Translate to: Español · Français · Português · Italiano · Deutsch

Home

News Browser

Community

Shopping

Join the other 92,519 students at HPANA or Sign in

Discussion: The 'Phoenix' files

JUNE 23, 2003 at 2:37 PM

Posted by CHEESER
Source: HPANA

So, you've read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and pretty darn quick, too. Like many others around the world, you have a sore neck and strained eyes, the result of reading an 870-page book in two or three days. Now you want to share your arduous journey with others. This is the place to do it.

First I'll offer my own thoughts (LET THE SPOILERS BEGIN).

One word: WOW. And I thought the Dursleys were mean. As I'm thinking of where to begin talking about Order of the Phoenix, the one thing that keeps coming to the forefront of my mind is the book's grave look into the corruption and abuse of power (and vice-versa, the power of abuse and corruption). Whether found in the annals of history or safely between the book covers of children's fiction, it can be accurately restated that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

More on that later, but first, the death: How many of you were right? Raise your hands. Sirius was definitely on my short-list. When JK said a major character was going to die, I knew it wouldn't be any of the trio, I thought it might be an older Weasley, but then my thoughts turned to Sirius. He was given to Harry, so how painful could it be to have him taken away? That was my reasoning, anyway.

Is Cho finally "over-and-out"? Will the Weasley twins' business continue to succeed? Does the Ministry now understand how much it needs Dumbledore?

UPDATE: We now have a full-fledged forum available. Click here to start using it!

Q: What will happen to the content here?

A: Everything will be saved. In fact, I'd like recommendations on what to do with all the great posts here. Can we move some of it into the new forum? Just link back to it? Let me know (just mention my name, Cheeser, in any post).

Q: I don't like change! Waaaa!

A: That's not a question, but I understand. The new system is capable of so much more, including separate threads so people can have detailed conversations about certain aspects of the book. You can still have a free-for-all thread, too. It's your forum! Do whatever you want with it.

Latest Headlines
· Imelda Staunton to return as Umbridge in 'Deathly Hallows'
· WB releases 'Ultimate Edition' behind-the-scenes clips
· First 'Deathly Hallows' concept art revealed
· Win a chance to attend 'The Wizard World of Harry Potter' opening
· Round up of 'Potter' DVD news & more

Reader Comments (10604)

Jump to:

Show index

Animagus

House: Gryffindor
Points: 19544

Sirius-Ella says:

Ok, I was reading back on the part where someone was disscussing harry kissing cho, I din't know he kissed her I thought that they just stared at each other, it didn't actually state they kissed each other...or maybe I over read it..can someone tell me or not if they kissed.

Posted Jul 4, 2003 at 8:27 PM EST

Professor

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 1086

DRU587 says:

Siriusella- Harry does kiss Cho in book 5, we know this because after he comes back from the DA meeting, he is acting very strange. So Hermione and Ron ask him if he is ok, then he reveals to them that he and Cho had kissed. He even tells us that the kiss was wet because Cho had been crying about Cedric, which she did a lot.

Posted Jul 4, 2003 at 9:19 PM EST

Witch

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 609

Aravis says:

So many thoughts! So be prepared if I ramble LOL.

First off, Muggle Wizard your nicknames are cool (and your avatar is funny). And as Muggle Wizard said, there will be one spot open on the Quidditch team. I think it will go to someone probably in Ginny's year, perhaps a new character or someone JKR has mentioned in passing but has been insignificant until now. For all we know, it could be Neville. He has certainly done some surprising things in the OotP and with a proper wand who know, he could be a good flyer too.

I believe the next DADA professor will be a new character. I mean, every year so far it's been a new character every year who has been quite essential to the story line. I mean, it adds that certain addition of uncertainly to the story line. I don't doubt that DD would try to pick someone suitable, but we can see how that's failed in the past LOL. Oh well, that's my opinion at any rate.

Speaking of my opinions, Colonel Fubster wanted to know opinions on the movies. Of course nothing is as good as the books (and they must chop things out for time constraints) but I thought the movies were brilliant and so were the actors. Ron isn't my favorite character but Rupert plays him okay I guess. I think Dan is an awesome Harry and Emma is the only Hermione I could ever imagine. I hope the actors don't change. Just my two knuts worth.

