Harry’s first experience in the Forbidden Forest, found in chapter 15 of Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone introduces us to the centaurs, the star-gazers who believe they know the future by the reading of the night sky. Now that we’re six books into the series and much has developed in the theme of knowing the future, that initial meeting with the centaurs seems to be quite significant. Many of the elements for the coming tension surrounding the prophecy are to be found in Harry’s initial encounter with the centaurs.

Our first interaction with the centaurs portrays them as the sort of folks who are described as being too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. While Hagrid tries desperately to get any clue from Ronan or Bane that would help him solve the mystery of the murdered unicorns, the only response from the centaurs, over and over again, is, “Mars is bright tonight.”

Centaurs, of course, are said to be able to tell the future by reading at the stars. Later, Firenze, whom we are about to meet in the Forest, will co-teach Divination at Hogwarts.

As Harry comes face to face with the cloaked figure (Voldemort) who is drinking the dead unicorn’s blood, he is rescued by the centaur Firenze, who allows Harry to ride on his back and carries him to safety. Ronan and Bane storm onto the scene, and the following dialogue ensues:

“Firenze!” Bane thundered. “What are you doing? You have a human on your back! Have you no shame? Are you a common mule?”

“Do you realize who this is?” said Firenze. “This is the Potter boy. The quicker he leaves this forest, the better.”

“What have you been telling him?” growled Bane. “Remember, Firenze, we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have we not read what is to come in the movement of the planets?”

Ronan pawed the ground nervously. “I’m sure Firenze thought he was acting for the best.”

Bane kicked his legs back in anger.
“For the best! What is that to do with us? Centaurs are concerned with what has been fortold! It is not our business to run around like donkeys after stray humans in our forest!”

Firenze suddenly reared on to his hind legs in anger, so that Harry had to grab his shoulders to stay on.
“Do you not see that unicorn?” Firenze bellowed at Bane. “Do you not understand why it was killed? Or have the planets not let you in on that secret? I set myself against what is lurking in this forest, Bane, yes, with humans alongside me if I must.”

In Bane’s mind, the stars foretold the future, not something that might happen. What was seen in the stars was inevitable fate, and this belief led him not to oppose Voldemort himself.

We learn later of the wizarding world’s mistreatment of the centaurs, so perhaps we can understand a bit of Bane’s anger concerning humans. Nevertheless, JKR is setting us up for the question about the prophecy that Dumbledore tackles in Half-Blood Prince.

Several questions arise from this encounter with the centaurs:

~ If something has been foretold in a prophecy or the stars, must it happen?

~ Are any prophecies certain, or are all subject to the choices of the characters involved?

~ What did Ronan and Bane foresee in the stars? It clearly had to do with Harry and Voldemort, and it was Firenze’s interference by rescuing Harry from death that resulted in the charge that he was setting himself against the heavens. Have the stars foretold Harry’s death? Does this give us any insight at all into what will happen to Harry in book 7?

My assumption is that since the first bookend of the free will/fate discussion was set up by the centaurs, we just might see the centaurs playing a significant role in book 7. I’m looking forward to re-reading the later conflict with the centaurs and Firenze in light of this first incident.

Some of the questions above can be answered, and some cannot. I’ll take up a few of them later this week with a post on Rowling and Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

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