Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

Sirius begins by explaining to Harry that his “dear” departed mother put a “Permanent Sticking Charm” on the back of the canvas of the portrait of her displayed just right inside the door of 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius escorts Harry downstairs to the kitchen where many familiar faces became known to him as he entered, plus a few new faces. The occupants of the room are sitting around a large table with piece of parchment right in the middle. Mrs. Weasley makes a noise and Bill (one of the older Weasley boys) rolled up the parchment in an expeditious manner. She doesn’t think the “children” should know what is going on at 12 Grimmauld Place. Bill takes out his wand and muttered “Evanesco” and all the scrolls of parchment then disappeared from site.

Mr. Weasley, Professor Lupin, the werewolf-Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher of Harry’s third year, Tonks (the witch who can change appearances at will) and Mundungus (the wizard assigned to watch Harry who left his post leaving Harry vulnerable) were also sitting around the table. The next thing you know Mundungus attempts to apologize to Harry about leaving him. He goes on to explain he had a “business opportunity”. Mrs. Weasley starts preparing food for Harry and the rest.

Sirius questions Harry about his summer and takes a wee bit of delight in knowing Harry felt “out of the loop”. Sirius has been cooped up for a month too. Apparently the Ministry of Magic is still after him and Voldemort will know by know that he is an Animagus because Wormtail would have told him. This makes it difficult for him to be seen in public either in person or as “Snuffles” the black dog that followed Harry around third year. Professor Dumbledore decided Sirius could do more good by providing 12 Grimmauld Place for the Order of the Phoenix.

Speaking of the Order, it appears 12 Grimmauld Place is the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix and that these people around the kitchen table are all part of it, including Harry’s favorite godfather, Sirius.

Fred and George assist their mother in getting the food to the table so everyone can eat. Of course they want to use magic and Mrs. Weasley screams: “Just carry them!”. They bewitched the stew and a flagon of butterbeer which spilled all over the table. Needless to say, Mrs. Weasley was NOT amused. You see Fred and George just passed the necessary tests in order to “apparate” and they have been driving Mrs. Weasley crazy all summer long, popping in here and there! Mrs. Weasley catches herself from mentioning the name “Percy”. Mr. Weasley froze up at the mere mention of his name. They finally settle down to enjoy the feast Mrs. Weasley has created.

During supper Mrs. Weasley mentions to Sirius that there is something strange inhabiting a desk in the drawing room, probably a boggart (a creature created out of each individual’s deepest fears). Tonks entertains the girls, Hermione and Ginny, by changing her appearance in between mouthfuls of food. A favorite look was that of her with a “pig’s snout” for a nose. Pretty funny indeed. Mr. Weasley, Lupin and Bill have an in-depth discussion about goblins and whether or not they would ever join up with Lord Voldemort. At the other end of the table, Mundungus was regaling Fred and George about how the goblins were up in arms that they never got their gold from Ludo Bagman. Mrs. Weasley chimes in that she would prefer Mundungus not glorify this semi-respectable business dealings. Harry asks Sirius why Mundungus is in the Order and he replies it is due to his “sketchy” dealings that he is needed. Some times good to have some one from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. And that he is very loyal to Professor Dumbledore, who helped him out of a tight spot once. With everyone pretty relaxed, Mrs. Weasley announces it is time for bed.

But Sirius has other things in mind. Sirius makes the comment to Harry that he is surprised he has not “pounced” on him for information about Lord Voldemort and what actually has been going on. Mrs. Weasley snaps that Harry is “too young” to know about the Order and what has been happening, but Sirius defends his god child’s right to know. Of course, Fred, George and the rest all want to know too, to the chagrin of Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley laments about Sirius telling Harry about the Order: “He’s not a member of the Order of the Phoenix . . . he is only fifteen”. Sirius retorts back “well he’s seen and dealt with as much as most who are in the Order”. Sirius simply wishes to answer some of Harry’s questions. Sirius takes Mrs. Weasley’s carrying on as if he is perhaps not the best godfather for Harry.

