| name | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
|---|---|
| image |  |
| author | J.K. Rowling |
| country | United Kingdom |
| language | English |
| subject | Young adult, fantasy |
| publisher | Bloomsbury (UK), Scholastic Press (US) |
| release date | June 21, 2003 |
| media type | Hardback and Paperback |
| pages | 870 |
| isbn |
043935806X
|
| preceded_by | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire |
| followed_by | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince |
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix follows Harry’s adventures in his fifth year at Hogwarts. It is the fifth book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The story of the book centers on Harry coming to terms with his strange connection with Voldemort, dealing with a surprise new enemy in the form of Dolores Umbridge, and finally suffering through the loss of someone near and dear to him.
Character Summaries
Harry Potter
The protagonist of the story. Harry is the only wizard to have withstood one of Voldemort’s killing curses. In this entry he finds out that he and Voldemort share a mental connection which means that Harry can catch glimpses of what Voldemort is doing. Harry also teaches a group of students known as Dumbledore’s Army defensive magic so they can fight back against Voldemort.
Ron Weasley
Harry’s best friend. In his fifth year he comes a prefect and part of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Hermione Granger
Harry’s other best friend. She becomes a prefect along with Ron.
Albus Dumbledore
The headmaster of Hogwarts. Usually he is constantly on-hand to provide Harry with advice and assistance, but this year he seems to have strangely distanced himself from Harry.
Severus Snape
The potion master at Hogwarts. Harry and Snape do not get along, and their relationship is taken to new levels of dislike this year when Snape is tasked with teaching Harry occlumency.
Dolores Umbrdige
The senior under-secretary to the Minister for Magic, and also briefly the High Inquisitor at Hogwarts and its head. Umbridge is devoted to the Ministry but does not use her power for good. She is evil and prejudiced against muggle-borns and half-humans. She makes life at Hogwarts hell when she’s in charge.
Cornelius Fudge
The Minister for Magic. Fudge does not want to admit that Voldemort is back, so keeps trying to get Dumbledore and Harry discredited. He also believes that Dumbledore is after his job, so sends Umbridge to interfere at Hogwarts.
The Dursleys
Harry’s relatives. They don’t get along, but Harry’s relationship with Dudley becomes slightly more positive after Harry saves him from an unexpected Dementor attack.
Neville Longbottom
A friend of Harry, Ron and Hermione, and a fellow Gryffindor. Neville is clumsy but courageous. His parents have been tortured into insanity by Voldemort.
Luna Lovegood
A Ravenclaw student in Ginny’s year, who becomes friends with the main characters. She’s spacey and believes in some strange things, but ultimately is brave and courageous.
Ginny Weasley
Ron’s younger sister. She’s smart and brave.
Fred and George Weasley
Ron’s older twin brothers. They leave school halfway through their final year to start a successful joke shop business.
Molly and Arthur Weasley
The Weasley parents. They are also members of the Order of the Phoenix.
Nymphadora Tonks
A member of the Order of the Phoenix. She is distantly related to Sirius.
Remus Lupin
A member of the Order of the Phoenix. He also used to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Sirius Black
A member of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry’s godfather. He is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange at the end of the book.
Kingsley Shacklebolt
A member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Kreacher
The Black’s house elf. Kreacher hates Sirius, but is insanely devoted to the rest of the family.
Bellatrix Lestrange
A follower of Lord Voldemort. She murders Sirius at the end of the book.
Lord Voldemort
The main antagonist of the series. In this entry he has a showdown with Dumbledore and Harry in the Ministry of Magic. His main quest in this novel is to find the prophecy relating to Harry and himself.
Draco Malfoy
Harry’s bully at school. Malfoy becomes a member of Umbridge’s Inquisitorial Squad and makes life even worse for Harry at Hogwarts.
Crabbe and Goyle
Malfoy’s cronies and also members of the Inquisitorial Squad.
Lucius Malfoy
A Death Eater and father of Draco.
Cho Chang
Harry’s sort-of girlfriend. They have a brief relationship that ends when Cho’s friend betrays Dumbledore’s Army to Umbridge and Cho takes her side.
Minerva McGonagall
The head of Gryffindor house and also Transfiguration professor.
Mad-Eye Moody
A member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Rubeus Hagrid
A member of the Order of the Phoenix. He travels to France to help recruit giants to Dumbledore’s cause.
Grawp
Hagrid’s giant half-brother who Hagrid brings back from France.