I bet anything Umbridge is up to no good. I don't know if she's run off to Voldie now that Fudge was forced to admit the (hem, hem) "lie" that Voldie had indeed returned.

As for Hermione and the comparison to Shakespeare, well Ron may get a little jealous but I don't believe in the analogy too much as The Harry Potter Lexicon says:
"JKR chose the name Hermione from a Shakespeare play, "A Winter's Tale," although she says that the characters are not at all similar. She thought it made sense for a couple of professional dentists to name their only daughter something like that to show how clever they were. But she chose a very unusual name because she worried that, if there were a real child somewhere who was bright and had larger-than-usual front teeth that had the same name, she might get teased."

I think Muggle Wizard covered everything else I had to say so I'll just say "me too" and finish this long post.

Posted Jul 4, 2003 at 9:31 PM EST

Witch

House: Hufflepuff
Points: 609

Aravis says:

LunaLovegood_75...Kreacher is indeed pronouced like "creature". I cannot find my posts anywhere so hopefully this isn't going to be floating out in cyberspace with the rest of 'em :-)

Posted Jul 4, 2003 at 9:39 PM EST

Professor

House: Gryffindor
Points: 1106

Ima Quidditch Fan says:

I would really like for Harry to see more pictures, and hear more about his time with his mom and dad. About their parents, and so forth... I just think it would make him stronger somehow.

I loved getting to see James, his friends and Lily at school.. it would be great to see them fall in love and "see" their wedding. I hope JKR lets us in on the history.

Posted Jul 4, 2003 at 10:38 PM EST

Muggle

House: Gryffindor
Points: 60

Virginia says:

Clarification, please!

Severus Snape and Lily Evans--what is the link? If you take Evans from Snape's name, you are left with Perseus, which is a guy in Greek mythology who slew a monster and rescued Andromeda (with a little help from the gods).

So what is this other meaning, and where did you find it?

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 12:09 AM EST

Squib

House: Gryffindor
Points: 164

Kadyak says:

I like Owlpost's theory about the House Cup, though it would be impossible to prove it at this point. Umbridge did make a mess of the competition, and how could that mess be rectified in way that would be fair to all? Everybody who joined her inquisitorial squad gets docked 50 points and everyone who joined D.A. gets awarded 50 points? Well, wouldn't that be just? Hmmm. I think it best to not award the House Cup this year.

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 12:29 AM EST

Prefect

House: Ravenclaw
Points: 361

LaDonna says:

I think the defense of the dark arts teacher will have to be someone new and someone that really knows what they are doing. Too bad Dumbledore won't or can't teach it.
By the way when are we going to learn about this person Snape was in love with? I am of the opinion he was always a git, so she must have been really something to put up with that. Or maybe she knocked him down to size. Either way I would like to see her in one of the next books.

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 12:40 AM EST

Squib

House: Gryffindor
Points: 164

Kadyak says:

WitchyWays asks about the DADA position. Before I landed on the idea that Moody should take the MoM spot, I figured that he was a prime candidate to come back to the DADA teacher position. The only reason I have moved away from that is that I think he'll be more needed in the Ministry.

So, who are the candidates for DADA teacher? I think we can rule out anyone really close to Harry; except, and this just occurred to me: DUMBLEDORE. He doesn't teach anything at all right now as far as I can tell; and he certainly has the best skills. He might be just the person.
This would also eliminate the need for some poor soul to have a bad year.

I was more thinking along the lines of Remus Lupin coming back, however. He was certainly the best we have seen. Yes, there is the political problem about him being a werewolf, but under the present circumstances, I think people (parents) are likely to go with whatever DD thinks best. My next guess would be any skilled Auror.

I don't see how it could possibly be Molly or Arthur Weasely. That's just not the kind of gift they have demonstrated and Molly is too motherly to Harry (I suspect also, by the fact that Harry puts up with her mothering him that he looks to Molly and Arthur as quasi-parents. With the loss of Sirius, that role could become more prominent. I should note that not only does he allow Molly to comb his hair in OP, at the end of Goblet of Fire he accepts Molly's embrace as he starts to cry - recognizing something he had never experienced in his memory - a mother's embrace - the implication is that he welcomes it. He only wishes that Ron would look the other way. Finally in OP, when the adults are arguing over how much he should be told and Molly says that she is the closest thing he has to a mother, he is touched, even if he is bothered by her mothering him. As a teenager he's going to be bothered, but he still DOES allow it; and as a person who lost that experience, and has suffered the Dursley's abuse instead, I am sure part of him does deeply appreciate her.

