Firenze

Firenze is a centaur seen first in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. His appearance is short in this book, but Firenze nevertheless shows up again as the new Divination professor in the fixth book in the Harry Potter series, the Order of the Phoenix.

His reappearance in the fifth book is a result of being cast out of the Forbidden Forest by his herd. As a centaur, Firenze is bound by the laws of the centaurs, one of which states that no centaur will lower himself to aid a human, whom they consider baser than they. Firenze is kicked out of his herd (and nearly killed) when he chooses to become a professor at Hogwarts, to fill in for the fired Professor Trelawney. His decision is seen as treason by the other centaurs, and they force Firenze to flee from the forest.

In the fight to get out of the forest, Firenze is branded with a hoof-shaped bruise, which he maintains throughout the rest of the fifth book.