The Order of the Phoenix

(started July 11th, finished July 21st)

Here we go. The last couple of books have left me pretty stunned, but I’ll try to get back to writing out my thoughts consistently. This book is a big one and we just came off of some serious crazy events in the last one.

Chapter 1: Dudley Demented.

– So I’ve always really loved the way the books start. The end of the books are always high intensity, magic filled sequences and then the start of the next book has Harry start the year off with Summer at the Dursleys’. The contrast between extraordinary ending and normal, mundane beginning was really great. I got used to it. So when this book begins after the ending that was the last book, it’s obvious things were way too over the top for Harry to have a normal summer. He’s anxious of course. The events that occurred have affected him way too much. It’s why I think the interaction between Harry and Dudley was really interesting. Dudley stopped bullying him relentlessly like he used to because he’s afraid of his magic and Harry sort of stopped bothering with him. Harry prodding Dudley so much in the hopes of getting him to start a fight with him shows just how frustrated Harry is right now.
– Dementors in Little Whinging! Does that mean they’re running with Voldemort now? How did the Ministry just let this happen?
– Don’t tell me… sweet old Mrs. Figg is a witch!

Chapter 2: A Peck of Owls.

– Oh okay so she’s as a squib.
– Aunt Petunia knows about Dementors and Lord Voldemort! I think Harry articulated my thoughts from the previous chapter well – his normal life and his magical life have combined.
– Oh wow. First off, what an intense series of owls. People are obviously watching Harry very closely. That howler though. “Remember your last Petunia”. Who could that have been from?

Chapter 3: The Advance Guard.

– They finally came! Lupin is back and many others who seem to be friends. Is this what Dumbledore meant by the ‘old gang’?
– I do have to admit, it’s weird “meeting” Mad-Eye Moody for the first time seeing as how the Moody we knew was an imposter all along. I started to like that Moody!

Chapter 4: Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.

– Hoo boy I’m getting heated. Of course the biggest issue right now with Lord Voldemort’s return is the wretched Ministry of Magic and the rest of the naysayers in the magical world. Harry was attacked by Dementors! How else do you explain that? I can’t wait for this trial but knowing Fudge it will probably be unfair.

Chapter 5: The Order of the Phoenix.

– Now they’re discrediting Dumbledore? Voldemort ought to fell the lot of them. I bet it’ll be the same people who will run to Dumbledore the moment Voldemort starts killing their families. Absolutely ridiculous.

Chapter 6: The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.

– Interesting information regarding a lot of the Wizarding families. The Black family seems to be at the centre of it all and also the most rotten of them all.

Chapter 7: The Ministry of Magic.

– I have a really bad feeling about this.

Chapter 8: The Hearing.

– Wow that was intense. I expected as much from the Ministry though I’m glad Dumbledore was so fiercely matter-of-fact.

Chapter 9: The Woes of Mr. Weasley.

– I feel so bad for Mrs. Weasley. It’s dawning on everyone (including me) that the danger involved with fighting Death Eaters is very real. People have died. And people will die. I’m really starting to get worried.

Chapter 10: Luna Lovegood.

– A new year starts at Hogwarts! For a while there, I was sure that nothing that would happen at Hogwarts could be as interesting as what was happening out of it but I was wrong! I wonder what those bat horses are?…
– Nothing too bad in regards to Harry’s appearances in the Daily Prophet so far.
– Luna Lovegood’s father is an editor for that magazine. I noticed two things about that – (1) that nothing horrible about Harry was written in there and (2) there were some very interesting stories about Sirius and Fudge.

Chapter 11: The Sorting Hat’s New Song.

– The Sorting Hat’s new song is about Voldemort for sure. The idea that it picks up on what’s said in Dumbledore’s office is interesting.
– Man, I expected this kind of thing but I’m really sad that Seamus believes that stuff too. Seamus and Dean are my favorites besides Harry’s main friends.

Chapter 12: Professor Umbridge.

– I figured Professor Umbridge would be the worst. She really had a course outline and everything for Defense Against The Dark Arts hahaha. It was like a college class.
– As much as I’m rooting for Harry, I’m with Professor McGonagall on this one. He needs to control his temper or things are just going to get worse.

Chapter 13: Detention with Dolores.

– Harry’s gotten to be a bit irritable huh. I mean I know things are hard for him and he’s not taking it too well, but that’s no reason to be at his friends’ throats all the time.
– I’m so happy for Ron! Now my two boys can play Quidditch together!
– Something’s up with Umbridge for sure. UNLIKE the first two books there are so many things to keep track of!! So many motivations and mysterious tidbits.

Chapter 14: Percy and Padfoot.

– If anything I feel bad for Percy. There’s the distinct air of just being misguided. He’s not malevolent I don’t think. He’s just naive and eager and the wrong people are taking advantage of that. He cares about Ron and wants what he thinks is best for him! I just hope for his sake that he sees what’s really happening.
– Sirius isn’t really the best Godfather huh. He’s not a guardian figure like Mrs. Weasley is but on the other hand he’s not nearly as coddling as she is. They each possess qualities of people Harry really needs in his life but neither is perfectly good for him.

Chapter 15: The Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

– Harry really needs to control his temper. He isn’t accomplishing anything by getting on Umbridge’d nerves like this.
– So Ron and Hermione have pointed out that Harry is really good at battling the Dark Arts! I do wish more people realize just how competent he actually is.

Chapter 16: In the Hog’s Head.

