The Order of the Phoenix Re-Read: Chapter 29

[slowfox]

Some class Harry and Ron interaction in the opening to this chapter:

Ron went into a rant about Marietta Edgecombe, which Harry found helpful; all he had to do was look angry, nod and say 'Yeah' and 'That's right' whenever Ron drew breath, leaving his mind free to dwell, ever more miserably, on what he had seen in the Pensieve.

I do think it's odd that you don't need many qualifications to liaise with Muggles: all they want is an OWL in Muggle Studies. Given that a very large part of that particular job seems to involve casting memory charms at Muggles left right and centre, I'd rather hoped that the Ministry would be seeking to attract a slightly higher calibre of candidate...

Anyway, career planning is put on hold courtesy of Fred and George wandering over to explain to the Trio that although they've been quiet over the Easter break, to avoid messing up people's revision, once term is back in session, normal service is to be resumed. And, they reason, if they're going to make a distraction, then it might as well be to Harry's benefit, allowing him to gain access to Umbridge's fireplace so that he can chat to Sirius.

Hermione, naturally, is very supportive:

"Are - you - insane?" said Hermione in a hushed voice.

(Typing up these commentaries, it is driving me up the wall that JKR cannot be more inventive with her dialogue tags; said, said, said, said, said. Argh! Just so you know.)

On the day of the planned communication/diversion thingy, Harry also has his careers advice session with McGonagall. Naturally, Umbridge is in attendance to help things along:

Professor Umbridge gave her most pronounced cough yet.

"May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?" Professor McGonagall asked curtly, without looking at Professor Umbridge.

"Oh, no, thank you very much," said Umbridge, with that simpering laugh Harry hated so much. "I just wondered whether I could make the teensiest interruption, Minerva?"

"I daresay you'll find you can," said Professor McGonagall through tightly gritted teeth.

"I was just wondering whether Mr Potter has quite the temperament for an Auror?" said Professor Umbridge sweetly.

"Were you?" said Professor McGonagall haughtily. "Well, Potter," she continued, as though there had been no interruption...

:D

McGonagall, goaded, is actually rather good:

"I should have made my meaning plainer," said Professor McGonagall, turing at last to look Umbridge directly in the eyes. "He has achieved high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher."

Oddly enough, and I'd forgotten this, but when Harry calls Grimmauld Place, Lupin answers rather than Sirius:

"I'll call him," said Lupin, getting to his feet, still looking perplexed, "he went upstairs to look for Kreacher, he seems to be hiding in the attic again..."

The conversation between Harry, Sirius and Lupin does put Snape's Pensieve scene in something like context - it's touching to see Sirius and Remus reminisce, at least. The full scale of Fred and George's leave-taking diversion doesn't become apparent until the next chapter, but oddly enough, I'm not that much of a fan of how they leave Hogwarts - somehow it didn't quite jibe with my personal characterisation of them, and I actually prefer their more subtler moments earlier on in the book.

But still, Harry risked everything to have his mind put at rest by Remus and Sirius and wasn't caught in the process. Lupin insists that Harry resume his Occlumency studies, although I'm very much on Harry's side with regards to assessing the probability that lessons will resume forthwith.

There's a brief glimpse in the chapter of an injured Hagrid staggering into his hut, and we learn that Kreacher's still missing. And, of course, Harry's stated his ambition to train to become an Auror on leaving Hogwarts, with McGonagall's backing and Umbridge's avowed resistance.