Mrs. Figg's appearance greatly surprised Harry.
He instinctively tried to hide the wand in his hand.
The magical world had rules. To preserve peace, wizards were not permitted to reveal their supernatural abilities casually in front of Muggles.
But Mrs. Figg stopped him. "Don't put your wand away, Harry.
"They could return at any moment. You can't expect me to fight them, can you?"
"?"
Mrs. Figg's words left Harry frozen in place.
The next second, the scene cut away.
Harry supported Dudley, whose mind had practically been sucked dry by the Dementors, and returned home to Privet Drive with Mrs. Figg.
At the same time, Mrs. Figg's background was revealed to the audience through their conversation.
It turned out that Mrs. Figg was not an ordinary person either.
Although she was a Squib, she was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Of course, while speaking with Harry, Mrs. Figg did not reveal that she belonged to the Order. She merely told him that she knew Dumbledore and that Dumbledore had asked her to watch over him.
Dumbledore's silent concern warmed Harry's heart.
So, following Mrs. Figg's instructions, he brought the now nearly catatonic Dudley home.
He intended to wait patiently there for Dumbledore's next arrangement.
However, the moment he returned, his aunt and uncle accused him of being the one who had harmed Dudley.
Harry found this deeply frustrating, but just as he tried to explain, a letter arrived from the Ministry of Magic.
The sender stated that Harry had violated the laws of the magical world by misusing magic in the Muggle world. As a result, he had been expelled from Hogwarts. Someone would soon arrive to destroy his wand, and he was required to appear before the Ministry of Magic for a hearing at a specified time.
Harry's misfortune delighted Uncle Vernon.
However, Vernon had no desire to deal with anyone from the Ministry of Magic. After learning that more wicked wizards would soon arrive at his home to deal with Harry, he immediately left with his wife and son, generously leaving the house to Harry.
Given Harry's personality, his instinctive reaction at that moment should actually have been to run. After all, he was never truly an obedient child. Over the past several years, he had broken countless Hogwarts rules and Ministry regulations. He had never taken those restrictions seriously.
To put it another way, he was just like Hermione, a little demon child.
Ahem, ahem!
However, before leaving, Mrs. Figg had instructed him to remain at home and behave because Dumbledore would make arrangements. Since Harry trusted Dumbledore completely,
Harry decided to become Kevin and stay Home Alone while waiting to see what happened next.
Honestly, the events currently being shown on the screen differed considerably from the original novel.
First, the sound Harry heard at the beginning had nothing to do with the Dementors.
It had been caused by a wizard named Mundungus Fletcher.
He was Dumbledore's contact in the Muggle world and had specifically been assigned to protect Harry.
However, because he loved taking advantage of opportunities,
the only reason he had Disapparated at that moment was that he had noticed a wizard transporting cauldrons through the sky.
The other wizard had lost control, causing several cauldrons to fall.
Mundungus wanted to collect them, so he abandoned his post.
That allowed the Dementors to attack Harry and ruined all of Dumbledore's arrangements. Dumbledore had assigned Mundungus to protect Harry primarily so that he could handle any danger Harry encountered.
He was supposed to prevent Harry from using magic in the Muggle world at any cost.
But a film's running time was severely limited. Even after The Order of the Phoenix was divided into two parts, there was still no room to present so much content. Therefore, Chris Columbus removed everything involving Mundungus.
Second, in the original novel, Harry received five messages while facing his uncle after returning home.
The first came from the Ministry of Magic.
It informed Harry that he had been expelled for using magic illegally.
The second came from Arthur Weasley, Ron's father. He told Harry not to use any more magic and not to surrender his wand.
The third also came from the Ministry of Magic. It stated that the decision to destroy Harry's wand had been withdrawn and that he could retain it until his formal hearing.
The decision to expel Harry from Hogwarts had also been withdrawn. The new ruling was that he would be suspended pending his hearing.
The fourth came from Sirius, who warned Harry not to leave his home under any circumstances.
