Harry Potter, #5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by J.K. Rowling
Contents
Detention with Dolores
Overview
Under growing schoolwide skepticism and OWL pressure, Harry endures Dolores Umbridge’s sadistic blood-quill detentions, concealing the injury from friends. Grubbly-Plank substitutes for the still-missing Hagrid, while Malfoy taunts. Ron secretly practices and wins the Keeper spot. Harry’s scar burns in Umbridge’s office, alarming Hermione, who urges informing Dumbledore.
Summary
Whispers about Harry’s clash with Umbridge shadow dinner, prompting Hermione to explain how summer propaganda undermined belief in Dumbledore’s account. Back in the common room, Hermione stops Fred and George from testing joke sweets on first years and threatens to write to Mrs. Weasley. She plants knitted hats to free house-elves, sparking an argument with Ron. Homework piles up as OWL-focused lectures intensify.
Next day, Professor Grubbly-Plank substitutes for the still-absent Hagrid and teaches bowtruckles. Malfoy mocks Hagrid and hints at Ministry crackdowns, unsettling Harry. Luna openly supports Harry’s account of Voldemort’s return; Ernie Macmillan adds a more conventional vote of confidence. The workload grows, and Angelina berates Harry for missing Friday’s Keeper tryouts due to detention.
In Umbridge’s office, Harry requests to move Friday’s detention but is refused. She forces him to write “I must not tell lies” with a blood quill that carves the words into his hand. Harry endures the pain in silence until past midnight, leaving with an inflamed, healing wound and mounting unfinished homework.
The second and third detentions worsen; by Thursday the words remain etched and bleeding. Harry catches Ron secretly practicing Keeper on his new broom; Ron confesses plans to try out. Ron then discovers Harry’s injured hand, urges telling McGonagall or Dumbledore, but Harry refuses, framing it as a private battle with Umbridge.
During Friday’s detention, Harry sneaks glances at the distant tryouts and suffers deeper cuts. When Umbridge inspects his hand, Harry’s scar suddenly burns, alarming him. He rushes back to find Gryffindor celebrating: Ron has become Keeper. Angelina asks Harry to help train Ron. Harry tells Hermione about the scar pain; she doubts Umbridge is possessed but insists Harry inform Dumbledore. He refuses, and they part for the night amid Hermione’s ongoing house-elf hat campaign.
Who Appears
- Harry PotterEndures Umbridge’s blood-quill detentions, hides his injury, worries when his scar burns, supports Ron’s Keeper bid, resists telling Dumbledore.
- Dolores UmbridgeImposes multiple detentions using a blood quill, denies Harry schedule leniency, delights in punitive control.
- Ron WeasleySecretly practices and wins Gryffindor Keeper; discovers Harry’s carved hand and urges him to report Umbridge.
- Hermione GrangerBreaks up twins’ testing, advances S.P.E.W. hat plan, excels in class, urges Harry to tell Dumbledore about his scar.
- Professor Grubbly-PlankSubstitutes for Hagrid; teaches bowtruckles and assigns practical sketch work.
- Draco MalfoyMocks Hagrid and taunts Harry during Care of Magical Creatures, unsettling Harry.
- Angelina JohnsonNew Quidditch captain; berates Harry for missing tryouts, later names Ron Keeper and asks Harry to help train him.
- Fred and George WeasleyTest Skiving Snackboxes on first years; back down when Hermione threatens to write to their mother.
- Luna LovegoodPublicly affirms belief in Harry’s account of Voldemort’s return.
- Ernie MacmillanOffers loud support for Harry and Dumbledore, countering peer skepticism.