HP & the Order of the Phoenix

[abigail89]

Chapter 14: Percy and PadfootA most appropriate title for this chapter. But before Percy and Padfoot invade, Harry has to write a letter to ask for Sirius's advice about his scar and Umbridge. In the owlery, he meets Cho Chang in probably the first substantial encounter they have as a budding "couple." Harry is a bundle of nerves and blank of

Comments

[cadesama]

"For a moment he considered accidentally-on-purpose showing her his cut hand" -- Heh. It only took Harry two years to think up the trick Draco was plying Pansy with in PoA.

It's not so much funny as it is sad that Harry is so happy Cho doesn't "hate him for being alive". That's what nearly everyone who hates him hates him for -- the Dursleys, Snape, and Voldemort. Draco, oddly enough, hates him for things Harry has actually done.

If the twins can keep what end to use straight, those Skiving Snackboxes would actually be great for first aid.

Ah, pompous Percy. Of course, Ron is following in his footsteps, not Bill's, despite the fact that Bill actually became a prefect and then Head Boy first. If Percy were actually undercover (which I don't believe he is), I can't see a motivation behind writing this letter. Ron was already convinced Percy had turned against his family, and it doesn't hit on any new information.

"a student who shows himself willing to help Professor Umbridge now may be very well placed for Head Boyship" -- Actually, I'm hoping that all of the Inquisitorial Squad will get nailed to the wall in the next book. At the very least, Draco and Pansy ought to be stripped of their prefectships.

Fudge's fears about Dumbledore forming an army don't sound paranoid at to me because 1) what do you call the Order? 2) it's obvious that many wizarcs have done this type of thing before (including Grindelwald and Voldemort) and 3) training up the students in Hogwarts is the only viable way to conduct a war for both sides.

And Sirius rounds out the chapter by acting like a selfish, immature idiot. It's useful, though, both for foreshadowing Sirius's recklessness (and stunted emotional development), but showing how important Sirius is to Harry. Lines like that don't hurt nearly as much from someone like Snape, or probably even Lupin, at this point.

[muggle_prof]

And Sirius rounds out the chapter by acting like a selfish, immature idiot. It's useful, though, both for foreshadowing Sirius's recklessness (and stunted emotional development), but showing how important Sirius is to Harry. Lines like that don't hurt nearly as much from someone like Snape, or probably even Lupin, at this point.

So true.
Poor Harry. He manages the very difficult feat of being accused of being a violent maniac and a wimp, all within a few minutes of each other.
Sirius does impart a bit of wisdom, first, "The world isn't split into good people and death eaters" and warns us that Fudge will be trying to arrest Dumbledore on trumped up charges... a little more foreshadowing.
And there's still more blood (after the previous chapter's bleeding Harry) from Katie Bell. I seem to recall a variety of bloody episodes to come, as well. is all that blood there for alchemical (or other) imagery, a foreshadowing of a bloodbath to come, or what?

[cadesama]

Hmm, I'm not sure if the blood is foreshadowing, exactly. It seems more like a represenation of how damaging staying out of the war is. Perhaps just a sign of how illusory their safety is?