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| Order of the Phoenix |
After what has to be the most horrific thing that’s ever happened
to him, Harry is left all alone at Privet Drive with people who
don’t care about him. He feels as if he’s been abandoned by
everyone he cares about, his friends, his adopted family...even
Dumbledore has left him.
Here we get to see some of Harry’s insecurities play out. Being
an orphan and essentially abandoned by the two most important
people in his life, he always feels unworthy of love. Always
questions why people are nice to him, expecting them to be mean
and awful like the Dursleys were to him. Yet at the same time, he
is always desperately afraid of losing that love and affection he
doesn’t think he deserves, but for which he was always yearn.
When we first see him, he is alone and hiding in some bushes. A
poetic description.
Dudley makes fun of him for crying out in his sleep because of
the nightmares he’s been having about the graveyard and Cedric’s
death (interspersed with corridor dreams). It’s clearly an
unresolved issue for him and it causes him to act out in anger
all this year.
He and Dudley get attacked by two Dementors on Magnolia Crescent.
To save them, Harry is forced to use a Patronus. In the process,
he discovers he is not as alone as it seemed. Mrs. Figg is a
Squib and has always watched after him. And the Order has kept
guard over him this whole time.
Petunia gets an owl all her own...a howler. From Dumbledore,
reminding her of his last letter. Possibly that she’s the only
thing keeping Harry alive and so she doesn’t let Vernon throw
Harry out.
to him, Harry is left all alone at Privet Drive with people who
don’t care about him. He feels as if he’s been abandoned by
everyone he cares about, his friends, his adopted family...even
Dumbledore has left him.
Here we get to see some of Harry’s insecurities play out. Being
an orphan and essentially abandoned by the two most important
people in his life, he always feels unworthy of love. Always
questions why people are nice to him, expecting them to be mean
and awful like the Dursleys were to him. Yet at the same time, he
is always desperately afraid of losing that love and affection he
doesn’t think he deserves, but for which he was always yearn.
When we first see him, he is alone and hiding in some bushes. A
poetic description.
Dudley makes fun of him for crying out in his sleep because of
the nightmares he’s been having about the graveyard and Cedric’s
death (interspersed with corridor dreams). It’s clearly an
unresolved issue for him and it causes him to act out in anger
all this year.
He and Dudley get attacked by two Dementors on Magnolia Crescent.
To save them, Harry is forced to use a Patronus. In the process,
he discovers he is not as alone as it seemed. Mrs. Figg is a
Squib and has always watched after him. And the Order has kept
guard over him this whole time.
Petunia gets an owl all her own...a howler. From Dumbledore,
reminding her of his last letter. Possibly that she’s the only
thing keeping Harry alive and so she doesn’t let Vernon throw
Harry out.
This exchange shows a bit of depth to a character previously
written off as a stupid meanie with no redeeming characteristics.
She is suddenly thrust into a new light. She understands about
Voldemort and Dementors, she’s lived through all this before.
And she, for the only the second time in her life probably, steps
up and does something right. She must have known the risk, but
kept baby Harry (treated him poorly, which I’m not even going to
get into here). And now, again, she makes a conscious decision to
do the right thing and keep him with her.
One thing she can do for her long dead sister...she wasn’t able
to prevent Lily’s death or make her see reason and abandon the
Magical World, but she can do this...she can save Harry.
Harry remains alone with no further information for another 3-4
days before the Order can get the Dursley’s out of the house
under the guise of a Competition and get the Advance Guard there
to pull him out.
Harry is seething from the lack of communication or genuine
concern from anyone by the time he arrives. His momentary joy at
seeing his two best friends is quickly overshadowed by his
annoyance and jealousy that they got to be together without him.
Hermione distracts him when he first walks in by bear hugging the
life out of him. She’s obviously been worried. It takes his
breath away and Ron says she’s been going spare the whole time.
So at least someone was worried about him.
written off as a stupid meanie with no redeeming characteristics.
She is suddenly thrust into a new light. She understands about
Voldemort and Dementors, she’s lived through all this before.
And she, for the only the second time in her life probably, steps
up and does something right. She must have known the risk, but
kept baby Harry (treated him poorly, which I’m not even going to
get into here). And now, again, she makes a conscious decision to
do the right thing and keep him with her.
One thing she can do for her long dead sister...she wasn’t able
to prevent Lily’s death or make her see reason and abandon the
Magical World, but she can do this...she can save Harry.
