Harry Potter Read-Along/Discussion [18]

RECAP - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapters 10 - 16

Harry is finally off to Hogwarts now that he knows he wont be expelled. To ruin Harry's happy mood though, they find out that Malfoy has become a prefect for Slytherin, and wthat Hagrid is conspicuously absent from the castle. Professor Grubbly-Plank took his position temporarily, and the toad-like woman from Harry's hearing at the Ministry, Dolores Umbridge, has taken the post of defense against the dark arts. As if that isn't bad enough, it seems as though many of Harry's old friends and acquaintances have been reading the Daily Prophet. Even Seamus thinks he is crazy!

When she is teaching her first D.A.D.A class, Umbridge tells her students that they will not need to use any magic, and tells Harry and the rest of the class that Voldemort is not alive. He receives an entire week of detention after having an outburst and calling Umbridge a liar. She makes him do lines - not just regular lines - the kind that cut the words into the back of your hand. While Harry is missing Quidditch Tryouts for detention, Ron makes the Quidditch team as the keeper.

Soon after, Umbridge is named the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts and has the power to set rules and inspect other teachers. After another week of detention, and many D.A.D.A. classes in which they learned nothing, Hermione suggests that Harry start teaching them and their friends some defense against the dark arts. Harry is not keen on the idea at first until his friends point out how much he really does know, including how to produce a corporeal patronus. Hermione sets up a meeting in Hogsmeade on the next trip and quite a few people show up - 25 to be exact, including Cho Chang. After some interrogation on the part of the attendees, Harry convinces them that he knows what he is doing, that Voldemort really is back, and that anyone who doesn't want to learn how to protect themselves can leave. They all agree that they want to learn, sign a paper that Hermione puts a hex on, and agree to meet at some later date.

DISCUSSION

I'm sure this entire series can be said to be a metaphor for a lot of things. Actually, I did a couple of reports and speeches on Harry Potter in college and went on and on about how its a metaphor for how good always beats out evil, and a metaphor for the story of Jesus, and encourages self-sacrifice for the greater good.. blah blah blah. I mean I did research on all that stuff so its not complete bullshit, haha, but t
talk about government corruption, huh?  Interfering in private education to pursue a vendetta. Dolores Umbridge is a villain that I hate more than Voldemort. I don't even really hate Voldemort anymore. Most of us who have been through this story before kind of feel bad for him and Umbridge kind of trumps him on the hate scale... There's no room to feel bad for Umbridge.

And Harry... annoying, whiny, broody Harry. He is so 15. I can't stand him, but thankfully something is always going on in that school in this book so Harry's chances to whine are few and far between. Hermione is developing so much in these books, and look at her now - setting up and illegal D.A.D.A. club, putting a jinx on that paper they signed. She's a sneaky little girl! Ron and Hermione's bickering is getting worse than ever and I love it! I love watching every little change with them. I want to relive that exact moment whent they realize how much they... love (well.. I mean they are 15... so like?) eachother. It's so beautiful, even though their fighting is annoying.

This book is long. Really long and sometimes tedious, especially once you hit the halfway mark and you're like, okay, come on already, can we get to the good stuff? Right now I'm enjoying it, surprisngly, but I'm sure soon I'll be dying for it to be over. Book 6 and 7 are the only ones I haven't read more than once (I read book five 1 1/2 times) so its almost like going into it without little-to-no knowledge of the intricate events that take place since I very easily forget all the little things that happened, so its going to be a lot of fun for me.

Talk to you guys soon!

A.