Firenze
A centuar who is outcasted from his group after agreeing to help Dumbledore and teach Divination.
Chapter Summaries
Chapter One: Dudley Demented
On the hottest day of the summer Harry is trying to listen for news reports that might provide some information about Voldemort. On the whole, Summer has been unpleasant, as Harry has received barely any communication from anyone at all.
After hearing a loud crack, Harry is startled. It’s the same crack made when someone apparates or disapparates. After a small confrontation with his uncle Vernon, Harry goes for a walk alone. He is soon interrupted by Dudley and his gang of bullies. Harry and Dudley have an argument, but it’s interrupted by the sudden appearance of Dementors. The Dementors attack Dudley and Harry, and Harry is only just able to save Dudley.
Mrs. Figg, the old, slightly crazy neighbour next door, turns up after Harry saves Dudley. She seems to know much more about magic than she should.
Chapter Two: A Peck of Owls
It turns out Mrs. Figg is a squib (someone born of magical parents but with no magical powers themselves). She, along with Mundungus Fletcher, have been tasked with watching over Harry. Mundungus disappears, however.
Harry is now at risk of trouble from the Ministry of Magic for using magic illegally (even though it was only in self-defence). Sure enough, a letter soon arrives from the Ministry confirming not only Harry’s need to appear for a disciplinary hearing, but also his expulsion from Hogwarts and the immediate destruction of his wand. Harry is rightly devastated.
Soon after the letter from the Ministry, Harry gets a note from Arthur Weasley. The note warns Harry not to leave the house and not to surrender his wand, and that Dumbledore is trying to help him.
Harry wonders what to do – should he stay or should he try and run away? In the end he decides to stay.
Harry informs the Dursleys what has happened to both him and Dudley. He also receives another note from the Ministry saying that his wand will now not be destroyed, and that he is only suspended from Hogwarts at the moment, pending the outcome of his disciplinary hearing.
The Dursleys, once they find out about the Dementors attacking Dudley, try to kick Harry out lest he bring more danger upon them. However, Petunia receives a mysterious howler letter, and tells Vernon that Harry must remain with them.
Chapter Three: The Advance Guard
Harry sends identical letters about what is happening to him to Sirius, Ron and Hermione. He hopes for assistance from them, to be able to go to the Burrow (the Weasley house), but he gets no reply.
Beginning to lose hope, Harry is startled when after a few days, Mad Eye Moody, Lupin, and newly-met witches and wizards named Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore and Hestia Jones arrive to rescue Harry from the Dursleys.
Together, they all fly to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix – Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
Chapter Four: Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place
Harry learns about the Order of the Phoenix, and is reunited with Ron and Hermione. He finds out that the reason why he received virtually no letters all summer was because Dumbledore didn’t want Harry to find out what was going on, although it’s not clear as to why. Harry is really upset and angry by all of the secrecy.
After a big argument with Ron and Hermione, Harry finds out that the Order of the Phoenix is a secret society run by Dumbledore to fight against Voldemort. Their headquarters are in the Black family home, hidden carefully from the rest of the world.
Hermione and Ron can’t tell Harry too much about what’s going on, though, as they aren’t allowed to go to the meetings. They’ve been able to overhear a little bit and therefore know that the Order are following Death Eaters and trying to recruit more members.
Harry also finds out that Percy Weasley has fallen out with the rest of the Weasleys, siding with the Ministry. Fleur Delacour is also working at Gringotts with Bill (and they seem to be forming a relationship) and Charlie is still in Romania.
The Ministry of Magic has also turned against Dumbledore, and by extension Harry, as they don’t want to believe that Voldemort is really back.
Harry then meets the Black’s ornery house elf, Kreacher, and learns that Hermione is still furiously championing her pro-house elf cause, SPEW.
Chapter Five: The Order of the Phoenix
Harry is introduced to the members of the Order of the Phoenix. He is reunited with Sirius, his godfather, who has become depressed and restless as he has to spend all of his time hiding in Grimmauld Place from the Ministry.
Harry wants to know more about what’s been going on, and Molly Weasley and Sirius have an argument about if he should be told. Molly thinks Harry is too young to know, and reminds Sirius that Dumbledore’s orders were to only tell Harry exactly what he needs to know, and nothing more. Sirius, on the other hand, believes that Harry should be told what’s going on, as he’s the one who has had so many confrontations with Voldemort.