Harry remains alone with no further information for another 3-4
days before the Order can get the Dursley’s out of the house
under the guise of a Competition and get the Advance Guard there
to pull him out.
Harry is seething from the lack of communication or genuine
concern from anyone by the time he arrives. His momentary joy at
seeing his two best friends is quickly overshadowed by his
annoyance and jealousy that they got to be together without him.
Hermione distracts him when he first walks in by bear hugging the
life out of him. She’s obviously been worried. It takes his
breath away and Ron says she’s been going spare the whole time.
So at least someone was worried about him.
Hermione had thrown herself onto him in a hug that nearly
knocked him flat, while Ron’s tiny owl, Pigwidgeon,
zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.
“HARRY! Ron, he’s here, Harry’s here! We didn’t hear you
arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been
furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were
useless 0 but we couldn’t tell you anything, Dumbledore
made us swear we wouldn’t, oh, we’ve got so much to tell
you, and you’ve got to tell us – the dementors! When we
heard – and that Ministry hearing – it’s just outrageous,
I’ve looked it all up, they can’t expel you, they just
can’t, there’s provision in the Decree for the
Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in
life-threatening situations –”
“Let him breathe, Hermione,” said Ron, grinning, closing
the door behind Harry. He seemed to have grown several
more inches during their month apart, making him taller
and more gangly looking than ever, though the long nose,
bright red hair, and freckles were the same.
Hermione, still beaming, let go of Harry, but before she
could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound
and something white soared from the top of a dark
wardrobe and landed gently on Harry’s shoulder.
“Hedwig!”
The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear
affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers.
knocked him flat, while Ron’s tiny owl, Pigwidgeon,
zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.
“HARRY! Ron, he’s here, Harry’s here! We didn’t hear you
arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been
furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were
useless 0 but we couldn’t tell you anything, Dumbledore
made us swear we wouldn’t, oh, we’ve got so much to tell
you, and you’ve got to tell us – the dementors! When we
heard – and that Ministry hearing – it’s just outrageous,
I’ve looked it all up, they can’t expel you, they just
can’t, there’s provision in the Decree for the
Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in
life-threatening situations –”
“Let him breathe, Hermione,” said Ron, grinning, closing
the door behind Harry. He seemed to have grown several
more inches during their month apart, making him taller
and more gangly looking than ever, though the long nose,
bright red hair, and freckles were the same.
Hermione, still beaming, let go of Harry, but before she
could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound
and something white soared from the top of a dark
wardrobe and landed gently on Harry’s shoulder.
“Hedwig!”
The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear
affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers.
| Order of the Phoenix Chapter 4 |
Harry then takes out his anger on them. Why do they get to be
together without him, knowing what’s going on the whole time
while he was stuck at the Dursley’s? It’s not fair, he’s done all
this cool and powerful stuff why should he have to be put away,
and doesn’t he deserve to know what’s going on?
together without him, knowing what’s going on the whole time
while he was stuck at the Dursley’s? It’s not fair, he’s done all
this cool and powerful stuff why should he have to be put away,
and doesn’t he deserve to know what’s going on?
“So how come I have to stay at the Dursleys’ while you
two get to join in everything that’s going on here?” said
Harry, the words timbling over one another in a rush, his
voice growing louder with every word. “How come you two
are allowed to know everything that’s going on –”
“We’re not!” Ron interrupted. “Mum won’t let us near the
meetings, she says we’re too young –”
But before he knew it, Harry was shouting.
“SO YOU HAVEN’T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU’VE
STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN’T YOU? YOU’VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER!
ME, I’VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS’ FOR A MONTH! AND I’
VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO’VE EVER MANAGED AND
DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT – WHO SAVED THE SORCERER’S STONE? WHO
GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM
DEMENTORS?”
Every bitter and resentful thought that Harry had had in
the past month was pouring out of him; his frustration at
the lack of news, the hurt that they had all been
together without him, his fury at being followed and not
told about it: All the feelings he was half-ashamed of
finally burst their boundaries
“I SUPPOSE YOU’VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN’T YOU,
ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER –”
“No, honest-”
“Harry, we’re really sorry!” said Hermione desperately,
her eyes now sparkling with tears. “You’re absolutely
right, Harry – I’d be furious if it was me!”
two get to join in everything that’s going on here?” said
Harry, the words timbling over one another in a rush, his
voice growing louder with every word. “How come you two
are allowed to know everything that’s going on –”
“We’re not!” Ron interrupted. “Mum won’t let us near the
meetings, she says we’re too young –”
But before he knew it, Harry was shouting.
