Dumbledore's Army Begins! | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Tea Leaves S5 E3+4)

In this episode, Umbridge takes the stage as one of the worst people ever. She gives Harry detention, and it's one of the worst he's had. Hogwarts turns on Harry as his story surrounding Voldemort's return is under fire, despite Dumbledore's support. Enjoy!

Topics/Summary:

·      1:15 Classes at Hogwarts are underway! Harry and Umbridge lock horns in their first DADA class, and she gives him detention. The episode opens up with some shots of the grounds to engrain the idea of nature in magic into the audience. The Gryffindors sit through one of the worst defense classes ever. 

·      17:44 Harry goes through the worst detention he has ever experienced, and we begin to understand just how horrible Umbridge is. Umbridge forces Harry to miss keeper try outs, but Ron still makes the team.

·      29:50 Harry writes to Sirius about his scar. The Gryffindor team has their first practice where the Slytherins are watching and jeering along.

·      34:26 Episode four begins with the mass meeting at the Hog’s Head. Dumbledore’s Army is created in that meeting, even though Harry feels like he has nothing to share. Everyone in the bar writes their names down on the parchment and the group is officially formed.

·      41:56 Dobby tells Harry about the Room of Requirement. Harry asks him because he can’t think of anyone else who might know. Dobby tells him and the trio goes to check it out. It’s perfect, so that’s where the first meeting takes place. The DA assembles and Harry tells them how useful the disarming charm is. Many don’t believe him, but he tells them about how it has saved his life many times. They have a very successful first meeting, and for the first time that year, hopes are running high.

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Intro

Oscar 0:00

Welcome to the Potter Discuss. Welcome back to the Potter Discussing Discussing Harry Potter books, films, TV show, and the Wizard and World fandom. I'm your host, Oscar, and this is episode 348. Thank you everybody for joining me today on this episode. I am so, so glad to be here recording with you. We are back with our Tea Leaves series. I have been so excited to return to this after we began season five a few weeks ago. I think we're gonna have a really, really stellar time discussing episodes three and four. Classes are going to begin, some important threads are going to begin as well. So I certainly hope you're going to stick around for the entire episode because we have some really good stuff to talk about today. If any kind of question, any kind of topic or anything at all pops into your head while you are listening to this, don't be afraid to reach out to thepodter discussion at gmail.com. That is thepodter discussion at gmail.com. But I think that is everything I wanted to mention before we begin. So without further ado, let's get into today's episode.

Classes at Hogwarts are underway!

