If you haven’t already, click the following links to read the previous four #Pottermania posts: Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire. This edition will cover the book-to-film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, based on J.K. Rowling’s fifth book of the Harry Potter series.

Similar to the previous four films, the story begins as 15-year-old Harry Potter is stuck with the Dursleys for another dreadful summer. Things quickly turn worse as a pair of dementors attack him and his cousin Dudley, but Harry scares them off by conjuring his stag patronus. Soon after, several members of Dumbledore’s secret organization, the Order of the Phoenix, show up to accompany Harry to their headquarters at Sirius Black’s childhood home. However, due to Harry’s use of underage magic in front of a muggle he is sanctioned to attend a trial at the Ministry of Magic, to determine if he is to be expelled from Hogwarts. The Ministry does not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned and Harry’s trial is their attempt at banishing him from the magic world. Luckily, Dumbledore shows up to save the day and argue on Harry’s behalf, which lands Harry a seat on the train to Hogwarts with the rest of his classmates.

Upon arrival, the students meet their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, appointed by Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge. Almost instantly, Harry and Umbridge become mortal enemies as she notes that magic will not be used in her class and only theory will be instructed. As a result of his outbursts regarding Voldemort’s return, Harry is forced to endure several torturous detentions. Only weeks after her arrival, Umbridge snitches about Hogwarts to Fudge and is then appointed High Inquisitor, so she can gain control of the school.

As they are no longer learning how to use magic in Umbridge’s class, Hermione comes up with the brilliant idea to form a Defence Against the Dark Arts group with Harry as their teacher. After overcoming early resistance, their small group of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs create Dumbledore’s Army and host lessons in the Room of Requirement. Umbridge becomes very suspicious of the DA’s activities and decides to create her own group called the Inquisitorial Squad, with the sole purpose of ending the DA’s activities.

Just before the students leave for Christmas break, Harry has a nightmare vision where Mr. Weasley is attacked by Lord Voldemort’s snake. Dumbledore is alerted instantly as Harry pleas that what he saw was more than a dream, which ends up saving Mr. Weasley’s life. Dumbledore believes that Voldemort will eventual manipulate this connection, so he instructs Harry to take private Occlumency lessons with Snape. Soon after, nine Death Eaters escape from Azkaban, including Sirius’s villainous cousin Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter). Then as if things couldn’t get any worse, the DA is exposed by the Inquisitorial Squad. Dumbledore ends up taking the fall on behalf of the group, and then escapes Fudge’s arrest in spectacular fashion.

Harry’s Occlumency lessons come to an abrupt end when he pushes back against Snape, which unveils memories of the ridicule he faced at the hands of Harry’s father. This leaves Harry unable to block his mind and therefore he has another vision, this time of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort. After months of seeing a similar dream, Harry concludes that the Dark Lord is holding Sirius in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. The trio runs off to use Umbridge’s office fireplace as it is the only Floo Network not being watched, but unfortunately she is waiting for them. Hermione convinces Umbridge that they were attempting to contact Dumbledore, and then lures her to the Forbidden Forest with the promise to reveal his “secret weapon”. In reality the weapon does not exist so this goose chase leads them directly to Hagrid’s giant half-brother Grawp’s hide out. However, instead of coming across Grawp they run into a group of centaurs. The pack attacks Umbridge after she states that they are all half-breeds.

Once they get back to the grounds, the trio alongside Luna, Neville, and Ginny fly off to the Ministry on Hogwarts’ pack of Thestrals. They make their way to the scene of Harry’s dream, but Sirius is nowhere to be found. However, Neville comes across a prophecy with Harry’s name on it and they conclude that this is what Voldemort has been after for the last few months. The moment Harry picks it up Voldemort’s Death Eaters swarm in and reveal that Harry’s vision of Sirius was a ploy to get him there. A battle ensues and just as Harry is about to give up the prophecy, members of the Order show up to join the fight. Lucius ends up dropping the prophecy, which results in it being lost forever.