“SO YOU HAVEN’T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU’VE
STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN’T YOU? YOU’VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER!
ME, I’VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEYS’ FOR A MONTH! AND I’
VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO’VE EVER MANAGED AND
DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT – WHO SAVED THE SORCERER’S STONE? WHO
GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM
DEMENTORS?”
Every bitter and resentful thought that Harry had had in
the past month was pouring out of him; his frustration at
the lack of news, the hurt that they had all been
together without him, his fury at being followed and not
told about it: All the feelings he was half-ashamed of
finally burst their boundaries
“I SUPPOSE YOU’VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN’T YOU,
ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER –”
“No, honest-”
“Harry, we’re really sorry!” said Hermione desperately,
her eyes now sparkling with tears. “You’re absolutely
right, Harry – I’d be furious if it was me!”
| ... |
| Order of the Phoenix Chapter 4 |
Hermione is nearly in tears, she knew he
would go crazy if they kept him in the
dark, but Dumbledore wouldn’t listen to
her.
It is her validation of his feelings (as
opposed to Ron’s denial and insistence of
his innocence) that stops him. Her tears,
her obvious dismay for him that calms him.
would go crazy if they kept him in the
dark, but Dumbledore wouldn’t listen to
her.
It is her validation of his feelings (as
opposed to Ron’s denial and insistence of
his innocence) that stops him. Her tears,
her obvious dismay for him that calms him.
She is probably the closest to him, the
one who knows him best, but Dumbledore
does not heed her advice.
one who knows him best, but Dumbledore
does not heed her advice.
And by the time Harry is brought back to them he’s hurt, angry and
resentful. (And a helluva lotta fun to deal with.)
He usually displays immediate shame and regret following his outbursts
through the book. He’s feeling misunderstood and abused by everyone. He
needs them to realize he’s not a little kid and start treating him like the
warrior he needs to be, but he’s acting like a petulant child most of the
time.
Harry learns that the Daily Prophet and the Ministry are trying to make him
into a crazy person in the media. They’ve thrown Dumbledore off the
International Wizards Confederation and the Wizengamot for spreading “lies”.
Fudge is so scared he tries to screw up Harry’s trial by changing the time
and location with no warning. This speaks true to the blind fear and biases
that can overpower a person’s mind during a time of great danger.
Sirius and Molly fight over whether they should tell the kids. Molly calls
Harry one of her own.
resentful. (And a helluva lotta fun to deal with.)
He usually displays immediate shame and regret following his outbursts
through the book. He’s feeling misunderstood and abused by everyone. He
needs them to realize he’s not a little kid and start treating him like the
warrior he needs to be, but he’s acting like a petulant child most of the
time.
Harry learns that the Daily Prophet and the Ministry are trying to make him
into a crazy person in the media. They’ve thrown Dumbledore off the
International Wizards Confederation and the Wizengamot for spreading “lies”.
Fudge is so scared he tries to screw up Harry’s trial by changing the time
and location with no warning. This speaks true to the blind fear and biases
that can overpower a person’s mind during a time of great danger.
Sirius and Molly fight over whether they should tell the kids. Molly calls
Harry one of her own.
“Well,” said Mrs. Weasley, breathing deeply and looking around
the table for support that did not come, “well...I can see I’m
can see I’m going to be overruled. I’ll just say this:
Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to
know too much, and speaking as someone who as got Harry’s best
interests at heart –”
“He’s not your son,” said Sirius quietly.
“He’s as good as,” said Mrs. Weasley fiercely. “Who else has he
got?”
“He’s got me!”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Weasley, her lip curling. “The thing is, it’s
been rather difficult for you to look after him while you’ve
been locked up in Azkaban, hasn’t it?”
Sirius started to rise from his chair.
“Molly, you’re not the only person at this table who cares
about Harry,” said Lupin sharply. “Sirius, sit down.”
He did not look at Mrs. Weasley. He had been touched by what
she had said about his being as good as a son, but he was also
impatient at her mollycoddling...Sirius was right, he was not a
child.
the table for support that did not come, “well...I can see I’m
can see I’m going to be overruled. I’ll just say this:
Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to
know too much, and speaking as someone who as got Harry’s best
interests at heart –”
“He’s not your son,” said Sirius quietly.
“He’s as good as,” said Mrs. Weasley fiercely. “Who else has he
got?”
“He’s got me!”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Weasley, her lip curling. “The thing is, it’s
been rather difficult for you to look after him while you’ve
been locked up in Azkaban, hasn’t it?”