In the end, it’s decided that Harry can ask some questions, so he asks what’s going on with Voldemort. At the moment, Voldemort seems to be keeping a low profile after the events of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Harry then asks what the Order are doing, and finds out that they are working hard to stop Voldemort any way they can. They are trying to convince everyone that Voldemort really has returned, despite what the Ministry of Magic says.
Harry also finds out that the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, is worried that Dumbledore wants his job (despite the fact that Dumbledore has never wanted the job in the past). Fudge has become obsessed with his Ministry job, and also doesn’t want to concede that Voldemort is back and therefore have to deal with that problem.
Chapter Six: The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
Harry and the others discuss what he has learned. They wonder what Voldemort’s new terrible weapon (something mentioned by Sirius) is, and where it could be.
The next day they all continue to clean out the Black house, which has been vacant for the past ten years. Fred and George also tell Harry about their latest inventions for their planned joke shop.
Later, Harry and Sirius discuss the Black family tree. The Blacks are a noble, pure-blooded line, but Sirius is an outcast from the family as he does not support their prejudiced ideals. The Black family were supporters of Voldemort, and Sirius’ younger brother, Regulus, was a Death Eater who was killed by Voldemort.
Harry also finds out that Tonks and Sirius are related on her mother’s side, and that Sirius is also distantly related to both Molly and Arthur Weasley. Sirius is also related to the Malfoys. This is because pure-blooded wizard families are all very interrelated.
When they continue to clean the house, it’s revealed that Kreacher has been taking Black artefacts to “keep safe” from being thrown away, as he is still loyal to the other Black family members (but hates Sirius, of course).
Harry continues to feel nervous about his up-coming hearing, and also to experience strange dreams. In the dreams he is walking down an unknown corridor, past locked doors. The dreams make his scar burn. He also finds out that on the night before his hearing, Dumbledore had been to see the Order, but didn’t come to see Harry.
Chapter Seven: The Ministry of Magic
Harry travels with Arthur Weasley to the Ministry of Magic for his hearing. He is very nervous. Harry is astonished at the size and scope of the place.
Chapter Eight: The Hearing
Harry is happy to see Dumbledore at his hearing, as the headmaster is the witness for the defence. However, Harry finds it strange that Dumbledore barely even seems to acknowledge him.
It seems that the Ministry are trying to make it so that Harry doesn’t get a fair hearing, and therefore will be able to be stripped of his ability to perform magic.
Harry is finally able to inform them that the only reason he was performing magic illegally was to fight off the Dementors that were attacking him and Dudley. The Wizengamot are surprised to hear that Dementors would be in a muggle town, but Fudge claims that Harry is lying. He also says that Harry has no witnesses to prove his story – which turns out to be incorrect, as Dumbledore has brought in Mrs. Figg to testify on Harry’s behalf.
Fudge then asks how it’s possible that Dementors would be in a muggle area, but Dumbledore says that were likely commanded there under the control of someone else, not the Ministry – or, by someone in the Ministry who wanted to harm Harry.
In the end, Dumbledore is able to reason with the Wizengamot, reminding Fudge what rules he can and can’t enforce, and that Harry was simply acting in self-defence. Dumbledore also comments on the fact that he’s been asked to leave the Wizengamot, and that Fudge seems to be changing more and more rules.
In the end, Harry is thankfully cleared of all charges. Dumbledore leaves before Harry gets a chance to talk to him.
Chapter Nine: The Woes of Mrs. Weasley
On their way out of the Ministry, Harry and Arthur run into Lucius Malfoy, who is talking to Fudge. Harry is surprised to see this, as he’d told Fudge that Lucius was a Death Eater.
Harry shares the good news about the hearing with his friends. He will be returning to Hogwarts. Hermione and Ron also get the news that they will be prefects this year, and that there will also be a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Harry finds himself uncharacteristically jealous of Ron’s success as a prefect. A strange, angry voice in his head seems to echo his doubts and fears.
Later on, at a party to celebrate Ron and Hermione’s new status as prefects, Harry feels miserable. There is a discussion about what happened to some of the other members of the Order of the Phoenix, such as the Potters and the Longbottoms, and none of it is pleasant.
The night takes a dramatic turn when Molly comes across a boggart and sees everyone she loves dead. This isn’t just a fear shown to her by the boggart, though, it’s a fear she lives with every day.
