What of Ronan?

[Kimberly]

I was thinking that the Ministry aren't the only ones who've gone the 
route of not choosing so far.  While Fudge and his people used denial 
to avoid choosing a side, the centaurs, who have had quite a bit of 
understanding about what's coming even since PS/SS, seem to have 
considered it somehow wise and noble to avoid choosing sides.  
T
It's weird, they seem to consider it a lowly human conflict in which 
they have no stake, but considering what Dobby has said, the debates 
on which way the giants would go, and all the lessons about goblin 
rebellions Harry's sat through over the years, it seems like many 
other magical beings are directly affected by human conflicts.  So 
why was Firenze treated so shabbily in PS/SS when he helped Harry, 
and the nearly murdered by his own people when he decided to help 
Dumbledore?  I can't imagine that centaurs could have any desire to 
see Voldemort come back into power, since he would doubtlessly 
encroach on their territory (both physically and figuratively) sooner 
or later.  Do they not care either way?  I don't think that's the 
case.  In PS/SS the other centaurs seemed to agree that what was 
coming was a Bad Thing, so they do have an opinion, but for some 
reason they refuse to do anything either way, and in fact, treat as 
criminal the one among them who chooses to act.  So on first reading 
of OOP I pretty much shrugged and gave up hope that the centaurs 
would be of any help, but after rereading their bit in PS/SS, I've 
changed my mind.  I think, in the end, at least one other centaur is 
going to join the fight, and possibly many, or even most.

In PS/SS, Firenze declared that he set hismelf against what was 
lurking in the forest even if it meant working with the humans.  
While Bane was adamant that centaurs do not mix with humans, Ronan of 
the mournful voice seemed to accept that there might be good reasons 
for Firenze to do what he was doing.  He interceded vaguely to that 
effect at the time, and quietly tried to dissuade the crowd from 
hurting Harry and Hermione in OOP.  Granted, he was rather quickly 
silenced, but that sad slow voice of his makes me think he's somewhat 
disillusioned with always knowing what lies ahead and never doing 
anything about it.  Fatalism doesn't naturally thrive.  It either 
gives in to despair, or is rejected in favor of action.  I think 
Ronan will choose action.  It seems to be pride that keeps the other 
centaurs from wanting to cooperate with humans, and Ronan's portrayal 
leads me to believe that he's not all that bound by pride.  
So I think that he, at least, will eventually join the fight.  But I 
don't think he'll be alone, at least not in the end.  The very pride 
that seems to keep the centaurs in disdain of humans will eventually 
spur (no pun intended, I swear!) some of them into action, because 
sooner or later the fight will affect them directly.  Voldemort's not 
going to leave a race of intelligent beings alone just because they 
don't care about the fight.  So even if they don't fight alongside 
the humans, I imagine they'll eventually fight against Voldemort 
simply because they *will not* let themselves be considered to be 
doing anybody's bidding, including Voldy's.  

Kimberly
who finds the cetaurs fascinating in spite of how stupid the movie 
made them look