Comments on: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling

by: wenderlin

Sat, 03 Apr 2004 01:22:38 +0000

I have to say i find that the 5th book is the best so far. Especially umbridge been so delightfully nasty. i hate her sooo much. but it makes the story interesting. finally harry is not been favoured as always. but in this story fred and goerge are total heroes when it comes to paying umbridge back. i love it!!!
i think that snape shouldnt be thought of as the bad guy because i feel sorry for him. thruout the book you see hints of his childhood and it makes you want to hug him. harry is a goody- goody and snape has every right to loath him.
mcgonagle is truly amazing in this story. how she talks to umbridge.
u go girl!!!

by: Emily McFadden

Fri, 17 Oct 2003 01:24:12 +0000

It takes a very keen eye, and a very open mind to understand what Harry is going through. And I think if we are truley honest with ourselves, we do see where both Snape and Harry come from. I think Hary and Snape are as munch the same as they are different. They might have found this out…but they both through it out the window…they where this close. I still think that Snape is not that stupid to even consider Harry as James…Snape is alot of things…but he’s no coward…but then again, some scars can never heal.

by: Will Duquette

Fri, 27 Jun 2003 02:09:03 +0000

The thing is, Dumbledore always has a reason. We found out in this book why Trelawney has been teaching at Hogwarts despite her incompetence. We found out in the last book why Dumbledore has insisted on leaving Harry with the Dursleys. I’m sure there’s a reason why Umbridge was allowed to leave, and I’m sure there’s a reason why Dumbledore trusts Snape.

Here’s a thought–didn’t Snape nearly die due to a prank played by Harry’s father and his friends? What if Dumbledore was responsible for saving Snape’s life? Snape’s a difficult man, but he might be motivated by loyalty to Dumbledore rather than by any desire to be “good”.

by: Deb

Fri, 27 Jun 2003 00:02:50 +0000

Hi guys!
Aunt Petunia only keeps Harry out of fear of Dumbledore–he sends her the howler in the kitchen before she finally puts her foot down.

Did you guys get the impression that Rowling was messing with our minds thru the whole thing, just a little. She lets out just before publication that someone is going to die and then nearly kills off a bunch of people before Sirius goes “behind the curtain.” And Hermione at the end saying you’ll be hearing from her “real soon”–after Rowling has said that the next book wont take as long. And Rowling took a few critical hits about the Uranus joke in the last book so she repeats it a couple times over in this book…

And why did she let Professor Umbridge get away? Shouldnt she have at least gotten some punishment for what she did–I think she’ll turn up again.

I agree that Snape is going to be one of the critical characters in Harry’s development in the next couple books. I think he needs some time to digest what he’s learned about his family before he will be able to make the leap into maturity and at least make a gesture towards Snape. Snape, on the other hand, is the adult in the relationship and, really, dont you think it’s time for him to get over what happened to him when he was a kid. I want to know why Dumbledore has such faith in him.

by: Will Duquette

Thu, 26 Jun 2003 21:57:06 +0000

I’m hoping that he has a similar realization with regard to his Aunt Petunia. She’s a real piece of work, and no example of a fine human being, but she does prevent Harry’s uncle from throwing him out of the house. Perhaps it’s only fear of Dumbledore–or perhaps she really doesn’t want to see him dead.

by: Ian

Thu, 26 Jun 2003 20:56:18 +0000

Oh, I agree. But I don’t think Harry sees that just yet.

The way I read it, the blow of realizing what a jerk his father was made him feel like he was no better. I think once he realizes it, though, he will reach out and try to make amends.

by: Will Duquette

Thu, 26 Jun 2003 20:07:20 +0000

The interesting thing is, as a fifth year Harry is already a better person than his father was at the same age. His father was a golden boy/bully/trouble maker; Harry knows too well what it’s like to be bullied to bully others, he sticks up for others who are being bullied, and has (at least) since his first flying lesson as a first year. At a time when his father was still an obnoxious insensitive git, Harry is teaching his peers Defense against the Dark Arts.

So I shouldn’t be too hard on him.

But he’d better at least try to reach out to Snape before the end of the series.

by: Ian

Thu, 26 Jun 2003 18:49:13 +0000

Disagreement with me is usually the sign of a keen and perceptive mind.

I think that Harry’s failure to approach Snape again is perfectly in keeping with his character and age, though. (It may also be a setup for the next book.)

He’s just had one of the foundations of his self-image seriously eroded in a drastic way. No longer is he like his father, the all-around great guy that everyone said he was; he is now like his father the bully and self-centered jerk. Harry’s attempts to have this revelation eased or contradicted come to nothing.

Up to this point, he’s been the put-upon innocent. Now, at least as far as his relationship with Snape, he feels he deserves the scorn and derision to some extent. I don’t think he realizes that even trying to mend things with Snape would prove him a better man than his father at that age.

But, naturally, I’m probably wrong again.