The Order of the Phoenix Re-Read: Chapter 32

[slowfox]

Montague's still ill, after his brush with the Vanishing Cabinet a couple of chapters back. Since we know that the OWLs have been going for at least a fortnight, and that Montague's parents turned up at school a week after he was first found (p598, UK hardback), that puts him in the Hospital Wing for at least three weeks' solid treatment. Gryffindors can have patchy ethics, at times :-/

Ron and Hermione are (correctly) sceptical that Harry's vision was a genuine rendition of conditions as the stood within the Department of Mysteries:

"I dunno, Voldemort used an Invisibility Cloak or something!" Harry shouted. "Anyway, the Department of Mysteries has always been completely empty whenever I've been -"

"You've never been there, Harry," said Hermione quietly. "You've dreamed about the place, that's all."

Ron volunteers to distract Umbridge by reporting that Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department, which is interesting because it tells us that Hogwarts has a Transfiguration department! Is that a grand way of saying 'McGonagall's classroom', or are there more staff?

Hermione and Harry break into Umbridge's classroom - seemingly not to entertain the notion that there might possibly be more advanced wards and the like guarding the place beyond a locked door. Kreacher flat out lies (we later learn) to Harry - at least Dobby was constrained to tell the truth, from a certain perspective, so you can understand Harry taking the House Elf at his word at this point.

Predictably, Umbridge catches Harry and Hermione, and the Umbridge Youth snare Ginny, Luna, Ron and Neville. And then Draco's sent to summon Snape.

Snape has never been quick to demonstrate willingness to accommodate Harry's wishes in the past (Crouch before the Third Task springs to mind), and one does wonder how he's going to respond to a request from his most hated pupil that his most resented adversary is apparently in grave danger...

Surely Umbridge didn't pour the entire bottle of Veritaserum into Harry's tea during their last chat? So who else has she been interrogating, we wonder? Besides, if three drops were enough, wouldn't it have been simpler by far to spike the Gryffindor's breakfast juice, and then have the benefit of truth from the entire house of Courage?

Whilst it's obvious that Umbridge isn't in her right state of mind when she's winding herself up to Crucio Harry, I wonder if the others present in the room realise the precariousness of their own positions in this venture? As Umbridge rightly notes, "What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him,", but one's moved to wonder how exactly, Umbridge is going to ensure that Cornelius continues to remain in blissful ignorance when she's about to cast an Unforgiveable before multiple witnesses?

Anyway, Hermione's Inner Slytherin rushes to the rescue once more as she hatches a cunning plan... I dislike the scheming that Hermione's been engaging in, but that's for the next chapter. I do, however, give her points for the way in which she gets Umbridge to discard the protection of the Umbridge Youth by suggesting that they might use 'The Weapon' on her, once they'd seen what it could do...

It's clear, now, that the 'adventure' part of Book V is going to be the 'rescue' of Sirius from Voldemort's clutches within the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. I still feel like observing, however, that there's been an aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawful lot of set-up to get us to this point!

Comments

[aome]

one does wonder how he's going to respond to a request from his most hated pupil that his most resented adversary is apparently in grave danger

However, Snape cannot fail to know what "He" means, as in "He's got Sirius..." No matter what he feels about Sirius or Harry, if he is truly on "our" side, then he's not going to let that go unreported. (It also makes me wonder if Snape received a tattoo summons to join Voldemort's entourage at the MoM, and how he responded to that, if so. And if not, why not?)

one's moved to wonder how exactly, Umbridge is going to ensure that Cornelius continues to remain in blissful ignorance when she's about to cast an Unforgiveable before multiple witnesses?

There were multiple witnesses as to the truth about Sirius, but as Dumbledore pointed out, the word of teenagers isn't going to hold up nearly as well as the word of others. Recall how Fudge views Harry and co - he's not likely to believe them, no matter how many of them there are. And even if he *were* to believe what teens say, in Umbridge's case, there's an equal number of people ready to uphold her word - her Inquisitorial Squad. So, I think Umbridge was pretty safe, unfortunately. I am, however, horrified - carving into people's hands is terrible but not illegal. Crucio is, well - does she really think it's worth risking a life in Azkaban??

Surely Umbridge didn't pour the entire bottle of Veritaserum into Harry's tea during their last chat?

I wouldn't put it past her - she's clearly blinded where Harry is concern, and probably didn't think twice about whether or not Snape could whip up more, ready to do her bidding. My impression of Umbridge is that she is not necessarily a particularly talented witch. It is not clear whether she bewitched that quill or bought it already bespelled. There is never any indication she can do extensive magic of any sort. Yes, she threatens Crucio - but could she pull it off? Or is it not really complex magic, as long as you mean it?

[slowfox]

n Umbridge's case, there's an equal number of people ready to uphold her word - her Inquisitorial Squad.

Yes, but look how quick she is to be turned by Hermione's weasel words that Malfoy's not to be trusted with a glimpse of The Weapon, since he might turn it upon Umbridge for his own gain. Surely Umbridge wouldn't want to let a bunch of Slytherins hold that kind of secret over her? Can you imagine the scope for blackmail when she's standing for election as the next Minister?



My impression of Umbridge is that she is not necessarily a particularly talented witch.

We never really see her actually do any spellwork herself, do we? Nothing notable, anyway...

So she's not particularly talented, just ambitious... although ambitious to what end? Does she merely wish to be 'Fudge's Most Loyal Servent', or has she a bigger gameplan in mind.

[cynthia_black]

'In truth, his scar was aching, but not so badly that he thought Voldemort had yet dealt Sirius a fatal blow; it had hurt much worse than this when Voldemort had been punishing Avery...'

The first hint that Hermione is right, and that You Know Who doesn't actually have Sirius.

'said Ginny, her jaw set so that her resemblance to Fred and George was suddenly striking'

*nods*

I like the DA dynamics at the end of the chapter :-)

[slowfox]

Yes, Ginny's resemblance to the Twins is definitely talked up in OotP - JKR's definitely put some work into fleshing her character out in this instalment... but she's still not someone I really take to.

And yes, Hermione's right, and Harry's way too easily fooled, but he did try to contact Sirius, and Kreacher lied, which was unexpected, so... it is, indeed, a shame how this unfolds, but I think Harry's being quite Harry through this section.

[cynthia_black]

but she's still not someone I really take to.

Agreed. I've seen for books-long that H/G was the way JKR was going, but I still have no enthusiasm for that pairing.

[slowfox]

I had Ginny down as Harry's intended from Platform 9¾ in PS... CoS obviously cemented that idea, but I was grateful for Cho's appearance in PoA and GoF, because she seemed a much better fit.

Obviously, it took me a couple of re-reads to figure out that the books are in fact all about the Ron/Hermione and Harry/Parvati. Slow by name...