Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series. It was one of the most widely-anticipated books of the series, since there was a wait of three years between it and the previous book, Goblet of Fire. It is also the largest book in the series, having jokingly been labelled as heavier than a refrigerator (by Stephen Fry at the Royal Albert Hall event) and used as a benchmark for the size of the next two books.
Plot
Scholastic (US) cover of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The bores of the summer are particularly annoying to Harry Potter at the beginning of this book. He remains at Privet Drive, wholly cut off from the wizarding world, and constantly hoping to hear any news about the return to power of Lord Voldemort. After running into his cousin, Dudley Dursley, on a walk, Harry and Dudley are attacked by Dementors. Harry drives them off with the Patronus, and is surprised to find Mrs. Figg, his old, cat-loving neighbour, storming up the road toward the two teenagers.
However, she does not yell at the two boys, but instead reveals that she is a Squib who has been watching over Harry since the beginning of the summer; she is furious at Mundungus Fletcher (who was to be watching Harry and Disapparated from the front of 4 Privet Drive).
Harry, Mrs. Figg, and a very ill Dudley walk back to Privet Drive.
The Ministry of Magic sends Harry a letter telling him that he's been expelled from Hogwarts for underage magic. Dumbledore is quick to act, telling the Ministry that they do not have the authority to expel Hogwarts students; so the Ministry sets up a hearing to decide whether or not to break Harry's wand. Harry is informed of this through a number of letters delivered to the Dursleys' house after he performed the Patronus charm.
As Muggles are unable to see Dementors, Dudley assumes that Harry attacked him with some sort of spell. Vernon is ready to throw Harry out, as he has always yearned to do so since receiving Harry, when Petunia receives a Howler.
Before she has an opportunity to open the letter, it bursts into flames, and a menacing voice says, "Remember my last". Petunia then immediately convinces her husband to let Harry remain at Privet Drive. Harry has no idea of what's going on.
After many more days of being locked in his room, a number of witches and wizards (auto denominated the "Advance Guard") come to rescue Harry from the Dursleys' home. They are members of the Order of the Phoenix, an elite group whose members fight Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. They bring Harry to their headquarters, the house of the Black family, or 12 Grimmauld Place (London). The Weasleys, Hermione Granger, and Harry’s godfather Sirius Black are there. Harry learns that Voldemort is building an army and is attempting to retrieve a "weapon". Arthur Weasley escorts Harry to his hearing. He is cleared of all charges after testimony from Dumbledore, and from the Squib down the street, Mrs. Figg.
Later, Ron and Hermione are named prefects. When Harry, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts, they are surprised to hear that Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister (and who was at Harry's hearing) is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. During their first lesson they discover that Umbridge refuses to teach real defence methods and that they will not be performing any spells, only learning Ministry-approved theory (learning in a "risk-free way"). It becomes clear she is really there to spy on and take control of the school and is soon appointed High Inquisitor, arbitrarily imposing rules and regulations (known as "Educational Decrees"). She also harbours racial hatred for "half-breeds", such as centaurs, werewolves and similar creatures. She considers Rubeus Hagrid (a half-giant) and Sybill Trelawney incompetent, and sacks Trelawney (Hagrid is dismissed later). Although Dumbledore is unable to prevent Trelawney's dismissal, he invokes his authority to allow her to remain in the castle and appoints a new Divination teacher - a centaur, Firenze.
Harry has disturbing dreams about running down a hallway and attempting to open a door in the Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries, but being unable to. Then one night he dreams that he is a snake attacking Ron's father. He awakens in a panic and tells others, who indeed find Mr. Weasley at the Ministry, suffering from severe venomous snake bites. Harry fears he is being possessed by Voldemort. In response, Dumbledore has Snape teach Harry Occlumency to block his mind from intrusion, but their mutual animosity ends their lessons prematurely.
Due to high number of students who are sceptical to Voldemort's return, Hermione blackmails journalist (and unregistered Animagus) Rita Skeeter into writing a favourable article about Harry witnessing Voldemort's return. Ravenclaw student Luna Lovegood, a close friend of Ginny Weasley, argues with her father to publish the story in his paper, The Quibbler. Furious, Umbridge bans the tabloid from the school, but the story spreads rapidly, gathering support for Harry. Many in the wizarding community also now believe Harry.
Hermione convinces Harry to secretly teach students Defence Against the Dark Arts. Though at first reluctant, Harry finally accepts. They name their clandestine group "Dumbledore's Army", or D.A. for short, to mock the Ministry of Magic, which fears Dumbledore is creating a secret wizard army. When Umbridge uncovers the group's meetings, which was due to Cho Chang's friend Marietta Edgecombe, Dumbledore claims that he organized it. Confronted by two Aurors John Dawlish and Kingsley Shacklebolt (who was not loyal to the Ministry, but to Dumbledore), Minister Fudge, and Umbridge, Dumbledore easily disables them and is spectacularly whisked away by his phoenix, Fawkes. Umbridge is appointed Headmistress and imposes even tighter control. Fed up, the Weasley twins instigate a revolt, causing mayhem throughout the school while the staff pointedly do nothing to help Umbridge regain control. This marks the end of Fred and George's magical education, who now opt to move into their magical tricks and joke shop in Diagon Alley, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.
