Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (SPOILERS)

[Babette]

I read the first 4 books before seeing any of those films, but never read #5. I saw Order of the Phoenix Sunday and I enjoyed it. I was confused in some parts, so I am now reading the book to fill in the blanks.

*How did the dementors get there?
*Why does Voldemort want the prophecy? What is it?
*Who is the awesome character played by Helena Bonham Carter?
*Where were they and where did all of those vaporous characters and archway come from?
*I knew Ron would grow up HOT!

I avoided this thread until I saw movie #5, knowing it would have spoilers from movie/book #5. I agree with the please do not spoil #6 & #7 seeing as how many people have posted in this thread that they have not read the books and like to enjoy the movies. I understand that in HP circles people have read the books, but this thread is different types of people discussing a movie, not just diehard HP enthusists. Heck, I just learned about the big spoiler in #6 a couple of days ago!

I like when a movie adaptation uses the base of a book, but modifies it for the screen. I have only read 9 of the 38 chapters of Order and they are still not even to Hogwarts. Something had to be cut, but maybe a little too much important transition/linking plot was cut for the non-book reader to follow.

Why does every HP book have to span the whole school year? Are Voldemort and his followers only able to "attack" just before summer holiday?

[wendybeth]

They can't attack Harry at the Privet Drive address, Babette. The one time he wasn't in school was in the GoF, and merde hit the fan. (The Quidditch World Cup).


I'd answer your question further, but that would involve spoilers.

[innerSpaceman]

I'll answer the ones that are only Movie/Book 5 spoilers (and hence, no longer spoilers in any fashion whatsoever).

Originally Posted by Babette

How did the dementors get there?

In the movie, Dumbledore suggests they might have been sent by Voldemort, and there is no contradiction to that. But the demontors are under the control of the Ministry and, in the book, it's revealed that Umbridge sent them to attack Harry Potter.

Originally Posted by Babette

Who is the awesome character played by Helena Bonham Carter?

That is Bellatrix LeStrange, cousin to Sirius Black and most devoted (and deranged) follower of Lord Voldemort, whose albino dick she sucks on a regular basis. (That last part's not in the books, but I'm sure of it). Isn't it wonderful how Carter could give such an over-the-top performance that was somehow not cheesy, but instead completely delighful?!

Originally Posted by Babette

Where were they and where did all of those vaporous characters and archway come from?

They were in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic headquarters. The vaporous characters were simply how the advanced witches and wizards got around quickly in the movie (black smoke for Death Eaters, white mist for Phoenix Orderers). I'm not sure if that's their method of magical transport in the book ... I'm not up to that part yet. Which is why I also can't answer about the Archway ... though, as I remember, it remains perhaps the most mysterious thingamabobbie in the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling.

Originally Posted by Babette

Why does Voldemort want the prophecy? What is it?

I can't answer this. It's not something that stuck in my mind, and I'm not up to that part of the book in my re-read. I find most of Rowling's McGuffins and mythology to be very tortured and confusing. I'm sure some Harry Potter uber-geek will jump in with the answer to this one.

Originally Posted by Babette

I knew Ron would grow up HOT!

You should have warned me!!!

[wendybeth]

Voldemort wants the prophecy because he discovers there was more to it than Snape initially heard- Snape was interrupted in his eavesdropping and only heard the first part of it.

[Babette]

Gracias, iSm and WB.

Don't tell me all y'all didn't see potential in this:

[BarTopDancer]

Geeze Steph. Not everyone is a die-hard. However, it can be very difficult to separate books after they have been out for awhile. I don't think anyone here would intentionally post something that would spoil HBP but really, the book has been out for a few years and all the big surprises have been public knowledge for quite some time. What do you do in every day situations? Cover your ears and "la la la I'm not listening I haven't read the book"?

My friend is in the middle of reading OotP. Any and all HP discussions are lead by him. I don't want to ruin anything for him but we both know that I am completely up to date and if something slips in the middle of a conversation it's not intentional.

[BarTopDancer]

To keep those who haven't read the books and somehow have remained spoiler free thus far happy. Click me

[wendybeth]

Babette, I wasn't trying to be snarky when I said it would involve spoilers- it would. Thanks, dear.

[Gemini Cricket]

I find it funny that the HP movie dipped to number two this weekend because all the HP fans were at home reading HP 7 this weekend. Haw haw!

[innerSpaceman]

I should also mention how brilliant the film was in depicting Dumbledore's Army. Not their activities, which themselves were more detailed than in the book (even in mostly montage), but a) in the way Filch and the Inquisitor Squad were trying to find the Room of Requirment (in the book, Umbridge and the staff are clueless about the D.A. till Cho's friend rats them out); and

b) in the way the D.A. are detention punished by Umbridge. It lets the film bring in the handwriting torture again (Umbridge's cruelest touch, and forgotten in the book since Harry's early term detentions). I think it was much better for the film to have this reminder rather than depict Harry's 10 early detentions from the book.

The book, if you can believe it, does not have Umbridge punish the D.A. at all. Dumbledore tells her and Fudge that, even though spies revealed the organizational meeting at the Hogs Head, the D.A. only met one time, many months later, on the night they were busted. And Umbridge buys that, and takes no action against the D.A.

I don't know how Rowling managed to make that believeable on the printed page, but clearly the filmmakers knew it would seem ridiculous in the movie.

In the way the film dealt with Dolores Umbridge and Dumbledore's Army, they improved on the book tremendously. Since that is the main thrust of the story, I think the filmmakers (with some admitted exceptions) did a bang-up job in translating the novel to the silver screen.





Oh, and when does Ronald Weasley stop wearing all those stupid clothes to bed? Is that film six, or seven?