Harry Potter Re-Read-a-Ganza!: The Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

♥ "Hang on. This Lord Voldything's back, you say?"  "Yes."  "The one who murdered your parents."  "Yes."  "And now he's sending Dismembers after you?"  "Looks like it."  "I see..."
     - Uncle Vernon hilariously trying to make sense of Harry's situation; book.


♥ "Oh! Albus, I see you got our notice about the time change of the hearing..."  "I must have missed it; but by happy mistake, I arrived at the ministry three hours early."
          - Dumbledore modestly showing Fudge up; movie.


♥ "And from now on, I don't care if my tea-leaves spell die, Ron, die -- I'm just chucking them in the bin where they belong!"
     - Ron once again making hilarious statements about Divination; book.


Where to begin. Well, as always, I was taken aback at how different I remember things from both the book and the movie, and how much was left out of the movie.

Overall, though, the book was amazing, obviously, and I enjoyed re-reading the fantastical adventures of Harry and the gang once again. The Order of the Phoenix is my favourite out of all the books in the series; all the way from when Harry has to explain Voldemort and Dementors to the Dursleys, when Umbridge frustrated the heck out of me, to when Harry and his comrades fight for their lives in the eerie Department of Mysteries. The loss of Sirius was almost too much for me, but also a necessity of sorts, and I think that I have finally mourned properly all of these years since the last time I read the book. I also can't help but get nostalgic for Hogwarts because I know that the days of normalcy with Quidditch and innocent mischief are behind us as we head into the scary world of defeating Lord Voldemort. The consequences of this journey are so heavy, and we begin to see them in this book. This shit is deep, people!

I've compiled a list (while watching the movie right after finishing the book) of things that were left out of the movie. For those of you who haven't read the book in a while, I hope these things put a smile on your face and help you to recall the awesomeness in its totality:


 * The aforementioned scene when Harry brings a befuzzled Dudley back to the Dursley's after the Dementor attack. The dialogue that follows is absolutely hilarious, with Vernon misnaming both Dementors and Voldemort, and Aunt Petunia shaking Dudley to make sure the 'Dementoids' haven't kissed out Dudley's soul. All this whilst numerous owls both scare and infuriate Vernon until the point of absolute crazytown.

 * When Harry arrives at the Black residence at Grimmauld Place and the whole lot try to clean the place and come in contact with many interesting artifacts and magical objects that would have been fascinating to see on screen. Also Mistress Black and her glorious cursing screams.

 * Harry and the Weasleys don't get to go visit Mr. Weasley at St. Mungo's which would have been a real treat to see, as well as the scene in which we see Neville and his Gran visiting his parents.

 * There was absolutely not a scrap of Quidditch, whereas in the book Ron made the Quidditch team for the first time, and Umbridge takes away Harry, Fred, and George's brooms.

 * Ron and Hermione weren't prefects like they were in the book. This was actually a really morose part of the book for me, since Harry was pretty much neglected, but I miss it all the same :(

 * At the end, when they go to the Department of Mysteries, they immediately go into the room with the prophecies, not the whole confusing and interesting maze of weird and ookie things they actually encounter. The brains eerily suspended in the green oozing liquid that attack Ron and make him wonky. The glass jar that makes a death eater's head into that of a baby. All gone. Not there. Riddikulus if you ask me!

 * There certainly was not as much about Cho and Harry, their whole fight in Hogsmeade and such. Percy was not even mentioned; not even a word about how he abandoned his family. There was not as much about the crazy homework that they encountered this year with having to do O.W.L.'s as well. And the examinations themselves were missed as well.

 * Another thing that I really found odd was that it didn't show, in Snape's memory of James tormenting him, that Lily defended Snape profusely, which definitely comes back into the storyline in a pretty huge way later in the series, and I found was hugely showcased in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II. Which was oh so sad and heartbreaking, BTW.

 * Ok, so one last thing. The mirror that Sirius gives Harry wasn't in the movie either. Which I thought was pretty freaking important. I mean, we didn't see nearly enough of Sirius as it is before he gets killed off, and then they choose to get rid of that as well. Which is also quite puzzling, since it also comes back into the story later on.

So aside from all my complaining due to the omission of all these wonderful things, I do really understand that, aside from there being about 26 movies, it would be quite impossible to include everything. Which is why I will leave you with this sentiment: read the books, people. It is so worth it, and I have learned that profusely since starting this journey :)

Other Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix covers:      

Spellbound--Cheers & Enjoy♥