The Order of the Phoenix Re-Read: Chapter 33

[slowfox]

Harry gets taken by violent thoughts, doesn't he?

She laughed. Harry felt a strong urge to swing round and seize her by the throat, but resisted.

You must be cautious, Harry Potter: the Dark Side I sense in you. Hmm.

Harry's concern that they're planning on entering the Forbidden Forest sans wands strikes me as... a little optimistic; since when have wands got them out of previous fixes therein? If memory serves, Firenze rescued Harry in PS, the car rescued Harry and Ron in CoS. Future Harry rescued himself and Hermione in PoA...

"Hermione, keep your voice down," Harry muttered, hurrying to catch up with her. "Anything could be listening in here -"

"I want us heard," she answered quietly, as Umbridge jogged noisily after them. "You'll see..."

I really don't like Hermione's actions in this chapter, although admittedly she's really not got a lot to work with. Still, for someone who's so critical of the wizarding world's view of Centaurs, House-Elves and the like, it seems that she's more than happy to use just as casually when she's pursuing her own goals. This time, then, Miss Granger deems that then ends justify the means, whereas for Umbridge, back in the office, they don't.

This whole chapter sees events cascade as things get out of control.

Firstly, as Hermione was planning, they're intercepted by the Centaurs. Umbridge, sort of predictably, tries to lord it over her hoofed underlings, with predictable consequences. Hermione then digs herself a nice hole by telling them that she'd been banking on their assistance...

Ultimately, the troop pick up Umbridge, Harry and Hermione to cart them off into the forest...let's not enquire to deeply as to what sort of punishment they have in mind at this point {this is a childrens' series of books, right?}, and simply note that this move is, in turn thwarted by the arrival of Grawp.

There's a sort of standoff, which ends when the Centaurs loose their arrows into Grawp's face and then turn tail to flee:

Harry and Hermione watched Grawp give another roar of fury and plunge after them, smashing more trees aside as he went.

"Oh no," said Hermione, quaking so badly that her knees gave way. "Oh, that was horrible. And he might kill them all."

"I'm not that fussed, to be honest," said Harry bitterly.

It's really not a pleasant sequence of events, but the arrival of the second guard cheer things up a bit. But how does this happen?

"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx," said Ron airily...

But weren't Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville deprived of their wands by the Umbridge Youth on capture?

Harry's eyes met Ron's. He knew Ron was thinking exactly what he was: if he could have chosen any members of the DA, in addition to himself, Ron and Hermione, to join him in the attempt to rescue Sirius, he would not have picked Ginny, Neville or Luna.

Why not Ginny? Granted Luna's portrayed as being several sandwiches short of a picnic, and Neville's depicted as a sort of walking disaster area, but Ginny gives the impression, in this book at least of being a reasonably able fourth year with a surprising streak of cunning.

Flicking back many chapters, recall Hermione saying that she was surprised that Hagrid had given them a lesson on Thestrals, that they were normally NEWT level? And I was wondering whether it was just the fifth years who got that particular 'treat'? Evidently not:

"Because, in case you hadn't noticed, you and Hermione are both covered in blood," [Ginny] said coolly, "and we know Hagrid lures Thestrals with raw meat..."

So it would seem that Hagrid delivered a similar lesson to the fourth years... which does beg all sorts of questions about curriculum differentiation and the like, but maybe I'm looking at this a little too deeply (as if!).

So, by the end of the chapter, Harry and Hermione escape Umbridge, the Centaurs and Grawp in succession, team up with the B Team, and are about to saddle up and ride off into the sunset towards London on invisible horses with a taste for blood (but a good sense of direction as token compensation).

And as far as we know, Sirius hasn't been killed dead yet.

Comments

[aome]

You're looking at most of this too deeply. ;)

since when have wands got them out of previous fixes therein?

I'm assuming by "therein" you mean the forest, and not "trouble" in general. The PoA reference wasn't in the forest, though, was it? It was right by the lake, I thought. Neville did send up sparks back in PS, and Hagrid came to rescue him from Malfoy, so I suppose that had some purpose. Besides, you never know when it MIGHT be handy - I know I'd feel a lot better to have that with me, even if I ended up not using it.

As for the Second Guard (as you so named them) getting their wands back - maybe they just stomped on feet, or were somehow able to yell "Accio wands" or something? And as for not wanting Ginny - I suspect Harry still just sees her as "Ron's little sister" and hasn't been around her enough (aside from DA) to really change that perception. It's easy to forget what one did, oneself, at a younger age, and to remember that others that same age will be just as adept. :P

[slowfox]

You're looking at most of this too deeply. ;)

Is that even possible? ;-P

I'm assuming by "therein" you mean the forest, and not "trouble" in general.

Indeed - obviously as you say, wands are, if nothing else, a comfort, but past experience has tended to show that wands aren't the best tools for escaping fixes in the Forest.

I've always wondered, moving onto your final para, what'd happen in a duel if, instead of attempting to disarm your opponent, you summoned their wand instead. Could that work? Hmmm...

It's easy to forget what one did, oneself, at a younger age, and to remember that others that same age will be just as adept. :P

Well, being fair, I don't think everyone else would be quite as adept lucky as our licorice haired-protagonist at his respective ages, but yes, it is clear that he doesn't necessarily view Ginny as accomplished as she is.