Chapter Ten: Luna Lovegood
The time comes to depart for Hogwarts, although this time Harry has to travel with a guard. Sirius, for the first time in a long time, is able to leave the house in his animal form to see them off.
On the train, Harry meets Luna Lovegood for the first time. Luna is certainly eccentric, but has a good heart. Harry also has an encounter with Cho Chang, who he still has a crush on. Harry finds out who the other house prefects are, and to everyone’s dismay, Malfoy is one.
Harry asks Luna about the magazine she’s reading, called The Quibbler. It’s a publication run by Xenophillius Lovegood that seems to contain very alternative news stories (some of them much like conspiracy theories).
As the train pulls into Hogwarts, Harry is surprised to see strange horse-like creatures pulling the carriages to Hogwarts, which once seemed to be pulled by their own power. Harry is concerned that nobody else can see them but him, but Luna says she can see the creatures too.
Chapter Eleven: The Sorting Hat’s New Song
As is customary, the school year at Hogwarts starts with the sorting ceremony and then a feast. It turns out that the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is Dolores Umbridge from the Ministry of Magic.
The Sorting Hat sings its usual start-of-year song, but this time sings a warning about the dangers to come and how everyone must unite to face them. Umbridge then gives an unexpected speech about how not all changes are good, and that it’s important to maintain tradition. It’s clear that the Ministry is trying to interfere at Hogwarts.
Harry is upset that everyone at Hogwarts seems to be eyeing him with suspicion thanks to the reports by the Ministry – even his friends, like Seamus Finnegan.
Chapter Twelve: Professor Umbridge
Ron and Hermione have their work cut out for them as prefects, trying to stop Fred and George promoting their joke shop business and pulling pranks. Hermione also expresses dismay that in-fighting has already started amongst the students at school, which is exactly what Voldemort wants.
Making things even more tense is the fact that Harry, Ron and Hermione are fifth-years and therefore have to do their OWL examinations. The trio discuss what they want to do with their future.
Harry has a run-in with Cho again, over whom his feelings are still conflicted. He then has to suffer through a difficult potions lesson, a seemingly-useless divination lesson, and then finally a wholly unpleasant Defence Against the Dark Arts class.
It seems that the Ministry’s stance on Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching is to make it all theory, with no actual practical application. All of the Gryffindor students take an instant dislike to Umbridge, but especially Harry, as Umbridge continues to deny that Voldemort has really returned. Harry keeps arguing this with her until she sends him out of class to see McGonagall. When Harry has to go and see McGonagall, he is surprised that she isn’t angry with him. Instead she warns Harry to be careful, as Umbridge is reporting straight to the Ministry.
Chapter Thirteen: Detention with Dolores
Students at Hogwarts still refuse to believe Harry’s claims of Voldemort having returned. He, Ron and Hermione discuss this, and also how Umbridge is trying to get people to spy for her. They then have a Care of Magical Creatures lesson with a new professor, and wonder where Hagrid could be.
Harry’s first in a series of detentions with Umbridge finally rolls around. Her punishment turns out to be sinister: writing lines with a quill that cuts the message into Harry’s hand.
His friends discover what Umbridge has done to him and urge Harry to tell Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore, but Harry decides against doing so. He also decides against telling them that his scar has been continuing to hurt.
The detentions continue.
Chapter Fourteen: Percy and Padfoot
Harry writes a letter to Sirius, vaguely Mentioning the occurrences at Hogwarts and his scar hurting. When he goes up to the owlery to send off the letter with Hedwig, he meets Cho again and they have another awkward conversation. Harry also comes across Filch, who is investigating the mail and trying to find out the origin of all of the joke products that mysteriously keep popping up at the school.
There is bad news in the Daily Prophet as someone (Lucius Malfoy) has tipped off the Ministry that Sirius Black is hiding in London. A member of the Order, Sturgis Podmore, has also been caught and sent to Azkaban for trespassing in the Ministry of Magic – but it appears he has been framed by the Ministry.
Instead of studying, Harry and Ron practice Quidditch. Ron then gets a letter from Percy, congratulating him on becoming prefect and advising him to stay away from Harry. Ron is very angry about the letter.
As the three of them work on their homework late into the night, they are visited by Sirius, communicating through the fireplace. They discuss what Harry’s scar hurting might mean (Sirius thinks it likely that it hurts more because Voldemort has returned). They also discuss Umbridge, and how her prejudice against half-humans stems from fear.
