Harry Potter, #5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by J.K. Rowling
Contents
Out of the Fire
Overview
Harry, convinced Voldemort is torturing Sirius, pushes a risky plan to contact Grimmauld Place via Umbridge’s office fire. The Inquisitorial Squad captures the group, and Umbridge catches Harry and Hermione. Snape refuses to supply Veritaserum; Umbridge prepares the Cruciatus and admits sending dementors. Hermione bluffs about a secret “weapon,” luring Umbridge away with Harry.
Summary
Shaken by a vision of Voldemort torturing Sirius, Harry bolts from his exam, learns McGonagall has been sent to St. Mungo’s, and urgently tells Ron and Hermione. Hermione doubts the logistics of Voldemort at the Ministry and fears a trap, but agrees to verify Sirius’s location first.
They plan a diversion: Ron misleads Umbridge, Ginny and Luna act as corridor lookouts, and Harry and Hermione infiltrate Umbridge’s office under the Invisibility Cloak. Harry uses the Floo to call Grimmauld Place. Kreacher, gloating and bandaged, claims Sirius is “gone” and implies he won’t return from the Department of Mysteries.
Umbridge, who warded her doorway, yanks Harry from the fire and summons the Inquisitorial Squad. Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville are captured and gagged. Umbridge interrogates them and sends for Snape to supply Veritaserum. Snape refuses, saying he has none ready; as he leaves, Harry shouts a coded warning about “Padfoot.” Snape offers no reaction.
Frustrated, Umbridge decides to use the Cruciatus Curse and reveals she ordered dementors after Harry the previous summer. Before she can cast, Hermione feigns a breakdown and claims she and Harry built a Dumbledore-ordered “weapon.”
Greedy for the secret, Umbridge insists Hermione lead her to it, taking only Harry along and leaving the others under guard with the Inquisitorial Squad. Harry and Hermione are marched out to “the weapon,” their friends still captive.
Who Appears
- Harry PotterPanics over a vision of Sirius tortured; leads a break-in to Umbridge’s office; contacts Grimmauld Place; is captured; sends Snape a coded warning.
- Hermione GrangerQuestions the vision’s plausibility; devises the plan to use Umbridge’s fire; bluffs about a Dumbledore “weapon” to lure Umbridge away.
- Dolores UmbridgeCatches the students, summons Inquisitorial Squad, seeks Veritaserum, attempts the Cruciatus, admits sending dementors, follows Hermione to the ‘weapon’.
- Severus SnapeRefuses Umbridge Veritaserum; receives Harry’s coded ‘Padfoot’ message without acknowledgment; leaves, role ambiguous.
- Ron WeasleyCreates a diversion for Umbridge; is captured and restrained with the others.
- Ginny WeasleyServes as lookout with a Garroting Gas ruse; is seized by the Inquisitorial Squad.
- Luna LovegoodActs as corridor lookout; is captured but remains calm and detached.
- KreacherGloats to Harry via Floo; implies Sirius has gone to the Department of Mysteries and won’t return.
- Draco MalfoyConfiscates wands, helps capture students, fetches Snape, oversees prisoners for Umbridge.
- Neville LongbottomIntervenes to protect Ginny; is captured and nearly suffocated by Crabbe.
- Millicent BulstrodePins Hermione during the capture in Umbridge’s office.
- Argus FilchInforms Umbridge about Peeves’ telescope prank, undermining Ron’s diversion.
- Professor ToftyExaminer who escorts distressed Harry from the exam hall.
- Madam PomfreyInforms Harry that McGonagall has been transferred to St. Mungo’s.
- WarringtonInquisitorial Squad member; captures Ron and brings Neville after he intervenes.
- Vincent CrabbeRestrains Neville in a chokehold during the roundup.