– I didn’t mention this before but it is strange that Filch suspected Harry when he was sending the letter to Sirius. Hermione definitely thought something was up.
– So people really are interested in learning from Harry, and it turns out there weren’t as many people who thought ill of Harry as we suspected. I have a feeling this group will get larger.

Chapter 17: Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four.

– Oh geez! Umbridge caught on!

Chapter 18: Dumbledore’s Army.

– I love this club so much. They’ve got members from all the houses except for Slytherin. Hopefully they’ll come around eventually.

Chapter 19: The Lion and The Serpent.

– Draco Malfoy is to utterly irritable. The crazy is that, like I’ve been saying forever, is that he’s the worst bully. He’s such a scrawny boy yet he runs his mouth so much. So happy when he got the stuffing knocked out of him.
– This Ministry interference through Umbridge is reaching the tipping point.

Chapter 20: Hagrid’s Tale.

– Oh no, the Giants are on Voldemort’s side. If only the Gurg hadn’t changed.

Chapter 21: The Eye of the Snake.

– Woah, did Harry control Voldemort’s snake?

Chapter 22: St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

– So people think that Harry is being possessed by Voldemort himself.

Chapter 23: Christmas on the Closed Ward.

– Neville’s parents 😦
– So what happened to Gilderoy was permanent then? I know he deserves it but golly, magic is scary.

Chapter 24: Occlumency.

– A new branch of magic! I love learning about these kinds of things.
– Uh oh, Voldemort is really happy about something. Please don’t go to sleep Harry…

Chapter 25: The Beetle at Bay.

– Hold up, Hermione might have just did something…
– This might actually be a good idea. People need to know that Voldemort is out there. Yes, some people won’t believe it but as long as some people do that already a big plus!

Chapter 26: Seen and Unforeseen.

– Are we going to glance over the fact that Dumbledore knew Trelawney was going to be fired and hired Firenze ahead of time? Dumbledore is the man!
– We haven’t seen Firenze, or a single centaur since the very first book. I still remember Firenze being chastised by the other centaurs for saving Harry and “interfering with fate”, as though Harry was meant to die in the first book.
– I wonder if the so-called seers are related to centaurs in any way. Centaurs know the future but are forbidden to talk to humans about it. I wonder what Firenze will be like as a professor.

Chapter 27: The Centaur and the Sneak.

– I’ll say this, it was bound to happen eventually. That Ravenclaw girl is horrible, especially considering she knew what the consequences would be for her actions. Namely expulsion.
– I love Dumbledore. He follows his own rules and his escape was downright badass. When he said that Fudge would regret removing him from Hogwarts, I got so hyped.
– Out of everything Dumbledore would’ve said, he stuck with urging Harry to stick with his Occlumency lessons with Snape. There must be something bigger here than simply shutting out Voldemort.

Chapter 28: Snape’s Worst Memory.

– As much of an asshole Harry’s dad was, I’m glad to know that he wasn’t the stereotypical perfect character just because he’s dead and that instead he had some pretty glaring flaws. Namely that he was an asshole.
– I feel bad for Snape, and it looks like Harry agrees.

Chapter 29: Careers Advice.

– Sirius and Lupin had the distinct air of adults who brush off their actions as kids. Not saying they did but they definitely didn’t see James the way Harry saw him.
– Godspeed Fred and George. Godspeed.

Chapter 30: Grawp.

– On one hand I love Hagrid but on the other hand he really needs to consider his actions.
– Asking Harry to accompany him is one thing but leaving an untamed giant in his hands completely is very irresponsible!

Chapter 31: O.W.L.s

– …

Chapter 32: Out of the Fire.

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Chapter 33: Fight and Flight.

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Chapter 34: The Department of Mysteries.

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Chapter 35: Beyond the Veil.

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Chapter 36: The Only One He Ever Feared.

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Chapter 37: The Lost Prophecy.

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Chapter 38: The Second War Begins.

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OVERALL SUMMARY:

– I’m sitting here at 3:15 in the morning (of July 21st) just awestruck. I felt kind of bad for the last couple of books because I end up getting so caught up in what’s happening that I don’t take any notes. But the truth is I don’t have anything to say. I’m so enraptured in what’s happening that all I’m thinking about is what’s going to happen next!
– There are … a lot of things that happened during the last bunch of chapters. But the one that’s got me sitting up and awake this late into the night is the talk Dumbledore had with Harry where he told him everything.
– I literally pulled out Philosopher’s Stone and reread the conversation between Dumbledore and Harry in first year because he said that he dreaded when Harry asked him why Voldemort targeted him.
– If there was anything to take away from this book, it’s that adults aren’t perfect. Everyone from Lupin, who turned a blind eye to Sirius’ and James’ bullying, to James who mistreated Snape, to Sirius who treated Harry a little bit too much like a replacement to James, to Sirius who couldn’t look past James’ bullying when it came to teaching Harry to fend off Voldemort, and even to Dumbledore who put Harry’s wellbeing above his plan to thwart Voldemort, fifteen years ago…
– I think that was the most heart-stirring part of it all. Dumbledore’s own admittance that he preferred Harry be protected from the horrible truths that awaited him over the potential cost of lives he did not know.
– I think Harry put it best when he said that it felt like the life with Sirius Black and the life without Sirius Black are different universe connected by one long empty week. Except instead it’s like one universe where Harry is helping fend off Voldemort with the rest of the Order and another universe where suddenly he’s destined to either die at Voldemort’s hands or kill him. Only one or the other…