Harry Potter re-read: Order of the Phoenix

[trude]

I re-read Order of the Phoenix this month and…

• I kind of get why people say that “nothing happens” in it. It’s an interesting look into the wizarding world, but it suffers a bit from lack of overriding plot. Still love it, though.



• The title-thing: should could have been “Harry Potter and the Ministry of Magic” since most of the things that happen are connected to the Ministry in one way or another.



• Have to say, I think I'll prefer the movie’s neat, almost pretty Umbridge to the toad-like ugliness that is described in the book. (My prejudices against non-ugly people showing up again.)



• I really, really love Sirius now (except when he’s a teenage brat). I love his and Harry’s relationship. (Is there fic where Harry actually do ask Sirius for advice about girls? There should be.)



• Still, when Sirius died my first impulse was to feel sorry for Remus, who seem so damn sad there.



• Speaking of fic that should exist; Dobby/Winky hurt-comfort anyone? No? ;-) (Latest Winky-plotbunny: she fights her butterbeer addiction and gets a job as housekeeper/nanny for Hermione and Ron.)



• Hermione, you have some brilliant moments here, and some utterly moronic, and some normal, and please stop pretending that you are much more emotionally mature than Ron, because you aren’t, really.



• This is Ginny’s best book so far.



• And Hagrid’s worst.



• And McGonagall is even more awesome than usual. (AU-plotbunny: She does join Dumbledore in fighting off Fudge/Umbridge/aurors, and then they are running away from the law! Together! There could be an impossible Love Boat-crossover where they have to pretend to be a married couple and Isaac/Gopher/Doc/Julie turns out to be a squib.)



• AU-plotbunny the second: Sirius lives, Rita Skeeter gets the first interview with him as a free man. Imagine the snark.



• I love the “second trio” (is there one moment in the book where Neville isn’t the most awesome Neville ever?) and I WANT THEM BACK for book 7.



• Half of Dumbledore's explanations at the end make sense, actually.

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

please stop pretending that you are much more emotionally mature than Ron, because you aren’t, really.

This is very true: but their immaturity manifests in different ways, which (a) complicates the relationship and (b) makes it easier for Hermione to keep - presumably subconsciously - decieving herself.

I have masses of love for OOTP, partly because I like rambling books that create a world and cast of characters. I like it better than Goblet.

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Have to say, I think I'll prefer the movie’s neat, almost pretty Umbridge to the toad-like ugliness that is described in the book.

Agreed. While I'm not in the "JKR hates people who are not good looking" camp - I feel there are just as many characters in her books who are not supposed to be attractive, and are on the "good" side - I do still somehow find Umbridge's not-so-nice looks annoying. And I will say this: characterizations based on looks, no matter how many other characters counter those characterizations, are part of what keep the books on the "for five year olds" list.

I love the “second trio” (is there one moment in the book where Neville isn’t the most awesome Neville ever?) and I WANT THEM BACK for book 7.

Agreed. I was actually vaguely annoyed about their lack of being there in HBP. (And I know, the "every-other-year" rule, but even that's getting annoying and much too convenient.)