Oscar 1:15

Alright, so here we are at the very beginning of episode three, and we are going to begin with classes because that's how every good Hogwarts season should start. The classes of their fifth year are beginning in a rage, and there are a few important things I want to point out here. So let's just like the very beginning. What's the very start of the episode? I don't see how any episode could open more perfectly than something quiet, something with nature, something with magic, something with both, perhaps. Uh, one of the things that I want to really tie with this uh episode is the nature with the magic. And that's an idea that I've actually been thinking about a lot, especially after we've seen some of these behind the scenes moments from the actual production. Uh, we've been seeing that the filmmakers are putting a much bigger emphasis on the connection between magic and nature in this TV show. So I'm very excited to see that, and this isn't a great opportunity uh to really dive into that relationship. So I'm looking forward to it. And that's a that's also why, uh, and I'll kind of give you a bit of a you know insight into what I'm thinking here, a lot of the beginnings and ends of episodes have been surrounding nature, maybe shots of you know, b-roll, of forest, of the grounds, of, of, of whatever it might be. And that's because I'm trying to more deeply uh ingrain this idea of magic and nature not being as separate as we think, uh, as naturally the filmmakers are also thinking the same way. So beginning an episode like this with, for example, something of the grounds, you know, it's it's sunrise, maybe, you know, the grass is uh falls in the air, so maybe there's a little, you know, chill whispering across the grounds, and maybe we see some some forest, the lake, the mountains, and the sun rising. I mean, that is the kind of thing that I feel like we just didn't get in the films as much. And it was those like tiny little moments of uh we had like a peak, a peak into the world of of like kind of the nature of the castle. That was I was like, oh, so amazing to have those little peaks and um and I'm thinking of like uh when we, for example, I don't know why I'm thinking of this right now, but when after Dumbledore's funeral, when Harry's standing up on the astronomy tower and Fox is like flying away, like those kinds of moments that are just so so quiet, you know, those are the kinds of things that I really want to uh disperse much more evenly between uh each episode because that is what magic is. That's what we are seeing. Magic is slowly becoming, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing that come to life. And that is exactly how we are beginning episode three with that connection to nature. And we have the grounds and all that, but that's unfortunately not where we have uh the chance to stay forever because there is some important stuff to get to. Harry wakes up, Ron wakes up, they they go down to the common room, and here's what I want to get out of these opening few interactions with maybe some friends he hasn't seen for a while, uh, with you know people who he knows or maybe he doesn't know, I don't know. It's just it's just the population in general. The big thing that I want to start seeing is people giving him the stink eye. And well what do I mean by that? So Harry had quite an eventful uh end of year last year, and that was a big focus of our episode, a big focus of his life, uh, and it is still kind of haunting us to this day. Cedric was, of course, killed by Peter Pettigrew at the orders of Lord Voldemort, who then returned uh in full force, so that is uh still kind of on his mind. Of course, I don't blame him for that, and I'm not saying that he's wrong for still thinking back to that time, but the problem with that is everyone else knows what happens too. And I think what I what I'm trying to get at here is, for example, he had, it was in the film, uh poor interaction with Seamus. Because Seamus was saying that he uh his his mom didn't want him to come back to Hogwarts because he thought that it was she thought it was dangerous, he thought that Harry was, you know, lying and Dumbledore was supporting him, and it was this whole thing going on. So that's kind of what I want to start seeing is of course Harry always gets looks, he always gets people kind of you know glancing back at him, but over the years he's gotten used to it, and people have also gotten used to him, so it's like, okay, well, let's just kind of chill out here, and that's how that's how it's supposed to be, and I don't think it's a problem that people are slowly noticing him less. I think that's maybe a good thing for him, for everyone in uh in general. But that unfortunately is not true now, because this new wave of suspicion has kind of crashed over the castle with the reappearance of Voldemort, and of course, Dumbledore's word means a lot to some, and not a lot to others. So it's people like Malfoy who just straight up do not believe what Dumbledore has to say about that, and I think the film had some had some good lines in there with that interaction he had with Seamus. Uh, it was really a yelling match in the common room, and and I think maybe copying that word for word might not be the play because, you know, that wasn't a film, and this is kind of a new, a new thing what we're uh experiencing here. But I like what Seamus said, like, um, and Ron's, you know, defending him, and I like how Seamus says, you know, so Dumbledore says, because he says, you know, about Wilmore being back, and that's a good way of putting it because it takes us out of Harry's perspective. As readers, as as what, you know, viewers of this content, we see Harry's perspective, and we were there with him in the graveyard, we were there with him in the maze. We saw Cedric get killed in front of our eyes, we saw Harry react to it, and then we saw the whole duel and Harry's return. And there was, I mean, uh, do we doubt? I guess is a good way of putting it. Do we doubt that Voldemort is back? Absolutely not. We saw it with our very own eyes. But you can't blame someone who didn't. You can't. And that's also why Fudge is going to be an interesting character in this book. Uh, because Fudge, and I mean, some of his, you know, his main kind of job's already over, but it's still good to reflect on the fact that it's people like Fudge who make up the majority of people who who kind of are going against Dumbledore, who don't believe Dumbledore. And that's the uh idea that we are beginning to see creep up in the castle, this this divide. And it was it kind of occurred to me as I was writing this that this is maybe the first instance of a true line being drawn in the in the Wizarding World. After, and I was uh rereading the Prince of Asmund recently, I feel like I've mentioned that every episode. Uh, but it's you know, it's true that I was rereading the Prince of Askman, and I was very interested in uh reading some of Sirius's uh when he was telling the trio about what it was like when Voldemort was was in power, and I really liked some of the things he said about how you know it was it was full of fear and fright, and no one knew anyone else, and you couldn't trust anyone, you couldn't trust yourself, like you weren't sure like what was going on. I thought that was really uh good way of putting it. And then another thing that later he was like kind of mentioning is that alright, and this might have been bleeding into the Goblet of Fire, after Voldemort fell the first time, everyone was like, Oh my gosh, like that's crazy, that's terrible, no matter if they had been his supporters or not, they were saying how terrible a time it had been and just how uh horrible that you know whole experience was. And they were saying, Oh, I was put into the Imperius Cursor, or I he made me, or you know, whatever, all that. So that's kind of that was when the lines broke. And even if you did support Voldemort, you didn't uh he didn't pipe up about it. That's that's for sure. But now, fast forward to today, looking at this relationship unfolding between Harry and the rest of the world, uh, and and what Harry has to say, we're slowly beginning to see a ghost of that line reappear. And that's interesting because it's