Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Chapter Notes

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 3: The Advance Guard

• I absolutely completely love Tonks, ever since her introduction. Her humour, her nonchalance, her attitude. That she is a bit messy and clumsy, and can’t manage any household spells. That she is an Auror and wears all kind of extravagant hair colours. She is… well… cool. If people say Harry had his bisexual awakening with Bill, Ginny had hers with Tonks. Tonks is so very full of life, and that is why her death later will hurt so very much.

• “‘It’s not very neat,’ said Tonks, walking over to the trunk and looking down at the jumble inside. ‘My mum’s got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly – she even gets the socks to fold themselves – but I’ve never mastered how she does it – it’s a kind of flick –’ She flicked her wand hopefully. One of Harry’s socks gave a feeble sort of wiggle and flopped back on top of the mess in the trunk.” – We later learn that Tonk’s mother is Andromeda Black (well, now Tonks), so it is very likely she grew up with a house-elf and didn’t need to learn all those household-spells in her youth. But when she married a Muggleborn wizard her family dismissed her, so learning those spells was in a way an act of rebellion. (I also wonder if Narcissa Malfoy had to learn those spells after Dobby was freed, because it is not like you can buy a house-elf just like that, that are family heirlooms.)

• This departure is very similar to when Harry leaves Privet Drive for the last time in book 7. This time Moody mentions what will happen if one of them dies, even though nobody does, but the tragic irony is that in book 7 it will be Moody who dies.