Race against death

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 4

The Order of the Phoenix needs to strengthen its intelligence corps and plug its leaks.

The, "Oh, there's probably only a couple of Death Eaters around" was an intelligence failure. It was like Butch and Sundance trying to win a shootout against the entire Bolivian police force.

Hope is not a strategy. Hire a scout.

That doesn't mean The Seven Potters wasn't a good plan, but trying to outrun the enemy at the same time on brooms and a flying Harley lacked sense. Every part of the strategy should have been deceptive. If they had known a legion of Death Eaters was hiding in the clouds, they would have figured out a Plan B.

However, it was frantic reading. Once the Death Eaters appeared I found myself trying to read faster like when you move to the edge of your seat during tense movie scenes. So despite the failed plan, it was good reading.

The cliffhanger ending begs many questions.

Where did Voldemort vanish to and why?

Is Hagrid dead?

Are any of The Seven Potters and their escorts dead?

Is Harry in a safe place?

I figure Harry got to the safe place, which caused Voldemort to be thwarted by hitting some sort of force field.

Hagrid is probably and sadly dead. There is no one he'd rather give his life for more than Harry.

The others probably made it all out alive because the Death Eaters have worse aim than the Imperial troops in "Star Wars."

The intel that Yaxley got about Harry's movement being the day before his birthday was false. Snape was right.

That leaves us with another question: Who told him?

The curse of loneliness

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 29

Harry, his friends, his professors and his second parents are alive but not so well. They still have each other, but Dumbledore's loss is of such magnitude that it makes everyone feel alone.

Especially Harry.

There are many great writing nuggets throughout the series. I wish I had started a list. Maybe I'll do that on my next read through the series when I can read several chapters at once. Here's the one that gets to me in this chapter:

And he knew, without knowing how he knew it, that the phoenix had gone, had left Hogwarts for good, just as Dumbledore had left the school, had left the world ... had left Harry.

The final three words are the kicker. When I write I always want to end with something memorable. Most of my writing is in the form of a newspaper story. There I often rely on a good quote that ends with something memorable. Sometimes I end with my own line, hoping it's clever. But most of the time I go with the quote. The clever line is elusive, and I don't want to be cheesy.

J.K. Rowling obviously put great thought into the final passage of each chapter of each book. Some push you forward right into the next chapter, some are simple and nothing fancy, and some cause you to reflect. The end of this chapter makes you consider everything Harry and Dumbledore had been through together and how much they loved and respected each other.

Harry probably feels more left behind than anyone else. Losing a mentor is lonely. Harry and the phoenix were kindred spirits on this night.

As readers we also lament the loss of Dumbledore. We trusted him, we liked him, we figured Harry couldn't end Voldemort without him. Now he must. And maybe he will be emboldened and stronger for it.

There are many questions. Will Hogwarts stay open? How and with how much vengeance will the Order of the Phoenix rally and who will lead? Will Harry share the Horcrux quest with McGonagall and other older members of the Order, or will he keep it a secret between himself and his pals?

We can think about those another day. Time to join the lament ... Dumbledore has left the castle.

Horcruxes revealed

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 23

Quick random thoughts as I was trying to fall asleep last night after reading this chapter and finally discovering the mystery of Horcruxes:

• Wow!
• Talk about selling your soul to the devil.
• Like, how many times now does this mean Harry has to kill Voldemort? Gonna have to go back through the chapter tomorrow when I write about it. Too much to remember.
• What would it be like to do a Zoom meeting with each piece of Voldemort's soul? Would they get along? Would they plot? Would they just hiss at each other?
• Will there be a sixth "Diehard" movie. You could just call it "Diehard 6" to represent the six Horcruxes. Bruce Willis could play Sirius and come back from a faked death as John McClane. You know you'd go see it. 
• Finally, someone should create a phone app game called "Whack-A-Vol."

Didn't you just love it that Dumbledore didn't care what time it was or how tired he was when Harry showed up with Ol' Sluggy's memory? How could either of them have slept anyway?