going to get thicker and thicker until uh finally we have this conflict that we are leading up to in Hogwarts, the very end of the Deathly Hollows. So the line is really beginning. I think this is the point that it really begins, because we see people like Seamus, who are Harry's friends, uh, who don't 100% believe him, and I don't blame them. Really, I don't. Of course, they have to believe it eventually, and uh they they do, and I'm you know, so at least there's that we know that we have that to look forward to. But I don't blame them at all. Fudge, I'm gonna go back to Fudge here. Fudge is in denial that Voldemort is back, and it is because he is terrified, he is so utterly terrified of what a world with Voldemort would mean, what a reappearance of the Dark Lord would mean for the ministry, for, you know, the side of good, uh, and for his, you know, his ministry that he it is his responsibility to protect. And I think the reason why a lot of other people are kind of following in his footsteps is similar reasons. They might not necessarily shoulder the same responsibility that Fudge does. In fact, I think they the the vast majority do not. But at the core of it, it's not about Fudge feeling like he uh a return of Voldemort would threaten his, you know, the people who he has to protect. Of course, that's part of it, but it's just it's just terror. Like that's all it is, just pure terror, and that is not uh that is not exclusive to him. So we're beginning to see that uh creep up, and it's not even, I think, uh, a a good point to make, and maybe one that the author was trying to make is the people who say he's not back don't necessarily believe that. And that's that's the important thing here. The reason why uh Dumbledore causes so much panic is because he is credible, because he does, his voice means something in the in the wizarding world. So, you know, and people take him at at his face value uh without without a second thought, and some people don't at all. The important part of this is the people who deny it maybe actually don't believe him or are just so terrified they can't admit that they do believe him. And that is really uh the vital part of this of this relationship, and that's kind of why we're seeing characters like Seamus, who we thought would have supported Harry Dumbledore wholeheartedly, are actually saying, you know, the opposite that that that they're not telling the truth and they're and and they're nutters and they don't really know what they're doing. Because it is just such an impossible thing to accept and such an important moment for them to rise to. So there's there's a lot here. There is there's a lot here, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing how this is gonna come across. Harry's the good guy, we all love Harry. He was the one, he's the chosen one, and suddenly he is uh in the midst of a controversy. So that is going to be the situation that we are going to see unfold on the screen. So he's going throughout his day like this, you know, seeing people, people looking at him, and Harry knows that they're all thinking the same thing, like, oh gosh, I wonder if it's true. I wonder if it's true. And again, I don't blame him at all. But the next thing I want to talk about is Defense Against the Dark Arts, because we had a wonderful introduction to our brand new professor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dolores Umbridge. She made a wonderful appearance uh at Harry's trial in front of the Wizengamat, and she uh was not very helpful for him, that's for sure. And then we also got a wonderful speech from her to begin the uh year. She was talking about we must prune, we must be prohibited. Uh it was quite an inspiring moment. I was certainly inspired watching her, so she had some some great things to say on that. And uh now here we are. We are in her class at last, and I am so excited to see uh how she comes across because I just love how much we hate her, and it is just, I mean, really we do. It's it's kind of like Snape all over again. Uh so I am I think she's gonna come across great. So Harry walks in the room and he sits down, and I like the detail how all the students are so hopeful. They take out their wands and they're ready to go uh for a nice practical lesson, because of course they're you know pr pr their past two teachers have been extremely practical. Lupin, all he did was teach him about spells and creatures and how to how to defend themselves. And then, of course, Moody, oof. Moody was beyond practical, I think we could say. So I think that that relationship has cultivated well for them. But Brombridge is unfortunately not a very practical person in this regard, so she says, wands away, please. And of course, everyone is so disappointed because all they wanted to do was take their wand out and cast some spells and learn defensive magic, and of course, I don't blame them. That's that's part of the job. But to make matters worse, instead of saying, you know, instead of trying to teach them something or whatever, she tells them to pull out their books. And uh so they are reading Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbur Slinkhart, and it's a I'm sure a riveting text, uh, and she uh urges them all to begin reading. But of course, Hermione uh has already finished the reading for that day, and the next day, and the next, and she raises her hand and says, Oh, I've I've I've finished. And Umbridge tells her to go on, she says, Oh, I finished that too, and says, Go on, I finished that too. So now Umbridge is at an impasse because she has to make a choice. And Hermione naturally has spotted the problem that it is the book is titled Defensive Magical Theory. And she points out to Umbridge that not once in the text did Wilbur Slankhardt mention anything to do with a wand, anything to do with the spell. It was all about theory. And so the argument begins. This is gonna be a very heated class, so I am definitely gonna warn you now. This is not gonna be a calm first defense against the Dark Arts class. So Hermione says, Well, it's all about theory. Like, there's nowhere we actually need to use defensive spells. Like, what if you actually need to use them? This book will not help us. And Albert says, Well, why why would you ever need that? Use magicals. No, no, no, you don't have to use them. What on earth would you use them for? And Hermione's, well, what if someone wants to hurt us? You know, what if there's someone out there who who might wish us ill? And then, of course, Albert says, Well, there's no one out there who wishes to harm you, of course not. And they're kind of they're drawing attention from the whole class now. No one is really pretending to read anymore. And the air is the air is tense, the air is very tense. They don't usually disagree with the teacher, especially on the first day. But the whole class can sense that Umbrage is not exactly uh a flexible person. So this conversation develops. They keep talking, they keep going in circles, uh, and it's it's starting to heat up a little bit. You know, people are saying, well, you know, what if, for example, like there's like a death eater out there who wants to hurt us? And then, you know, Umbridge is clearly losing control of the situation. It's just no, no, no, no. Like, death eaters know, there are no death eaters anymore, like we're done with that. So they kind of spiral and spiral and spiral, and Harry eventually is like he can't take it. Like, he's so mad at this, and uh eventually he teaches, Well, you know, I saw, I saw Lord Voldemort return last year. And it's kind of like a moment of like, whoa, like he okay. I guess we're going there. And Umbridge is livid, absolutely livid, but it adds to her venom that she doesn't even wince. She doesn't, you know, and there's no reaction, she's cool, she's calm, and she says, detention, Potter, my office this evening. It's rough, it is rough. Harry is furious because he he chimed in and asked about Lord Voldemort and and Death Theatres, and he was he did not ask very respectfully, but still he got detention. So he is so, so angry at Umbridge for giving him detention. Uh, and it is a it's a tough time, so that detention is coming up. There is more to discuss in between there, so let's move on.

