- "Never try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Ruddy stargazers. Not interested in anythin' closer'n the moon."
- — Rubeus Hagrid[src]
A centaur is a magical creature whose head, torso and arms appear to be human joined to a horse's body. However, they are their own species, and are not any kind of half-breed. Despite being highly intelligent, centaurs are classified as Beasts by the Ministry of Magic, at their own request, as they were unhappy at having to share Being status with hags and vampires.
Physical description
A centaur's general look.
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Like humans, centaurs can come in a variety of colours, ranging from deep black to snowy white. They have the body of a horse, and the torso, arms and head of a human. Centaurs are not in fact, half-breeds, but an entirely different species on their own.They are not very pleased to be insulted as Professor Umbridge found out to her cost.
Habitat
Centaurs are forest-dwelling, and in each country where colonies exist, the wizarding authority has set aside land exclusively for their use.[1] One such colony exists in the Forbidden Forest, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, centaurs have their own methods of concealment, and avoid contact with both wizards and witches and Muggles. They generally live in herds of ten to fifty individuals.
Magical abilities
Centaurs do not use wands for magic, but are known to be well-versed in magical healing, Divination, archery, and Astronomy. Centaurs burn herbs such as mallowsweet and sage to refine their stargazing findings. In fact, the centaur Firenze taught Divination at Hogwarts, starting in the 1995–1996 school year.[2]
Mannerisms
Firenze, the centaur with a very different manner from the rest.
Centaurs are known to be enthralled in divining. Indeed, the centaurs of the Forbidden Forest regularly made vague allusions to seeing the future, as when the centaur Firenze told Harry Potter that they were fated to meet again, and when he and Bane spoke of the "intermission" of sorts, between the First and Second Wizarding Wars[3]. He also mentioned to his class at Hogwarts, that centaurs spend years trying to master their particular art of divining the fates.[2]
Centaurs on the whole seem also to be rather proud of their species, which was evident in their testiness whenever anyone even accidentally alluded to them being "used" or in any way employed by humankind, as when Firenze was chastised for allowing Harry Potter to ride to safety on his back, after encountering Lord Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest-- his fellow centaurs considered allowing such a thing tantamount to becoming a 'common' mule[3]. In 1995, they attempted to murder Firenze for his decision to "enter into human servitude," which was seen as a great betrayal[2]. Centaurs also decided to be placed in the Beast Division instead of the Being Division in the British Ministry of Magic archives, because they wished to not be associated with hags and vampires, who are considered "Beings"[1].
Centaurs also seem to favour nature over technology, the extent of their seen tools being their bows and arrows. Instead, they cast their attention upon reading signs in nature, and living in forests appropriated by the Ministry of Magic.
They are territorial creatures by nature, as Rubeus Hagrid mentioned in 1995, upon seeing a herd of centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, whose land was being restricted, that they may revolt against the Ministry as a result. Later the same year, they proclaimed that even Hagrid was "no longer welcome" within "their" forest, as he had "forfeited the friendship of the centaurs," and that their "tolerance was waning" (in reference to Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp, whom Hagrid was hiding in the forest at the time)[2].
Relationship with wizardkind
Starting in 1811, centaurs were offered "Being" status, when Grogan Stump decided that a "being" was "any creature that has sufficient intelligence to understand the laws of the magical community and to bear part of the responsibility in shaping those laws." However, they declined because of the associations with other creatures, such as vampires and hags, that "being" status would give them. The merpeople made the same decision a year later.[1] They also took the phrases "half-breed" and "near human intelligence" to be a great insult, as Dolores Umbridge found out the hard way.[2]
Dolores Umbridge getting carried away by the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest.
A Centaur Liaison Office still exists in the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, though no centaur has ever used it. In fact, the phrase "Being sent to the Centaur Office" has become an in-joke at the Ministry, meaning that the person in question is about to be sacked. A centaur was also represented in the Fountain of Magical Brethren at the Ministry of Magic, at least before the fountain's destruction during the battle between Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort.
Centaurs have also been known to save wizards from harm, one instance being Firenze saving Harry Potter, when Lord Voldemort was in the forest, though this was highly looked down upon as centaurs were not "supposed to interfere with what is to come."
Centuar being attacked by Dolores Umbridge.
When Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger ended up leading Dolores Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest, a bunch of centaurs appeared with some of them carrying off Dolores while the rest were scared away by Grawp in an event known as the Skirmish in the Forbidden Forest. It was mentioned that Albus negotiated for Dolores' release when he was rehired by the Ministry of Magic.
The centaur herd in the Forbidden Forest also fought against the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts.
Known centaurs
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (GBC & PS1 versions only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
Notes and references
See also
| Magical creatures by classification | |
|---|---|
| X | Flobberworm · Horklump |
| XX | Augurey · Bowtruckle · Chizpurfle · Clabbert · Diricawl · Fairy · Ghoul · Gnome · Grindylow · Imp · Jobberknoll · Mooncalf · Porlock · Puffskein · Ramora · Winged horse |
| XXX | Ashwinder · Billywig · Bundimun · Crup · Doxy · Dugbog · Fire crab · Fwooper · Glumbumble · Hippocampus · Hippogriff · Hodag · Jarvey · Knarl · Kneazle · Leprechaun · Lobalug · Mackled Malaclaw · Moke · Murtlap · Niffler · Nogtail · Pixie · Plimpy · Pogrebin · Red Cap · Salamander · Sea serpent · Shrake · Streeler · Winged horse |
| XXXX | Centaur · Demiguise · Erkling · Erumpent · Golden Snidget · Graphorn · Griffin · Hidebehind · Kappa · Kelpie · Merperson · Occamy · Phoenix · Re'em · Runespoor · Snallygaster · Sphinx · Tebo · Thestral · Thunderbird · Troll · Unicorn · Winged horse · Yeti |
| XXXXX | Acromantula · Basilisk · Chimaera · Dragon · Horned Serpent · Lethifold · Manticore · Nundu · Quintaped · Wampus cat · Werewolf |