OOP: Expounding on Previous Book 5 Posts, Tangents, and Lingering Questions

[Julia]

No: HPFGUIDX 61886

I just finished reading Order of the Phoenix, and to be perfectly 
honest my head kind of hurts.  Talk about a lot to take in.  I think 
the thing I was most pleased about was the whole prophecy/center of 
the series thing.  I've always thought that it wouldn't come down to 
blood or heritage, but simply who Harry was as a person (yay for me, 
I was right, actually I don't really care, but moving on), meaning 
that Harry's will and capacity to love, and as Hermione likes to 
refer to it, his saving-people-complex, are what are supposed to 
defeat Voldemort in the end.  Or kill Harry.  Guess we'll find out 
which, though I seriously doubt JKR would end it that way.  The 
thing that was interesting for me was that once Harry found out, he 
kept thinking about it as either I'll have to die or commit murder.  
After everything is said and done, the kid still has a problem with 
killing the evil bastard.  That to me, said a lot about Harry.  He's 
absolutely, ridiculously, beautifully good.  I just hope he's not 
that altruistic, that he would give up his life so as not to kill 
Voldemort.  But he always seems to choose the survival of his 
friends and then self-survival, so I'm not worried.  But I guess all 
the Snape/Lily, Voldemort being somehow related to Harry, Dumbledore 
being somehow related to Harry, heir of any of the houses, and so on 
and so forth theories can now be chucked out the window.  I guess 
some could still apply, but honestly I don't see JKR going anywhere 
near any of them.  It seems to have more to do with destiny, and 
choice.  No surprise there, I guess.

Now what I want to see is how all his friends react to it.  The 
prophecy I mean.  Harry was so wonderfully angst-ridden in this book
(my teenage years are only now coming to a close, and I could relate 
to the frustrated anger, if not the extreme situations), and I see 
him isolating himself from people now and into the next book (lordy, 
already talking about book six).  I mean, he just lost the last 
vestiges of real family he has (I don't include the Dursleys, and I 
don't mean surrogate family, such as the Weasleys, at the moment), 
and he's probably thinking what's the point of starting any new real 
relationships if I could very well end up dead very soon anyway?  
Getting me to Harry and his awful love life.  I never particularly 
liked Cho, but ugh.  Harry is just so innocently clueless, and she 
kept saying things to hurt him, and I got to a point (especially at 
that tea shoppe) where I sort of wanted to smack her.  Oh well, she 
gave him his first kiss, that was certainly... interesting (I burst 
into giggles when I read it to be quite frank).  I'm still shipping 
Ginny, I suppose, hey she talks now, she's just not interested in 
him anymore (of course).  Well, maybe after Dean, and Ron wants her 
to date Harry, but anyway, moving on.

Sirius's death.  Saw it coming, what with all the family history in 
the beginning (I've noticed when JKR suddenly starts telling us lots 
of stuff about a character we previously didn't know much about, 
that then it means that something drastic is about to happen to 
them).  Absolutely hated it.  Harry's outburst in Dumbledore's 
office where he says he's seen enough, he's had enough, he doesn't 
care anymore, well ladies and gentlemen, the boy finally cracked, 
and it scared me to death.  Sirius's death was so sudden, with him 
simply falling through the death veil, that it didn't sink 
completely in for me until I read Harry's reaction.  Brought me to 
tears.  And I loved Dumbledore before, but I love him even more 
now.  We saw his weakness.  Not surprisingly it would be his 
students in general, and specifically Harry.  He pretty much 
admitted that he loved the boy.  It, in my opinion, was a great 
scene.  And now even Dumbledore's future in relation to Voldemort 
relies on Harry.  Only Harry can destroy him, not even Dumbledore.  
But I did enjoy how Dumbledore kept calling Voldemort Tom.  