Harry receives a vision that Sirius is being tortured at the Department of Mysteries, although Hermione suspects it may be a trap. Harry desperately attempts to contact Sirius at Grimmauld Place via the Floo Network in Umbridge's office fireplace, but he is caught. Umbridge reveals it was she who sent the Dementors to attack Harry during the summer. As she is about to use the Cruciatus Curse on him, Hermione claims that Dumbledore has hidden a powerful weapon in the Forbidden Forest. She leads Harry and Umbridge into the forest where they encounter centaurs. Umbridge foolishly insults them and an angry centaur picks up Umbridge and carries her off screaming into the woods. When Hagrid's giant half-brother, Grawp crashes onto the scene, Hermione and Harry escape amid the chaos.
Harry, Ron and Hermione, along with Luna, Ginny and Neville fly to the Ministry of Magic on the school's Thestrals, unaware they are being lured into a trap. When they arrive at the Department of Mysteries, they are ambushed by Death Eaters. Voldemort seeks a prophecy contained in a glass sphere there and needs Harry to retrieve it for him.
The students heroically fight the Death Eaters, but they are outmatched. They are nearly defeated, but Order members suddenly arrive to help them. During the ensuing battle, the glass sphere is shattered and the prophecy lost. Sirius is blasted with a spell by his Death Eater cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, and falling backwards, disappears through a mysterious veiled archway. Remus Lupin restrains Harry, who wants to follow and rescue Sirius, telling him that Sirius is dead. Dumbledore arrives and the Death Eaters, except for Lestrange, are captured. Lord Voldemort appears and duels with Dumbledore as Ministry of Magic employees arrive in time to see the Dark Lord before he Disapparates, taking Lestrange with him. Cornelius Fudge finally admits Voldemort has returned and Harry's interview with Rita Skeeter is reprinted in the Daily Prophet.
Later, Dumbledore apologises to Harry for withholding information over the past year. He reveals the lost prophecy, for it was to him that it was first told:
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... and the Dark Lord will mark him as equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ...
Dumbledore also reveals that, due to when the boy was predicted to be born, Neville Longbottom could also have been the child in the prophecy. Dumbledore believes Voldemort chose to attack Harry because he is a half-blood like himself; Neville is a pureblood. In so doing, the Dark Lord marked Harry as his equal; therefore, there is no doubt that the prophecy relates to anyone but Harry.
Editions
Book chapters
- Dudley Demented
- A Peck of Owls
- The Advance Guard
- Number Twelve Grimmauld Place
- The Order of the Phoenix
- The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
- The Ministry of Magic
- The Hearing
- The Woes of Mrs. Weasley
- Luna Lovegood
- The Sorting Hat's New Song
- Professor Umbridge
- Detention With Dolores
- Percy and Padfoot
- The Hogwarts High Inquisitor
- In The Hog's Head
- Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four
- Dumbledore's Army
- The Lion and the Serpent
- Hagrid's Tale
- The Eye of the Snake
- St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
- Christmas on the Closed Ward
- Occlumency
- The Beetle at Bay
- Seen and Unforeseen
- The Centaur and the Sneak
- Snape's Worst Memory
- Career Advice
- Grawp
- O.W.L.s
- Out of the Fire
- Fight and Flight
- The Department of Mysteries
- Beyond the Veil
- The Only One He Ever Feared
- The Lost Prophecy
- The Second War Begins
Deaths
| Character | Killed By | Cause Of Death | Circumstances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broderick Bode | Walden Macnair | Devil's Snare | St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries |
| Sirius Black | Bellatrix Lestrange | Falling through Veil | Battle of the Department of Mysteries |
Sirius Black
Fights/Duels
| Winners | Losers | Outcome | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter | Dementors | Dementors are repelled | Little Whinging |
| Rubeus Hagrid | Dolores Umbridge and helpers | Hagrid escapes | Hogwarts grounds |
| Centaurs and Grawp | Dolores Umbridge | Umbridge is captured | Forbidden Forest |
| Ginny, Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom | Inquisitorial Squad | Squad is left in ruins | Umbridge's office |
| Death Eaters | Students at Ministry | Students forced to separate | Ministry of Magic |
| Antonin Dolohov | Harry, Neville, and Hermione | Hermione is nearly killed, Neville's nose and wand are broken | Ministry of Magic |
| Death Eaters | Luna, Ron and Ginny | Ginny breaks her ankle, Ron is extremely confused | Ministry of Magic |
| Death Eaters | Harry and Luna | Luna is knocked out and the Death Eaters get in | Veil room |
| Order of the Phoenix | Death Eaters | Breaks down into single fights | Veil room |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | Nymphadora Tonks | Tonks is nearly killed | Veil room |
| Kingsley Shacklebolt | Two Death Eaters | Presumed Kingsley won | Veil room |
| Antonin Dolohov | Mad-Eye Moody | Moody is knocked out |
