Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapters 1-2
Mark True statements with a “T” and False statements with an “F.” Write your answers to the discussion points in the com boxes below.
1._____ Order of the Phoenix opens with Harry in the flower bed outside 4 Privet Drive. He is listening to the evening news on television because he believes there must soon be reports of Lord Voldemort’s return even on the Muggle news.
2._____ After something of a fight with Uncle Vernon about a loud noise in the street, Harry goes for a walk in Little Whinging. He remembers gratefully the mail he has received from Ron, Hermione, and Sirius. Then he meets Dudley.
3._____ Dudley has overheard Harry’s nightmare about Cedric’s death. He taunts Harry the way Harry has been provoking him – and Harry decides to blast his cousin with his wand. Dudley decks Harry just before the dementors arrive.
4._____ Thinking of Ron and Hermione, Harry conjures a Patronus that saves him and Dudley from the dementors. Dudley “lay curled up on the ground,” shocked.
5._____ To Harry’s surprise, Mrs. Figg, “their batty old neighbor, came panting into sight” in her carpet slippers. She tells him to keep his wand out in case “there are more of them around.”
6._____ Harry leans that Mrs. Figg, Mundungus Fletcher, and cat/kneazles have been watching over him for Dumbledore. “Figgy” sends Fletcher to tell the Headmaster what has happened in the alley. He jumps at the chance to leave.
7._____ Harry drags Dudley to their house where Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon phone the police because their Icky Duddlekins has been mugged.
8._____ The owl messages begin to arrive – Hary has been expelled, Don’t Leave the House!, Harry isn’t expelled, Don’t Leave the House!, and a Howler saying, “REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA!” Uncle Vernon collapses with a stroke.
9._____ Harry is forced to explain to his Aunt and Uncle that Lord Voldemort is back, that the dementors attacked him and Dudley, and that the Ministry is charging him with Underage Misuse of Magic. His uncle tries to throw him out.
10._____ Incredibly, it seems Aunt Petunia knows much more about Harry’s world than she has ever let on. She explains what dementors are and what Lord Voldemort’s return means. “For the first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother’s sister.”
Discussion Point: How is the opening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix different from the other books? What is Harry like? Why does he behave this way? How is he being treated by his friends and Dumbledore? And the Dursleys? How do the actions of Mundungus Fletcher foreshadow his actions in Deathly Hallows?
I will leave the posting of answers to others who have access to a copy of OotP (mine is with the grandson), but I will comment on a few of the discussion points.
First of all, Harry is still processing Cedric’s death and the bodily return of LV. Therefore, his anger is fueled by the MOM/wizarding community’s general refusal to accept LV’s in the picture. Combined with the fact that Harry is now turning 15, with all the emotional flux that accompanies the teen years, I think Harry is looking for any outlet that will allow him to assuage his need for action.
Certainly Dumbledore is aware of the LV/Harry connection via the scar and the possibility that LV will attempt to use Harry to monitor his (DD’s) movements. It is a shame that Dumbledore did not anticipate Snape’s inablility to explain the emotional issue involved in the use of Occlumency which we learn about in DH (p.478). Dumbledore shortchanged Harry in this manner.
As for Ron and Hermione; I have to give them kudos for hanging tough between the proverbial rock and a hard place! Dumbledore is their Headmaster AND leader of the Order…they don’t want to leave Harry out of the loop of information, and they don’t want to be responsible for causing difficulties for the Order! At least they aren’t naive to think Harry will cheerily accept their explanations for silence…they’re prepared for most of the emotional fallout when Harry finally arrives at 12 Grimmauld Place. At least Ron seems to have done *some* emotional growing since the Triwizard Tournament…but then, his mom is still cooking three squares a day for him, right?
The Dursleys are The Dursleys…except Vernon is beginning to understand that Petunia has been holding out on him re: what she knows of the Wizarding World. Hmmmmm.
*Dung* Fletcher….the ultimate in soul-poverty. Guess the Order is into “second chances,” giving Mundungus the responsibility for keeping tabs on Harry. Unfortunately, even Mad-Eye couldn’t prevent ol’ Dung from freaking out when the DEs were en masse. Bottom line, Fletcher’s spots never change; he’s a self-serving thief, conniving, untrustworthy, manipulative and easily manipulated…a fearful man without hope. Spiritually speaking, Judas Iscariot in wizard’s robes; a tool by which Harry is sold-out to the one(s) desiring Harry’s death.
1.T 2.F 3.F 4.T 5.T
6.F 7.F 8.F 9.T 10.T