Sirius started to rise from his chair.
“Molly, you’re not the only person at this table who cares
about Harry,” said Lupin sharply. “Sirius, sit down.”
He did not look at Mrs. Weasley. He had been touched by what
she had said about his being as good as a son, but he was also
impatient at her mollycoddling...Sirius was right, he was not a
child.
| ... |
| Order of the Phoenix Chapter 5 |
However, Sirius tells Harry, Hermione and Ron about the “secret weapon”
that the Order is protecting, despite Molly’s wishes.
This half-truth, I feel, does more damage than good. The truth can be
very perilous stuff and when you only know a fraction of what you’re
dealing with you’re even more likely to get yourself in trouble thinking
your doing the right thing.
Dumbledore finally comes to the rescue for Harry at the trial, but never
looks him in the eye. This upsets and angers Harry. Harry thinks maybe
Dumbledore is upset with him or doesn’t care about what happens to him.
Again, he fears he’s finally been abandoned. He’s been a bad boy and now
everyone will leave him.
Harry is cleared...everyone is inordinately relieved if they all just
knew he’d get off. The rest of the summer passes with the kids helping
to de-magical creature the house during which they find a silver locket
no one can open...
Hermione and Ron get their prefect badges!
Harry is heartbroken he didn’t get it, and then upset with himself for
feeling like that. He doesn’t want to begrudge Ron anything, because,
thanks to last year, he knows Ron is jealous of all Harry has. But Harry
really wanted it and honestly thought he’d get it.
He tries not to let them see his disappointment, tries not to take away
from them but he can’t help but feel sick about it.
that the Order is protecting, despite Molly’s wishes.
This half-truth, I feel, does more damage than good. The truth can be
very perilous stuff and when you only know a fraction of what you’re
dealing with you’re even more likely to get yourself in trouble thinking
your doing the right thing.
Dumbledore finally comes to the rescue for Harry at the trial, but never
looks him in the eye. This upsets and angers Harry. Harry thinks maybe
Dumbledore is upset with him or doesn’t care about what happens to him.
Again, he fears he’s finally been abandoned. He’s been a bad boy and now
everyone will leave him.
Harry is cleared...everyone is inordinately relieved if they all just
knew he’d get off. The rest of the summer passes with the kids helping
to de-magical creature the house during which they find a silver locket
no one can open...
Hermione and Ron get their prefect badges!
Harry is heartbroken he didn’t get it, and then upset with himself for
feeling like that. He doesn’t want to begrudge Ron anything, because,
thanks to last year, he knows Ron is jealous of all Harry has. But Harry
really wanted it and honestly thought he’d get it.
He tries not to let them see his disappointment, tries not to take away
from them but he can’t help but feel sick about it.
The twins’ heads turned in unison and both of them stared at
Harry.
“We thought you were a cert!” said Fred in a tone that
suggested Harry had tricked them in some way.
“We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!” said George
indignantly.
The door banged open. Hermione came tearing into the room, her
cheeks flushed and her hair flying, There was an envelope in
her hand.
“Did you – did you get -?”
She spotted the badge in Harry’s hand and let out a shriek.
“I knew it!” she said excitedly, brandishing her letter. “Me
too, Harry, me too!”
“No,” said Harry quickly, pushing the badge back into Ron’s
hand. “It’s Ron, not me.”
“It – what?”
“Ron’s prefect, not me,” Harry said.
“Ron?” said Hermione, her jaw dropping. “But...are you sure? I
mean –”
He straightened up and looked behind him. Hermione and Hedwig
had gone. Harry returned slowly to his bed and sank onto it,
gazing unseeingly at the foot of the wardrobe.
He had forgotten completely about prefects being chosen in the
fifth year. He had been too anxious about the possibility of
being expelled to spare a thought for the face that badges must
be winging their way toward certain people. But if he had
remermbered...if he had thought about it...what would he have
expected?
Not this, said a small and truthful voice inside his head.
He screwed up his face and buried his hands. He could not lie
to himself; if he had known the prefect badge was on its way,
he would have expected it to come to him, not Ron. Did this
make him as arrogant as Draco Malfoy? Did he think himself
superior to everyone else? Did he really believe he was better
than Ron?
No, said the small voice defiantly.
Was that true? Harry wondered, anxiously probing his own
feelings.
“No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect...”
Harry gave a small snort of laughter. A second later he felt
sickened with himself.
