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“Awesome, Ellie!” Lucas cheered.
Ellie nodded so hard her golden-brown hair flew everywhere, laughing and crying at the same time.
“I’ll work really hard!
Thank you, Dad!
Thank you!”
She threw herself at her father and hugged him tight.
Alastair’s stony face softened.
He gently stroked her hair.
Ellie pulled away, spun around, and slammed into Lucas with a bear hug that crushed the air right out of him.
“Thank you, Lucas… thank you so much…”
“Gah—Ellie—I can’t breathe—” Lucas wheezed, patting her back.
“Let go if you still want to be classmates at Hogwarts!”
“What a touching friendship,” Dumbledore said with a warm smile, polishing his half-moon glasses.
“Watching you three makes me feel like I’m back in my own school days.
How did I blink and end up as headmaster?”
To everyone’s surprise, Alastair held the dragon scale out to Lucas again.
“I granted your request and honored the promise.
But the scale itself is yours now—for your courage.”
“This is the scale of the strongest dragon king in the islands’ history.
It may prove useful one day.”
Lucas took the heavy black scale, running his thumb over the strange rune-like patterns.
“Thank you, Mr.
MacFusty.”
Alastair gave Dumbledore a respectful nod.
“Headmaster Dumbledore, I’m entrusting Ellie to you.”
Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled.
“Of course.
You have my word—Hogwarts will take good care of her.
We can discuss her enrollment details right now.”
He turned to Hagrid.
“Hagrid, would you mind escorting these two young heroes to the edge of the Forbidden Forest?
Our centaur friends have been waiting.”
“Absolutely!
Happy to!” Hagrid boomed.
Dumbledore and Alastair stayed on the lawn while Hagrid led Lucas and Ellie toward the trees.
Ellie was practically floating.
Her violet eyes sparkled, tear tracks still drying on her cheeks, and she couldn’t stop grinning.
Lucas glanced at her and put on a fake serious face.
“Seriously, you look ridiculous when you smile like that.”
“Mind your own business!” Ellie’s cheeks flushed.
She smacked his shoulder—hard.
“Ow!” Lucas yelped, clutching the spot.
“Easy!
I’m still a recovering patient!”
“Pfft.” Ellie leaned in to check on him, then huffed and looked away.
“Madam Pomfrey fixed you up completely.
Stop faking it.”
Lucas rubbed his shoulder and shook his head with a grin.
The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder, keeping pace with Hagrid’s long strides.
They followed the forest’s edge until the castle was out of sight.
In a small clearing where the trees thinned out, two figures waited.
A centaur father and daughter—Firenze and Xiya—stood side by side, their platinum hair and coats glowing with a soft silver sheen in the morning light.
“Hullo, Firenze!” Hagrid called cheerfully.
“Brought the kids like you asked.”
“Good day, Hagrid,” Firenze replied with a small nod.
Lucas finally got a proper look at the centaurs in daylight.
Ellie’s eyes went wide too.
Both father and daughter had the same elegant white-gold hair and coat.
Firenze’s bare human torso showed a strong, athletic build; his face was handsome and calm.
Xiya still looked delicate and beautiful, half-hidden behind her father.
When she noticed Lucas staring, Xiya stepped back shyly, cheeks turning pink.
She dropped her sapphire-blue eyes to the ground.
Firenze stepped forward and placed a hand over his heart in an ancient salute.
“Lucas.
Ellie.
Human children.
We thank you for your bravery.
You saved my daughter.
The herd will never forget this kindness.”
Lucas returned the gesture as best he could.
“We didn’t actually beat the troll.
If you hadn’t shown up when you did, we all would’ve been done for.
So really, thank you.”
Firenze shook his head.
“If you two hadn’t held the troll off, nothing could have been saved.”
Xiya lifted her head, voice tiny.
“Thank you…”
Then her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m… I’m sorry.
In the end… I still missed…”
Her voice cracked, turning into a soft sob.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Lucas said, giving her a thumbs-up.
“If a troll came charging at me, I wouldn’t even be able to pull a bowstring.
The fact that you got a shot off at all was incredible.”
“That arrow had serious power!” Ellie added.
“If it had been just a couple inches closer, it would’ve blown the troll’s head clean off!
Practice a little more and you’ll nail it every time, Xiya.
You’ve got real talent!”
“Yeah, Xiya,” Lucas said gently.
“The hardest part is actually letting the arrow go—and you did that.
Remember?
Next time you’ll hit the mark.”
“Just say your name when you’re scared,” he reminded her.
“Draw, aim, release.
You’ve got this.”
“Mm…” Xiya’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
“Thank you… both of you.
But… let’s not have a next time, okay?”
Firenze watched the three kids quietly, then unfastened a horn made of white birch and feathers from his belt and offered it to Lucas.
“You saved our young foal.
The herd will not forget.
Take this.
If you are ever in danger inside the Forbidden Forest, blow it and we will come.”
Hagrid stared at the horn with open envy—he knew exactly how rare and valuable it was.
Lucas accepted it carefully.
Before he could thank them, Firenze reached into a leather pouch behind him and pulled out two more items.
“We also recovered these.”
It was Lucas’s flashlight—the one he’d dropped during the fight—and Ellie’s silver-handled carving knife, the one still buried in the back of the troll’s head.
“I… I cleaned the knife,” Xiya said softly.
Lucas took the flashlight and absently flicked the switch.
The bright beam swept across Xiya’s face.
She yelped and stepped back, eyes wide with wonder.
Lucas smiled and held it out to her.
“Here.
It’s yours now.
You can light your way at night.”
Firenze hesitated for a second, but when he saw the look on his daughter’s face he said nothing.
Xiya’s cheeks flushed deeper as she took the flashlight.
After a moment she slipped a bracelet from her wrist—small oval brown seeds strung together, catching golden flecks of sunlight.
She pressed the warm bracelet into Lucas’s hand.
“I made this from ancient oak seeds.
I hope it brings you good luck.”
Ellie elbowed Lucas hard.
“Hey!
Where’s my present?”
Lucas laughed and fished the brass lighter out of his pocket.
“Here you go.”
“That’s more like it!” Ellie snatched it happily, then shoved the silver-handled knife back into Lucas’s hand.
“And this is for you.
The way you stabbed that troll right in the head?
Totally badass!”
Morning light filtered through the sparse leaves of the Forbidden Forest, turning dewdrops into tiny sparkling gems.
The three kids stood together in the soft golden haze, trading gifts and quiet promises under the trees.