Harry Potter: A Real Tale(AU, SI)

"You! Treat my father with respect." A boy, no a foal darted from behind the stoic Centaur.

'Was he there from the start?' Leon wondered as he responded with a shrug.

"Chief, what are you doing? Tell the wizardling to go away." The foal turned towards the wizened Centaur who was staring behind Leon with his cloudy eyes.

"Vanät, you want him to go away. And you child, want to know something about the forest, so why don't we settle this in a duel?"

'Hmm! That's an acceptable guess, I do need something in the forest.'

Leon looked at the foal, instead of letting his brain run in tangents. The foal, for his part, looked shocked before nodding his head with determination.

"You will apologize to my father and leave after I defeat you." The young centaur stated, catching a wooden bastard sword thrown by the oldest of the Centaurs.

"Wait, that was just a branch a moment ago," he thought, staring at the intricately crafted broadsword. Vines coiled around its hilt, twisting and stretching all the way to the blade's end, darker than the rest of its wooden body.

After tossing a look at the old Centaur, Leon turned towards the foal.

"I want to know about the Bondug's lair is located." He stated. "Do you even know the answer yourself to use it as a wager?"

He would have jumped into the duel even without any reward, after all, he wouldn't want to miss a duel with a Centaur as he was very curious about different types of magic but jumping in without making sure he would get his reward would be plain stupid.

'And what magic that was. Are Centaurs the druids of this world?' he thought staring at the branch turned broadsword.

"He knows!" The foal's father answered in his place as the Centaurs spread out, giving space for the young to duel.

Standing on a ground covered with overgrown roots and sandwiched by overgrown trees, Leon didn't see how a Centaur could even move without tripping not to mention battle.

'Horses are supposed to be in plains.' He thought.

"Let the duel begin!" The Elder Centaur's voice rang out before the young Centaur, Vanät, disappeared from his view, causing Leon to reflexively use Lumos Maxima on the orbs hiding in his sleeves.

The orbs orbited around his hand before a bright light invaded the forest and the shade covered ground.

A groan made Leon turn back to see the Centaur clutching his eyes, shielding his face with the bastard sword.

His wand shined before smoke obscured him, giving Leon time to process what has happened.

'Damn! Centaurs can apparate better than wizards? I didn't hear any sound.'

.........…..

(Vanat POV)

He ignored the pain in his eyes and honed his hearing. Drawing upon his connection with spirit of forest, he readied himself to dodge the magical spells of the arrogant wizard.

After all, Vanät wasn't going to ignore the wisdom his mother imparted. The wizarding spells that aren't stopped by any material is to be dodged by any foal, he wasn't an exception as talented he was.

So, he listened to the whispers of the trees and waited.

The first spell of the wizard was quick and took away his vision. That little wizard was likely arrogant because he knew one such spell. 

'Why isn't he doing anything? Doesn't he know another one?'

Vanät quickly blinked the spots from his eyes and flexed his sword, calling upon the wind spirit to disperse the smoke as he felt it upon his skin.

He dabbled in every craft available to a young Centaur, but the moon spirit didn't attract him like it did with many of his friends.

After the Stellarcraft, Stormcraft and Earthcraft were the callings of many of his brothers. But he found his calling in wood craft just like the chief, and Vanät wasn't going to disgrace himself in front of his master with a sword crafted by the multi-eyed himself in his hand.

A touch of azure shined on his sword and the smoke dispersed under the weight of his mighty swing.

The little wizard stood in front of him, smiling at him.

'Such arrogance!' Vanät jumped towards the wizardling, vanishing mid-air before he appeared behind the arrogant fool and swung his sword.

The roots dispersed the mighty roars of his hoofs, after all, stalking the prey was the first thing his master taught him.

And fighting a Jade-eyed Centaur in a forest is a foolish mistake only an arrogant wizard can commit.

Only.

The wizard easily sidestepped his swing and turned towards him with a taunting smirk.

Enraged, he continued to swing at the wizard only for him to dart around his attacks like a little Gryphon playing between hurricanes.

Vanat could feel something was wrong, so he stopped and took a deep breath, letting the taunts slide off him.

Getting his emotions under control before a star could even twinkle, Vanat jumped towards the wizard again.

The feeling of wrongness increased.

'The trees, the whispers of the trees don't match what I am seeing.'

Feeling the comforting presence of wood beneath his hoofs, he closed his eyes and conveyed with the forest spirit.

He remembered his grandfather dispelling insidious curses that wormed into him, boasting that most wizards would have succumbed to death.

But not a Centaur, a Centaur's body isn't weak like those wizards.

Like crushing bug under his hoof, he crushed a spell that clung to him like a leech.

The world shifted and he could see the wizard standing on a branch far away from him, waving his little wand.

With a bellow, he sliced a log made of earth that tried to ensnare him and jumped, filling his hoofs with the wood's embrace.

..........

'Does being a part beast make him magic-resistant?' Leon wondered as he felt his spell break.

Hoping to stall him for a couple of more seconds, Leon tossed a big hollow transfigured log onto the centaur's face which was cleaved through like it was made of butter.

'Damn, if he can slice like that with a wooden one why isn't he using an iron sword?' Leon thought and jumped from the branch.

Ropes unfurled around him, and he swung himself across the trees like a magical Tarzan.

The Centaur somehow appeared on branches, even delicate ones, before vanishing without breaking them and plummeting towards the ground.

'A Centaur isn't supposed to stand on an inch-thick branch, that's just cheating.' Leon really wanted to ask whether the Centaur had goat blood in him but thought better of it.

Not even ten seconds into the duel, Leon was running away from the Centaur.

Cursing, he swung around and sent two stunners sailing towards some empty branches.