Then, Sirius tells them that the reason why the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons have switched to solely theory is because Fudge is worried Dumbledore is training up an army of students.
Chapter Fifteen: The Hogwarts High Inquisitor
Umbridge becomes the first High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, meaning the Ministry has even more control over the school. Umbridge begins investigating lessons, starting with Professor Trelawney’s Divination class. She greatly upsets the order of things. Her own Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons continue to be as useless as usual. Harry earns himself more detentions when he mentions Voldemort again.
In the end, the students realise something has to change – they can’t be left unprepared to fight Dark Wizards. It’s then agreed that Harry will teach anyone willing to learn defensive magic.
Chapter Sixteen: In the Hog’s Head
The first meeting of those wanting to learn from Harry takes place in the Hog’s Head Pub in Hogsmeade Village. Quite a group of people turn up. After a bit of awkwardness at the start, it’s agreed that the group will find a night to meet that suits them and begin learning from Harry.
Chapter Seventeen: Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four
Throwing a bit of a spanner in the works of their plans is that Umbridge issues “Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four”, which outlaws any unapproved clubs and teams. It’s clearly a response to Harry organising his own defensive lessons, so the mystery is how did she find out?
Later on, Hedwig arrives with a letter for Harry but an injured wing. She brings him a note from Sirius, organizing a fireplace meeting.
Umbridge observes Snape’s potion lessons, much to his chagrin. Umbridge has also put Trelawney on probation. Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione discuss the upcoming training Harry is going to be giving – he is very proud of Harry. Unfortunately, their conversation is cut short. Sirius has to flee after Umbridge intercepts their fireplace communication.
Chapter Eighteen: Dumbledore’s Army
It’s now clear that Umbridge has been reading Harry’s mail. Hermione wonders whether they are doing the right thing by organising the lessons.
Ron suffers through another lousy Quidditch practice (having been appointed to the team). Harry’s scar continues to hurt him. Voldemort is angry, so it’s making Harry’s scar hurt. Harry can pick up glimpses of what Voldemort is doing when he’s really angry. They have a strange mental connection.
Dobby helps Harry find a place for his defence lessons: the Room of Requirement. This room will appear when needed and be exactly what the person requiring it needs. They are able to find the room with Dobby’s help, and training begins. The group name themselves Dumbledore’s Army.
Chapter Nineteen: The Lion and the Serpent
Dumbledore’s Army training sessions continue, as do Quidditch practice sessions. Ron’s first proper game of Quidditch des not end so well for him.
After a fight between the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams, Harry, George and Fred get a lifetime ban from playing, thanks to Umbridge. Malfoy, who started the fight, of course gets no punishment.
Chapter Twenty: Hagrid’s Tale
Hagrid finally returns to Hogwarts and reveals where he has been. He has been on a mission for Dumbledore to find and recruit giants to the fight against Voldemort. Unfortunately, due to fights amongst the giants themselves, Hagrid was unsuccessful in his mission.
Umbridge also finds out that Hagrid has returned, and promptly informs him that she’ll be inspecting his lesson.
Chapter Twenty-One: The Eye of the Snake
Hermione tries unsuccessfully to convince Hagrid to keep his Care of Magical Creatures lessons safe and normal so that he’ll pass Umbridge’s inspection.
The lesson does not go to plan. Hagrid shows the class Thestrals (skeletal winged horses) but they can’t be seen unless someone has witnessed death. They are also the creatures that pull the carriages. Umbridge gives Hagrid a horrible evaluation because she is prejudiced against half-giants.
Harry finds out that he has been replaced by Ginny as Seeker. He continues his defence lessons, and has a touching conversation with Cho that leads to a kiss.
Harry has a strange dream from the perspective of a snake. It’s so real it feels as if he’s controlling it. However, it turns out not to be a dream but real. Arthur Weasley has been bitten by a giant snake.
Chapter Twenty-Two: St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
Harry tells McGonagall about what has happened to Arthur. She takes him to see Dumbledore. Harry finds it strange that during their conversation, Dumbledore won’t look at him.
They set about raising the alarm to rescue Arthur. Using a portkey, Harry and the Weasleys travel to Grimmauld Place to let the others know what is going on.
Harry feels awful, as though he had some part to play in what happened to Arthur. He also remembers a strange moment in Dumbledore’s office where he looked at the headmaster, his scar burned, and then he wanted to attack Dumbledore.