Harry goes through the worst detention he has ever experienced

Oscar 17:45

That night in the common room, Harry is not looking forward to his detention. Of course, he doesn't know what it is, he doesn't know what he's walking into, but still, detention can never be good. But more than that, he is now uh going to miss the keeper tryouts, uh, which are going to happen in a few days. I guess Umbridge, uh, when discussing when and where they should meet, also mentioned that his attention would last for a few days, not just the one night. Which is too bad for Harry. Angelina Johnson, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, comes up to Harry and is very upset with him for uh missing tryouts, uh, and uh asks him to see if he can negotiate with Umbridge, you know, see if uh she can let him go, and because you know it's a very important thing, and uh he's very sorry for what he said, of course. And of course Harry agrees and says, Alright, well I'll see what I can do. So, with a heavy head and a heavier heart, he walks out of the portrait hole. It's very dark, it's nighttime, you know, no one's no one's really out. It's evening. Maybe there are a few people kind of wandering uh the halls, but no one really, so it's kind of he feels very kind of isolated. And he finds his way up to Dumb to Umbridge's office, he knocks, and he goes in. So this is a important scene. This is a very important scene because we now are now getting to know Umbridge. Umbridge is an important character, and she has a lot to say and a lot of important things to do. So it's important that we get to know her now. The room is a bright pink, and there are cats in plates all across the walls. She has a pink theme going on here. It's very, I mean, I will say it's it should come across as a very well put-together room. You know, I don't want Umbridge to kind of be this, you know, like a slob thrown a room, throwing a room. No, no, no. It's that it's very neat, it's very precise, just like her. Uh, and she invites Harry to take a seat. I love the detail in the films of when he is walking in. Uh she has has her her row of pens that she's gonna ask him to use, and one of them is a little out of line. She pushes it with her finger back in. Like, I think that's just a perfect, you know, way of um like it's a it's a good exemplary uh, you know, move of of hers to show us just how precise she is. So Harry sits down and asks, uh uh Umbridge says, Alright, you'll be writing lines today, uh, Potter. And of course he's not happy about that, but you know, he's thinking, alright, it could be worse, it could be worse. And that's what we were all thinking too. You know, okay, lines, like it's pretty old school, it's uh, you know, not too bad. He could be doing a lot worse. And so she uh he he pulls out his quill, but no, no, no, actually you're gonna be using one of mine today. And she offers him one of her pens, one of her fountain pens that she had set up for him when he walked in. So he takes a look, he grabs one, he uh there's a piece of parchment already set out, and he asks, So what what will I be uh writing today, Professor Next? She says, I must not tell lies. Of course, the famous, famous detention that he has, I must not tell lies, and so he begins. Uh but sh he stops eventually, after a few lines, says, Okay, uh you didn't tell me how uh how many times I should I should write this. And um she says, Oh well, I think enough for the ink to sink in is what she says. And oh man, like that that like this whole scene is just horrible. It is just horrible. When you really think about it, this detention is like how is this allowed? Like this is like crazy with other detentions Harry's had, uh like I mean, I think of like Ron who went to scrub out the bedpans, you know, like that's the kind of like detention I would assume he would get for something like this. Because like that is like very, very unpleasant. I mean, Ron. Not enjoy that, but at the end of the day, he could walk out of there and he could learn his lesson and he wouldn't have any, I don't know, visible marks on him. Like this seems like corporal punishment, and I am I am definitely a little confused at why she's allowed to do this. Of course, naturally, what I think what is the case here is she is uh not. And this is quite a secretive detention that she has. What I if if I had to guess, she probably got authorization from Fudge. But of course, she wouldn't say, hello, I have Harry coming in. Can I please ask him to scratch the same lines into his flesh over and over again for a week? No. She would have said, like, uh to Aunt of Fudge, you know, Dumbledore wouldn't want me to be teaching these lessons. Are you sure that you you are giving me permission to do these things that Dumbledore doesn't want? You know, she would phrase it like that. So Fudge would say, Oh, of course, of course, of course. She would sign off, and then she would have the permission to do what she likes. So that's likely how it happened. But here she is, she has Harry writing lines enough for the ink to sink in. Even that, before we know what's gonna happen, of course we now we know, but of course Harry doesn't know. Before the detention begins, and she says that, it is like, uh, we know what it means, and it is just horrible. We know where Harry is heading. So he keeps writing. He keeps writing, and I I also like how it's not instant. It's not like a um and I I don't think he makes it worse. It's kind of like those like like old Roman punishments where they would like cover your uh like limbs in like um honey and salt and like have goats like lick your skin repeatedly. Like anyway, I don't know why that came into my head. Sorry, sorry about that. Um but the bottom line is like it's not like it's a super sharp, like immediately his hands gouged open. No, it's like it's very light, this the the the scratching that's that's that's going on, but that makes it even worse. Makes it even worse because he has to do it over and over and over and over again, and it is just