Questions About The Order of the Phoenix
Here are a number of questions that occurred to me during the reading of book five. If you have any suggestions for answers to any of these, or if you have any more questions you'd like to add, e-mail me at dragonfyre52@hotmail.com Have fun puzzling!
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Why is it called the Order of the Phoenix? We can assume the pheonix in question in Fawkes, and he does do some service to the group, his feathers being used with messages and as warnings, but why name the Order after him? (Thanks to Guido for this question!)
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When Dumbledore consulted his shiny silver smoke-emitting instrument after Harry's vision of the snake attacking Mr. Weasley, it produces a snake with an open mouth. Dumbledore responded: "Naturally, naturally. But in essence divided?" This appeared to be confirmed by the instrument's splitting of the snake into two, causing Dumbledore "grim satisfaction." What did he mean by the question? What was he wondering was, in essence, divided? Voldemort's mind, or purpose? Voldemort's followers? Any other ideas? I couldn't make any more heads or tails of it than Harry could, even after finishing the book.
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Does Petunia know more than she's saying? Her story that she knows about Azkaban because she heard James telling Lily seems a bit fishy. When would they have been talking about it in front of her, and why would she remember the name so readily? And what, exactly, did Dumbledore mean with his Howler to her: "Remember my last"? His last what? Did Petunia suggest before that Harry go to an orphanage? And did Dumbledore do something to dissuade her? What?
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Book Five mentions Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts, which produce hot-headedness and recklessness. Is it possible someone was giving these to Harry and Sirius, both of whom were exhibiting these symptoms? Maybe Kreacher? Or were their outbursts purely a result of horomones/frustration?
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Was Dumbledore doing Legilimency on Harry when their eyes met just before the Portkey took Harry to Grimmauld Place? Or was Voldemort looking out, maybe trying to do Legilimency on Dumbledore through Harry? Is that how Dumbledore knew that Voldemort knew that Harry could read his feelings? Why did Dumbledore avoid Harry's gaze? Dumbledore claims it is because he didn't want Voldemort to know his and Harry's relationship, and thus try to possess him to spy on Dumbledore. Is this the whole truth, or is there more that Harry still doesn't know?
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Is the fact that Harry has Lily's eyes going to be important in the issue of Legilimency and Occlumency? We know it will be significant somehow.
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We know from Hermione's constant reminders that you can't Disapparate from Hogwarts, but apparently you can use a Portkey. It seems you need special authority to create one, but Dumbledore does so without authorization and no Ministry wizards swoop down upon him. So, all the times they wonder if someone has Disapparated and Hermione sighs and says you can't, couldn't they have used a Portkey? Is that what Dumbledore did when he escaped Fudge after admitting to be raising an army? He grasped Fawkes' tail and vanished in a flash of fire. Was Fawkes a Portkey of some sort, or was that a different method of travel entirely?
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What are the dangers to being in the Order of which Harry and the others "can have no idea"? Because obviously they are well aware that they could die fighting Voldemort, since they all know of people who have. Does this have to do with the "something worse than death" that Dumbledore tells Voldemort exists? What does he mean by that?
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If it's true that James and Lily were Head Boy and Girl their seventh year (can anyone confirm this for me with a book and page number?), how did James become one if he wasn't even a prefect? Nor did he deserve to be. Are more people appointed prefects in their sixth year? Did James do something to deserve Dumbledore's trust?
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Sirius mentions Harry's dad's parents in chapter 6--where are they? Did they die? How?
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Why couldn't Harry see the Thestrals before? He saw his parents die, didn't he? Does it not count because he was a baby? Or did he not actually witness them, either because he was in another room or because his eyes were shut or covered?
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And speaking of the Thestrals, will anyone else be able to see them next year? I can't remember, was anyone else present for Sirius' death? Ron or Hermione or Ginny? Anyone remember?
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How did Neville's grandad die? (We know he did so in Neville's presence, because that is why he can see the thestrals.
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Harry nicked a snitch, by accident, after one of the Quidditch games. It is mentioned several times, then vanishes from the book. But then we see James in Snape's memory playing with a stolen snitch. Is there some significance to this?
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Will there be any future significance to the empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrappers Alice Longbottom has been giving Neville? We know he saves them. Will they turn out to have some kind of message, or will he be able to use them to help cure his parents?
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Was there any significance to Moody's eye sticking, or was it just a random detail? It seemed like it would come up again, but it never did.
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Are Sturgis and Patrick-Delaney (aka Properly-Decapitated) Podmore related?
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I couldn't quite figure out Harry's class schedule for the year. Mondays were pretty clear: History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, double Defense Against the Dark Arts. And then Tuesdays seemed to be: double Charms, double Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology. After that it got harder to judge. It seemed like Wednesdays might have included: Divination, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, but then on pages 387-8 they seemed to have Double Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Thursdays seemed to include Potions, and maybe Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures. Has anyone been able to work out a full week's schedule for any of the books? It seems they have six class slots per day, with two sets of double classes and two sets of singles. And Harry is taking nine classes, right? But Hermione is taking ten--she takes both Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, but is only not taking Divination. So when does she take her extra classes? There doesn't seem to be any time that she isn't around. Maybe there are enough slots for ten classes, and Harry and Ron just have breaks. But are Astronomy classes at night or day? We never seem to see them. We see every other class. And if there are only six class slots per day, two double and two single, that would mean each class would only appear twice per week, once double and once single. The whole idea is very confusing. Can anyone with more familiarity with this sort of schedule help me out?
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I'd love to hear your responses to these questions. E-mail me at dragonfyre52@hotmail.com!
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See also: Questions About Trelawney's Prophecy and Voldemort's Response
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What do these and other considerations point to for the next book? See Predictions for Book Six!
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And...
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