Based on his years of experience living in Hogsmeade and his understanding of the Forbidden Forest, Aberforth did not immediately agree to Garfield's offer about the centaur tribe.
Instead, he asked Garfield, "Which centaur tribe is it? Perhaps I already know them."
Garfield had not considered this.
He told Aberforth the name of the Hurricane Tribe.
After searching his memory, Aberforth nodded.
"I know this tribe. They have dealings with wizards. Centaurs are actually divided into two categories. One is very traditional. They dislike or even reject contact with the human world. They live their primitive life."
"The other category includes those who interact with humans, that is, with us wizards. However, because some wizards are of questionable character and often engage in fraudulent activities, the centaurs are very wary of wizards."
"Unless it is necessary contact or someone they trust, unauthorized entry will still result in an attack. The only difference is whether they will warn you first."
Hearing Aberforth's explanation, Garfield became curious.
"Aberforth, what is your reputation with them?"
Aberforth wiped a wine glass as he placed it on the shelf.
"Not bad. Not bad at all."
He continued, "If it were the Hurricane Tribe, I might consider it. But Your Majesty, do you have any special needs?"
Garfield shook his head.
"I am rich beyond measure. I do not need anything. I just raided the Forbidden Forest today and stopped by their tribe for a meal. Oh, and I also found them a god to look after them."
A god.
Aberforth's brother, Albus Dumbledore, had told him about Garfield's lineage.
Considering his interactions with Garfield and his ongoing communication with the old goat, he knew just how powerful and ruthless this orange cat was.
"Is it the one from the Norse?"
"You know?"
Aberforth nodded.
"After you left, I got to know Queenie and the others through the old goat."
Garfield, thinking back to Aberforth's relationship with the old goat before he left, asked with a mischievous grin, "How is it going with you and the old goat?"
Aberforth replied nonchalantly, "We are still discussing and researching the conversion between spells and chakra, as well as the fusion and application of both. No matter what we do, it seems we are just a little short."
Garfield said, "Let me see the specific information."
Aberforth pulled a thick notebook from his pocket.
It was made of some unknown material.
He placed it on the bar for Garfield to see.
It was larger than Garfield's entire cat body, about ten centimeters thick.
Garfield dispelled the defensive spells inside and quickly flipped through it.
"Your approach is correct, and your methods are generally right. But you have not grasped some details well enough. There are also some limitations in your thinking."
"Additionally, you two lack a dedicated laboratory and relevant professionals. Orochimaru is actually a good candidate. If there is an opportunity, I will ask him if he would like to come next time I go to the Naruto world."
Orochimaru.
Aberforth had never heard that name.
He asked Garfield curiously, "Who is Orochimaru?"
"He is a scientist from decades after I took the old goat away. As for his character, scientific experiments sometimes have no limits."
"
He is not very likable. He has done many things he should not have done. He is both good and evil, depending on how you see him."
Aberforth had seen people like this before.
They were dangerous.
Sometimes they were like perfect gentlemen.
But when they were obsessed with something, they became unusually focused, even crazy.
Sometimes they would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
"That is dangerous," Aberforth warned.
Garfield nodded.
"I know. But all schemes and tricks are just a joke in the face of absolute power."
Garfield's confidence left Aberforth with no reason to continue.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
After spending the night at the Hog's Head, Garfield prepared to return to Hogwarts for dinner.
Before leaving, he remembered Orochimaru's modified Impure World Reincarnation technique.
If combined with the Rinnegan's Samsara of Heavenly Life, it seemed possible to directly resurrect Aberforth's sister, Ariana Dumbledore.
But then he thought again.
Although both families were under Death's control, would Death be unhappy about someone taking a soul out of its pocket?
What if Death grabbed him and pulled his fur until he was bald?
He decided to postpone the resurrection for now.
Disturbing the dead's rest was not good.
After all, even though Death controlled death, some people did not necessarily go to places under its jurisdiction.
Many special souls went to other places.
"Aberforth, I am going back to Hogwarts. If you need anything, write to me using the Scottish round faced fat chicken."
Aberforth looked bewildered.
"Scottish round faced fat chicken? Does such a thing exist in the wizarding world?"
"An owl."
"Oh, I see. But why that name?"
"I heard a certain older sister ate one. It tasted like chicken and was quite good."
Aberforth scratched his head.
"No one in the wizarding world eats owls. They are messengers and are respected."
Garfield turned his head back toward the door.
"Those before the wizarding world did not count. Okay, I am off."
Garfield took off from Hogsmeade toward Hogwarts.
Passing the lake beside the castle, he could not help but glance at it again.
After all, there were giant squid in the lake.
Squid were marine creatures, meaning there was a tunnel at the bottom of the lake leading to the sea.
Hogwarts's extraordinary location meant the four people who built this castle must have been extraordinary as well.
Thinking about the building of the castle, Garfield suddenly remembered the strange song he had heard in the centaur Hurricane tribe.
Could there be an even deeper story behind Hogwarts?
As a cat who was not particularly curious, Garfield decided to ask his old bee friend during dinner.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Back in the castle's dining room, it was just dinnertime.
After taking his seat, Garfield summoned his house elf to serve him dinner.
The dinner was quite substantial, with plenty of meat to Garfield's liking.
A slight disappointment was the lack of steamed buns and meat dumplings.
He would have to find a chance to teach his house elf how to make traditional Chinese breakfast items like chive pancakes, spicy soup, tea eggs, and meat dumplings later.
"Okay, let us do it this way."
After dinner, Garfield still had not seen the old bee.
Garfield, who had something to discuss with the old bee, asked McGonagall, who was still at the table, "Where is your Dumbledore?"
McGonagall blushed.
"The Ministry of Magic had an emergency and called him away. Besides, Dumbledore is not mine."
Garfield said, "McGonagall, it is only a matter of time. Keep trying. One day the old bee will give up on Grindelwald and come back to you."
McGonagall nodded, still blushing.
At the Slytherin school table, the young Voldemort kept staring at Garfield in the teacher's seat.