The fifth and biggest book in the Harry Potter series by J. K Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the book where the adolescent reality of the characters really came into play. From here, the books got much more adult and all children’s fare that infuses the first few books, completely evaporates.
Famous wizard and boy wonder, Harry Potter, is facing his worst summer holiday yet. Although being back with his relatives, the Dursleys, is enough to shatter anyone’s summer joy, Harry’s woes have reached an all-time high: he witnessed the return of the Dark Lord Voldemort, a significant portion of the magical community believe him to be emotionally unstable and raving mad, he’s been neglected by those he holds in high regard and kept in the dark about whatever measures are being undertaken in stopping Voldemort, and on top of everything else, when he returns to school, he’s got his fifth year OWL exams. In these times of great uncertainty and pressure, Harry is going to have to remember that he has friends that will help him through anything.
Rereading the books as an adult, I’ve really noticed, particularly with this one, that you do read them in a different light to when you were a child. I would have been about fifteen, the same age as Harry, when this book came out, and I remember reading it the first time round and not really understanding the book’s tone. Reading it again as an adult, it’s much clearer. Order of the Phoenix is probably the most emotional book in the entire series. I don’t mean emotional as in there will be tears, but emotional in the sense that all the characters, particularly Harry, are really in the thick of adolescence and there is a lot of angst, defiance, frustration, and rebellion going around.
Rowling really hit the nail on the head in this book because, in real life, it’s around this age where high school students begin to take control and steer their behaviour and lives in the direction that they want. Case in point, in this book we see the very inners of Hogwarts being threatened by the Ministry and, in a move of almost political defiance and rebellion, we see Harry and his friends go against authority and use magic in a way that we haven’t really seen before. That whole DA part of the book was really brilliant to read and rather inspiring.
It has to be said that this is the book where all the idealistic fantasy and children’s fare is completely shattered. A real sense of danger hangs over every word in this book and the harsh reality of pressure and war really sinks in. Without wanting to give too much away, a significant life is lost in this book, and it’s that chapter that really tells the reader that there is danger ahead for the characters, very real and very brutal.
Filled with action, violence, magic, suspense, drama, romance, terror, and pretty much everything in between, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a fantastic read that, despite it’s length, you will just fly through.
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