every single time getting a little bit more uncomfortable, a little bit more uncomfortable. And we can kind of we can visibly see I like uh I I kinda like in the film, but maybe we can do it even better in the TV show. We see his hand kind of clenched on the desk, and he's just like we can tell that he's uncomfortable, but like you can almost see, like see this cuts begin to form on his hand. Oh gosh, I can just uh even thinking about it, it's horrible. So he keeps, he keeps writing, keeps writing, and then he feels this pain in his hand, and he just he like it's just like he is just in this horrible, like kind of haze. He doesn't know what's going on, he doesn't know what's happening, his hands get any more uncomfortable, and eventually we start to see he writes it a few more times, and slowly his skin starts to break open. Then we see blood start to come out, and that's when he notices he sees his hand and he looks at Umber, she is aghast. He can't believe that that's that she would let someone do that. He's looking at his hand, seeing these these cuts, these these cuts of writing start to form. He looks up at her and she is pleasant as always, as sickly sweet as always, and it is just this is our our hatred of her is growing by the moment, so he keeps running, keeps running, it gets deeper and deeper, and his he's in true pain now. Really, he is. And he he can't he feels like he's like the parchment's full, like he feels like he there's there's nowhere for him to go, and eventually he says, Okay, you may stop. Come back tomorrow, and we will be able to continue. Just like that. Just like that. He gets up, he walks out, and he's looking down at his hand, and he's thinking, I have to do this again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day after that, this is this is rough. He's looking at his hand, his the the the the cut's fresh. Ah, gosh, it's awful. So he goes back. And that second night before he begins, he says, Oh Professor, uh, there are keeper tryouts. There are there are keeper tryouts in a few days uh at at this time, and I am part of the team, and I think it would be uh unfitting, you know, of this is this is my detention, but it should not detract from my other duties. And she says, Oh no. I think it's good that you're missing something you enjoy, because it should, you know, further impress upon you the s the the severity of your actions. So if he got shut down. I don't know, was he expecting her to say yes? I don't know. I feel like that's kind of a long shot, so he uh he does it again, and it's even somehow even more painful than the first night. The third night, when he's walking back, he runs into Ron somehow, and Ron is there and he has a broomstick, but he kind of is holding it behind his back, and Harry puts his hand in his pocket, and eventually they kind of tell each other their their their secrets, where Harry is delighted to hear that Ron has been has been practicing for keeper tryouts, that he wants to join the Gryffindor team. And uh Ron sees Harry's hand and urges him to tell Dumbledore, but Harry refuses. This is uh we're beginning to plant the seeds of the Dumbledore arc of how uh they he is not very responsive, and how he and Harry have not been really interacting that much. Um so it's a very difficult time for for that uh relationship to to really work as it should. So the next night is keeper triads, and Umbridge is as satisfied, as smiling, as sweet as ever, invites him into uh her office, and Aries sits down and begins to write. He's he's he's almost numb to the pain at this point. He feels like he doesn't there's there's there's nothing else, you know, there's no there's not much else to give. You know, his hand is just getting ripped apart every night, and the scars that are forming are are are horrible, you know? Uh it's uh it's a really, really uh horrible punishment that he's that he's going through. He's trying to look out the window, trying to kind of see, you know, what's what's going on out there, what's going on. But he just he just can't. Umbridge is sees him looking and closes the window, so there's really no hope. He cannot see the geekeeper tryouts, uh, and he is in the dark. So he finishes up his his uh punishment, and he goes back to the common room, but he opens the door and it's an explosion because Ron made the team, he is so excited. Uh Harry is swept up in the celebration, and of course, there's food and there's drinks, and everyone's celebrating, and Ron is so happy, and they party for you know a good few minutes. Uh eventually the the festivities slowly wind down, everyone kind of goes to bed. Ron is so swept away, he he also goes to bed, and it's just Harry and Hermione left in the common room and they're sitting by the fire, and Harry isn't even thinking about his uh his uh cut because something happened during the detention. When he was looking out the window, Umbridge grabbed him to stop him from looking out, and his scar started to hurt. So this should kind of I mean we shouldn't do this as a as a as a flashback, but I just want to mention it now. Umbridge grabbed his arm and his scar hurt, and it was painful, it was a splitting pain. And he looked, he looked at her and but she didn't really seem to react, so he went back to it, and he hadn't really thought about it, but now it's been eating away at him, so he wasn't even thinking about his hand and her mind, he saw it and said, What is that? And uh she um had uh you know some kind of potion prepared, and it was, you know, she so she she she kind of made him a potion to kind of help help with his hand, some kind of like tentacle something, I don't know. Uh and he he dipped his hand in the tentacle solution, which made it feel a lot better, and they uh talked about Sirius because Harry wants to write to Sirius to ask him why his scar hurt so bad, but Hermione urges him not to, because they have to protect Sirius at all costs. So a very eventful sequence that was. Uh, but there is a little bit more in this episode, so let's move on.