Sluggy is so gullible and naive, so undone by flattery, so bribeable. Or does he love how it makes him feel important to impart such secrets as he did with Tom Riddle long ago and now with Harry? He's like an anonymous source. Most anonymous sources love the power it makes them feel when they tell a reporter something they shouldn't. Sluggy is a complicated wizard, so take your pick.

As the plot moves we have aha moments. This chapter is obviously an aha, and it's one on which it seems much of the story going forward will pivot. Harry had an aha moment when the memory caused him to remember something Voldemort said during their encounter two years ago: "I was ripped from my body, I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost ... but still, I was alive."

Only someone with no love in them could even contemplate the murders it would take to subdivide his soul into seven pieces like a farmer might do with a large plot of land. The way he was talking with Sluggy it seems obvious his decision to chase immortality was made then. What better way — in his twisted, sociopathic mind, heart and soul — to survive a war to "purify" the magical race. Each Horcrux is like an escape tunnel, like another life in a video game, another way to pay back his mother for making him a mudblood. This is fiction, but it makes you shudder to think someone could pursue such evil.

On to the quest to find and destroy the Horcruxes and ultimately Voldemort himself when he has nowhere left to hide or Death Eaters to protect him. Here we go with a countdown so I will get this straight and will have a reference point to look back on should I get confused, which is more than possible.

• Voldemort, we learn from Dumbledore, created six Horcruxes through murders he committed. This is why, when Voldemort's curse to kill Harry backfired it didn't completely kill him off. When Wormtail helped Voldemort regenerate his body from his wandering piece of soul, that allowed the seven pieces of his soul (six of them Horcruxes) to be Voldemort again.
• Harry is reminded that he destroyed the first Horcrux when he stabbed Tom Riddle's diary. That leaves five.
• Dumbledore destroyed a Horcrux when he worked his magic on Marvolo's ring and was left with a withered hand. That leaves four.
• There are theories about what objects could contain the four remaining disembodied pieces of Voldemort's wretched soul. 
• One could be the Slytherin's golden locket Voldemort stole from Hepzibah.
• Another could be Hufflepuff's golden cup Voldemort also stole from Hepzibah.
• There's a complicated theory that involves the snake Nagini as a possible Horcrux (more on that coming).
• And then maybe something that belonged to Ravenclaw or Gryffindor or both.

Dumbledore has been quite the researcher, but he is puzzled by the day Voldemort killed Harry's parents and tried to kill baby Harry. Dumbledore said he thought that murder would be the creation of the sixth Horcrux, but Voldemort's first body, so to speak, died that day. His best guess is that when Voldemort returned he created No. 6 in Nagini when he killed a Muggle man. That's possible, but I don't think Dumbledore is convinced.

That brings us to the discussion of the prophecy, which comes across more like a suggestion the way Dumbledore explains it. Voldemort, he said, created the enemy of Harry because he believed the prophecy of the "Chosen One." Confusing, I know.

I like what Dumbledore says about tyrants fearing the ones they oppress. That is so true of all tyrants from leaders of nations to selfish politicians to insecure bosses.

In the end, it seems Voldemort has set in motion his own downfall in a classic battle of a being with no ability to love vs. a human being with a remarkable ability to love and truly more to fight for.

Now that we know all the stakes, the Order of the Phoenix can go on offense. At least that's what I think will happen. And sadly I don't think Sirius was the final death we will see for the good guys.

Let the Horcrux search-and-destroy mission begin. (And I would like to know for sure who the Half-Blood Prince is.)

Better to be lucky

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 22

The oddest of things happen in this chapter. And I don't mean that just because my wish for something of real consequence to happen came true. That proves you don't need magic. Just "Destination, Determination, Deliberation" will do. (And I still wish apparation was a real thing.)

The first domino to fall is the death of Aragog. I must admit that because I am 9 years, 11 months into this not-so-widely-read project, I forgot who or what Aragog was. Keeping track of Hagrid and his zoo in the forest requires a database.

