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Chapter 51: Horsemen in the Forbidden Forest

He looked at the unicorn's withered body, much like the other animals before it, and frowned slightly.

Hagrid continued to sob, wiping his nose with a filthy handkerchief. Annoyed by the noise and lack of hygiene, Dracula gently patted him on the shoulder.

Instantly, a bone-chilling coldness seeped from Hagrid's shoulder, as if a bucket of December's Black Lake water had been thrown over him. He immediately calmed down, his sorrow nearly extinguished.

The abrupt emotional shift left Hagrid feeling somewhat stifled and uneasy.

"Quiet, listen to me," Dracula's cold voice broke the silence.

Hagrid shivered, turned to look at the figure standing beside the unicorn, and involuntarily held his breath.

"This blood-draining dark magic is likely a form of sacrificial magic," Dracula said, gazing at the unicorn's body. "Its purpose is to steal life force by absorbing the blood of other beings. Perhaps ordinary animals did not provide enough life force, so the dark wizard in the Forbidden Forest targeted the unicorn for its powerful life essence."

"But... using unicorn blood brings a curse!" Hagrid sobbed quietly at the thought of the dead unicorn. "Who would want a half-dead, cursed life?"

Dracula pondered for a moment and suddenly recalled the forbidden dark magic Dumbledore had mentioned in the abandoned classroom, his eyes revealing understanding.

If it were Voldemort, who survived by means of Horcruxes, he would not care about the curse associated with unicorn blood.

"Perhaps... that dark wizard was already living a half-dead life himself?" Dracula said softly.

Suddenly, the taut twang of a bowstring sounded from the depths of the forest, followed by the whistling of an arrow.

Dracula swiftly raised his hand, catching the sharp crossbow bolt between his fingers.

"Hagrid, get away from that evil creature immediately!" a deep voice came from the forest.

Then, a man, or rather a centaur, emerged from the dense underbrush. He had red hair and a beard, but below the waist, he had a glossy brown horse's body and a long red tail.

He trotted up to the stream's edge, raised his front hooves, and halted. He then drew a large bow and pointed it at Dracula with a tense expression.

"That person in black and red, don't move. I can sense the darkness within you!" the centaur said, glaring at Dracula.

"Wait, Ronan, is there some misunderstanding here?" Hagrid, somewhat dazed, looked at the sudden appearance of the centaur. "This is Professor Dracula, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. We're here in the Forbidden Forest to investigate the strange deaths of the animals."

"Don't be deceived by this dark creature, Hagrid!" Ronan said gravely. "Listen, the unicorn was attacked, and then he appeared in the Forbidden Forest. The unicorn's death might be his doing!"

Then another centaur emerged from behind the trees, with black hair and dark skin, looking even more rugged than Ronan.

"Bane, you're here too?" Hagrid, seeing the new centaur, initially intended to greet him but was instead extremely surprised. "Wait, what are you planning to do?"

More centaurs arrived, surrounding Hagrid and Dracula by the stream, all drawing their bows.

"Wait!" Hagrid, seeing the growing number of centaurs, realized the situation was getting serious. "Everyone, don't act rashly. There must be a misunderstanding!"

"Ronan, Bane! Control your people and stop them from attacking!" Hagrid shouted angrily at Ronan and Bane.

However, the centaurs showed no sign of stopping. Instead, with the sound of bowstrings being drawn tight, their arrows were poised to shoot.

"Hagrid, you are a friend to our kind. We will not allow you to be deceived by this dark creature!" Ronan said.

He then gestured to the surrounding centaurs.

Countless arrows shot from all directions, filling Hagrid's and Dracula's field of vision and even briefly obscuring the starlight.

The centaurs were excellent archers, deliberately avoiding hitting Hagrid's massive form and focusing on shooting Dracula to death!

"Damn it, these centaurs never know how to communicate properly!"

Hagrid cursed silently, stepping in front of Dracula to try and shield him from some of the arrows with his sturdy body.

Seeing this, Dracula, who had been smiling faintly, raised an eyebrow.

"Take care of yourself first," he said softly. "I don't need you to shield me, Hagrid."

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Hagrid felt that Dracula's voice seemed softer compared to the earlier coldness.

As he spoke, Dracula raised a hand. All the arrows abruptly froze in mid-air.

"Centaurs, right?" Dracula's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Just in time. I still have some unfinished business with you!"

In the next moment, the arrows lost all momentum and softly fell to the ground, landing in the pristine snow and the clear stream, causing tiny splashes.

At the same time, Dracula's figure vanished from Hagrid's side.

"Where did he go?" Ronan, with a grim expression, looked around the stream's edge and then at the surrounding centaurs. "Bane, can you see where he is? We cannot let him escape the Forbidden Forest!"

However, he suddenly noticed that the centaurs on the other side were all staring at him in horror, their expressions filled with shock.

Ronan seemed to realize something and turned stiffly to see a silver-haired figure standing beside him with a playful expression.

Around him lay several unconscious centaurs.

"Stop looking, I'm right next to you."

Dracula's voice was clear and pleasant, but to Ronan, it sounded as chilling as the whispers of death.