Harry writes to Sirius about his scar

Oscar 29:51

The next day, Harry just can't stay away from the hour, so he goes up and he writes to Sirius because he has to know. He just has to know. Uh they they write to Sirius, and then they see in the Daily Prophet at breakfast that Sturgis Podmore, who was a member of the Order, was arrested for trying to break into the ministry. What a strange thing to have happen. They don't really know what to make of that. Uh and then they go to pr to to Quidditch practice because it is a uh lovely time to start prep practicing. Ron is ecstatic to be on the team, but the Slytherins are there and they are harassing them, and we are beginning to see the wee uh the I was gonna say Wheezy Wizard Wheezes. No, that's uh later. Uh they are unfortunately very unkind to Ron, and we of course have a certain song that's gonna start later. Uh we begin to kind of see that that that evolve. So Weasley as our king is definitely going to start ramping up. And I must say, it's funny, I was just thinking like, that's exactly the kind of thing someone would like make with AI these days. Like they would say, like, oh, make a funny song about you know my least favorite sporting event or something like that. But you know, Malfoy, to his credit, Malfoy spent the time. I bet he sat down with Quill and Parchment and he wrote out those lyrics. So good for him. You know what? Honestly, I can't even be mad at the song now because he uh is standing up to the forces of AI and he is he is writing his own lyrics. Good dog. Take take that, Suno. So good job, good job, Alpha. Uh, but they don't um the true Weasley is our king doesn't begin until the uh the match, which is coming up, but uh we will get there. So they are getting harassed at Quidditch practice, and that night Sirius appears in the fire and they talk about his scar. And Harry is reassured because Sirius says, Don't worry about your scar. It hurts when Voldemort feels a very strong emotion. Chances are when she grabbed you, that's probably what was happening. So he is reassured. And after the conversation, uh a an owl arrives from Percy warning Ron to stay away from Harry. So this uh the reason I'm not really going too far into a lot of these things is that we kind of know what they contain, uh, but they are still important, so it is important to mention them. Ron is is kind of surprised, like why would Percy tell him to stay away from away from Harry? Like, that's just kind of a strange thing for Percy to say. So they don't know what's going on there. But the big event to end this episode is Umbridge is named the High Inquisitor. So that means she goes around inspecting classes, uh, and we will see a few in this episode. The most important one is she inspects Trelawney's class. And she asks Trelawney to make a prediction for her. And Trelawney can't, like, she's kind of confused and kind of embarrassed, she can't really do it. And so uh Umbridge, you know, says, huh, interesting, you know, makes a makes a little noise, makes a tick on her clipboard, and walks out. So she is cementing herself as number top one worst people at Hogwarts, uh, and that is holding very true. But the real, you know, kind of that so that's that's the catalyst, but the reaction that happens after that is they're sitting in the com room, they're thinking, Umbridge is taking control of this castle, she is not teaching us defense, she is not doing anything with us, and yet we have to learn somehow. Somehow. And so Hermione says, Well, Harry, you have a lot of experience in this kind of thing. I wonder if maybe we should just d do it ourselves. Like, why don't you just teach us how to do it? And Harry's like, what? Like, you? And my Hermione says, Yes, we should maybe form our own groups, our own defense against the Dark Arch group, something that we can control, something that's only for us. And that idea sinks in. And that's the end of episode three. There are there were so many good spots to end that episode, but I think I I really like that as kind of like a natural cliffhanger, because now we're really thinking, like, oh gosh, like what's gonna happen now? Because of course Umbridge is taking control of the castle, and the students are officially trying to fight back. So, uh great episode three. Let's move on to episode four.