Most of the time what happens in this book is not what you see coming. I had given up on any kind of magic working on Sluggy to give up his Tom Riddle/Voldemort memory. I bought into Hermione's logic.

I admit I have picked on Ron. I know there are readers out there who think highly of Ron. But, come on, no way anyone saw it coming that Ron would suggest Felix Felicis — the lucky potion — as the way to finally get Sluggy to surrender his memory. Hermione was stunned. Of course, she wondered how someone of her intellect hadn't thought of it. Just unlucky.

Then the luck begins for Harry.

If you want to get someone to blab and give away state secrets, what better way to do it than for the person to sit down at the same table as Hagrid. Dumbledore is wise to keep Hagrid at Hogwarts, tending to his animals and away from anyone who would try to get him to talk about the Order of the Phoenix, Harry or anything to do with the war against the Death Eaters.

Sluggy, under the in-direct influence of Felix Felicis, walks blindly into an impromptu social gathering at Hagrid's cabin, has too much wine and finally talks. It was just that simple. Why didn't I think of that?

Harry also deserves some credit for his persuasive way with Ol' Sluggy. His final statement after handing over the memory finally shows his reason for not wanting to share. "Just don't think too badly of me once you've seen it."

With any luck, Harry won't.

Good for you, Harry

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 16

First, another chapter in which we learn unexpected things. Some propel the plot, some just add to our knowledge of the way of life for magical folk or a little of both.

So you die if you break an unbreakable vow. (Did I know this already. Can't remember.) That puts double-agent-man Snape in some tight spots around the Malfoys.

Everyone, it seems, trusts Snape because they trust Dumbledore who trusts Snape. This could put Harry in a tight spot. (I just watched "O, Brother, Where Art Thou," and Everett says "tight spot" like four times in one scene. It's funny.)

Celestina Warbeck punishes magical folk with awful Christmas songs like the one we're forced to hear every December: Last Christmas I gave you my heart, the very next day you gave it away. What does that even mean?

Lupin has been undercover with other werewolves. And the appropriately named Greyback is a general in Voldemort's growing army of mercenaries. Good to know for when the moon is full.

And Lupin, so he says, knows nothing about a Half-Blood Prince.

Second, 100 points to Gryffindor on behalf of Harry for standing up to the scheming Minister of Magic and knowing who to trust. With a name like Rufus Scrimgeour what else would he be but a schemer. The war has three sides: Voldemort/mercenaries, Dumbledore/the Order of the Phoenix and the Minister of Magic/minions.

The Order and the Ministry would presumably be allies. But they're not playing nice right now. The Ministry is building a political house of cards, and no one wants to be aligned with a house destined to collapse. Yes, it will be the Order that brings down Voldemort. And the Ministry of Magic will always be a step (or many steps) behind. But Schemegeour, or whoever replaces him in the meantime, will swoop in to take the credit. That's what my crystal ball says.

Oh, and I wish garden gnomes were real. But I'm not sure why.

What did we learn today?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Chapter 4

Class, let's review what we learned today from this chapter:

• Apparating is physically uncomfortable until you get used to it. (Still wish it was possible for Muggles like me. Sure would save a lot of time and money.)
• Voldemort is using occlumency to hide his thoughts and whereabouts from Harry. (Presumably he's much better at it than Harry. But is it really a good idea for Voldemort. I thought you were supposed to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.)
• Voldemort kills so he can use the corpses as soldiers called Inferi. (How perfectly horrible. This is why evildoers can be so difficult to defeat. They will use anything to help their cause no matter how awful or creepy.)
• Harry is going to get private magic lessons from Sir Albus. (Pretty sure Harry will enjoy these lessons more than the occlumency ones with Snape.)

Horace "The Chairman" Slughorn is an odd fellow with an odd name. (Of course odd names are nothing new in the magical world. Interesting that Harry has a rather common name.) Seems like Slughorn will be one of the more popular Hogwarts profs. And even though he doesn't look like much, the fact that he is able to move each week and stay a step or two ahead of the Death Eaters proves he's got the kind of creative CIA skills the Order of the Phoenix could use.