Ron had not asked Dumbledore to give him the prefect badge.
This was not Ron’s fault. Was he, Harry, Ron’s best friend in
the world, going to sulk because he didn’t have a badge, laugh
with the twins behind Ron’s back, ruin this for Ron when, for
the first time, he had beaten Harry at something?
Harry.
“We thought you were a cert!” said Fred in a tone that
suggested Harry had tricked them in some way.
“We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!” said George
indignantly.
The door banged open. Hermione came tearing into the room, her
cheeks flushed and her hair flying, There was an envelope in
her hand.
“Did you – did you get -?”
She spotted the badge in Harry’s hand and let out a shriek.
“I knew it!” she said excitedly, brandishing her letter. “Me
too, Harry, me too!”
“No,” said Harry quickly, pushing the badge back into Ron’s
hand. “It’s Ron, not me.”
“It – what?”
“Ron’s prefect, not me,” Harry said.
“Ron?” said Hermione, her jaw dropping. “But...are you sure? I
mean –”
He straightened up and looked behind him. Hermione and Hedwig
had gone. Harry returned slowly to his bed and sank onto it,
gazing unseeingly at the foot of the wardrobe.
He had forgotten completely about prefects being chosen in the
fifth year. He had been too anxious about the possibility of
being expelled to spare a thought for the face that badges must
be winging their way toward certain people. But if he had
remermbered...if he had thought about it...what would he have
expected?
Not this, said a small and truthful voice inside his head.
He screwed up his face and buried his hands. He could not lie
to himself; if he had known the prefect badge was on its way,
he would have expected it to come to him, not Ron. Did this
make him as arrogant as Draco Malfoy? Did he think himself
superior to everyone else? Did he really believe he was better
than Ron?
No, said the small voice defiantly.
Was that true? Harry wondered, anxiously probing his own
feelings.
“No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect...”
Harry gave a small snort of laughter. A second later he felt
sickened with himself.
Ron had not asked Dumbledore to give him the prefect badge.
This was not Ron’s fault. Was he, Harry, Ron’s best friend in
the world, going to sulk because he didn’t have a badge, laugh
with the twins behind Ron’s back, ruin this for Ron when, for
the first time, he had beaten Harry at something?
| ... |
| ... |
| ... |
| Order of the Phoenix Chapter 9 |
They throw a party for Ron and Hermione. Ron gets a new broom as a
reward and spends the whole night talking about it. Harry tries not to
look like he detests the whole thing. He puts on a show to save face,
but he’s not that good of an actor because Moody’s got him figured out
and watches Harry’s progress around the room.
He shows Harry a picture of the last order and tells them about how most
of the people in it died shortly after it was taken. Harry is upset by
this as his parents were in the picture, standing right alongside
Pettigrew.
Harry doesn’t know how to handle this photo, the reminder that death is
sudden, unexpected and sometimes undeserved. It rattles him. He still
sees Cedric fall when he closes his eyes.
Harry leaves the party. He walks in on Molly trying to banish the
Boggart. He stops short at the sight of a dead Ron on the floor of the
drawing room.
Sirius and Moody come up to help, but by that time, the Boggart has
morphed into all the Weasley’s and Harry himself. That image makes
Sirius stop short too.
This speaks to Molly’s acceptance of Harry as one of her own. She really
does love him as a son.
It also speaks to the reality of the danger and the changing times. They
are moving into an unpredictable, treacherous situation, nothing is safe
anymore.
reward and spends the whole night talking about it. Harry tries not to
look like he detests the whole thing. He puts on a show to save face,
but he’s not that good of an actor because Moody’s got him figured out
and watches Harry’s progress around the room.
He shows Harry a picture of the last order and tells them about how most
of the people in it died shortly after it was taken. Harry is upset by
this as his parents were in the picture, standing right alongside
Pettigrew.
Harry doesn’t know how to handle this photo, the reminder that death is
sudden, unexpected and sometimes undeserved. It rattles him. He still
sees Cedric fall when he closes his eyes.
Harry leaves the party. He walks in on Molly trying to banish the
Boggart. He stops short at the sight of a dead Ron on the floor of the
drawing room.
Sirius and Moody come up to help, but by that time, the Boggart has
morphed into all the Weasley’s and Harry himself. That image makes
Sirius stop short too.
This speaks to Molly’s acceptance of Harry as one of her own. She really
does love him as a son.
It also speaks to the reality of the danger and the changing times. They
are moving into an unpredictable, treacherous situation, nothing is safe
anymore.