Episode four begins with the mass meeting at the Hog’s Head

Oscar 34:27

Episode four begins with the mass meeting at the hog's head. And I had a very clear image of how this episode begins. So it is now winter time. It is officially winter, everyone's cold, it's very snowy, and here's how the episode opens. We open up on a bridge. We see the bridge, it's very snowy, and we hear voices. We hear Harry, Ron, and Hermione talking, and we can we see them slowly in the distance. Come on, their heads pop up and their shoulders and their chests and their waist and their feet, and they're we see them appear, and then they walk across the bridge in the snow. They're all bundled up, their breath is fogging in the air, we see the kind of misty trees filled with snow, the distance, the mounds rising in the back, and we realize that they are walking towards Hogsmead. Because it is time for the first meeting of the of the DA. Uh, and that name is gonna come up uh very soon. So it's not really called anything right now. So they all go into the hog's head, and Hermione uh Harry asks Hermione uh as I think I this this is a good moment for like a funny moment. Uh as they're walking into the hog's head, uh Harry asks Hermione, so uh again, how many how many people are meeting here? And Hermione says, Oh, a f just just a couple, she says. They walk in and the hog's head is packed. I mean, the barman who we don't know yet, uh has is just he doesn't he's never seen so many people, probably in his life. It is there's people on every stool around every table, extra chairs pulled up, extra things, extra that. Butterbeer is everywhere. Uh and the second Harry walks in, the conversation dies down. And Harry turns to her mind and he says, A couple? You said a couple people? It's like must be like fifty people there. So they sit down and they like the Harry doesn't even know what to do. So Hermione stands up and it's very awkward. She's like, uh like uh welcome. Like she just she doesn't know what to say. And to be fair, I wouldn't either. Like it's kind of a strange moment. At the first meeting, you know, she has to get it right. So she stands up, makes her peace, and of course, uh, this is also where we begin to see we discussed at the beginning of the last episode where people are not really trusting Harry. They don't think that he is telling the truth. So Harry begins to Um, Harry kind of gets annoyed with some of the questions people are asking. Like, people are saying, like, like, oh, so did it did it really happen? Like, could you tell us what happened in the graveyard? And Harry gets annoyed, he says, Look, if you're here to hear, you know, if you're if you're here to tell hear what happened, leave. Like you're wasting your time. I'm telling the truth. I've told you a hundred times, you do not need to hear it again from me. But no one leaves. Uh who is it? Is it uh Zacharias Smith? That's that's that's the annoying one. Yeah, well, it's him. So they are not happy. They are not happy at all. Uh uh, I should say, Harry's not happy, but that quickly changes. Because eventually they begin saying, well, uh, you know, Hermione and Ron and everyone else who kind of know all the things that Harry's done, they begin hyping him up. Like, you know, they say like he fought off all those Dementors, he fought Quarrel, you know, in his first year and killed the basilisk and cast a Patronus, I guess all those Dementors, and then you know, fought off Voldemort, and Harry's like kind of he's just he's just thinking, like, guys, this is all luck. That's all it is, is luck. But it just doesn't the effect isn't there, and this is an interesting moment to pause because I am actually curious to kind of discuss with you guys what like what do you think? Like, is it luck? Like, do you actually think it's luck? Because honestly, I'm not even sure. I think if I had to say like what the formula of Harry's success is, plot armor is a big one, so we could maybe equate that to luck. But to be fair, he does know what he's doing. Like, out of the people in that room, he is the most like magically uh savvy in this sense, you know, in the dueling sense. Hermione knows a lot of spells, and she she she has these very specific, you know, little intricate, like perfect little spells for every moment. And I think she, I mean, has that corner of the market, you know, uh to to uh so so to speak. But Harry, like, and a good example of that is like when they were uh when he was kind of uh defending Sirius against all those all the Patronuses, of gosh, all the Dementors, gosh, when he cast his Patronus against the Dementors in the Prisoner of Ascommand, Hermione couldn't do it, but Harry could, and I think that should say something. You know, Harry does know what he's doing to some degree. So that's the point that they're trying to make, and eventually they come to the conclusion that Harry can teach them what's going on. They say that we have to learn, we have to know what's out there. And that is what really gets them going. They say, let's do this. Hermione has a uh has a parchment, uh, and they don't have a name yet, but Jenny suggests, oh, how about Dumbledore's army? You know, because they want to make it sound um official, and they don't want it to be very um, you know, they don't want it to be like the Anti-Umbridge Defense League. Like that seems a little on the nose. So uh a good suggestion from Jenny. Hermione writes it over the top, and everyone signs their names to the parchment, which uh Hermione later reveals is uh enchanted. So everyone is everyone's names are down and they can begin. So uh before they can, however, before they can, Umbridge bans all organizations, all student organizations must receive uh uh permission from her to continue. So that is a uh very interesting moment there, and they're wondering, what the heck? Like, how did she find out? But Hermione says, well, it wasn't any of us, because she put a uh a hex on that parchment. If anyone uh were to snitch on them, their face would break out in boils. No thanks. No thank you. So they say, alright, well, I guess they don't know what's uh what's what's going on there. So luckily the Gryffindor Quiddish team does get get permission. But uh before that, Hedwig delivers a message to Harry. And Hedwig is kind of badly, you know, she's a little damaged, she's uh a little disheveled, her wing is kind of at an odd angle, her foot's kind of, you know, uh, and they uh it will be later revealed that they are searching the mail. So they are searching the mail, and Hedwig was looks like forcibly searched, which is not very nice. Hedwig did not do anything to anyone. But Sirius tells Harry, same time, same place. That's that's what he says, Harry. And so they have another meeting uh at the fire that night. But uh before uh Sirius leaves the meeting, so you know, they talk about the usual stuff, whatever. The meet kind of the meeting isn't so important, but what is important is after Sirius leaves, Harry is about to walk away, but he sees Umbridge's hand come out of the fire and begin kind of trying to grab around, see what's there. We realize that she knew it was from Sirius and she knew where to find him. So obviously, we are beginning to see that Umbridge has eyes and ears everywhere. So, a little scary, honestly. Uh, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how she kind of how how her character evolves in that way. So we have one more chunk of the episode to discuss. So let's move