Harry, the Weasleys, Tonks and Moody go to visit Arthur in St Mungo’s Hospital. While there, Harry overhears some of the adults talking about how Voldemort might be posessing him, and that’s why he’s having these visions.
Chapter Twenty-Three: Christmas on the Closed Ward
Harry wonders if the reason why Dumbledore is acting so aloof towards him is because Harry is possessed by Voldemort. Harry worries that he is Voldemort’s dangerous new weapon. He also worries that if Voldemort is possessing him then the Dark Lord will know all about the Order of the Phoenix and what they are doing, so he resolves to leave Grimmauld Place and the wizarding world entirely. As he is in the process of running away, Harry receives a message from Dumbledore to stay where he is.
Harry sinks into a depression, scared of hurting those he cares about and worried that they don’t care about him anymore. Over Christmas his friends confront him about how he has been avoiding them.
Harry discusses his fear of Voldemort having been possessing him, but Ginny (who has been possessed by Voldemort before) tells Harry that his symptoms don’t line up with possession. Harry instantly feels better, realising he’s not Voldemort’s new weapon after all, and he enjoys a happy Christmas.
The group go to see Arthur in the hospital. There they run into Lockhart, who still has no memories. They also meet Neville and his aunt, who are visiting Neville’s parents (they have been tortured into insanity by Voldemort).
Chapter Twenty-Four: Occlumency
As the Christmas holidays end, Harry isn’t looking forwards to having to deal with Umbridge once again. To deal with the connection between Harry and Voldemort, Harry has to take occlumency lessons with Snape in order to learn how to shield his mind.
Arthur returns from the hospital, and Harry and the other teenagers return to Hogwarts.
At Hogwarts, Harry has his first occlumency lesson with Snape, with less-than-optimistic results. Harry also has a vision from Voldemort revealing that the Dark Lord is really happy about something – but what?
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Beetle at Bay
It turns out Voldemort is happy about a mass breakout at Azkaban. The Ministry is reporting that Sirius is the leader of the escaped criminals, which is untrue.
Hagrid reveals that he has been put on probation by Umbridge, as has Trelawney.
Rumours fly about the escaped Azkaban criminals, and a new Educational Decree is issued by Umbridge banning any teachers from giving any information not relevant to their subjects to students.
Harry continues his lessons teaching Dumbledore’s Army and being taught occlumency by Snape. Ron wonders whether Snape is trying to make Harry’s mind easier for Voldemort to read, but Hermione shuts this idea down.
Harry then has a disastrous date with Cho (who is jealous of his friendship with Hermione), and then meets Hermione at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade Village. To his surprise, Hermione is there with Rita Skeeter, the very untrustworthy journalist. However, Hermione has gotten Rita to agree to write about all of the people who are death eaters, and the truth of what’s going on with Voldemort.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Seen and Unforeseen
Harry wonders how people will respond to the interview he has given to Rita. He also explains to Hermione how badly his date with Cho went, and she gives him some advice on how to deal with girls. Harry then witnesses his first Gryffindor Quidditch game that he isn’t a part of.
Then, at night, Harry has another strange dream of walking down a hallway, searching for something.
Harry’s interview with Rita Skeeter is finally published, and it manages to turn some of the public back to his cause. Umbridge finds out what he has done and is furious, banning him from Hogsmeade. She then bands The Quibbler (where his interview was published). However, this just makes students want to read it even more. Harry is also able to reconcile with Cho and Seamus.
That evening, Harry is again able to see events from Voldemort’s perspective. Voldemort is questioning a man named Rockwood about the progress of whatever Voldemort’s plan is. There is something that Voldemort wants, and the Dark Lord is worried that it had already been taken before he can retrieve it. Whatever it is, Harry knows it must be Voldemort’s weapon.
Harry has another unsuccessful occlumency lesson. Snape seems to be growing even more antagonistic towards him.
Umbridge tries to sack Trelawney. She is able to fire her, but Dumbledore stops her throwing her out of the castle. Divination lessons are then taken over by the centaur, Firenze.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Centaur and the Sneak
Harry has his first Divination lesson with Firenze as the teacher. Firenze warns of trouble to come, and also tells Harry that Hagrid is attempting something which needs to be stopped. Harry attempts to ask Hagrid about it, but Hagrid doesn’t reveal anything.
Harry’s defence lesson is interrupted by Dobby who informs him that Umbridge knows about the DA and us out to find them. Thanks to Malfoy, Harry is caught, and taken to Dumbledore’s office. Fudge is there and tries to interrogate him, but Harry doesn’t reveal anything. The informant turns out to be one of Cho’s friends.
