Mass Collision

28. New Divination Teacher

That morning, it was the first day with Firenze as the new Divination professor. As he was now teaching, it had to be moved to the first floor, room 11.

She entered the classroom with Pansy and was shocked to see it, not as a classroom, but like a forest. 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, looking rather nervous. In the middle of the room, where there were no trees, stood Firenze.

She did the same as everyone and put her bag down. She turned around and the centar was staring right at her. "Natalia Di Angleo, the stars have talked about you."

Her eyes widened in panic, "They have, have they?"

"Yes, the girl, out of time, daughter of the underworld," he tells her just before he walks away. She stares after him, a little confused, before she shakes herself out of her thoughts and sits down next to Pansy.

"How did you mange to talk to him, isn't he a little frightening?" She whispered to her, afraid someone would hear. Natalia tried to hold in her giggle.

"I've seen things a little more scary."

When the door was closed and the last student had sat down upon a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room.

"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us,"said Firenze, when everyone had settled down, "in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was — until Monday — my home . . . but this is not possible."

"Please — er — sir —" said Parvati breathlessly, raising her hand, "why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!"

"It is not a question of your bravery," said Firenze, "but of my position. I can no longer return to the forest. My herd has banished me."

"Herd?" said Lavender in a confused voice, and Harry knew she was thinking of cows. "What — oh!" Comprehension dawned on her face. "There are more of you?" she said, stunned.

"Did Hagrid breed you, like the thestrals?" asked Dean eagerly.

Firenze turned his head very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to realize at once that he had said something very offensive. Natalia almost slapped her hand to her forehead in embarrassment for him.

"I didn't — I meant — sorry," he finished in a hushed voice.

"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans," said Firenze quietly. There was a pause, then Parvati raised her hand again.

"Please, sir . . . why have the other centaurs banished you?"

"Because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore," said Firenze. "They see this as a betrayal of our kind."

"Let us begin," said Firenze. He swished his long palomino tail, raised his hand toward the leafy canopy overhead then lowered it slowly, and as he did so, the light in the room dimmed, so that they now seemed to be sitting in a forest clearing by twilight, and stars emerged upon the ceiling. There were oohs and gasps, and Ron said audibly, "Blimey!"

"Lie back upon the floor," said Firenze in his calm voice, "and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races." Natalia did as he said and laid on her back, looking at the stars.