Chapter 604: Driving Trelawney Away?!
Dumbledore walked in from outside the castle and stopped beside Darren.
He rested a hand on Darren's shoulder, a proud smile appearing on his face.
"Darren is right, Umbridge. I am the headmaster of this school, and I do not agree to Sybil being forced to leave the castle."
"No, Dumbledore, I don't want to live here. It's humiliating…" Trelawney cried out emotionally.
But both Darren and Dumbledore looked at her with complete seriousness. That gaze made her nervous, and she fell silent.
"You must stay. Professor McGonagall, please take her upstairs."
Darren looked directly at Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall nodded almost reflexively and complied. Then, a second later, she reacted to what she had just done.
A surprised yet proud smile appeared on her face.
Darren heard her escort Trelawney upstairs, softly comforting her, while Professor Flitwick followed behind, levitating Trelawney's luggage.
He was momentarily speechless.
He could only pretend not to hear and turned his attention back to Umbridge. Umbridge's face darkened with anger.
She glared at Darren and Dumbledore with undisguised hatred—mostly at Dumbledore.
Because every time she met Darren's eyes, she felt an inexplicable fear.
She could only reassure herself that Darren was not Dumbledore, and that he ultimately could not make the final decisions.
"Professor Dumbledore, I don't think she should be allowed to stay here. If she remains, where will the next Divination professor live?"
Umbridge asked stiffly, her anger barely restrained.
"That's a very good question," Dumbledore said approvingly.
Then he smiled slyly.
"According to your Educational Decrees, you may only appoint or dismiss professors at will if the headmaster is unable to find one. Unfortunately for you, I have found one. And he also wishes to live on the ground floor."
Dumbledore clapped his hands.
A centaur stepped forward into view—human torso, equine body.
Harry exclaimed in surprise, "Firenze?"
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Firenze's lessons were extremely popular among the students still taking Divination.
Because Firenze never forced them to fabricate dreams, nor did he predict their deaths with dramatic flair.
One thing Darren especially liked was that Firenze often recreated scenes from the Forbidden Forest.
He would have the students lie on the ground, gazing up at the stars.
Firenze always told them that the future was not fixed, and that even centaurs could not fully foresee everything.
Still, he taught them to observe Mars, and to read signs from burning trees and drifting smoke.
This was how he guided them in predicting the approach of war.
At the end of one lesson, Firenze kept Darren and Harry behind.
He asked Harry to relay a message to Hagrid: some things cannot succeed no matter how hard one tries. What Hagrid had done had clearly failed and had drawn the attention of other creatures in the Forbidden Forest.
Then he let Harry leave.
In the end, only Firenze and Darren remained in the classroom.
Firenze looked at Darren with curiosity and said, "I don't understand. Centaurs have prophecies about many things, yet because of you, our divinations often fail. Whether you are visible to fate seems to depend entirely on circumstance. Even your past dangers were hidden from us. Do you know why?"
Firenze looked genuinely eager for an answer.
Darren almost reflexively wanted to curse him, but immediately restrained himself—this was the wizarding world.
So he showed a puzzled expression and asked instead, "I don't know. Can't you see it, Professor?
If divination is inaccurate, then is the subject really worth studying? The more I study it, the more confused I become.
Should Divination even continue as a class?
Most students don't have the talent, and those who do are unwilling to show it. That really…"
"Well," Firenze said with a smile, "after what you said, I suddenly saw a future where Divination no longer exists as a subject. Clearly, someone plays a role in that. I think you'll become someone remarkable in the future."
Darren snorted inwardly.
So he becomes headmaster and abolishes Divination altogether? That would solve everything.
"Hm?" Firenze tilted his head. "No, Darren—you've changed your mind. Divination remains. You're a boy worth exploring."
Firenze said softly.
Darren felt goosebumps rise along his arms.
Fortunately, Firenze continued, "But only humans like to explore such matters. Centaurs prefer to follow the flow of fate, no matter what the future brings."
Firenze smiled.
April's weather improved considerably.
At the very least, Darren had shed his thick robes, gloves, and scarf. He was no longer so lethargic that he didn't even want to attend D.A. meetings.
After all, D.A. was nearing its end.
At this time, he was in high spirits, teaching the members the Patronus Charm.
The Patronus Charm was extremely difficult. Most people failed to summon one at all.
In the end, only Hermione and Cho managed to release a corporeal Patronus.
Both of their Patronuses were small dragons.
However, the moment they succeeded, they quickly dismissed them, afraid Darren might see.
It seemed they were worried it might trouble him.
Cho was especially awkward around Darren because of what had happened between them before.
But after her constant jokes and forced cheerfulness, things gradually returned to how they used to be.
She didn't want to break that hard-earned calm.
Darren, of course, noticed both of their Patronuses.
But his attention wasn't on them.
Instead, he was thinking about the fact that, according to Umbridge's pattern, April was when D.A. was originally exposed.
So no matter what, it would happen once.
At that moment, he heard the faint crack of Apparition.
Sure enough, it was Dobby.
Dobby rushed in front of Darren, trembling.
"Mr. Darren… Umbridge told Dobby not to say… not to let the house-elves tell you… bad things… very bad things… snitching…"
Darren's expression turned serious immediately.
He asked at once, "Umbridge knows we're meeting here, doesn't she?"
Dobby nodded frantically.
Everyone's faces turned pale.
Darren suddenly shouted, "Go! Leave immediately! Don't worry about order—run! Don't let her catch you!"
"Brother, Hermione, Ron—you too! Hurry, don't delay!"
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding…]