Despite being magical beings with the ability to communicate with humans as well as possessing near-human intelligence and even surpassing it in some disciplines like divination, the Centaurs had deliberately requested the Ministry of Magic to classify them as magical beasts and not beings as they did not want to share a category of classification with dark creatures like vampires and hags. Despite popular opinion, Centaurs were not half-breeds. Instead, they were completely born as they were from parents who were Centaurs, too. Most of them were naturally born Seers and were known to be experts in astronomy, divination, magical healing, and archery.
A lot of Centaurs lived near Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Forbidden Forest. They lived as a herd and came in contact with some of the inhabitants of the castle, especially Hagrid. However, they were territorial creatures and mostly uncomfortable interfering with the matters of wizards, witches, and other beings. Some of the Centaurs that lived in the Forbidden Forest include Firenze, Magorian, Bane and Ronan.
Appearance
Centaurs were known to exist in Greek Mythology and were considered to be ancient mythological beings by Muggles. The word Centaur was believed to be derived from Centaurus, the Greek name of the Centaur believed to be the father of the entire race. They were intelligent creatures with a rich history.
They were described as having upper bodies that resembled that of humans as they had the head and torso of a human but possessed the body of a horse, especially the lower body from the waist and down. It was common for them to have different colored bodies depending on their parentage. Since they had a horse’s body, they would have different types of appearances to a horse, including a chestnut body, black body, white body, and many more. Firenze, for instance, had white-blond hair, blue eyes, and a light-colored body. Ronan, on the other hand, had red hair, a reddish tail, and a beard.
In the wizarding world, they were first classified as magical beings, but they refused this classification, stating that they did not like being compared to other dark beings like vampires and hags. They were, therefore, classified as magical beasts, although they were very different from most magical beasts seen in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Abilities
Centaurs were known to be very skilled in several magical disciplines like astronomy, divination, and magical healing. They were also very skilled in archery, and they almost always carried bows and arrows with them. They would use their bows and arrows on anyone who threatened the safety of them, or their herd. Also, since the wisdom of Centaurs in healing was significant, they were familiar with the herbs and medicinal plants that grew in forests and knew how to use them in magical maladies.
Their ability in divination and astronomy made them very dreamy and difficult to talk to. When asked about the future or the events and outcomes that may unravel, they never gave a straight answer. Furthermore, as Firenze pointed out in one of his classes, it took a significant amount of observation for a Centaur to come to a concrete conclusion about their findings. They would observe the moon and other astronomical bodies and plot fates and the great tides of evil to eventually deduce what is at store in the future.
Appearances in the Harry Potter Series
Several Centaurs appear many times in the Harry Potter books. The first time a Centaur is seen in the Harry Potter series is in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone when Harry Potter is a young wizard. Harry, Hermione Granger, and Draco Malfoy go to the Forbidden Forest with Rubeus Hagrid. There, they encounter an apparition of some kind drinking a Unicorn’s blood. That being comes very close to Harry Potter but is scared away by the Centaur Firenze, who lives in the Forbidden Forest. Despite the protests of his fellow Centaurs, he allows Harry to sit on his back, rides him to safety, and leaves him with Hagrid. He also warns Harry of the future and tells him to be careful, which is probably a nod to Lord Voldemort and his quest to get the Philosopher’s Stone to himself.
Other than Firenze, there was a herd of Centaurs that lived in the Forbidden Forest, including Bane, Magorian, Ronan, and many others. They are all seen in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when Hermione dupes Dolores Umbridge by telling her that there is a secret weapon of Dumbledore hidden in the forest and Professor Umbridge, Harry, and Hermione come to the Forbidden Forest and they come across a herd of Centaurs whom Umbridge insults by calling them half-breeds despite them being magical creatures in their own right without cross-breeding.
She then attacks them with spells and angers them, only for Grawp, Hagrid’s half-brother, a giant, to lift Umbridge and then start a full-fledged fight, which ends with the Centaurs taking Umbridge captive. It was said that she was eventually released by them after Albus Dumbledore negotiated with them for her release.
The Centaurs that dwelled in the Forbidden Forest attended the funeral of Albus Dumbledore when he died in the end of the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. They paid their respects to him, as did many others, including the Merpeople who lived in the Great Lake. They also fought for the side of Harry Potter and against the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts despite showing disinterest in the early stages of the Second Wizarding War.
Centaurs in the Muggle World
In the Muggle world, Centaurs were considered to be mythological creatures and were a part of Greek mythology. They were sometimes known as Hippocentaurs or Ixionidae. They were believed to be the descendants of Centaurus, who had a brother named Lapithes, and they were therefore known to be related to the tribe of Lapiths who were very popular in legends and stories of that time.
Other children’s books like C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia also have Centaurs in their story world. Since Centaurs were considered mythical creatures, several stories that have a fantasy or mythical world contain Centaurs in them.
FAQs
Are Centaurs good or bad in Harry Potter?
There is no clear way to define good or bad in the Harry Potter series. However, the centaurs were known to represent a gray area of characters that did not interfere with wizards and witches. However, some Centaurs like Firenze were very helpful to Harry Potter and also to other students, especially since Firenze taught Divination in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Furthermore, almost all the Centaurs fought against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts.
What did the Centaurs do with Umbridge?
Dolores Umbridge was very rude to the Centaurs and almost killed one of them by performing a spell that put a noose around him. This enraged the Centaurs to the point that they kidnapped her and took her to their lair. They kept her captive there and were unwilling to let her go until Albus Dumbledore negotiated with them and asked them to release her.
Do the Centaurs respect Dumbledore?
Yes, the Centaurs definitely respected Dumbledore and despite their lack of interest in meddling with the affairs of wizards and witches, they specifically respected Dumbledore, as was evident from their actions. When Professor Dolores Umbridge was taken captive by the Centaurs after she was extremely rude to them, it was Dumbledore who negotiated with them for her release, and they did let her go eventually. They also attended Dumbledore’s funeral despite their absence in the Hogwarts Palace grounds for any other event.
