Book Review of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” — (15/52)
The fifth iteration the Harry Potter series serves as a measured and long journey that ultimately capsizes Harry’s life
Somewhere between finishing the fifth Harry Potter book and starting the draft of this book review, I took some time to reflect on all that had happened throughout the course of the book. If I could pinpoint the whole book down to a single word, it would be ‘emotional.’
‘Emotional’ because Sirius, Harry’s Godfather, had to die (and die only after knowing Harry for less than two full years). ‘Emotional’ because Harry throughout the whole book felt this surge of pent up frustration and anger towards all of the inexplicable injustices around him. ‘Emotional’ because Harry realized, via the help of Snape’s dark memories, that his parents may not have been as great as people around Harry described them to be. It seems as if the fifth book is a 870 pages long roller coaster of emotions, if the roller coaster tends to lag during the low points more often than not.
At the start of the book, Harry and his Muggle cousin, Dudley Dursley (who now appears to “look like a pig that’s been taught to walk on its hind legs”), are attacked by the terrible dementors. In trying to save both his and his cousin’s life, Harry resorts to using magic to drive the dementors away. This infuriates Harry’s magic-fearing aunt and uncle to no end. Harry also receives an abrupt notice from the Ministry of Magic telling him that he is to be present at a disciplinary hearing, the outcome of which will determine whether Harry is expelled from Hogwarts or not, later in the summer for the use of magic while under-age and around Muggles.
In a few weeks, Harry, with the help of Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is freed of all charges at his disciplinary hearing, which allows him to remain at Hogwarts. But, things do not improve once Harry returns to Hogwarts for the start of his fifth year. In fact, at one point, circumstances become so dire that Harry wishes he could be anywhere in the world but Hogwarts.
All the while, the dark wizard Voldemort continues to steadily and stealthily grow stronger with the aid of his followers. In due time, Harry, via the connection forged between him and Lord Voldemort, begins experiencing clearer and clearer visions of him as the Dark Lord himself. Unbenownst to Harry Potter, Voldemort picks up on Harry’s presence midway through the book and begins planning for a way to trick Harry into doing his bidding.
The Order of the Phoenix is by far the largest volume in the series, spanning 870 pages. I will admit, the book does become a slog at times (but, those times do not last very long as the action tends to pick up in no time). I also do not believe that the book could be shortened (i.e. the extraneous parts cut out) because, in subtle ways, each of the 870 pages work in magical ways to produce a fifth year for Harry Potter that is every bit as long, arduous, and tough.
As I have done in the past four Harry Potter book reviews, I will break the fifth book down into three separate sections: the funny moments, the subtle nuances, and the insightful ideas.
The Funny Moments
To be sure, the fifth book is a dark and twisted piece of literature in many senses, but it does provide for some comical situations nonetheless. Particularly, the dialogues featuring the Weasley twins or Peeves tend to hit all the right funny bones.
Early in the book, when Ron Weasley finds out that he has been chosen as the prefect for Gryffindor house, his mother simply cannot contain her excitement and pride.
Ron held up his badge.
Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek just like Hermione’s.
“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That’s everyone in the family!”
“What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?” said George indignantly, as his mother pushed him aside and flung her arms around her youngest son.
— Page 163
During Quidditch practice later in their school year, Fred and George are talking with Harry and Ron about their various ‘experiments’ and the uncomfortable results while trying to sneak out of what is to be a long practice session.
“We could try the Fever Fudge,” George muttered, “no one’s seen that yet — “
“Does it work?” inquired Ron hopefully, as the hammering of rain on the roof intensified and wind howled around the building.
“Well, yeah,” said Fred, “your temperature’ll go right up — ”
“ — but you get these massive pus-filled boils too,” said George, “and we haven’t worked out how to get rid of them yet.”
“I can’t see any boils,” said Ron, staring at the twins.
“No, well, you wouldn’t,” said Fred darkly, “they’re not in a place we generally display to the public — ”
— Pages 378–379
The Subtle Nuances
I found it odd that the one person that actually knew what Dumbledore should have done all along was the same individual that no one in the book really listened to: Sirius Black. For instance, in the resolution of the book, Dumbledore regrets not informing Harry sooner about the events that led to his parents’ death, when Sirius (while not specifically supporting that particular tidbit) was all for overlooking the ages of people and informing them about the perils ahead since danger would not stop to consider age.
When Harry asks Sirius if starting what would eventually become Dumbledore’s Army (a secret group that Harry begins to teach practical Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons), Sirius is immediately the first to buy in and support the idea.
“Last year all the evidence was that someone inside Hogwarts was trying to kill you, Harry!” said Sirius impatiently. “This year we know there’s someone outside Hogwarts who’d like to kill us all, so I think learning to defend yourselves properly is a very good idea!” — Page 371
Sirius, like Harry, resented the fact that he had to remain “locked up” inside of Grimmauld Place when he was more than willing to risk his life for the Order of the Phoenix. But, despite all of his farsighted wisdom, Dumbledore grieviously miscalculates both Sirius and Harry’s reactions to being locked up.
“You made him [Sirius] stay shut up in that house and he hated it, that’s why he wanted to get out last night — ”
“I was trying to keep Sirius alive,” said Dumbledore quietly.
“People don’t like being locked up!” Harry said furiously, rounding on him. “You did it to me all last summer — ”
Dumbledore closed his eyes and buried his face in his long-fingered hands.
— Page 834
While that last sentence characterizing Dumbledore’s reaction to Harry’s aspersions on him seemed to glaze over me in previous readings of the fifth book (I last read this book over five years ago), for some reason, this time around, I finally understood why Dumbledore reacted with such sadness at hearing Harry say “People don’t like being locked up!”
It was because this was not the first time Dumbledore was hurting those he loved and was trying to keep safe. In fact, as we learn in the seventh and final book, Dumbledore has a rich backstory regarding his upbringing. In that backstory, we discover that Dumbledore kept his sister, Ariana, locked up as well and that backfired on him just as it did when he “locked up” Sirius and Harry in the hopes of keeping them safe.
The Insightful Ideas
There were many insightful ideas littered throughout this fifth book. But, the one that caught my eye came towards the end of the book when Harry and Dumbledore have their heavy, emotional confrontation after Sirius’s death.
“Sirius did not hate Kreacher [Sirius’s house-elf],” said Dumbledore. “He regarded him as a servant unworthy of much interest of notice. Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike…” — Pages 833–834
I feel that whenever I have approached anything with indifference and neglect, I have fared far worse in the end for it than I would have if I simply hated what I was doing. This is one of the reasons why voter apathy can sway political elections and campaigns. It’s fine if someone hates a candidate and votes against them (at least one of the sides will benefit), but it’s completely different if that same person hates a candidate, but feels uncompelled to vote against them due to apathy. The latter is always the worst in the long run. Apathy helps rationalize the behaviors that ultimately hurt us in the most in the end.
I think Dumbledore’s words can apply to far more than just political events. They can be applicable to our own lives as well. Indifference and neglect are the galvanizers for irreparable damage to take place. In Sirius Black’s case, his neglect for Kreacher the house-elf made Kreacher seek out others from the Black family who could fill the loveless void in Kreacher’s life. Had Sirius treated Kreacher better, who knows?
Maybe Sirius Black would have been around for books six and seven. The point is, it pays to care and to be a little kinder.
“Don’t be yourself. Be someone a little nicer.” ~Mignon McLaughlin
Sources
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine, 2003. Print.
Notes
This is the FIFTEENTH post (out of 52 in total eventually) that is a part of my 2015 Book Reading Challenge.
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