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He tried to lift the spear, but found that he couldn't raise his arm at all.
"It's just a special stun spell," Morris said calmly. "I was just making sure I was safe, sir. Please don't blame me; you struck first."
"Wailing Curse!"
After he finished speaking, he added another curse.
This time, the centaur in front of them had finally reached its limit.
The double blow to his body and mind made it impossible for him to hold on any longer.
Bain's pupils contracted, and his massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
His last conscious thought was of Maurice's calm face before he was plunged into complete darkness.
"Merlin's beard!" Hagrid exclaimed as he rushed forward and knelt down to check on Bane's condition.
After confirming that the centaur was only unconscious, he breathed a sigh of relief, turned to look at Maurice with a strange expression, and said, "You went too far, Maurice."
After he finished speaking, he immediately felt that what he had said was somewhat absurd.
A freshman in his first year... was that too harsh?
That's ridiculous.
However, it is an undeniable fact that this newcomer has taken down an adult centaur.
Maurice calmly put his wand back into his sleeve. "He struck first, Hagrid. I was just defending myself."
"I know," Hagrid sighed.
He stroked his thick beard, looked at Bane lying on the ground, and didn't know what to do for a moment.
Chapter 31 The Reasonable Professor McGonagall
"It's good that you understand," Maurice nodded, looking at Hagrid. "So… how should this situation be resolved?"
To be honest, he didn't want to make enemies with anyone.
He always tries to be reasonable, but only if the other party is also willing to be reasonable.
Bain's tough stance forced him to take defensive measures, but that doesn't mean he was a belligerent person.
Isn't it better to be peaceful and harmonious?
Now look what's happened. Having consumed so many of his curses, this centaur named Baine will be bedridden for at least several days.
Hagrid scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'll explain things to Ferenze and the others. Most centaurs are quite friendly. Bain... was just an accident. I hope you don't misunderstand them."
Ferenze is probably the name of another centaur.
"I hope so," Morris replied. "Then I must go."
After he finished speaking, he turned and started walking towards the castle.
Although he was still some distance from the exit of the forbidden forest, he should still remember the way he came.
"Wait!" Hagrid called out to him. "Aren't you coming with me to the centaurs?"
Morris stopped, glanced back at Bane lying on the ground, and shrugged. "Forget it, Hagrid. Judging from that centaur's attitude just now, it's hard to say whether I'll come back safely if I go with you. Please explain things to them for me. Don't worry about me, I can protect myself. Goodbye."
Before Hagrid could say anything more, Maurice had already hurried away along the path he had come from.
Hagrid could only sigh as he watched his figure disappear into the bushes.
To be honest, he should have looked after Maurice, but he couldn't leave the unconscious Bane alone in the Forbidden Forest.
Dangerous creatures could appear here at any time.
Bain might accidentally become food for wild animals.
He scratched his head in frustration and finally decided to make sure Bain was safe first.
After all, given Morris's performance just now, if he could take down a centaur, he probably wouldn't be in too much danger.
The first-year students these days are really something else.
Hagrid muttered to himself, bent down and hoisted Bane onto his shoulder; the centaur's heavy body forced him to exert all his strength.
The bigger headache now is how to explain this to the other centaurs.
...
Meanwhile, Maurice was walking alone on a dark road.
Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, he confirmed something he didn't want to admit—
He got lost.
Although he and Hagrid said they still remembered the way, the winding paths had become blurred in their memories.
The surrounding environment also looked pretty much the same.
After taking two wrong turns, he arrived at a place he had never been before.
"This is troublesome..."
Morris glanced at the sun overhead; it was almost noon.
He also has a herbal medicine class in the afternoon.
Just then, he noticed something slowly moving in the shadow of a large rock ahead.
He got closer and realized it was a spider, its size was terrifying, its body alone was almost the size of his head.
Eight-eyed giant spider?
Maurice thought of Hagrid and the names he had mentioned.
He examined the spider in front of him closely—it did indeed have eight eyes and was quite large.
It is of great research value.
"The Curse of Weakness!"
"Wailing Curse!"
The two curses were unleashed and successfully hit the spider.
The spider, caught off guard, went limp and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Morris discovered that his two curses were exceptionally effective when used together.
The Curse of Weakness can significantly reduce physical strength, while the Curse of Wailing directly impacts the mind.
The combination of the two will produce an effect similar to a powerful stun spell.
The results were outstanding.
He cautiously approached the unconscious spider and gently poked its hairy abdomen with his wand.
The spider did not react at all, its eight legs lying limply on the ground.
"Very good," Morris nodded in satisfaction.
He waved his wand and used Transfiguration on a dead tree at his feet. Under his manipulation, the dead tree eventually transformed into a rough but sturdy wooden box.
After stuffing the spider into the wooden box, Maurice cast a levitation spell on the box to reduce its weight.
Once he arrived at the castle, he would have plenty of time to study it at his leisure.
Now, it's time to continue searching for the way home.
By using the sun's position to determine direction, Morris believed he shouldn't be lost for too long.
Just then, a familiar cry suddenly came from above.
Morris looked up and saw a black dot standing out starkly against the blue sky.
As the shadowy figure became clearer, a Thestral folded its wings and landed gracefully in front of him.
The Night Styx affectionately rubbed against his hand.
"Oh, it's you, little one."
After examining it closely for a while, Maurice was surprised to find that the Thestral was the same one that had carried him yesterday.
"Have you been following me all this time?" He mounted the Thestral, letting out a long sigh. "Take me to Hogwarts, please."
The Thestral let out a soft neigh, spread its wings, trotted a few steps, and then took off.
The wind whistled in his ears, and as he looked down over the Forbidden Forest from high above, Maurice's mood calmed down involuntarily.
Looking back now, it really seems absurd to think about riding a flying horse through the sky.
This is a world that ordinary people can never understand.
Only in moments like these does he truly feel like a wizard.
The Thestrals flew very fast, and in just two minutes they brought him to the vicinity of the Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle.
Morris deftly dismounted.
"Let's go." He patted Thestral's body, and the other reluctantly rubbed against his palm before slowly taking off.
After the Thestrals had completely disappeared, Maurice looked around.
He had already checked the surrounding area and confirmed that there were no students before choosing to land here.
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