The Order of the Phoenix Re-Read: Chapter 8

[slowfox]

It seems weird that Arthur wasn't allowed to accompany Harry into the courtroom - especially since we know that there were audiences to Barty Crouch's trial previously.

If the owl was sent to Harry to alert him of the change of time and venue, how come it never arrives? As far as I can recall, no mention is ever made of such a message winging its way to him, either at the Ministry, nor back at Grimmauld Place.

It should come as no surprise, of course, that wizarding justice doesn't seem terribly just...

Harry felt a horrible sinking in the pit of his stomach. Whatever Mrs Figg might say, it sounded to him as though the most she had ever seen was a picture of a Dementor...

Hmm. So can Squibs see Dementors or not? I s'pose they must be able to, although the earlier point still stands that when Mrs Figg is admonishing Harry for attempting to put away his wand (and pre-fandom, that would've struck me as a wholly innocent phrase), she didn't actually know what threat it was that he was facing. Unless someone else communicated this to her.

Dumbledore obviously touches a nerve with Fudge when he reminds the Minister that it can't expel Harry from Hogwarts:

"Oho!" said Fudge."Not our business what he does at school, eh? You think so?"

Hmm - as we know, the Educational Decrees soon try to amend that.

Anyway, Harry's exonerated, we've had our first glimpse of Umbridge, and Susan Bones' mum's been given some screen time, which, given how incidental characters in this book seem to get named merely so that they can be bumped off later, surely can't be good news for her.

I s'pose the real meat of this chapter is that Dumbledore actively ignores Harry, which has got to be a pretty depressing experience, especially when you're being tried by the full Wizengamot, and a not wholly impartial Wizengamot at that.