Firenze is a centaur with white-blond hair, palomino body, and blue eyes (PS15). He trusts humans more than the rest of the centaurs; he let Harry ride on his back in order to bring him to a safe place and helped him understand that Voldemort was lurking in the Forbidden Forest and planning to get the Philosopher’s Stone (PS15). At Dumbledore’s request, he also agreed to come to Hogwarts and replace Sybill Trelawney as the Divination teacher, an act that caused the other centaurs to consider him a traitor and banish him from their herd. Hagrid stopped the centaurs from killing Firenze, and in exchange, he tried to warn Hagrid that his attempt to teach Grawp was not working (OP27, OP30). Firenze remained at Hogwarts as a Divination teacher, together with Prof. Trelawney, much to the latter’s displeasure (OP38, HBP20). He fought and was wounded in the Battle of Hogwarts (DH33, DH36). He survived and eventually went back to the herd of Centaurs in the Forest (BLC).
Family
Firenze belongs to the centaur herd in the Forbidden Forest, and it probably related to at least some of the other centaurs in the herd. However, this is never made clear.
Skills
Divination, ability to get along well with Humans
Commentary
Etymology
Firenze: fye-REN-zee ~ Italian for the city of Florence.
Notes
Firenze's name is mispronounced in the films. It should be "fye-REN-zee."
Firenze has similarites with Chiron, a centaur from Greek mythology who was considered to be more 'civilised' and human-friendly than other, typically wild centaurs and who was a teacher and mentor to young heroes (source: Wikipedia). -BB
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: banished blue half-breed half-horse herd heroism mysterious trust white