Professor Lupin finally chimes in that he thinks Harry does have the right to know some of the facts and that it would be best from them than from others. Mrs. Weasley is just not about to let this go and tries to enlist the assistance of Mr. Weasley who sheepishly says “Dumbledore knows the position has changed, Molly. He accepts that Harry will have to be filled in to a certain extent now that he is staying at headquarters.” Mrs. Weasley still does not like the tone and Sirius and Mrs. Weasley continue to argue. They go back and forth challenging each other as to “who cares for Harry most” or “who treats him more like a son”. Mrs. Weasley finally stops the arguing by announcing that Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George are to leave the kitchen and go to bed. Fred and George lament “we’re of age” and Ron screams “if Harry is allowed to stay, why cannot I”. Mrs. Weasley finally concedes and her only success for all this ranting and raving is to send Ginny upstairs to bed. (Of course, Ginny will probably pry the information out of Hermione once she gets up to bed.)

Harry has had these pent up questions all summer long and now he will hopefully find out the answers. His first question: “Where is Voldemort?” “What is he doing?” Sirius answers that he Voldemort is kind of “laying low”. Voldemort sent those Death Eaters to eliminate Harry and it was not anticipated he would survive. Sirius then tells Harry that Dumbledore was able to recall the Order of the Phoenix about an hour after Voldemort returned. At least Dumbledore believes Harry. Harry then asks Sirius: “What does Dumbledore think Voldemort is planning?” Sirius replies: “Firstly, he wants to build up his army again. To get together as many of his followers, the witches and wizards he had bullied or bewitched into following him, and of course, the Death Eaters and other “dark creatures”.

Sirius continues to tell Harry that the Ministry of Magic was not so convinced of Voldemort’s return. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, had basically NOT changed his position that this is all a “figment of Harry’s imagination”. Sirius tells Harry that Fudge is intimidated by Professor Dumbledore and his power. Fudge thinks Dumbledore wants to take over as Minister of Magic, which is something Dumbledore is NOT interested in taking over. He has never wanted the job, even though many people tried to enlist him for the position. Professor Lupin added that perhaps deep down, Fudge knows Dumbledore is much more clever than he is and a very powerful wizard. Fudge thinks Dumbledore is just trying to “upset the apple cart”. Harry, of course, responds angrily by saying: “How can he think Dumbledore would just make it all up – that I’d made it all up?” Fudge just swept it under the rug, so to speak. Harry continues to the wiser witches and wizards across the table: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Bill, Mundungus, and Tonks, “You’re all letting people know he is back.” They all smile and reiterate their individual situations with the Ministry of Magic, i.e., Sirius being a fugitive and such. Lupin mentions that there are people out there who are trying to discredit Dumbledore. They have taken away several positions within the Ministry and they are now talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First Class too.

“Dumbledore doesn’t care about what they do as long as they don’t take him off the Chocolate Frogs”, said Bill, smiling ear to ear. Arthur Weasley finally speaks up saying this is no laughing matter. He goes on to say at the rate the Ministry is going with Dumbledore, he will be in Azkaban in short order!!!! Mr. Weasley finally gets a word in with all of this by saying Dumbledore will play it safe as if he becomes too high profile offending the Ministry and be put away in Azkaban prison, then Voldemort would have a free for all with him out of the way.

Harry questions “If Voldemort is trying to recruit more Death Eaters, isn’t is bound to get out that he is back? Sirius answers, “not necessarily”. Voldemort is a very tricky, sneaky wizard who has bamboozled many people in his time. Then they all talk about what kind of weapon could work on him and Mrs. Weasley jumps in and says it is time for bed. Harry pipes up he wants to join the Order and it is revealed that “The Order is solely comprised of overage wizards.” For wizards who have left school. The reason for this is because is it very dangerous work being associated with the Order. Sirius finally adds, “I think Molly is right, we have said plenty for you to get an idea about what the Order is about and what we know about Voldemort. The kids all shrug and slowly but surely stand up and get themselves up to bed.

Editors Comments: Lots and lots of information! We finally learn about some of the characters in this story and Harry gets a chance to finally ask what is going on with the Dark Lord.

The Order of the Phoenix.net

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Chapter Summary

Chapter Five - The Order of the Phoenix