Umbridge and Fudge try to pin everything on Harry, but Dumbledore takes the blame. This then confirms Fudge’s theory that Dumbledore is plotting against hum, and Dumbledore is sentenced to Azkaban but escapees. Umbridge then becomes the head of the school.
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Snape’s Worst Memory
Umbridge is officially declared head of Hogwarts and everyone asks Harry for details about what happened. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle are revealed to be working for Umbridge as members of the Inquisitorial Squad – something which completely undermines the prefect system.
Harry is invited to have tea with Umbridge. She has put truth serum in his drink, and tries to get him to give up information about Dumbledore. Harry remembers the wise words of Mad Eye Moody, however, and does not drink anything offered to him by an enemy.
Fred and George mess with Umbridge and Filch continuously with their pranks. Harry has another vision of being in the Department of Mysteries.
Harry then has an argument with Cho about how her friend Marietta betrayed Dumbledore’s Army, and Cho has sided with her friend. Their relationship pretty much ends on the spot after this.
Snape has Dumbledore’s pensieve on his desk for safe-keeping, and while waiting for the latest occlumency lesson to begin, Harry sneaks a peek at one of Snape’s Memories. The memory shows Snape’s time in school, and how James Potter and Sirius Black bullied him. Harry’s father being a bully horrifies Harry, and he understands why Snape has such a hatred towards James – and by extension, Harry. Snape finds out what Harry has done and discontinues all occlumency lessons from this point forward.
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Careers Advice
Harry doesn’t reveal what he saw of Snape’s past of the reason for the occlumency lessons ending. Harry continues to be dismayed at his new understanding of his father.
The fifth years attend a careers advice session. Harry wants to have a chat to Sirius about James, so Fred and George agree to help create a distraction so Harry can sneak into Umbridge’s office and use her fireplace, because it’s the only one not tracked for communication.
Harry has a careers appointment with Umbridge and McGonagall, and shares his aspirations of becoming an Auror.
Harry is able to talk to Lupin and Sirius, who assure him that James was arrogant, yes, but grew out of it. They all regret the foolishness of their youth. They are both horrified to find out Snape is no longer giving Harry occlumency lessons. They urge him to tell Snape that he must keep teaching him, under strict instruction from Dumbledore.
Fred and George, after creating their final elaborate prank, quit school to focus on their burgeoning business.
Chapter Thirty: Grawp
Fred and George’s magnificent final prank inspires a wave of other students to follow in their footsteps.
Harry finally finds out the secret about Hagrid that Firenze had mentioned. Hagrid is trying to raise his half-brother Grawp in the Forbidden Forest – however, it’s no so easy, as Grawp is a full-blown Giant.
At the end of the chapter it is revealed Hagrid has fallen out of favour with the centaurs. This is because he stopped the other centaurs from killing Firenze, who has also fallen out of favour with the centaurs for agreeing to help Dumbledore and teach Divination.
Ron is overjoyed to have helped Gryffindor win a Quidditch match.
Chapter Thirty-One: OWLs
Harry and Hermione tell Ron about Grawp.
OWLs approach amidst a flurry of revision. Finally, the exams begin.
Hagrid is attacked by the Ministry when they arrive to try and take him away. McGonagall goes to help but is stunned four times and has to be taken to hospital.
During an exam, Harry again has a vision of himself in the Department of Mysteries. This time he is travelling past shelves filled with glass spheres. Voldemort asks someone to take one from the shelves for him – and that person is Sirius Black, who Voldemort is torturing.
Chapter Thirty-Two: Out of the Fire
Harry unfortunately has nobody to tell about his vision, as Dumbledore, Hagrid and McGonagall are all gone. He therefore tells Ron and Hermione what has happened, and tells them that he wants to go immediately to the Department of Mysteries to rescue Sirius.
Hermione is worried the vision might not be real and Voldemort might be luring Harry into a trap, but he won’t listen. Hermione eventually convinces him to use Umbridge’s fireplace to check that Sirius really isn’t at home first. Kreacher tells him that Sirius has really gone to the Department of Mysteries.
Umbridge catches Harry and Hermione in her office using her fireplace. She tries to get more truth serum from Snape to find out what Harry is really doing, but Snape says there is none left. Harry is able to give Snape a coded message about what is happening to Sirius, but he’s unsure if Snape will really help him or not.