I think the thing I truly loved about this book, was that for the 
first time, it felt like Harry was finally truly getting credit for 
some of the crap he's been through.  Like with D.A. members being 
all awed when they discuss his "adventures" in the Hog's Head, and 
Dumbledore talking about how burdened he is.  Not nearly enough 
credit in my book, but enough to make me not so irked at book four 
anymore. (Cedric kept stealing the limelight, not that Harry's ever 
wanted it, but out of the two, he's the one that deserves it - I 
just mean that everyone never seemed to acknowledge everything he's 
capable of, except for what happened when he was one, they just sort 
of shunted him to the side next to people like Krum, and what's he 
done next to Harry? Honestly, it really irked me.)  And there were 
so many times in this book where I wanted Harry to say to 
people, "Welcome to my life.  Not as much fun as you thought, huh?"  
What with people thinking he's nuts to starting to experience some 
of what it's like to be him.  He's tragic, and beautiful, and it 
irritates me that so many people don't realize it.  Ok, I'm done 
ranting.  

I want to know what happens with the Occlumency lessons.  I mean, 
will Voldemort still be able to influence his mind during the 
summer, and will he have to take more lessons?  Guess we'll find 
out.  And what his test scores will be.  I'm guessing he failed 
Divination (ironic, since a prophecy centers his existence), maybe 
Astronomy (too distracted), and History of Magic (after that made up 
vision, does he need an excuse?).  I just wonder how his scores will 
affect what N.E.W.T. classes he takes next year, since his classes 
do indirectly affect the plot.  And if he can't be an Auror, oh 
well, who'd want to work for the Ministry anyway?  I think it'd be 
cool if he one day became the Headmaster of Hogwarts.  He does call 
it home.  

New topic (I'm skipping around a lot) - Umbridge.  Evil, vile, 
dispicable woman, and once again we need a new DADA teacher.  Maybe 
Harry should just teach, it would be more effective.  I hope Fudge 
is fired, I really do, even if it's just for hiring that woman.  She 
gets enjoyment out of torturing children, the sick sick crazy lady.  
Fred and George were magnificent, though, and I want Harry to visit 
their shop next year.  

Okay, lingering questions of mine:
What happens to Sirius's house and Kreacher?  Is it still the 
Order's headquarters?
So much for JKR saying we'd visit one new place (let's see, the 
Black household, the Ministry, St. Mungo's, the chamber pot room - I 
still call it that, the Department of Mysteries inside the Ministry, 
am I forgetting one?)
I thought we were going to see Aragog and the Ford Anglia again.  So 
much for that.
Where was Wormtail during this book?
Who won the House Cup?  Please not Slytherin.
Will Harry be the next Quidditch captain (I hope he is)?  After the 
Ravenclaw match I'd assume he'd keep Ron, but what about the two new 
beaters, and Ginny said she'd try out for Chaser?  (Side note: all 
the old players are gone, except for Harry, I'm kind of sad about 
that.)
Did Harry get his Firebolt back?
Lingering question from book four, when did Harry get the Marauders' 
Map back?
I didn't know Neville had the same birthday as Harry.
Will Percy beg for forgiveness?  I want to seem him grovel.  
Will Ron ever ask Hermione out?  I figure they'll never get together 
until he figures it out and takes some initiative.
How is Lupin coping?  All his best friends are dead or evil.
What happened to the Potters?  Sirius was talking about James's 
parents, did they just die from old age, or were they killed, or 
what?
When did Petunia hear all the wizarding stuff she knows?
What is the deal with Luna?  I like her, though.  (Side note: she 
lives near Ron and the Fawcetts in Ottery St. Catchpole.  Will she 
visit the Burrow?)
Does Harry get to see the locked room in the Department of 
Mysteries?  The one that is filled with power like Harry's (a.k.a. 
power of the heart)?
Will the D.A. continue next year?  Will Cho or Marietta (ugh) still 
be in it?
Will Snape and Harry ever understand each other, I mean Harry is 
ashamed of how his father acted?  This is just a hope of mine, I 
guess. 
What exactly made Dumbledore trust Snape anyway?
Will Hermione get twelve O.W.L.s?
Who's gonna die next?  You know someone will.  I'm morbid, I know.
Why must Cho and Ginny constantly have boyfriends?  I'm getting 
silly now, but still, honestly!

I'm sure I have more questions, but I can't think of them, and I've 
written quite enough, I'm sure you will all agree.  Anyway, hope we 
don't have to wait another three years for book six, though book 
five was worth it.  
 
Night all.

Julia