Chapter Twenty-Six: Seen and Unforseen
In chapter twenty-six of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry finally gets some love, I discuss New!Ginny, and Trelawney gets the sack.
(Please be advised that this is a reread and I will be discussing book and movie spoilers.)
You know, I must say I just love how this book goes from the teeny little chapters in Goblet of Fire that are super easy to recap to gargantuan, stuffed full chapters in Order of the Phoenix!
So HermzHarr are Hanging in the Hall at Hogwarts and Harry’s like “gosh Hermione this thing where I told Cho I’m leaving our Valentine’s Date and she ran off in a rage was super weird right” while Hermione’s all
She then is forced to explain in little words how Harry handled this as well as Draco Malfoy handles the concept of poverty and that Cho was trying to make him jealous because she thought he didn’t like her. Harry tries to process this information
while Hermione flambes Ron by saying Harry’s as bad as he is and then is like “…lol ok sorry that was too far Harry no one is that bad” and then we find out Quidditch is…er…still not going so well.
Also? It’s time for another round of Controversial Weasley Opinions with yours truly! Now this time, this one isn’t as uncommon. But still unpopular! I was just not a fan of Ginny’s transformation in book 5 onwards. I know the arguments for how it’s reasonable and organic character development but it’s never sat right with me. She goes from this quiet but brave girl to this gorgeous Quidditch badass who everyone thinks is amazing (this reaches peak state in the next book so we’ll get there) and it’s just too much for me. Like with Bill’s fang earring and Tonks’s whimsiquirkiliciousness it’s too much tell, not enough show.
“Come on, Ginny’s not bad,” said George fairly, sitting down next to Fred. “Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us…”
“She’s been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren’t looking,” said Hermione from behind her tottering pile of Ancient Runes books.
Can’t we just…see Ginny being more interesting? Slowly? And not have Hermione exposition it? And maybe…not have the clunky “Ginny’s so perfect for Harry” stuff come DIRECTLY after Cho’s character assassination? I know, many of you love Ginny’s turn (my closest Harry Potter friend and I have argued about it many times lol) and frankly I wish I could enjoy it too. But it’s always stuck out to me like the “Bill is soooper cool” jarring passage.
Ginny’s the only one who does anything good at the Quidditch match the next day too, while poor Ron suffers further torment, but this moment is at least more organic.
So everyone we love is in pain again when something good happens for once: The Quibbler article about Harry is out, and everyone can read the truth! I know I’m a weirdo
but I’ve always longed to read the actual article Rita wrote. Why? I dunno, since we witnessed what Harry witnessed last book. Yet I still want it, dagnabbit!
Since Umbridge has got three functional brain cells and one is power-mad, one believes she’s a genius, and the third is a neon pink kitten made of evil and cotton candy, she thinks banning The Quibbler and threatening to expel anyone in possession of it is going to stop teenagers from reading it and gossiping about it.
Everyone we like (or tolerate) is happy with Harry: Trelawney is predicting he’ll breed like a Duggar, Cho and Seamus are apologizing, he’s getting free candy (this would be reason enough to do this article for me) and he’s pissing off the worst people in delightful ways. And–hold up! We’ve got a sighting of my favorite game: Harry Potter possibly has a neurological condition in which he cannot recognize people he’s known for five years! Upppp next! It’s Theodore Nott! Slytherin who’s been in his potions class for five years, and Care of Magical Creatures for three! He’s only the third person who can see thestrals besides Harry and Neville and he’s got a Death Eater for a father but eff you Nott, Harry Potter only has room in his brain for about fifteen of his peers, ok? He’s got more important shit to do like killing Voldemort and plotting ways for him to brain Snape with a cauldron.
HPotz has a vision about Rookwood and Voldemort that seems super important and maybe information that Dumbledore should know but he refuses to tell anyone but Ron and Hermione (take a drink y’all) and then Hermione infuriates me and Harry by nagging him that he shouldn’t have seen it at all and he should forget it and HERMIONE MY LOVE WHAT THE FUCK.
So Harry tries to “forget” but then Snape’s there being a useless ass teacher as usual and being all “Potter seeing what Lord Voldz is telling his Death Eaters isn’t your job” and Harry’s all
nO It’S YoUr JOb, RIgHt?
and for some reason Snape looks satisfied and doesn’t bitch slap him into next Tuesday.
Speaking of bad teachers, drunken charlatan Trelawney is getting publicly fired while Umbridge tongues a kitten plate in glee and Dumbledore finally shows up to do something for once and is like “oh stay in the castle as my guest, no reason why I’d want that toodle-doo, btw here’s our new teacher, a sexy centaur! Boy and you thought the girls went wild for Lockhart!”
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Tell me your thoughts on Ginny’s personality change in this book.
Should Harry have told someone what he saw with Rookwood?
Why is Snape satisified when Harry says it’s his job to know what the Death Eaters are being told?
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