Magical Magic Creature Spotlight: Centaur

[sweettalkeress.livejournal.com]

Now... for our scheduled magical magic creature spotlight, we have the one, the only...

Centaur

MOM Classification: XXXX

There’s a footnote on this entry to alert one to the fact that centaurs needn’t be as dangerous as any random creature with that particular classification- they’re classified as such to let people know that they deserve to be treated with great respect.

Well, everyone knows what a centaur looks like, yes/yes? As was discussed in the intro, apparently centaurs voluntarily choose to be classified as beasts rather than beings. Which, is all well and good in theory, but in practice I wonder if that’s not an excuse to treat them like mere animals beneath wizarding notice.

Centaurs originated in Greece but have since spread to other parts of Europe. They don’t need a good deal of protection because they usually avoid humans in the first place. Oh, and just to get in our regularly-scheduled patronizing bullshit: “They are generally speaking as mistrustful of wizards as they are of Muggles and indeed seem to make little differentiation between us.” Yeah. Those Muggles, they are practically a separate species, after all.

Comments

[oryx_leucoryx]

I took the centaurs' choice to remain beasts as their way of protesting wizards' imposition of their own laws on other species. After all, a being is (now) defined as those creatures that are capable of being held responsible under wizarding law.

All the centaurs we meet are male, as far as Harry can tell. Are there female centaurs? If so what do they look like? If not, how do centaurs *normally* reproduce? Are there other herds in Britain? Do different herds communicate? Exchange members? Where will the centaurs go once the forests are gone?