Harry Potter and the First Time Readers

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Ch 5-8

Jon and Lizzy talk about the order or the Phoenix and what the ministry of magic is like.

In the flash of light caused by Mrs Weasleyʹs charm Harry caught a glimpse of what looked like the plan of a Building. Mrs Weasley had seen him looking. She snatched the plan off the table and stuffed it into Billʹs already overladen arms.

Q1 - What are they looking at?

Q2 - What is the most annoying thing that people kept a secret from you?

There was something about the slightly flattened tone of voice in which Sirius uttered Dumbledoreʹs name that told Harry that Sirius, too, was not very happy with the Headmaster. Harry felt a sudden upsurge of affection for his godfather.

Q3 - Whats the deal with Dumbledore?

Q4 - Who would you want to be sitting next to at this meal?

ʹHeʹs not your son,ʹ said Sirius quietly. ʹHeʹs as good as,ʹ said Mrs Weasley fiercely. ʹWho else has he got?ʹ

Q5 - Team Molly, or Team Sirius?

Q6 - What do you think of Voldemort and the Order of the Phoenix and their plans?

The Order is comprised only of overage wizards,ʹ he said. ʹWizards who have left school,ʹ he added, as Fred and George opened their mouths. There are dangers involved of which you can have no idea, any of you… I think Mollyʹs right, Sirius. Weʹve said enough.ʹ

Q1 - There's a portrait in Harry's room that's mentioned a lot, do you think it has any significance?

Q2 - What is this weapon that Sirius mentioned?

ʹRight‐o,ʹ Fred said brightly, spraying the Doxy quickly in the face so that it fainted, but the moment Mrs Weasleyʹs back was turned he pocketed it with a wink. ʹWe want to experiment with Doxy venom for our Skiving Snackboxes,ʹ George told Harry under his breath.

Q3 - Thoughts on Fred and George experimenting on magical creatures?

Q4 - Do you think Mundungus is really just trying to make money, or does he have some other intent?

ʹLeave?ʹ Sirius smiled bitterly and ran his fingers through his long, unkempt hair. ʹBecause I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure‐blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal… my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them… thatʹs him.ʹ Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name ʹRegulus Blackʹ. A date of death (some fifteen years previously) followed the date of birth. ʹHe was younger than me,ʹ said Sirius, ʹand a much better son, as I was constantly reminded.ʹ ʹBut he died,ʹ said Harry. ʹYeah,ʹ said Sirius. ʹStupid idiot… he joined the Death Eaters.ʹ ʹYouʹre kidding!ʹ ʹCome on, Harry, havenʹt you seen enough of this house to tell what kind of wizards my family were?ʹ said Sirius testily.

Q5 - What do you think of Sirius brother being a Death Eater?

Q6 - Are you all related to anyone famous?

They found an unpleasant‐looking silver instrument, something like a many legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harrys arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin. Sirius seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Natureʹs Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy, until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut; a heavy locket that none of them could open; a number of ancient seals; and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class, that had been awarded to Siriusʹs grandfather for ʹservices to the Ministryʹ

Q7 - What do you think of all these weird little nicknacks?

Harry awoke at half past five the next morning as abruptly and completely as if somebody had yelled in his ear. For a few moments he lay immobile as the prospect of the disciplinary hearing filled every tiny particle of his brain, then, unable to bear it, he leapt out of bed and put on his glasses.

Q1 - Have you ever woke up in dread of something like this?

Q2 - Ever been to court?

Q3 - What do you think of the look and location of the Ministry of Magic?

"Mr Weasley" said Harry, as they passed a window through which sunlight was streaming, "aren't we still underground?" "Yes, we are," said Mr Weasley. "Those are enchanted windows. Magical Maintenance decide what weather we'll get every day. We had two months of hurricanes last time they were angling for a pay rise ... Just round here, Harry."

Q4 - What kind of weather would you have?

Q5 - Do you find it odd that magical beings have small offices?

Q6 - What do you think of JK's world building here?

Q1 - What do you think of this trial so far?

ʹInterrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley ʹWitness for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, said a quiet voice from behind Harry, who turned his head so fast he cricked his neck.

Q2 - How many times have you cricked your neck?

Q3 - What do you think of Dumbledore's many middle names?

ʹAh,ʹ said Fudge, who looked thoroughly disconcerted. ʹDumbledore. Yes. You ‐ —er—got our— er—message that the time and—er—place of the hearing had been changed, then?ʹ ʹI must have missed it,ʹ said Dumbledore cheerfully. ʹHowever, due to a lucky mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm done.ʹ
The witch with the monocle cut across him in a booming voice. ʹYou produced a fully‐fledged Patronus?ʹ ʹYes,ʹ said Harry, ʹbecause—' ʹA corporeal Patronus?ʹ ʹA—what?ʹ said Harry. ʹYour Patronus had a clearly defined form? I mean to say, it was more than vapour or smoke?ʹ ʹYes,ʹ said Harry, feeling both impatient and slightly desperate, ʹitʹs a stag, itʹs always a stag.ʹ ʹAlways?ʹ boomed Madam Bones. ʹYou have produced a Patronus before now?ʹ ʹYes,ʹ said Harry, ʹIʹve been doing it for over a year.ʹ ʹAnd you are fifteen years old?ʹ ʹYes, and—' ʹYou learned this at school?ʹ ʹYes, Professor Lupin taught me in my third year, because of the—' ʹImpressive,ʹ said Madam Bones, staring down at him, ʹa true Patronus at his age…very impressive indeed.

Q4 - What do you think of the people present during this hearing? Bones, Umbridge, Fudge, Dumbledore, Percy?

I reminded you on the night of the second of August. In your admirable haste to ensure that the law is upheld, you appear, inadvertently I am sure, to have overlooked a few laws yourself.ʹ ʹLaws can be changed,ʹ said Fudge savagely.

Q5 - What do you think of the trial?

Q6 - Why doesn't Dumbledore look at him?