page five hundred and thirty-two

"it was the most unusual lesson harry had ever attended. they did indeed burn sage and mallowsweet there on the classrom floor, and firenze told them to look for certain shapes and symbols in the pungent fumes, but he seemed perfectly unconcerned that not one of them could see any of the signs he described, telling them that humans were harldy ever good at this, that it took centaurs years and years to become competent, and finished by telling them that it was foolish to put too much faith in such things, anyway, because even centaurs sometimes read them wrongly. he was nothing like any human teacher harry had ever had. his priority did not seem to be to teach them what he knew, but rather to impress upon them that nothing, not even a centaurs' knowledge was foolproof."

harry potter and the order of the phoenix, j.k. rowling. 2003