Umbridge continues her interrogation anyway. She reveals that she sent the Dementors after Harry, and is about to use the Cruciatus torture curse on him before Hermione stops her. Cunningly, Hermione tricks Umbridge into coming to the forest with them to see Dumbledore’s alleged weapon.
Chapter Thirty-Three: Fight and Flight
Umbridge is taken into the Forbidden Forest where she is ambushed by centaurs, eventually being taken away by them. The problem is, Harry and Hermione are ambushed by them too and are only saved at the last minute by Grawp.
Regrouping in Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna all travel to the Ministry of Magic by Thestral to help Sirius.
Chapter Thirty-Four: The Department of Mysteries
The group arrive at the Ministry of Magic and begin their search for Sirius. It takes them a while to find the right room, but in the end Harry can’t find Sirius and realises the vision he saw really was Voldemort’s trap.
Ron finds a crystal ball that strangely has Harry’s name on it – and the Dark Lord’s, too. Harry takes hold of it.
Chapter Thirty-Five: Beyond the Veil
Harry and his friends are suddenly ambushed by Death Eaters – including Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. They confirm that what Harry saw happening to Sirius was really a trick.
The Death Eaters try to attack Harry, but Lucius stops them, lest they destroy the crystal ball that contains the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort that the Dark Lord wants.
Harry and his friends fight their way out of the Ministry. Sirius arrives to help, along with Tonks, Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Dumbledore eventually arrives as well.
In the struggle, the prophecy is destroyed, and Sirius is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange.
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Only One He Ever Feared
Harry struggles to comprehend Sirius’ death. He engages in a fight with Bellatrix, and then, to his shock, Voldemort appears. Voldemort tries to kill Harry, but Dumbledore saves him. At one pint Voldemort even seems to possess Harry. Dumbledore and Voldemort then duel each other. Voldemort escapes, and Fudge, who has arrived on the scene as well, is finally forced to concede that the Dark Lord has returned.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Lost Prophecy
Harry returns to Hogwarts, still distraught over what has just happened. Everyone who was injured in the duel gets taken care of.
Dumbledore tries to console Harry in his grief, but at first, Harry is angry and doesn’t want to listen. Dumbledore explains to Harry why he has been so absent this year. He knew there was a connection between Voldemort and Harry, and Dumbledore worried that Voldemort would exploit this connection to spy on him, or try to possess Harry. That was why Dumbledore requested that Snape teach Harry occlumency. Dumbledore also knew that Voldemort’s aim was to get Harry killed by possessing him.
Dumbledore also explains that Harry was betrayed by Kreacher, and that Snape did indeed pass on Harry’s warning to the other members of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore then tells Harry why he sent him to live with the Dursleys and not another wizarding family. Harry is protected by the shield his mother’s love gave him when she sacrificed herself to protect him. If Harry lives with a blood relative like Petunia, this protection will remain. Harry can’t be harmed by Voldemort as long as he lives with them.
Finally, Dumbledore reveals to Harry the crucial information he has been keeping from him all of these years to protect Harry’s peace of mind – the meaning of the prophecy (the same one that Voldemort was searching for). The prophecy states that “neither can live while the other survives” and that Harry is the one who will vanquish Voldemort.
Interestingly, the prophecy could have also applied to Neville Longbottom. However, the prophecy stated that Voldemort would “mark the one who could defeat him as his equal – meaning that Voldemort chose Harry as the more likely threat”.
Voldemort heard this prophecy from an informant who overheard Trelawney telling it to Dumbledore in the Hog’s Head Inn – but only the part of the first part of the prophecy. They did not hear the part where it was said that by attacking Harry, Voldemort would actually be transferring some powers to him as well. That’s why Voldemort attacked Harry as a baby – he thought it was a fool-proof plan.
Harry realises that he has no choice but to face Voldemort, and that one must kill the other.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Second War Begins
Fudge finally publicly announces Voldemort’s return. Everyone is recovering from their injuries including Umbridge, who was rescued from the forest by Dumbledore. Harry has not told Ron and Hermione about the prophecy yet.
Hagrid and Trelawney have both returned to their teaching positions.
Harry still struggles with the loss of Sirius, and asks Nearly-Headless Nick if Sirius might come back as a ghost. Nick says Sirius will have “passed on.”
Harry and Cho officially end things, and the school year ends as well.