Book #29: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

After the last book, I figured that I needed a nice easy read again, so it's back to the tried and tested Harry Potters for me. Well, I say easy read, it's the biggest book of the lot, weighing in at over 750 pages! But it's one of those books which I can lose myself in. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, ironically is one of the shortest of the movies, at just 2 hours 22, which given how much content in it, shows just how much they did miss from the book.

So here goes. Again I don't think spoiler alerts are necessary in this book, everyone has either read the books, or watched the films. If you haven't, where have you been the last 20 years?!?

The book starts with Harry back at his aunt and uncle's house, where as per usual, he's thoroughly miserable. However this time, he's also worrying for his life, as at the end of the previous book, Voldemort has returned and we all know that Voldemort wants Harry dead.

Almost immediately, Harry faces mortal peril as he and his whale of a cousin, Dudley are attacked by Dementors, thank goodness he learned the patronus charm from Lupin. However, he is promptly expelled from school, summoned for a hearing, reinstated but suspended from school, and locked in his room as his aunt and uncle blame him for Dudley's reaction to a close encounter with a fate worse than death.

A rescue ensues and Harry is brought to London, to the house of his godfather, Sirus, which is now being used as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, which we later learn is the resistance movement against Voldemort. However Harry's temper starts to fray as he's been left out of the loop for weeks, and he has a right old strop. His testosterone is really out of control in this book if you ask me, he's really peaked at puberty! However, Ron and Hermione are very tolerant of this, and support him. His hearing comes and goes, he's acquitted of all charges thanks to the intervention from Dumbledore, however Harry feels abandoned as Dumbledore doesn't even look at him.

Off to Hogwarts, and their GCSE/OWL year. Another new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who turns out to be even more useless than Lockhart in Chamber of Secrets, and almost as sadistic and evil as Voldemort. Umbridge really is the perfect villain, sickly sweet, yet cruel and calculating. To judge on her appearance alone would be a fatal error in this case. Harry finds himself in many detentions with her, and her methods are, disgraceful. Lines, but lines with a quill that uses the users blood and leaves horrendous mutilations on the user's hands. She also actively discourages the use of magic in the school, preferring to study theory and hope that this would be sufficient to get them through the practical parts of their exams. Did I mention that Umbridge is a ministry of magic employee, who gradually attempts to take control of the school?

Dumbledore's Army from the film

Harry, Hermione and Ron as a result, set up a secret society to help teach a select band of students defensive magic. Dumbledore's Army. This is where Neville really starts to come into his own, especially after the news that the scumbags who tortured his parents into insanity have escaped Azkaban. Of course, like most things dear to Harry, this society is shut discovered and they have to stop meeting, however in the short time they were able to meet, you can guarantee that they've learned more than Umbridge would ever have taught them!

Hagrid, noticeably absent eventually returns, battered and bruised from a secret mission for Dumbledore, which we learn was an envoy mission to Giants in Eastern Europe. However he's hiding a secret, which we learn later on is his half brother, Grawp who is now residing in the Forbidden Forest. Grawp helps save the life of Harry and Hermione, as centaurs attack them towards the end of the book.

The reason for the centaur attack, Umbridge discovers Harry in her office as he attempts to contact Sirius who he has seen in a vision being tortured by Voldemort. Harry's in a state, Hermione leads them into the forest, where Umbridge thoroughly annoys the herd of centaurs and is chased away. Harry and Hermione escape, and are joined by Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna to travel to london on the back of invisible horses (unless you've seen and accepted the death of someone) where they are lured to the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic, to take a prophecy pertaining to Harry and Voldemort.

Of course they're attacked by Death Eaters, fight them, and look to be losing until a timely intervention from the Order of the Phoenix sees the Death Eaters well and truly beaten. However Harry loses another person close to him, as Sirus dies at the hands of his evil cousin. Voldemort appears, and fights Dumbledore, loses and escapes, however not until the entire Ministry of Magic, who have denied Voldemort is back. They can't deny it now!!

So that's a long story short!

It's a long book, but I don't feel it drags at all, the pace is good in it, and the storyline flows pretty well. As Harry is now older, we explore more and more feelings, Harry's testosterone levels are through the roof, so he is put through the ringer with his emotions. Love, Anger, Sadness and Elation are all explored as Harry really starts to find his true self.

I love the introductions of new characters as well, Bellatrix Lestrange is possibly scarier than Voldemort, and is 100% evil a complete contrast to Umbridge who whilst being evil, comes across with that 'Butter wouldn't melt' air. Luna is possibly my favourite character of the lot, she's just so... unique and brilliant! Add onto that the character development of pre-existing characters, Neville in particular goes from bumbling oaf to more confident and starting to kick ass a bit more.

All in all, this is a good book, it's not the best of the Harry Potters, but it's not my least favourite! Onto book #30!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 8cm

Total read so far: 29 books, 92cm

Total left to read: 101cm

This means I'm almost halfway there! 4.5cm until I'm there!