What I Liked Best About Order of the Pheonix

[Deirdre F Woodward]

No: HPFGUIDX 80626

Hi All!

After reading many posts about OOP, I've decided to list and share what I
think is absolute genius about OOP.

Why, you ask?  Because I'm sick, it's raining, and I've got nothing better
to do.  But also because most of the conversations have been about the last
quarter of the book -- from Umbridge's downfall through the MOM and Sirius's
death -- and I personally feel that what comes *before* this last part is
_much much_ better than the end.

Genius One:  Harry's moods.
I *loved* watching Harry swing all over the mood meter.  His thoughts,
reactions, apologies, doubts, surges of confidence, secretiveness,
generosity, unfocused anger and determined courage all added up to a
convincing portrait of a 15 year old wizard.  Kudos to you JKR!

Genius Two:  D. J. Umbridge.
What an amazing character.  Although I still don't fully understand *why*
she sicked dementors on Harry at the start of the story, all other apects of
her character added up to the perfect foil for Hogwarts and all we love
within.  The monstrosity of her pinkness and meanness is exquisite.  Her
quill, her kittens on a plate, her insidiously growing power -- pure evil.
More evil than Voldemore, I wager, because Doloros Umbridge isn't after
anything *for herself*.  She's evil without a cause.  Oh sure, she's worried
about the MoM, she wants purebloods to be in control and all others to be
dead, but really, those are just props to give structure to her evilness.
Drop her in the middle of a pure blood world and she'd still wreak havoc,
because she's pure evil.

Umbridge is also our clue that JKR is a frustrated magician.  Misdirection
is the heart and soul of any magician, and JKR, by focusing our attention on
Umbridge, bought time for Voldemort to continue to grow without us sticking
our nose in and asking "What's he up to"?

Genius Three:  George and Fred Weasley
WOW.  I can't say any more that that (but of course I will).

George and Fred Weasley were by far the best thing OOP had to offer.  From
the moment I met George and Fred Weasley back on Platform 9 3/4, I knew they
were my favorite characters, but in OOP the twins were in banner mode.

The teasing of Ron about being a prefect.  The testing process they went
through with their candies.  The *names* and *purpose* of the candies (these
two boys are *brilliant* businessmen).  The pranks on Umbridge.  The SWAMP!
Their final confrontation with Umbridge and how they ripped sure victory
from her teeth.  And their final exhortation to Peeves, of all people
(people?), and his acknowledgement of their lofty place in the halls of
prankdom.

These boys have the best one-liners, observations, and comedic minds of any
characters in literature that I've met in a long time.  Ingatius J. Reilly,
Jim Dixon, Fred and George Weasley -- that's my short list of all-time
funniest literary characters.

Genius Four:  Ron the Prefect
Making Ron a prefect is such a wonderful thing to do.  I finally believed
that Ron was out from under Harry's shadow and become his own person.

I look forward to Independent!Ron in books 6 and 7, and I most
wholeheartedly look forward to Free!Fred and Free!George Weasley.  With them
on the side of good, evil doesn't stand a chance.

Deirdre