Chapter Thirty-Two: Out of the Fire
In chapter thirty-two of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry tries to figure out what is happening to Sirius, Umbridge tries to torture a student with an illegal curse, and Hermione is brilliant.
(Please be advised that this is a reread and I will be discussing book and movie spoilers.)
Harry’s awoken from his dream vision of Sirius being tortured by Voldemort and does the most sensible thing he’s done in ages: books it to the Hospital Wing to tell McG all about it. Alas, McG was almost MURDERED BY AURORS IN FRONT OF SCHOOLCHILDREN and is at St Mungo’s instead.
Harry runs into WeazGrange and tells them what he’s seen and what follows is one of the best arguments in Harry Potter. You see, Harry’s convinced they need to leave to rescue Sirius right away, and Hermione is convinced they need to make sure Sirius is being tortured before they proceed, and they’re both totally justified, and they’re both totally aggravating, and that’s what makes good writing, my friends. Hermione shows exactly why she was sorted into Gryffindor when she argues with the clearly enraged Harry about how he needs to proceed with caution, and how he might be blinded by his habit of jumping to heroics or as she puts it, his “saving people thing.” She’s right, and yet we also agree with Harry, who’s seen the only parental figure in his life getting hurt and possibly killed.
In general, I don’t envy Harry Potter. Murdered parents. Horrific Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin. Sadistic teacher who doesn’t understand how to bathe. A nemesis who is always trying to kill him. A Chest Monster waiting to explode out of him when puberty hits. And yet. And yet. He gets to go to school in a castle where he learns magic. And Harry Potter has some ride or die ass friends.
Ginny and Luna show up because Harry’s screams are breaking windows, eardrums, and the speed of sound all at once. Without question GinLun offer to help stage a distraction so Harry can talk to Sirius, Ron offers to LIE TO UMBRIDGE holy hell, and Hermione offers to accompany Harry on his breaking and entering and someone give me friends like this! I’ve got about two of them, but I’d like a huge posse like this.
Tiny aside but I love the detail that while this madness is going on, Harry runs into Dean and Seamus who are debating doing some drinking to celebrate, this small moment that even while Harry’s world is disintegrating into chaos, most people are living a very normal, perhaps dull life.
Harry sneaks into Umbridge’s office after some convincing lying from Ginny, and Kreacher–oh man, we’ll get to Kreacher later, but Kreacher tells him that Sirius is gone and not returning before Umbridge snatches Harry’s head out of the fire. Literally.
Umbridge does her most illegal act so far, and that’s saying something, when she has six students (Warrington, Millicent Bulstrode, Malfoy, Crabbe, and two unknown students, one of whom at least is a girl and yes stick a pin in the fact that I didn’t say Goyle) literally physically restraining our Golden and Silver trio. Um? Toady? You are aware that you can do magic? And can…restrain the students with...magic? Just a thought?
Snape shows up and yes he’s got to lie all la di da but we, unlike Harry, know that he’s on Harry’s side since he sidesteps the request for Veritaserum and tells Crabbe to stop choking out Neville in a subtly asshole way so the Slytherins don’t get suspicious. Harry’s all, “oh shit Snape’s in the order” and can we take a moment to pour one out that if Snape hadn’t been such a raging asshole Harry would’ve immediately known to go to him for help and Sirius would’ve been fine? We’ll get to all the other ways that Sirius’s death could’ve been prevented later on but all of them sting.
HPotz tries desperately to scream in his mind about Sirius at Snape, and then comes up with a pretty clever code, shouting that he’s got Padfoot in the place where it’s hidden while Snape’s all tra la la don’t know what that boy means, and skips out.
Umbridge can’t take it and finally shows her true colors fully: she’s a woman who’s willing to cast illegal torture curses on fifteen year olds in front of other teenagers because she’s worse then Uncle Vernon combined with Marvolo Gaunt sprinkled with a hint of Aunt Petunia mixed with some Malfoy shittiness.
In case anyone ever doubted who the real genius in these books are, however, Hermione fakes a crying fit, says they’ve got to tell Umbridge the truth, and reveals the secret weapon in the woods is ready for Dumbledore, and it’s really best if Harry and Hermione show Umbridge herself. Alone. In the woods. With nothing dangerous in there! Nothing at all!
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In your original read (not with your knowledge that Hermione is right) whose side were you on in the Harry v Hermione fight?
What was your take on Snape’s scene in Umbridge’s office?
Why is Umbridge ok with breaking the law in front of the other students?
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