Dumbledore is more cautious than ever. He feels Harry will be safer with the Weasleys, and he has heightened the security at the burrow. And he instructed Harry to take the invisibility cloak with him everywhere he goes. There must be a lot of chatter out there about what the Death Eaters might be up to.

This story is starting to take shape. I have decided not to try to figure out the significance and identity of the Half-Blood Prince. I really want to apparate ahead to chapter nine and find out, but I will exercise patience for a few more days.

Another Harry situation

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 36

Another action-packed chapter for us to digest and consider the outcomes.

We know Dumbledore can stand toe-to-toe with Voldemort.

We know how utterly scared Voldemort's minions are of him.

We know Harry is this nemesis of Voldemort's that he just can't conquer.

And we know Voldemort is positively angry over what transpired at the Ministry of Magic.

• He didn't get the prophecy.
• He knows the opposition is committed to his demise.
• And he knows his return is no longer a secret.

What's a mean, old, Grinch-of-a-wizard to do?

Retreat, regroup and adjust to the new reality. The full force of the Ministry will be against him. Hopefully his spies will all be rooted out and sent to Azkaban or into hiding.

For the Order, they will mourn Sirius, wonder about the prophecy and also adjust to the new reality. At least Dumbledore, Harry, the Order and the DA will have Hogwarts as a safehouse.

And while Fudge still has the title, it's clear Dumbledore is in charge of the good guys. And Umbridge will get stuck behind a desk somewhere out of the way. It was a pretty good day when you think about it.

More than expected

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 35

Reporting back as promised.

So Dumbledore reappears and Sirius disappears (Lupin says he's dead) in the span of seven paragraphs? Are you kidding me? I read 805 pages that build to those two big-dealios on the same page?

Good stuff.

If Sirius is truly gone and not protected by some charm or spell, all the Death Eaters have accomplished is to make the Order really angry. It's no-spells-barred time.

So what happens next? The Order can't exactly report this to the Ministry. Fudge, etc., would only charge them with harboring a fugitive and maybe more. And they don't seem ready to believe (or admit) the Death Eaters are active. Time to call in the crime scene unit to the Department of Mysteries and gather forensic evidence. Wait, they probably don't do that there. Guess it will remain a mystery (pun intended).

Backing up, I was surprised to learn that this was all about a prophecy. Didn't see that coming (another pun intended). Of all the names, however, that ran through my head at the end of the previous chapter, Lucius Malfoy was near the top of the list.

And now it's clear why the Order wanted the Occlumency lessons for Harry to continue. He was being played by Voldemort all along. I still say they should have told him why. All are at fault.

To top it off, the prophecy was given and no one heard it as far as we know.

Here's my prophecy: This battle of wands and spells was only a warmup. An all-out war is coming. But you probably know that.

Busting out

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 33

Does this mean The Dunderheaded Secretary and High Instigator is out of the story? Has she been carried off to Centaur-land forever? We can only hope. Although, I do enjoy musing about her.

Props to Hermione for leading Umbridge into the forest. My first thought was that she was headed to Grawp. I was kind of half right because his appearance allowed them to break free. Now it's time to fly to the Department of Mysteries and save Sirius.

That is the next question. Can this top-ranking platoon of the DA save Padfoot from Voldemort? I have no idea. I've heard some characters begin to die. Is this the beginning of that? Or does Sirius survive?

I do suggest getting out of the forest and staying out. The Centaurs (I'm even afraid to call them half-breeds) would not be happy to see them.

So from here, it's save Sirius, reassemble the Order and, I suppose, find a way to convince the Ministry that Voldemort is alive. I'm guessing at some point that will happen and all magical people not aligned with Voldemort will live in fear again.

Enjoy the flight.

In the words of George ...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 29

If I had the displeasure of introducing Dolores Umbridge to a crowd, it might go something like this:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Dolores Umbridge, the most hated headmistress in the history of Hogwarts.

