Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

By

Arush Ahan Pathak

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Author: J K Rowling

Year: 2003

Publisher:Scholastic

Synopsis:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a dark book and is the longest book in the series. The book opens with Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter's cousin, getting attacked by Dementors. Later, a witch named Tonks, and three wizards named Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody, Kingsley Shaklebolt and Remus Lupin, who were all the members of the Order of the Phoenix picks Harry up from the Dursley's house  and transports him to the "clubhouse". When Harry and the gang go to Hogwarts, he meets Luna Lovegood, who helps him form "Dumbledore's Army" a club against defense of the dark arts . The new Defense against the dark arts teacher, is  Dolores Jane Umbridge. Umbridge does not believe in Lord

Voldemort rising to power. This makes Harry lose his temper,  which later lands him in detention. The Ministry of Magic blames Sirius Black for the murder that happened 14 years ago. Harry starts to get strange dreams. In one of the dreams, Harry is Nagini, Lord Voldemort's snake, who bites Arthur Weasley, Ron Weasley's father. Later, there is a battle at the ministry. Death Eaters(followers of Lord Voldemort), fight Harry, his friends, Sirius and the Order of the Phoenix. In the battle, Sirius gets killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, a Death Eater. Voldemort attacks Harry. Dumbledore appears and protects Harry from Voldemort. Back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore and Harry have a talk about a prophecy Harry protected from the Death Eaters before the fight started. In the prophecy, Harry and Voldemort are going to have a duel and only one person will survive. Harry learns that he will have to kill Voldemort or else he will die.
Conclusion: This book is the darkest of the series and is full of violence, and that is why I recommend  it for ages 9 and up. It gives  a sense of what is going to happen in the future and we see Harry getting older and becoming more expressive with his feelings. We also meet a new beast called Thesterals, they are gentle but creepy and are only seen by ones who have witnessed death.  The book also introduces the Protean Charm, which backfires spells except the killing curse.