.progress.through.the.heavens..Centaurs.have.unravelled.the.mysteries.of.these.
movements.over.centuries..Our.findings.teach.us.that.the.future.may.be.glimpsed.in.the.sky.above.us.‐..
.Professor.Trelawney.did.astrology.with.us!..said.Parvati.excitedly,.raising.her.hand.in.front.of.her.so.that.it.stuck.up.in.the.air.as.she.lay.on.her.back...Mars.causes.accidents.and.burns.and.things.like.that,.and.when.it.makes.an.angle.to.Saturn,.like.now.‐..she.drew.a.right‐angle.in.the.air.above.her..‐.that.means.people.need.to.be.extra.careful.when.handling.hot.things.‐..
That,..said.Firenze.calmly,..is.human.nonsense...
Parvati.s.hand.fell.limply.to.her.side..
Trivial.hurts,.tiny.human.accidents,..said.Firenze,.as.his.hooves.thudded.over.the.mossy.floor..These.are.of.no.more.significance.than.the.scurryings.of.ants.to.the.wide.universe,.and.are.unaffected.by.planetary.movements...
.Professor.Trelawney.‐..began.Parvati,.in.a.hurt.and.indignant.voice..
.‐.is.a.human,..said.Firenze.simply...And.is.therefore.blinkered.and.fettered.by.the.limitations.of.your.kind...
Harry.turned.his.head.very.slightly.to.look.at.Parvati..She.looked.very.offended,
.as.did.several.of.the.people.surrounding.her..
.Sybill.Trelawney.may.have.Seen,.I.do.not.know,..continued.Firenze,.and.Harry.heard.the.swishing.of.his.tail.again.as.he.walked.up.and.down.before.them,..but.she.wastes.her.time,.in.the.main,.on.the.self‐flattering.nonsense.humans.call.fortune‐telling..I,.however,.am.here.to.explain.the.wisdom.of.centaurs,.which.is.impersonal.and.impartial..We.watch.the.skies.for.the.great.tides.of.evil.or.change.that.are.sometimes.marked.there..It.may.take.ten.years.to.be.sure.of.what.we.are.seeing...
Firenze.pointed.to.the.red.star.directly.above.Harry..
.In.the.past.decade,.the.indications.have.been.that.wizardkind.is.living.through.nothing.more.than.a.brief.calm.between.two.wars..Mars,.bringer.of.battle,.shines.brightly.above.us,.suggesting.that.the.fight.must.soon.break.out.again..How.soon,.centaurs.may.attempt.to.divine.by.the.burning.of.certain.herbs.and.leaves,
.by.the.observation.of.fume.and.flame…..
It.was.the.most.unusual.lesson.Harry.had.ever.attended..They.did.indeed.burn.sage.and.mallowsweet.there.on.the.classroom.floor,.and.Firenze.told.them.to.look.for.certain.shapes.and.symbols.in.the.pungent.fumes,.but.he.seemed.perfectly.unconcerned.that.not.one.of.them.could.see.any.of.the.signs.he.described,.telling.them.that.humans.were.hardly.ever.good.at.this,.that.it.took.centaurs.years.and.years.to.become.competent,.and.finished.by.telling.them.that.it.was.foolish.to.put.too.much.faith.in.such.things,.anyway,.because.even.centaurs.sometimes.read.them.wrongly..He.was.nothing.like.any.human.teacher.Harry.had.ever.had..His.priority.did.not.seem.to.be.to.teach.them.what.he.knew,
.but.rather.to.impress.upon.them.that.nothing,.not.even.centaurs..knowledge,
.was.foolproof..
.He.s.not.very.definite.on.anything,.is.he?..said.Ron.in.a.low.voice,.as.they.put.out.their.mallowsweet.fire...I.mean,.I.could.do.with.a.few.more.details.about.this.war.we.re.about.to.have,.couldn.t.you?..