to summon one of the Spiders from his Sacred Gear so they could guide him through the forest, a shape appeared in his field of view. Harry at first wasn't sure - was it a man, or a horse? To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming chestnut body with a long, reddish tail.

And then he realized what it was - a Centaur! "Good day!" greeted Harry, as he knew that Centaurs were as intelligent as Humans and could communicate in their language.

"Good evening to you, Mr. Potter." Nodded the Centaur as he observed Harry with an unreadable look, "Or should I call you Owner of the Garden, Master of the Gate, Creator of the Weave, Archmage, Master of the Mystic Arts… Oh, pardon, I am a bit too farsighted."

Harry now watched the Centaur carefully; he knew a lot. Too much. "You know my name, Mr. Centaur. But I am unaware of who I am speaking to."

"My name is Ronan, Mr. Potter. It is good to meet you. Although almost a year late, it seems your original fate doesn't apply to you anymore." The last part was muttered by the Centaur now known as Ronan, but Harry heard him clearly.

Why would he have met the Centaur a year ago? Should he have hunted Quirrell when he was feeding on Unicorns or something? That was after all around that time. But Quirrell wasn't of big interest to him back then, the stone was far more fascinating. Or did something else happen?

Centaurs are supposed to see the future. Based on his words, did his future change? Well, it didn't matter to him, he would take things as they come. No prophecy or future sight would determine the path he would walk down.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr. Ronan. I am quite lost in the forest currently. Would it be possible for you to show me the way to the Path?" asked Harry the Centaur.

"It would be a pleasure. The forest can be very dangerous during the night. And I am not speaking of the Acromantulas. There are things far more dangerous than them," explained Ronan as he nodded Harry to follow him. "Although we Centaurs are still debating about your offer, there should be no problems if I show you the way back."

An offer? What offer? Harry just met a Centaur for the first time today.

"But while we are here, I can also tell you the words you were supposed to hear back then. You already know that your fated foe is still alive. Even as a cursed existence, he is quite dangerous," said Ronan as he trotted through the trees, while Harry was following him.

"You are talking about Voldemort. So you were supposed to warn me that he is still alive. Yes, I know that now," nodded Harry, unsure how that was important if he already knew it.

"Indeed, the current you doesn't need that information anymore. But there was more you should have heard. Since one year ago, Mars is very bright. Especially since the night you were supposed to meet me and my brethren," added Ronan calmly as they arrived at the small dirt path leading through the forest.

"'Mars is very bright,' that is the important information I needed to hear?" asked Harry, confused. This was his problem with prophetic magic or anything handling the future. It was always so unclear and mysterious.

"Indeed," nodded Ronan before pointing in one direction, "If you walk down that direction, you will return to the Castle. I am eager to meet you again in the future when my tribe has made their decision." Nodded Ronan, before turning around and just leaving without any further words.

"Goodbye," said Harry as he watched the Centaur disappear into the Mist, "Well, that was strange." He muttered before he followed down the path while thinking about the strange words the Centaur shared with him.

He wasn't sure what decision the Centaur was talking about. But he had an idea what 'Mars is bright' could mean. It was quite simple; in many cultures, Mars was associated with one specific thing. For example, in the Roman and Greek Cultures, which the Centaurs originate from, Mars was the name of or was associated with the God of War in that specific Pantheon. So Ronan was telling him that a war was coming and it had something to do with Voldemort. So he clearly would get his body back in the future.

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