The end result, however, is that Molly Weasley, even if she were a skilled auror, would be problematic in the role of Harry's teacher. If nothing else, given her personality, she would tend to favor Harry as much as Snape picks on him, so unless she was so good that no one else could fit the bill, I'd not want to see her placed in that role.

Tonks isn't mature enough or experienced enough. I don't have enough data to form opinions about any of the other aurors we have met so far. Based on all of this, I favor Lupin to return.

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 12:54 AM EST

Squib

House: Gryffindor
Points: 164

Kadyak says:

Pensieve - see my post about DADA teacher for a couple of comments about the Weasley parents and Harry. I am sure they will be there for him. Molly already has been once before. In one way or another, I suspect that Remus Lupin also will be a strong source of support for Harry. After all, Lupin had just recently gotten back one of his best friends just to lose him again.

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 1:03 AM EST

Squib

House: Gryffindor
Points: 164

Kadyak says:

DRU587 - JKR isn't going to simply make Harry's life a little brighter. We can expect more suffering, unfortunately.

At the same time, the way I read the chapter on the OWLs, I think he did do quite well and will have the path to being an Auror open to him - and yes, this will be a bright point in his life.

Dumbledore seemed pretty clear about why he wasn't making Harry a prefect - the same logic would apply to Head Boy.

My wife and I discussed the Mirror of ERised a few nights ago. It shows the "deepest, most desperate desires of the heart." If then, one is wholeheartedly pursuing a goal - the image projected in the mirror could be a vision of the future achievement of that goal - a vision of the future.

Ron is already prefect and I doubt that this is accidental. Dumbledore strategizes every step of the way. Ron is prefect for a particular reason (and Hermione too, of course). If what I have said about the Mirror of Erised is true, I think we can look forward to Ron being both Head Boy and Quidditch captain.

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 1:11 AM EST

Squib

House: Gryffindor
Points: 164

Kadyak says:

Imperio - excellent thoughts on Harry's probable focus of attention and motives. Your thoughts are supported by the fact that Harry is supposed to become "the greatest wizard of all time."

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 1:14 AM EST

Squib

House: Gryffindor
Points: 164

Kadyak says:

The lead into this discussion focuses on axiom "absolute power corrupts absolutely." I am surprised that there has not been more (any?) discussion about Umbridge or the points that I have made about Fudge. I am dying of curiosity to hear what others have to say. Does everyone think I am way off base or just not care (I won't be hurt if that's either is the case)?

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 1:18 AM EST

Squib

House: Gryffindor
Points: 164

Kadyak says:

I'm jumping WAY back to a comment by Lina about Harry's anger.
Ron and Hermione are true enough friends that they won't reject Harry for venting at them. It's hard to take, as Hermione tells Harry, but the most they'll do is give him some space for a while. Harry knows this, so he can be secure in venting at them. In fact, I dare say that he needs them to be there for him like that - it's their cross to bear. I suspect Hermione especially would understand that, and it seems that she does. At some point, one or both of them (Ron/Hermione) may yell back at Harry to get him to snap out of it a bit, and it may lead to a few hours or days of not talking; but Ron and Harry were both dismal before when they weren't talking and they won't let that go on for long.

Consider this also, why do kids always behave better for other kids' parents than they do for their own? In large part it's security.

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 1:43 AM EST

Animagus

House: Gryffindor
Points: 19544

Sirius-Ella says:

Ok, first off no one say that lupin will be a stonger mento towards harry cause I my self have lupin 2nd on my favorite list, and i don't want her to kill him ALSO...its just my luck, lol...secondly, in poa, when harry/harmione/ron were in the cabin while lupin was sleeping, and they were talking, why did that thing spin around, the thing that spins when something naughty or untruthful was around? was it cause lupin wasn't actually sleeping, and thats how he knew harry's name or was it cause lupin guessed it was harry cause he looks like james..

Posted Jul 5, 2003 at 9:00 AM EST