Through.the.mist.came.a.face.Harry.had.seen.once.before.on.a.dark,.dangerous.night.in.the.Forbidden.Forest:.white‐blond.hair.and.astonishingly.blue.eyes;.the.head.and.torso.of.a.man.joined.to.the.palomino.body.of.a.horse..
This.is.Firenze,..said.Dumbledore.happily.to.a.thunderstruck.Umbridge...I.think.you.ll.find.him.suitable...
—.CHAPTER.TWENTY‐SEVEN.—.
The.Centaur.and.the.Sneak
Til.bet.you.wish.you.hadn.t.given.up.Divination.now,.don.t.you,.Hermione?.
.asked.Parvati,.smirking..
It.was.breakfast.time,.two.days.after.the.sacking.of.Professor.Trelawney,.and.Parvati.was.curling.her.eyelashes.around.her.wand.and.examining.the.effect.in.the.back.of.her.spoon..They.were.to.have.their.first.lesson.with.Firenze.that.morning..
.Not.really..said.Hermione.indifferently,.who.was.reading.the.Daily.Prophet...I.ve.never.really.liked.horses...
She.turned.a.page.of.the.newspaper.and.scanned.its.columns..
.He.s.not.a.horse,.he.s.a.centaur!..said.Lavender,.sounding.shocked..
.A.gorgeous.centaur…..sighed.Parvati..
.Either.way,.he.s.still.got.four.legs,..said.Hermione.coolly...Anyway.I.thought.you.two.were.all.upset.that.Trelawney.had.gone?..
.We.are!..Lavender.assured.her...We.went.up.to.her.office.to.see.her;.we.took.her.some.daffodils.‐.not.the.honking.ones.that.Sprout.s.got,.nice.ones...
.How.is.she?..asked.Harry..
.Not.very.good,.poor.thing,..said.Lavender.sympathetically...She.was.crying.and.saying.she.d.rather.leave.the.castle.for.ever.than.stay.here.where.Umbridge.is,
.and.I.don.t.blame.her,.Umbridge.was.horrible.to.her,.wasn.t.she?..
.I.ve.got.a.feeling.Umbridge.has.only.just.started.being.horrible,..said.Hermione.darkly..
.Impossible,..said.Ron,.who.was.tucking.into.a.large.plate.of.eggs.and.bacon...She.can.t.get.any.worse.than.she.s.been.already...
.You.mark.my.words,.she.s.going.to.want.revenge.on.Dumbledore.for.appointing.a.new.teacher.without.consulting.her,..said.Hermione,.closing.the.newspaper...Especially.another.part‐human..You.saw.the.look.on.her.face.when.she.saw.Firenze...
After.breakfast.Hermione.departed.for.her.Arithmancy.class.as.Harry.and.Ron.followed.Parvati.and.Lavender.into.the.Entrance.Hal,.heading.for.Divination..
Aren.t.we.going.up.to.North.Tower?..asked.Ron,.looking.puzzled,.as.Parvati.bypassed.the.marble.staircase..
Parvati.looked.at.him.scornfully.over.her.shoulder..
.How.d.you.expect.Firenze.to.climb.that.ladder?.We.re.in.classroom.eleven.now,
.it.was.on.the.noticeboard.yesterday...
Classroom.eleven.was.on.the.ground.floor.along.the.corridor.leading.off.the.Entrance.Hall.from.the.opposite.side.to.the.Great.Hll..Harry.knew.it.was.one.of.those.classrooms.that.were.never.used.regularly,.and.therefore.had.the.slightly.neglected.feeling.of.a.cupboard.or.storeroom..When.he.entered.it.right.behind.
Ron,.and.found.himself.in.the.middle.of.a.forest.clearing,.he.was.therefore.momentarily.stunned..
.What.the.‐?..
The.classroom.floor.had.become.springily.mossy.and.trees.were.growing.out.of.it;.their.leafy.branches.fanned.across.the.ceiling.and.windows,.so.that.the.room.was.full.of.slanting.shafts.of.soft,.dappled,.green.light..The.students.who.had.already.arrived.were.sitting.on.the.earthy.floor.with.their.backs.resting.against.tree.trunks.or.boulders.arms.wrapped.around.their.knees.or.folded.tightly.across.their.chests,.and.all.looking.rather.nervous..In.the.middle.of.the.clearing,