Forbidden Forest Centaur colony

"Mars is bright tonight."

- Bane

A Centaur colony lived in the Forbidden Forest on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They were led by the Centaur, Magorian.

Lord Voldemort's return
In 1991, the colony was disturbed by the arrival of Lord Voldemort in the Forest when he was stalking and killing Unicorns. Firenze rescued Harry Potter from Lord Voldemort while he was serving detention in the Forest. Bane and Ronan were furious at Firenze for letting Harry ride on his back, stating that centaurs were not "common mules." This led to the first idea that centaurs are hostile.

Firenze's exile and the High Inquisitor's regime
In 1995, Firenze was exiled from the herd after accepting a post as Divination Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but not before they tried to trample him to death prior to being rescued by Rubeus Hagrid. Hagrid's intervention, along with his keeping of his Giant half-brother, Grawp, in the forest, has cost him his friendship with the centaurs.

In 1996, Dolores Umbridge was tricked into going into the Forbidden Forest by Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, and after insulting them with her arrogant and racist ways she was attacked and dragged away by them. She was rescued from the forest by Dumbledore, and was left with a severe fear of the creatures after the traumatic event.

Dumbledore's funeral
At Albus Dumbledore's funeral in 1997, the herd paid tribute to the fallen Headmaster with a shower of arrows.

The Battle of Hogwarts
"BANE! Happy now, are yeh, that yeh didn' fight, yeh cowardly bunch o' nags? Are yeh happy Harry Potter's -- d-dead...?"

- Rubeus Hagrid to Bane during the Battle of Hogwarts

The Centaurs initially did not participate in the Battle of Hogwarts, though they certainly knew it was occurring because of the volume of Voldemort's demands. Firenze, however, did participate in the first wave of the battle, defending the school with the other Professors.

After Hagrid called them nags while carrying the seemingly dead Harry Potter back to the castle, the Centaurs watched from the forest while Lord Voldemort taunted the defenders at the castle. They were among the first to attack the Death Eaters during the second wave of the battle, charging in and shooting at the enemies with their bows. Following the battle, the herd accepted Firenze back because they realized he was right.

Rubeus Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid had an ongoing relationship with the centaurs that was typically much better than that of other witches and wizards. However, this relationship had its ups and downs, and varied by individual centaurs. During Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hagrid tried to get information from Ronan regarding a unicorn found dead in the forest, though the centaur gave very little information as he spent the time stargazing.

When Hagrid brought Grawp to the Forbidden Forest, his relationship with the Centaurs reached a low point, and the Half-giant always brought his crossbow with him whenever he entered the forest. The Centaurs attacked Grawp, though the Giant survived and eventually managed to coexist in the forest with the centaurs.

Hagrid also yelled at the Centaurs for not initially joining the Battle of Hogwarts, calling them cowardly as he carried Harry Potter from the Forbidden Forest with Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Known members of the colony

 * Bane
 * Firenze (exiled in 1995, returned to the herd following the Battle of Hogwarts)
 * Magorian
 * Ronan

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Notes and references
Colonie de Centaures de la Forêt interdite