Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling) - Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:

1. While out one evening, Harry and his cousin Dudley are unexpectedly attacked by a group of dementors. Seeing no other choice, Harry fought off the dementors even though it is against the rules to use magic outside of the school. This is the fourth time Harry has broken this rule. Do you think that Harry has been given too many free passes throughout his years at Hogwarts? Would other students have been able to get away with as much?

2. Why do you think Rowling included Harry balancing first crushes and O.W.L. exams while fighting the most powerful Dark wizard in history?

3. Discuss the trouble that Dolores Umbridge caused. She came to Hogwarts as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but refused to teach the students to defend themselves. Later, she replaced Dumebledore as the Headmistress and caused endless damage to the school and students. Do you think she had malicious intentions or did she, like most others in the wizarrding world, not want to believe that Lord Voldemort had returned?

4. Sirius Black and Harry share a very close bond. What are their similarities and differences, and how do these factors affect their relationship?

5. Were you surprised that Dumbledore appointed Severus Snapes to teach Harry Occlumency? Did your opinion of Snape change after reading the chpater "Snape's Worst Memory?" What about your opinion of James Potter?

6. In her fourth year, Hermione founded S.P.E.W., the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, in an effort to gain basic rights to house-elves. However, most house-elves do not want to be free. In Order, Hermione begins leaving traps around the Gryffindor common room to inadvertently free the eleves while they are cleaning—something that insults and terrifies the elves. What does this says about Hermione's character?

7. Harry has never known the connection between himself and Voldemort until Dumbledore reveals the Self-fulfilling prophecy that was made at Harry's birth: the Dark Lord would mark him as his equal and that neither could live as the other survives. Why has Dumbledore waited to long to reveal this to Harry? Could Harry have been more successful in fighting Voldemort if he had this knowledge?

8. Fans of Harry Potter had to wait three years between the release of The Goblet of Fire and The Order of the Phoenix. Did the gap change the momentum of the series?

9. J.K Rowling has said that if she could change anything about the serries, she would have edited the fifth book more to make it shorter. Many critics have said that the book started off too slowly and dragged on. Do you feel it was too long?

10. Based on the advice from Professor McGonagall and Dolores Umbridge after taking their O.W.L. exams, what wizarding career do you think would best suit Harry, Ron and Hermione?

11. Where do you expect The Half-Blood Prince to pick up? Based on the conclusion of this book, do you have any predictions for who the Half-Blood Prince will be?

(Questions by Katherine O'Connor of LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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