My Order of the Phoenix Review.

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 77325

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Ravenclaw Black 
<RavenclawBlack at C...> wrote:

Nice review. I hope it's okay to give my opinion to some of your 
points:
  

 > 
> My disappointment began with chapter thirty seven: \emph{The Lost 
> Prophesy}.  Within a few moments, we go from believing that an 
> invaluable piece of information has been lost forever, to 
discovering 
> that Dumbledore had it the whole time.  He uses the Pensieve to 
recall 
> the words Sibyll Trelawney spoke to him sixteen years ago.

I was not surprised at all about this. The fact, that the Order 
wanted to guard the prophecy, and not hear it, made me already guess, 
that at least Dumbledore would know its content.

> 
> So what was the point?
> 
> Why bother guarding the prophecy at all?
> 
> Try as I might, I could find no reason given in the text to guard 
the 
> prophecy other than to keep it from Voldemort.  If keeping this 
> information from You-Know-Who was so important, why not have Harry 
> retrieve it.  Or, if Dumbledore does not yet want Harry to know 
about 
> his future, why not destroy the prophecy?  Harry destroyed hundreds 
> during his battle with the death eaters.

That indeed, would be a very logical and good way, and I know that my 
explanation is unsatisfying. But if the Order had smashed the 
prophecy, there would have been no story. You could as well ask, why 
the fake Moody didn't transport Harry to the graveyard much earlier 
by telling him: "Harry, please bring me that", instead of using such 
a difficult way with the Triwizard Tournament. It happens anytime, in 
most films I have ever seen and books I have read. The characters 
often behave stupid, because for the sake of the plot. I honestly 
think, this "mistake" was more harmless than the one in GOF, I 
mentioned above.
>  
 
> 
> For example, Sirius's confinement to 12 Grimuald Place.  Rowling 
has 
> already shown us a number of ways Sirius could get a breath of 
fresh air 
> or see Harry.  We have invisibility cloaks, polyjuice potions, and 
> apparational transport.  

Apparation is to much of a risk, Sirius still could be seen. 
Polyjuice potions takes a long time, Hermione needed weeks to make 
it, and my guess is that the Order needed their invisibility cloaks 
for more important reasons, than Sirius going out for a walk.

  
 
> 
> Very little happens in this book.  Sure, Dolourus Umbridge is an 
> masochistic, worthless bureaucrat who does her best to bring 
Hogwarts 
> under the control of the ministry.  But does it matter?  No.  She 
has no 
> lasting effect on Hogwarts.

I think you are wrong here. Umbridge was the main reason most parts 
of the school started to work together. That is exactly what the 
Sorting Hat wanted and was very important. Therefore she was more 
important for the overall plot, as, for example, Gilderoy Lockhardt.

>  Fudge and the Ministry deny the existence 
> of Voldemort, but once again, this is irrelevant.  Voldmort does 
nothing 
> with the time.

No. He sends envies to the giants, he brings the Dementors to his 
side. He tries to get the prophecy. This is at least something. 
Although not to much, considering that he had a year time. Maybe this 
is the reason the Order didn't destroy the prophecy? They wanted 
Voldemort to waste his time with it.
> 
  > His death was abrupt and pointless.  That, in itself is not a bad 
> thing.  Most death in the world in abrupt and pointless.  We do not 
all 
> get to die heroically and deliver a last speech to our loved ones. 
> However, I do not think his death was handled well.  To kill him by 
> means of a device we have only just learned about 10 pages 
previously 
> leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  JKR has repeatedly stated in 
interviews 
> that his death is permanent.  He is not coming back.  If this is 
the 
> case, why not kill him in a more 'clearly dead' manner?  Hit him 
with 
> Avanda Kadarvra.  Have him poisoned.  Perhaps a wild hippogryph 
could 
> kill him.  But no.  Poof.  He's dead.  There is no body. 
> 
> Very unsatisfying.
> 

Yes, I agree with you. I think Rowling did this on surpose, so that 
at first neither Harry nor the readers realise that he is alraedy 
dead, and it needed time to sink in. Nonetheless, I also am a bit 
disappointed with the way it was written. However, the scene 
afterwards with Nearly Headless Nick and all were IMO excellent.

 
> 
> While I did love this book for bringing me back into the Widzarding 
> World, it has displaced \emph{Chamber of Secrets} as my least 
favorite 
> in the series.  I hope no future book displace this one.

I hardly doubt a book in this series will be able to displace COS 
from my least favourites list. COS was IMO a pretty boring book, plus 
it had to much Gilderoy Lockhardt and Colin Creevey.

Hickengruendler