Or, Dolores Umbridge, the wicked witch of the Ministry of the Magic.

But I think I would most like to introduce her in the words of George Weasley: Dolores Umbridge, the old bat.

Yes, that would give me pleasure.

As readers we, of course, side with Harry and all his friends. And we root against their opposition. And Dolores is definitely the opposition. I hope Harry gets to be an auror, especially after her display in the career counseling session. Talk about your micro-managers. Oh, and good for McGonagall standing up to the boss.

Harry's talk with Sirius and Lupin should calm him down about his dad. Their insistence on resuming his Occlumency lessons was revealing. Everyone believes this is serious business, but they won't tell Harry exactly why. Tell the boy already. Don't you know by now that this approach doesn't work with Harry. He will just go off in another direction if he doesn't understand why.

And then there's Snape. He needs to grow up and forget the past. Move on. Let it go. And just take one for the Order.

Back from Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 26

Yes, it's been almost two years since I have posted my thoughts on the Harry Potter series. I have been held prisoner in Azkaban on trumped-up charges. But I have been released. I can't reveal the circumstances because of the non-disclosure agreement the Ministry forced me to sign. I did, however, visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando upon my release. No Azkaban attractions there, thankfully, but it was a good time. If you are a Harry Potter fan (and I presume you are), it's worth the trip. Now back to seeing how this all turns out for Harry and his friends:

Harry's tell-all in the Quibbler caused quite a stir and got the delivery owls' feathers up. And the High Instigator got her feathers predictably ruffled. She doesn't want to believe that the cover-up is worse than the crime, or in this instance, worse than the truth coming out, perhaps, too late. Or somebody at the Ministry is blackmailing her.

Harry sees more through Voldemort's eyes though I'm not sure what it all means. Perhaps I should, but my memory of previous events is muddled from my Azkaban confinement.

Any way, I don't understand why Harry seeing these things as Voldemort is a bad thing. If he is seeing things accurately, wouldn't that be good for the Order and the DA? But maybe it's just a dream meant to confuse Harry. Maybe it's the result of a Voldemort spell. Again, maybe I'm forgetting something that would help me understand better.

Any help to clear this up for me would be appreciated, but only if it's something previously revealed that I have forgotten.

Back to the High Inquisitor, it was good to see Dumbledore was prepared for her firing of Trelawney. This Firenze chap sounds interesting. I expect he will be more thoroughly introduced in the next chapter.

Sneakin', freakin' and odd

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 21


In the forest they sneak
Under the mistletoe freak
In his dreams it's bleak

Hagrid's mysterious walk into the woods in search of an elusive creature reminded me of one of my favorite TV shows. Then his shrieking cry cinched it. It was like watching an episode of "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet. Yes, my DVR is set to record every new episode, but don't judge me. I love the mystery.

The Bigfoot researchers are always sneaking into the woods and night and making these loud calls. Sometimes they get a reply, presumably from a Bigfoot. And if you've watched it, Bobo is the show's Hagrid. Actually, Hagrid would make a great Bigfooter. He's actually bigger than Bigfoots are. I bet he could find one.

Of course, the High Instigator shows up and makes more wild assumptions. Somebody needs to feed her that clipboard. I'm sure her fake smile is wide enough to accommodate.

Then it's off to spells practice for the D.A., and the awkward moment of the year between Cho and Harry. So high school.

The end of the chapter, however, reveals an odd occurence. Apparently, Voldemort's pet snake has attacked Mr. Weasley somewhere. Hope the chap is all right for his sake and for the sake of the Order of the Phoenix. It's good to have someone working inside the ministry, and Voldemort, of course, doesn't want anyone in the Order to see what he's doing there.

McGonagall has the sense to know Harry's not just dreaming. Umbridge, of course, would feign a different view, but thankfully she's off dreaming up ways to make everyone's life miserable.

That's the one thing she's good at.