Sirius begins to fight Lucius but just as he gets the upper hand he is killed by Bellatrix. Harry is overcome with rage and chases after her, which leads him directly to Voldemort. Dumbledore arrives to protect him and an incredible battle unfolds. The two are evenly matched, so Voldemort possesses Harry in an attempt to try and get Dumbledore to kill him. But, Harry fights Voldemort with the power of love by showing him memories of his friends and Sirius. Then just before Voldemort disapparates, Ministry officials arrive, which forces them to come to terms with the Dark Lord’s return. As a result of these events, Fudge steps down as Minister for Magic, Umbridge is fired from Hogwarts, and Dumbledore is reinstated as Headmaster. Dumbledore then meets with Harry to explain that he was the one who heard the prophecy originally. Dumbledore reveals that it said that “neither can live while the other survives”, confirming that Harry is indeed “The Chosen One”.

Favourite Parts of the Film

• Imelda Staunton, the actress who plays Dolores Umbridge, was amazing throughout the series. I hate her character, even more than I do of Voldemort, which is why she made it on my previous Tuesday Top 10: Villains list.

• I loved all of the scenes involving Dumbledore’s Army. Neville finding the Room of Requirement and then the entire group playing a game of cat and mouse with Filch was awesome. Also, the practice lessons were fun to see come to life as Hermione beat Ron, and Neville finally figured out how to use Expelliarmus.

• THE WEASLEY O.W.L. INTERRUPTION/ATTACK ON UMBRIDGE/DESTRUCTION OF THE WALL OF DECREES WAS GLORIOUS!!

• I applaud the special effects/editing teams as the spell fights between the DA/Order and the Death Eaters, as well as the intense duel between Voldemort and Dumbledore, were visually spectacular.

Plot Changes from the Book

• In the film, Umbridge is portrayed as a more radical character as she questions all students as well as forces all DA members to write lines with blood pens which differed from the book.

• In the film, the Occlumency lessons with Snape were portrayed slightly differently than in the book. For instance, instead of Harry joining the Weasleys at the hospital to see Mr. Weasley he was instead taken to Snape’s office for his first lesson. Also, Harry cast a spell at Snape to uncover the memory of his dad as opposed to the book where he looked at Snape’s memory in a Pensieve.

• I like that in the film they used Luna Lovegood to explain the Thestrals storyline to Harry. It was a great scene for their friendship to grow as they both reminisced on the people they had witnessed pass away.

• As the manipulation of Rita Skeeter was removed from the ending of the fourth film, there was no way of continuing her storyline into the fifth film. In the book, Hermione forced Rita to write an article in the Quibbler, featuring an interview of Harry telling the true story of what happened in the graveyard with Voldemort.

• The DA’s arrival to the Ministry of Magic when searching for Sirius was different in the book. They had to make their way through several rooms before coming across the room of prophecies, which gave a better background of the room with the arch. However, it made sense in order to speed up the chase to the prophecy and duels.

Top 10 Quotes

1) “Please, tell them I mean no harm.” – Professor Umbridge “Sorry, Professor, I must not tell lies.” – Harry Potter

2) “You’re the weak one. And you’ll never know love, or friendship. And I feel sorry for you.” – Harry Potter

3) “One person couldn’t feel all that. They’d explode!” – Ron Weasley “Just because you’ve got the emotional range of a teaspoon.” – Hermione Granger

4) “Dawlish, Shacklebolt, you will escort Dumbledore to Azkaban to await trial for conspiracy.” – Minister Fudge “Ah, I thought we might hit this little snag. You seem to be labouring under the delusion that I am going to – what is the phrase? – come quietly?” – Albus Dumbledore

5)  “You may not like him, Minister, but can’t deny: Dumbledore’s got style.” – Kingsley Shacklebolt

6) “You know, George, I’ve always felt our futures lay outside of the world of academic achievement.” – Fred Weasley “Fred, I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing.” – George Weasley

7) “There’s nothing out there dear! Who do you imagine would want to attack children like yourself?” – Professor Umbridge “I don’t know, maybe, um, Lord Voldemort.” – Harry Potter

8) “Who cares? I mean it’s kind of exciting, isn’t it, breaking the rules?” – Hermione Granger “Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?” – Ron Weasley

9) “Oh Albus … I see you got our notice about the time change of the hearing.” – Minster Fudge “I must have missed it; but by a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early.” – Albus Dumbledore

10) “Get away from my godson!” – Sirius Black [before punching Lucius Malfoy in the face]

   

Bonus Items

As usual, I have added a couple bonus items for the hardcore Harry Potter fans that want a little extra. Check out Dan Dalton’s fifth Buzzfeed Article covering him watching the film for the first time in adulthood. Also, click the video link below for all the deleted scenes of the fifth film of the series.