Dobby tells Harry about the Room of Requirement

Oscar 41:56

on. That last chunk begins with some more Quidditch. So they go to the Quidditch pitch. Ron is slowly getting better, but it's important that he uh is his nerves are not very good. He is very nervous, and that uh very uh heavily affects his performance. Uh and after that, they all go back to the to the chain of the changing rooms, locker rooms, which in many trailers we have now seen, so I'm assuming we're gonna get some uh locker room shots here. Uh but we uh Harry's by the fire, he's thinking about this this detention and this scar and Sirius and Quidditch and everything, and he just falls asleep by the fire, his head is still roiling, he doesn't know what to do, and this new defense thing, Dumbledore's army is starting up, and he doesn't know what's going on. But Dobby pokes him awake, and uh Dobby's like just saying hi and talking about, you know, uh asking about these hats that he's seeing Hermione make everywhere, which we haven't really mentioned. But the important part of this conversation is Harry gets an ID. He says, Dobby, you don't know where we could practice defensive magic. And he says, A lot of people, big space, you know, is there any way Dobby can make that happen? And Dapy says, Well, of course, the room of requirement. And so Harry goes to this room of requirement, doesn't know what the heck's going on there. And like Dobby says, he walks past the door uh three times with his eyes closed, thinking what he needs, and suddenly the door appears, and that's when he goes in and sees the perfect space for them to practice adventure magic. Uh he brings, of course, uh the trio, they're all there, and they're looking around, and they see books, you know, with with uh good things, they see places for them to sit, uh big places for them to practice, and it is perfect. It's perfect there. So the Room of Requirement, the Room of Requirement is such an interesting room, and the reason why I think it is gonna be a very interesting thing to see is because the Fantastic Beasts movies all Already showed us what the Room of Requirement could look like, you know, in a in a different time. So we, of course, we know exactly what it looks like in the Order of the Phoenix, but uh there's also that other interpretation of it in the Fantastic Beast, and it's it's it's not the same, you know, it's not the exact same, of course it's not, but uh it is definitely similar. So I'm wondering how that's gonna come across with even we see you know cross uh cross universes, well not universes, but cross, you know, worlds, so to speak, it is still similar. So I'm curious how they're gonna uh interpret that. But beyond that, the Room of Requirement is a very interesting magical place just in general. Like they walk past it and suddenly it appears, and I do really like how it's done, how they um walk past, you know, three times and then uh it it you know it kind of like ink, you know, like ink it's almost like the Marauders map, it like saturates the stone and kind of creates this door that that they can walk through. I do like that. And I think I would I maybe add, and an element I would add to that is this idea of like it's kind of like a like like an optical illusion. Like that's kind of what I'm what I'm imagining. Like the like the ink, you know, it it that's that's kind of how it appears, but it's almost like, you know, when you're looking at something, then you kind of shift your head and it like moves in a way you don't expect, and you realize that it like is actually facing like the other way, and it's like, oh, it's just like like like an optical illusion. That's the kind of thing that I I'm I'm envisioning here. Uh, and I think it's gonna be a very uh cool effect, especially with our modern technologies uh and our nature. You know, how is this natural modern technology magic gonna appear in Thorum of the Room of Requirement? So that's gonna be super cool to see. Uh, but the actual practice has to happen, and this this is what's going to end this episode. So Harry doesn't know where to start. He doesn't know where to start, but he thinks, of course, the perfect place to start is his signature, the disarming charm expelling armor is he's going to teach the uh Dumbledore's army how to disarm. And they're thinking and they um are a little skeptical of him because they say, Oh, like, are you sure? Like, I didn't think that was really gonna be helpful. Like, I thought there were more useful spells out there to learn. But Harry says, You're right that there are more powerful spells, but he shares his experience that on many occasions, and even in that last summer, his duel with with with Voldemort, his life was saved uh upon multiple occasions by the disarming charm. So they they they get to work, and Harry's teaching and kind of walking around, and he's kind of finding that he's good at it, and he actually enjoys teaching people how to do this magic. So eventually they get pretty good, and er, I mean, Neville uh isn't um, you know, he is struggling a little bit, but eventually uh Harry kind of gives him some pointers and kind of shows shows him how it's done, and by the end, he he gets a few good ones off. So, on the whole, it's it's a very positive experience. Everyone is uh pleased with how it came out, and everyone really is happy. So uh I think that is such a wonderful place for the episode to end is that the the DA actually means something. So it's it's it's a success, everyone's happy, and here's exactly how the episode ends. Number one, Hermione hands out gold coins. Ron is really happy to see that, but no, they're fake. Uh the date and time of the manufacture uh number, you know, you can you can see uh when the coin was made, that will change to the date of the next meeting, just to make it easier for people to uh see. And it's not so so suspicious that people kept getting up and talking to each other, which is smart on Hermione's part. And I must say, that seems like it it kind of goes flies under the radar. And of course, I mean they they do appreciate how advanced that magic is, but still, like that's really cool what what what Hermione did. So I am very happy that that that Hermione uh did that, and she is actually really kind of she's she clearly knows what she's doing. So they um Hermione kiss out the coins and they kind of have their final, like their their their first post-lesson meeting. And and they're saying, like, wow, like Harry is impressed, he is wishing them on, uh, and he says he he shares just how happy he is with with with what they're doing and just how much or progress they're making. Uh and that's kind of where I want to end it. I think that's a really great place to end it. It's kind of fighting the power. We ended last episode on the kind something of a downer, you know, uh Umbridge getting named High Inquisidor, and then then saying we have to do this, we have to do something about this, and this is their something about that. Uh Dumbler's Army is in full force, and I am so, so, so happy the way it's turning out. Uh, I certainly hope you enjoyed this this discussion because that is the end of episode four. Thank you all so much uh for listening. I certainly hope you stuck around. If you were listening to this uh at the very end, I really do appreciate your uh your your ears, your time every week. Uh it really means a lot that you spend it with me. If you know someone who you would think would enjoy this episode, go ahead and share uh the episode with someone who you know would enjoy it. A Harry Potter fan, a non fan, your mom, your neighbor, whoever you think would enjoy it. I really would appreciate if you would share this episode with someone uh who you know. And of course, if you have anything you want to reach out to me about, uh the potter discussion at gmail.com. That is the potter discussion at gmail.com, is always open. I read every single one. I am so so happy to hear from you guys. Uh so definitely keep up that uh that that key that communication. Have a wonderful week, everyone. Thank you so much again for joining me. I will see you next week. And as always, remember that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light. I will see you all later.