The inquisition

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 15

Let's see, what other names can we come up with for Dolores The High Inquisitor.

The Big Buttinski.

The Officious Meddler.

The Annoying Mosquito.

The Unwelcome Intruder.

We could go on. And if you have any other suggestions, feel free to share them.

Her inquisition is sure to have some consequences and I assume is setting up another Dumbledore-Fudge confrontation. It's going to be like a team owner telling the coach who to cut or to play at quarterback. In the muggle world, the owner always wins. In the magical world, I'm betting on Dumbledore. He might let Fudge win an inconsequential battle, but Fudge, I hope, will be limited in what he can accomplish.

Yes, I suppose Dumbledore could lose his job, go underground and run the Order. Not sure whether staying in charge of Hogwarts is the best place to do battle against Voldemort.

I'm pretty sure more detention is not the best place for Harry to be right now, but at least he is standing up to Dolores. That takes the kind of guts that have been getting him out of all the scrapes he's had with Voldemort. Probably one of the big reasons Fudge and his lackeys don't believe Voldemort is back is because they can't believe Harry could actually be escaping these near-death experiences.

Harry's right though. He has had a lot of help getting out of jams. Still, his friends are correct in identifying the certain "it" factor he has in these situations. Some things you can't coach, and resourcefulness in a life-and-death situation is one of them. All he can do is give them some tools. And he probably should, because a little coaching just might save his life again some day.

Dolores and Percy: A troublesome combination

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 13

Well, ain't she an evil one.

I did a couple turns in detention in my day, and had to write on the chalkboard a couple times too. But nothing ever as malevolent as what Dolores made Harry do. Gracious.

It's clear she's not there to teach or even cares about education, making Harry miss all of that homework time. But Harry did well to not let her see him sweat. In this case, the pen is mightier than the sword.

And what about her taste for tackiness? Of course, that is a trait with a lot of magic folk. Look at Fudge, if you can. Maybe dressing like that is how you rise in the ranks at the ministry.

The good news in this chapter is that Ron made the quidditch team as keeper. He had a rough first day of practice, but haven't we all been there. Finally, I have something about Ron to root for.

Maybe they can get Dolores on the pitch and fire the bludger at her.


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 14

Percy, Percy, Percy ... will you ever learn?

Probably not as long as he is blinded by his own ambition. I'm certain he has eyes on the minister's office one day. His letter, while full of heartfelt concern for his little bro (yeah, right), is surely another attempt to score points with Fudge. The more people Fudge can get on his side, no matter how lowly their leadership position, the easier his planned coup against Dumbledore will be. At least that's what Percy Weasel thinks.

Fudge is a fool and his magic can't begin to stand up to Dumbledore's and the combined strength of the Order of the Phoenix. At least that's my take anyway.

It was good for Harry to see Sirius, I think. It always seems to calm him down. And Sirius confirmed for us how truly paranoid Fudge is about Dumbledore. Of course, he couldn't be more wrong about Dumbledore. They're really fighting the same enemy, only Fudge is too stupid or cursed to see it. Or he's corrupt.

Now who's getting paranoid.  But it is getting so you can't trust anyone these days. Why I wouldn't even trust Jack Bauer if showed up in the next chapter.

This is getting to be old hat

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 11

I see the next chapter is titled "Professor Umbridge," but we already got a rude introduction to her. She seems rather self-important, not an entirely unprecedented trait for a professor of defense against the dark arts. Apparently we'll be learning more in Chapter 12 about this charming witch. Prof. Umbridge has certainly taken umbrage at the leadership of Dumbledore, good man that Dumbledore.

And IN CASE YOU MISSED the Umbridge speech, the ever-clever Hermione gave us an interpretation. She did tell us she works for Fudge, an interesting note.

Of course, before the Umbridge illumination, the sorting hat, as we know, purports to have a touch of omniscience. So the hat predicts a rough year ahead: Thanks for that insight. Didn't see that coming.  (OK, enough with the sarcasm. Don't want to be called a hater.)