Veil room |
| Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter | Death Eater | Death Eater is knocked out | Veil room |
| Harry Potter and Sirius Black | Antonin Dolohov | Harry and Sirius win | Veil room |
| Remus Lupin | Lucius Malfoy | Presumed Remus won as he is later unhurt and able to prevent Harry from running into the Veil of Death | Veil room |
| Albus Dumbledore | Death Eaters | Death Eaters are rounded up | Veil room |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | Sirius Black | Bellatrix kills Sirius | Veil room |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | Kingsley Shacklebolt | Bellatrix causes Kingsley great pain | Veil room |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | Albus Dumbledore | Bellatrix escapes out of the room | Veil room |
| Bellatrix Lestrange | Harry Potter | Bellatrix taunts him then Voldemort arrives | Atrium |
| Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter | Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange | Voldemort and Bellatrix flee | Atrium |
Film
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released on Wednesday July 11, 2007. It was 2 hours and 18 minutes long and marked as the shortest Harry Potter film released to date, even though it is the longest book in the series.
Behind the scenes/Errors
- Before its release, rumoured book titles were "The Green-Flame Torch," "The Mountain of Fantasy", and "The Pillar of Storgé."
- During the Attack at Magnolia Crescent, Harry uses the Lumos spell, but there is no mention of him using that during his hearing. However, they could have been counting that along with him conjuring a Patronus in front of Dudley.
- In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Lupin mentions that no one knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone; in this book, Moody is able to recognise it, with help from his magical eye. It should be noted that Lupin's comment was made before the Moody character was introduced. However, Moody may have seen his worst fear, and knew it was a boggart because his fear was probably too big for a desk.
- The phone number to get into the Ministry of Magic is 62442 which can be used to spell "Magic" on a mobile phone.
- During the meeting in the Hog's Head, Dennis Creevey shows up for the meeting. However, in Harry's fifth year, Dennis would only be a second year, and therefore would not be able to visit Hogsmeade.
- When the group of students arrive at the Hog's Head for the first Dumbledore's Army meeting, Fred and George Weasley arrive last, but then Fred jumps to the front of the group to reach the barman first.
- Harry and Cho have a date on Valentine's Day to Hogsmeade, where the students are allowed to go on certain weekends. February 14th, 1996 was a Wednesday, however. There should not have been a Hogsmeade visit on Valentine's Day.
- When arriving at Privet Drive, Kingsley Shacklebolt says, "You see what I mean Remus, he looks exactly like James." Lupin would have already known that, having met Harry two years beforehand. This has been changed to, "Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus."
- Several spells and charms are cast when Harry is taken from the Dursley's. No Ministry warnings were sent. In book six, Albus Dumbledore tells Harry that the Ministry puts the trace on the entire witch or wizards home, but has no way of monitoring who cast the spell. Harry should have been sent a Ministry warning.
- When Cho is talking about Quidditch to Harry, she says something like "Remember the first time we played together, in the third year?" However, Cho was a fourth-year in Harry's third year.
- When Umbridge is inspecting Snape and Harry's potion is ruined, Snape gives him a zero and an essay to write on what he did wrong. Harry then says that he had Quidditch practice, however just that morning Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four had been enforced and Gryffindor Quidditch team had not been approved yet.
See also
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (soundtrack)
- Wikipedia Article
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (character index)
- Fifth year
| J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosopher's Stone | book | film | games | film soundtrack | game soundtrack |
| Chamber of Secrets | book | film | games | film soundtrack | game soundtrack |
| Prisoner of Azkaban | book | film | games | film soundtrack | game soundtrack |
| Goblet of Fire | book | film | games | film soundtrack | game soundtrack |
| Order of the Phoenix | book | film | game | film soundtrack | game soundtrack |
| Half-Blood Prince | book | film | games | film soundtrack | game soundtrack |
| Deathly Hallows | book | film 1 | games 1 | film soundtrack 1 | game soundtrack 1 |
| film 2 | games 2 | film soundtrack 2 | game soundtrack 2 | ||
| Cursed Child | script | play | |||
| Fantastic Beasts film series | |||||
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | book | screenplay | film | game | film soundtrack |
| The Crimes of Grindelwald | screenplay | film | film soundtrack | ||
| The Secrets of Dumbledore | screenplay | film | film soundtrack | ||