Unity and Symbolism in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Unity and Symbolism in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

            Harry, a minor wizard uses magic to fight off “Dementors” out of the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which is illegal, therefore, he has to face a disciplinary hearing. The Sorting Hat cautions that the students have to unite to face the common enemy. However, the students are already split into houses by the Hogwarts school system. Also, they are challenged by the separate dormitories they sleep in and cannot see each other often. Dumbledore’s Army contributes to the plot of the narrative, as its formation and organization display the efforts of Harry and his friends towards deliverance from Lord Voldemort, the common enemy. Throughout the story, the theme of unity is depicted by the small study group, Dumbledore’s Army, which fights for the security of its members and is against the cruelty of Lord Voldemort. Besides, symbolism contributes to the plot, where Delores Umbridge, Dumbledore’s Army, the Threstals, and Occlumency signify the wars against each group’s interests and success.

First, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Hermione are close friends to Harry, and they all belong to Harry’s House- Gryffindor. The Quidditch Cup Tournament is competitive, and the entire Hogwarts school system defies their quest to come together. On the contrary, the Mudbloods and half-bloods are always mocked around the school, as some Hogwarts students believe they are not justified to be allowed to stay with pure blood Wizards. On the other hand, Centaurs chase outsiders out of the Forbidden Forest, and the visits by giants Hagrid are criticized by the rest of the students. The Hogwarts then unite to fight Voldemort and protect themselves from faculty members who can shake their education. Lord Voldemort returns and uses the student body to attack the Ministry of Magic, which enforces magical law in the wizarding world. Harry and his friends form the Army, led by Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore’s Army focuses on training the members on defensive spells and offensive attacks to face the Dementors. This study group proves to be helpful in that the techniques they learn eventually help them to escape Death Eaters. Dumbledore addresses the group; “Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike. . .” (Rowling 34). The solidarity of Dumbledore’s Army indicates the willingness of the students and the determination to work together to obtain the education they are not given in Hogwarts.

Furthermore, Harry has regular dreams that insinuate attacks from Lord Voldemort. The Dumbledore’s Army and Professor Snape try to rescue him from the nightmares, which was unsuccessful as he could not clear his mind from the nightmares. Snape advises him, “The mind is not a book to be opened at will and examined at leisure …well, it may have escaped your notice, but life is not fair” (Rowling 106). The Army welcomes any student to form the four houses in the school, where segregation and individual supremacy is established. The small student body within the entire Hogwarts school is unified, and they are determined to obtain the education they deserve through alternative study tricks. This togetherness makes them strong as a group against the dark world and divisive authority.

On the other hand, symbolism in Harry Porter and the Ordeal of the Phoenix contributes fully to the plot of the story through its characters, places, and the objects used. First, Delores Umbridge is a symbol of the Ministry of Magic, and she is the defense against the Dark Arts. Also, she is the sign of interference from the Ministry at Hogwarts and ruins every plan that Dumbledore’s Army makes. Additionally, the Dumbledore Army signifies the resistance to the unfair education system at the school. Dumbledore tells Harry when he fails to concentrate his thoughts to control his dreams that, “Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels, but old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young” (Chan 423).  This secret organization prepares its members for the battle to flee from the Ministry’s administration. Besides, Occlumency that Professor Snape instills in Harry is not successful in controlling and eliminating the nightmares in his dreams (Davanzo 147). This failure symbolizes Harry’s youth life, where many things cover his mind, hence he cannot concentrate on solving them.

Besides, there are five golden figures at the Ministry of Magic, which represent the perspectives of the institution and its members towards wizardry. The golden statue at the center appears noble and beautiful, and a witch stands adjacent to him. Also, the other three statues appear to look at the couple, which symbolizes the power that the Ministry believed they had as wizards and witches. Centaurs must admire and depend on the wizards and the witches, where they will join Lord Voldemort with despair. According to the Ministry, the creatures in the wizardry and magical community are supreme, although the students in the study group do not believe so. In the end, Dumbledore uses these statues to defend Harry from Lord Voldemort curses, implying that he did not support the values the Magic Ministry intended to display.

Moreover, Threstals, which are only seen by those who have envisioned death, become visible to Luna, who saw her mother die. Luna describes the creatures to Harry, and she tries to comfort him; “Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect” (Stuever-Williford 161). Harry could see the creatures as he saw the death of Sirius, his grandfather, but he did not want to show grief. “You do care,” said Dumbledore. ‘He had not flinched or made a single move to stop Harry demolishing his office. His expression was calm, almost detached.’ You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it” (Chan 424). These Threstals symbolize death as certain people only see them.

In conclusion, Dumbledore’s Army is a key plot point for the book, as it depicts the beginning of a fight towards the education and self-empowerment of a few students in Hogwarts school. This Army devises different methods to protect themselves and fight unfair education system at school, Magic Ministry, and later Voldemort curses. The narrative revolves around the efforts made by the study group in the school, the struggle to keep members safe, and the final battle with Voldemort. On the other hand, symbolism of the Delores administration, the Threstals, the golden statues, and Occlumency shows different perspectives of the groups at war.