Firenze in OOP

[Smythe, Boyd T {FLNA}]

Neri wrote:
 The dilemma you pointed is actually even worse because of JKR's use,
 or rather un-use, of Firenze in OotP. The Firenze subplot in OotP
 simply doesn't go anywhere. It's one reason out of many why OotP was
a bit disappointing, a transitional book rather than standing by
itself.
 Why put a rebellious centaur as a divination teacher at Hogwarts when
 he does not alter the plot of the book in any way, nor teaches us
 anything substantial? The only reason I can think of is as a
 preparation for Books 6 and 7. There are two possible roles that I
see Firenze playing in these books: he can help reinterpreting the
 prophecy, and he can help recruit the centaurs as allies if they can
 get over their fatalism and separationism.

Boyd:
Balance. Aside from Firenze, the centaurs are presented as a bit, well,
cruel & unsympathetic. Kill the foals and all that. Firenze is there to
demonstrate that there are good and bad centaurs. Where else have we seen
this?

Giants: we saw the good (~Hagrid and Grawp) and the bad (all the other
giants).
House-elves: good (Dobby), bad (Kreacher).
Goblins: good (they do a respectable job at Gringotts) and bad (the
oft-cited rebellions).

This duality extends to virtually every facet of the WW, as we see good and
bad Hogwarts founders, good and bad (i.e. DE) wizards, good and bad
Quidditch sportsmanship, pureblood families (Sirius v. Bellatrix) and the
list goes on. It is instructive to notice where we have yet to see the yin
to an obvious yang:

* Salazar Slytherin (was he all bad? Evil incarnate? Or misrepresented by
history?)
* Slytherins (no good ones *yet*)
* LV (does Harry 'destroy' him by appealing to some long-lost good within?)
* Snape (all bad from Harry's POV despite mounds of good deeds for the OoP)
* Dursleys (will there be a good side to one of them? Perhaps revealed when
one expresses unexpected magic?)
* DD (good incarnate? Or Machiavellian MD technician?)
* Draco, Crabbe and Goyle; Hermione and Ron (never good? Never bad? Come on,
now, who's going to betray someone first?)

I'm sure I've missed an obvious one, let me know if I have. Anyway, since
JKR loves painting things in black and white from Harry's POV, then showing
us readers the grey, I expect these folks will get greyer soon.

--Boyd