As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief… or will it?

Book five in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series follows the darkest year yet for our young wizard, who finds himself knocked down a peg or three after the events of last year. Over the summer, gossip (usually traced back to the magic world's newspaper, the Daily Prophet) has turned Harry's tragic and heroic encounter with Voldemort at the Triwizard Tournament into an excuse to ridicule and discount the teenager. Even Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of the school, has come under scrutiny from the Ministry of Magic, which refuses to officially acknowledge the terrifying truth: that Voldemort is back. Enter a particularly loathsome new character: the toad-like and simpering ("hem, hem") Dolores Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the minister of Magic, who takes over the vacant position of defence against dark arts teacher--and in no time manages to become the high inquisitor of Hogwarts. Life isn't getting any easier for Harry Potter. With an overwhelming course load as the fifth years prepare for their examinations, devastating changes in the Gryffindor Quidditch team line-up, vivid dreams about long hallways and closed doors, and increasing pain in his lightning-shaped scar, Harry's resilience is sorely tested.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, more than any of the four previous novels in the series, is a coming-of-age story. Harry faces the thorny transition into adulthood, when adult heroes are revealed to be fallible, and matters that seemed black and white suddenly come out in shades of gray. Gone is the wide-eyed innocent, the whiz kid of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Here we have an adolescent who's sometimes sullen, often confused (especially about girls), and always self-questioning. Confronting death again, as well as a startling prophecy, Harry ends his year at Hogwarts exhausted and pensive. Readers, on the other hand, will be energised as they enter yet again the long waiting period for the next title in the marvellous magical series. --Emilie Coulter

2007-08-22 Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (The best book I have ever read)

I am now writing from when the seventh book has been released and I can still say that this book is the best of the whole series. I love it! It's got all the information you need about Harry's best year at Hogwarts. First he get's attacked by dementor's, then he get's sentenced to a hearing, next he meets the Order of the Phoenix, a group of peole that fought Voldemort last time, then he goes to his hearing and is cleared of all charges, he then goes to Hogwarts and meet's Luna Lovegood, a Ravenclaw in Ginny's year. The school is being taken over by the Ministry of Magic. They have sent the evil Delores Umbridge to take Defence Against the Dark Arts. She wastes no time in telling Harry that he is a liar and Voldemort has not returned. She then gives him detention. The detention is cutting his hand open with a quill that makes you write in your own blood. Harry has had enough. Umbridge isn't teaching them any magic so he get's a team together called Dumbledores Army. Once a weak they meet in a secret room called the room of requirement. There Harry teaches the Army magic for when they fight death eaters or Voldemort. At Christmas Harry get's cornered by Cho Chang a girl he's fancied for a while. They kiss under the mistletoe. That night Harry has a dream that he is a snake and he is attacking Mr Weasley. Thank's to Harry Arthur is saved and they visit him in the hospital at Christmas. At the next meeting of the DA Harry is caught by Umbridge and taken to Dumbledore's office. Cornelius Fudge is there but he no longer want's to be friendly with Harry. He thinks he is telling attention seeking stories and that he has an Army at Dumbledores command. Dumbledore admits to starting the team and knocks out Umbridge and Fudge. It turns out Cho's friend Marrieta has told Umbridge of the Army. Harry and Cho fall out over this. Also over Christmas Harry found out he was taking Occulemcy lessons with Snape to try and stop Voldemort from using his mind. When Snape has to go out for a while harry sees Snape being bullied by his father. Snape had told the truth about his father being a horrible teenager! Soon Fred and George Weasley get annoyed by the new head mistress- Umbridge! They send fireworks all around school, make a gigantic swamp on the Charms floor and send Nifflers into Umbridge's office. They then fly out of Hogwarts on their brooms. That night Harry sees another dream of Sirius getting tortured by Voldemort. He tries to comtact him through a fire but is caught by Umbridge. She is about to use the Cruciatus curse on Harry when Hermione makes up a fake plan and they lead Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest. She is attacked by Centaurs and taken away. Harry and Hermione are then joined by Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna. They fly to the department of Mysteries in the ministry by thestral, whcih is a skeletal horse that you can only see if you have seen death. They get inside the department and find themselves in a room with lot's of orbs. Harry find's one with his name on it. Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange jump out and ask for the prophecy. Harry refuses and run's with his freinds behind his heels. They get chased through rooms by the deatheaters and then there is only Harry and Neville concious. Suddenly the Order of the Phoenix appear and take on the Death Eaters. But they couldn't stop Bellatrix Lestrange killing Sirius. Harry chases her but realises that he smashed the prophecy. Voldemort appears but Dumbledores saves Harry and duals the Dark Lord. Voldemort escapes and then back in Dumbledore's office Dumbledore tells Harry that Professor Trelawney wrote the prophecy and it said "NEATHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES" Dumbledore also tells him that it could have been Neville that was famous with a scar upon his head.
On the train Harry finds out that the Ministry know Voldemorts back. Ginny tell's Harry that Cho is now dating Michael Corner her ex. Harry wasn't surprised to feel that this didn't hurt



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