FIRENZE (HARRY POTTER)

'Firenze' is the name of a character in the ''Harry Potter'' series of novels by J. K. Rowling. Firenze is a centaur and appears in books one, five, six, and seven.

Contents

Role in series

Philosopher's Stone

Order of the Phoenix

Half-Blood Prince

Deathly Hallows

After the series

References

Role in series

Philosopher's Stone

Firenze's first appearance comes towards the end of ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', in which he rescues Harry from Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Having carried Harry to safety on his back, Firenze is involved in an altercation with the other centaur residents in the Forest, who object to the symbolic suggestion that centaurs are subservient to humans. They argue further about the responsibility of centaurs to read the future in the stars and whether it is correct to intervene in the unfolding of that future. Firenze remains with his herd but he is clearly at odds on some issues.

Order of the Phoenix

The character does not make another appearance until ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'', in which he is appointed by the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to teach Divination at Hogwarts in place of Sybill Trelawney, who has been sacked by High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge. When Harry sees Firenze in class, it is obvious that Firenze has been attacked, and it emerges that he was indeed cast out of the centaur herd for agreeing to answer Dumbledore's request for help. Firenze ignored the centaurs' taboo on assisting humans because he felt he had an obligation to contribute to the struggle against Lord Voldemort. At the end of the fifth book, Firenze remained a member of the teaching staff, and in ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' he shares teaching duties with a reinstated Professor Trelawney, a situation which she finds most distasteful. The reason Dumbledore keeps them both on, he explains to Harry, is that he can ask neither to leave: while Trelawney is wanted by the Death Eaters for her prophecy, Firenze would have no place left to go, being an exile from his herd.
His appearance in the movie is much more bestial than that suggested in the book; in the story he is described as having white-blond hair and deep blue eyes, and girls at the school are apparently very intrigued by his upper-half at least. His bottom half is that of a palomino horse.

Half-Blood Prince

In ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', he is mentioned by Professor Trelawney as "Dobbin". This is probably intended to be derogatory; "Dobbin" is a traditional name for a domesticated horse, much as "Fido" is a traditional name for a dog. It should also be noted that Dobbin is another name for a pantomime horse, through which Trelawney would be referencing his half-human/half-horse status. Firenze later attends the funeral of Albus Dumbledore, where Dolores Umbridge is horrified by his presence and quick to distance herself.

Deathly Hallows

In ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,'' he is seen near the end of the book fighting alongside the other professors of Hogwarts, helping to defend the school against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, it was mentioned that he was wounded on his flanks by the Death Eaters but ultimately survived the battle.

After the series

Although not mentioned in the series, according to a J.K. Rowling web chat Firenze's herd is later forced to acknowledge that Firenze's pro-human leanings are not shameful and allow him back into the fold.^[1]

References

1. J.K. Rowling Web Chat Transcript