Just like he predicted the Centaur appeared on a branch and was greeted by the spell. And just like he predicted, the Centaur didn't even budge from the stunner.

Leon flung himself back where the duel started and obscured it with smoke again.

Gales announced the presence of the Centaur dispersing the dark smoke as he appeared on the ground.

 The ground became alive as multiple roots and ropes made of dust latched onto the unsuspecting Centaur's hoofs and arms.

Leon pressed with an onslaught of stunners.

After getting hit by nearly three stunners, the sword slipped from the centaur's hand.

"Vanat lost the duel! Very well done, little wizard. Here is your prize, I crafted a map for you." The Centaur chief appeared beside Leon and handed him a scroll.

"Great match, Vanat!" Leon yelled, dispelling his constraints, and turned towards the Centaur Chief.

"Why did you help me? I know I wasn't being a graceful guest or intruder- whatever you call it." Leon asked, curious as he watched the young Centaur and his father's heated conversation.

"Jupiter drenched Vanat in his light; Mars path is bright," The Centaur murmured and disappeared.

'Okay! Jupiter is Roman Zeus.. so Vanat has too much pride? And is the talk about mars hinting at the Battle of Hogwarts?... problems for future me.' Leon shook his head.

"I would have won if I had my bow," Vanat crept on him and grumbled.

Leon raised an eye at the Centaur and gestured towards the rope tentacles swirling around him.

"These aren't just for swinging, you know. They act as my last line of defense and are magical, I don't think your arrows would have touched me."

"You wish!" The Centaur snorted, making him smile.

Leon could have stunned him when he was lost in the illusion, but he was interested in seeing the teleporting magic of the Centaur and wanted to leave a better impression.

After all, anyone would get angry if they were defeated very quickly, and that too because someone was messing with their mind.

"And why didn't you use the broom in the duel?" The Centaur asked eyeing the broom strapped to his back.

"I didn't make it, so I thought it would be rude to use it."

"And I didn't make my sword."

"Just like I didn't make my wand," Leon answered with a grin.

 "I am Leon, you can call me Leo. By the way, how can you disappear and appear so silently?"

….

Leon pestered the Centaur with questions about his magic until the Centaur got tired and bid him goodbye.

'Damn! Centaurs are powerful, I guess Vanat's father was right. Wizards aren't the only children of magic. Maybe, not even the favorite child, I guess,' Leon thought observing the forest devoid of Centaurs.

'I don't believe that the Centaur's method of the apparition isn't in Hogwarts or only Centaurs can do it because they can communicate with spirits, like Vanat says.'

Noting to research more about it, Leon opened the scroll.

'Hmm!'

The map was based on the sun's position in the sky, it was a little unique but ultimately usable.

He climbed the broom and flew towards the Bondug lair, back towards the Hogwarts.

Surprisingly, the lair- a large cave- was the one he ignored thinking it housed the manticore.

'I guess, I should have thought that Dumbledore wouldn't allow a Manticore to make home this near to Hogwarts.'

Hindsight was 20/20. So, Leon tucked away the broom and stuck himself to the cave's roof with his modified sticking charm.

He was going in with maximum stealth, he didn't want to mess up his chance.

The tentacles slowly dragged him forward, grabbing the roof.

An orb of light was floating meters away from Leon, lighting the dark cave.

He found the spell in a book for beginner rune breakers- it only generates light only the caster can see.

As Leon slowly made his way into the cave, he came across his target- he saw the Aedelwryt or Aedelwryts to be clear.

The cave opened up from the narrow pathway to a beautiful cavern.

Multiple flowers, a beautiful mix of mundane rose and lotus glowed with the warmth and purity of a magical sanctuary in the center of the cavern.

Multiple Bondugs slept around the flowers guarding them.

Leon ignored the dog-sized magical badgers and observed the flowers.

Each flower resembled a crown, with thorns protruding near the base of their petals. Despite their sharp thorns, the petals exuded a sense of safety, as if embodying the duality of true nobility—warm and protective toward their own yet armed with hidden thorns to defend when needed.

He gazed at the plants with admiration before he quietly approached them. Locking onto the largest flower at the center of the cluster, he made up his mind to claim it.

He slowly let a tentacle move toward the flower. After it reached its maximum length, the tentacle started to stretch like it was made of rubber and reached the flower, swirling around the base of the plant.

Another tentacle joined it and dug into the soil underneath the flower.

Leon waited as the second tentacle slowly broke the roots seven inches into the ground. Instead of just plucking it, he wanted to replant it.

The flower came free from the soil with barely a sound. Still, Leon froze and after making sure the Bondugs didn't wake up, he slowly recalled the tentacle and stashed away the flower safely into his bag.

He quietly moved towards the exit of the cavern- the same way he came in.

Tossing one last look at the cavern and sleeping Bondugs, Leon let out a victory grin.

Only, a loud bellow resounded in the cave, stirring the Bondugs awake.

A pair of red eyes watched Leon from deeper into the cavern.

The Bondugs squealed in confusion before simultaneously turning towards the spot Leon was quietly slithering forward, praying they didn't find him. But his prayers weren't answered.

'Bullshit! How did they find me?'

The Bondugs were simply badgers juiced up on magic. Just like how even a lion can't bite through a badger, the Bondugs are pure tanks with bigger claws to answer anyone that annoys them.

And they are very easy to annoy. Leon read that sometimes even a look would send them into a frenzy. So, he didn't want to think what they would do to someone who entered their home and even stole their treasure.

......…..

A/N: Sorry for disappearing, but life happened. I still have a big backlog, but I didn't have time to edit a chapter. Hence, last week happened.

And I am releasing this somewhat sleep-deprived, so hope you enjoyed the read.