Bane

Bane is a centaur living as part of the Forbidden Forest Centaur colony.

Description
Bane is a very intelligent centaur, who can read the stars and predict certain futures, and who despises and distrusts humans. He is physically described as being black haired and black bodied and wild looking, with a black beard.

He is against humans riding on Centaur's backs, and against intervening in fate. He is also against Firenze's decision to teach at Hogwarts.

Along with many other Centaurs, Bane did not believe in siding with humans, shown in 1992 when he called Firenze a "common mule", for allowing Harry Potter to ride on his back.

During the Skirmish in the Forbidden Forest, he took special umbrage at the way Dolores Umbridge insulted his race.

1992
Bane and Firenze foretell Harry Potter's future in 1992 by reading the stars; “Remember, Firenze we are sworn not to set ourselves against the heavens. Have you not read what is to come in the movement of the planets?”.

1995-1996 School Year
Bane was included in the centaur mobs that forced Harry, Hermione Granger, and Rubeus Hagrid out of the Forbidden Forest after they visited Grawp; he was also present when the centaurs attacked Dolores Umbridge, after Umbridge called them "filthy half-breeds".

He shouted at Umbridge's insults at them and shot an arrow above her head as a mocking threat, then lifted her from behind and dragged her off into the midst of the forest.

Battle of Hogwarts
During the Battle of Hogwarts, Bane and the other centaurs didn't join the battle. When it looked like Harry had sacrificed himself, Hagrid called him a coward. This shamed him and the other centaurs so much that they decided to join the battle, breaking through the Death Eater ranks into the Hall. It is likely that he witnessed the final battle between Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter.

Abilities

 * Divination - Like many centaurs, Bane possessed the ability to read the stars, planets, and other celestial bodies in order to predict the future.
 * Archery - Bane was seen to be very skilled at aiming his arrow at Dolores Umbridge so that it simply "grazed her mousy brown hair" to frighten her after she claimed that the Forest belonged to the Ministry of Magic.

Behind the scenes

 * The centaur Bane is voiced and portrayed by the British actor Jason Piper in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film adaptation.
 * A "bane" is something that (1) is a constant source of unhappiness or worry; (2) can cause injury or death or (3) a poison. The word comes from the old English bana and is related to the German word bano, death.
 * In the film adaption of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Bane was never addressed by name, but there was only one of the Centaurs who had a black coat.
 * In the book, Bane solely carried Umbridge off into the forest during the Skirmish in the Forbidden Forest, but in the film she was carried off by two Centaurs, neither of which seemed to be Bane.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7