Firenz the Centaur

SOURCE: Harry Potter and the Philosophers' Stone by J. K. Rowling (1997) and sequels.

DESCRIPTION: "And into the clearing came-- was it a man, or a horse? To the waist, a man, with red hair and beard, but below that was a horse's gleaming , chestnut body with a long, reddish tail..." (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling)

NOTES: The centaurs are star-gazers, astrologers who watch the stars for impending doom. They are largely neutral, not siding with either good or evil, with the exception of Firenz, who saves Harry Potter's life. Getting a straight answer from a centaur is similar to getting one from a politician. The book features three: Bane, Ronan and Firenz. Firenz chooses, most un-centaur-like, to stop Quirrell/Voldemort from killing Harry in the Forbidden Forest during his detention. The other centaurs admonish Firenz for this. These creatures and their politics are featured in later novels.

HISTORY: In the film version only Firenz appears. The CGI is a bit off. Hopefully in the later films, if they include the centaurs again, the technology will have improved.

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