Poor Harry (sorry for more sarcasm), always the reluctant hero/celebrity.. Everybody snickering at him and talking behind his back. It's just not fair. Do you suppose he was sucking his thumb behind those curtains around his bed? Sorry, sorry for that nasty remark. I know he's only 15.

OK, let's move on and see what the Order of the Phoenix has planned. I'm sure Harry will snap out of his self-pitying funk. He usually does enough to get the job done.

My promise

My plan for Christmas break is to rise from the ashes of not blogging and finish "The Order of the Phoenix." It's a long book, but I think I can do it. So be rooting for me.

I will have to go back and read my posts on this blog to remind me what this is all about. I seem to remember there is a character by the name of Harry Potter and he's trying to survive and defeat at the same time some arch-enemy whose name begins with V. I'm sure it will all come back to me once I dust off the book.

Should be a magical month of December.

The postman rings twice

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 9

He got off, he did
Harry Potter is going to Hogwarts
More trouble ahead

So much to celebrate at the House of Black. The decontamination, of course, is forging ahead. Sounds like they could get some EPA galleons as a Superfund site, or, at the least, some hazmat suits.

There was little time to celebrate Harry’s innocence. The unexpected prefect news brought great joy to the Weasley household, and some humor from the underachieving twins. I’m not a big fan of Ron, but I agree that it was nice for him to catch a break. Yeah, he’s a good friend to Harry, but he does complain and whine and sulk quite often.

Hermione’s selection was certainly not surprising. She will be the perfect prefect. At least that’s what’s expected.

I’m wondering what being prefects will mean for Ron and Hermione. Will they be able to help Harry when helping Harry requires breaking a rule? Or maybe this is part of the Order’s plan. While they won’t tell state secrets, they have to know that our three amigos will somehow get involved, and having prefect badges might come in handy. After all, one of V’s top priorities is killing Harry. V has to save what face he has.

Meanwhile, Harry is working out his priorities. It’s good that he has realized that he “don’t need no stinking badges.”

After-dinner ghost stories

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 5


The meeting wasn't official
But Harry got the scoop on V
Danger surely lies ahead

I'm with Harry on this one. Make him a member of the OOTP. There is no doubt an egomaniac like Voldemort will devise a new way to finally kill the boy. What better way to stop Voldemort than to have Harry in the inner circle.

But what do I know? I'm just a muggle.

This little after-dinner chat has served to catch us up on what the OOTP and V have been up to for the past month while Harry has narrowly survived his Privet Drive sentence. Lots of peaking around corners, slithering up dark alleys, looking through keyholes, apparating to and fro and wand waving is sure to carry us through this 870-page book (I'm only on page 98).

Dumbledore appears to be firmly in control of the OOTP. And as strange things begin to happen, it seems that the OOTP will be able to convert more to their side.

Still, what was said about V trying to stay under the radar might keep this war from being front-page news. I think it will be more fun if the story continues to be one clandestine operation after another.

So let's all keep this to ourselves.

QUIET PLEASE ... DON'T WANT TO WAKE THE PAINTINGS

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Chapter 4

I suppose Harry has cause for being angry. He has proven he can take care of himself. A bit of explanation about how the summer would go, etc., would have been in order from Dumbledore. Alas, it didn't happen that way and Harry got to speak in ALL CAPS. (By the way, when you get an email or text in ALL CAPS does it feel like the sender is shouting at you?)

So Harry's ANGRY and the Order of the Phoenix is meeting in this rather odd safe house that apparently hasn't been used since the last time Voldemort was on the loose. Funny how others still shudder at the mention of that name.

Percy's allegiance to all things Ministry isn't surprising. He goes where the prestige is and where his ambition will pay off. If the Order of the Phoenix ever gets to work above ground, his tune will change.

Now that Harry is reunited with Sirius, will his tune change as well? OR WILL HE STAY ANGRY AT DUMBLEDORE?

Sorry for the long break since my last post, BUT I'M TRYING.