The fifth came from Dumbledore. It was addressed to Aunt Petunia and told her not to throw Harry out of the house.
In the original novel, these five messages contained an enormous amount of information.
The first meant that the Ministry of Magic was monitoring Harry in real time. When combined with the events of The Goblet of Fire and Dumbledore's arrangements at the beginning of The Order of the Phoenix, having Mundungus and Mrs. Figg watch over Harry, any normal person could see that the Ministry of Magic was already completely rotten.
They had no intention of resisting Voldemort.
They only wanted to suppress the truth and preserve their power.
They were like ostriches that had sensed danger and buried their heads in the ground.
Such behavior
was disgusting.
The second, third, and fourth messages needed to be considered together. Their appearance showed that Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley, and Sirius had also been watching over Harry. The moment something happened to him, they immediately learned about it and acted.
But their current opponents were extremely powerful. They were not only facing Voldemort, but also the Ministry of Magic.
Therefore,
even someone as powerful as Dumbledore could only respond to each move as it came.
Finally, the fifth message revealed that Aunt Petunia had always understood the magical world.
Yes!
She might genuinely have been incapable of magic and merely been a Muggle, but she undoubtedly understood how the magical world operated and how dangerous it was!
Given that fact, Aunt Petunia's treatment of Harry over the years could no longer be explained as "worrying that something might happen to her nephew" or "missing her younger sister." Her hatred of Harry had come from the bottom of her heart.
Otherwise,
her nephew might have been forced to face Dementors every day?
Had Aunt Petunia genuinely loved her sister, Harry's mother, then after learning that her nephew would also enter the magical world, her initial reaction might have been resistance, but she would never have continued resisting forever.
Right?
After all, guiding something was better than trying to block it!
Had Petunia truly loved Harry,
she could never have treated him with contempt for ten years!
She would certainly have tried everything she could to help Harry escape his predicament!
So—
the five messages at the beginning of The Order of the Phoenix were extremely important.
With only one incident, J. K. Rowling fully established three things: Harry was in grave danger, Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic had effectively become opposing forces, and Harry's aunt and uncle loved him less than Sirius did.
Because these events were so compelling, both entertainment-industry professionals and fans of the novels had always argued that Harry Potter would be presented best as a television series.
Unfortunately, the film adaptation came first.
So,
perhaps embracing imperfection was the only true form of perfection.
When a film's limited running time prevented its creators from including everything they wanted, making decisive compromises was inevitable, even when the original story seemed impossible to cut. Under Chris Columbus's direction, Sirius and Mr. Weasley's concern for Harry was removed, while their role in persuading him to remain patiently at home was transferred to Mrs. Figg.
As for the scene in which the Ministry withdrew its decision under pressure from Dumbledore and the others?
Whoosh!
As Uncle Vernon departed, the image on the screen cut away.
Left home alone, Harry embraced his loneliness.
Then, after a transition involving one of his memories of Cedric, "Mad-Eye" Moody and Professor "Moony" Lupin appeared before Harry. They had come to rescue him.
The reassurance that should have appeared earlier was instead delivered by Professor Lupin, whom Harry knew well. "Harry, don't be nervous. Dumbledore reached an agreement with Fudge. The Ministry has decided not to carry out your punishment for now."
"For now?"
"Yes. You may keep your wand temporarily. Everything else will be decided after your hearing on August twelfth. And at Dumbledore's strong insistence, the matter of your expulsion will also be discussed that day."
"Oh, is that really true?"
"Of course!"
"But the relationship between the headmaster and Fudge, oh, I mean, they parted on terrible terms only a few months ago."
"Harry, I understand what you mean, but you and Dumbledore are not alone. Other people also spoke on your behalf, including Ron's father, Arthur Weasley."
"Mr. Weasley defended me too?"
"Yeah."
Lupin had been a close friend of Harry's father, James Potter.
He had also gone on an adventure with Harry before.
Therefore, in Harry's eyes, Lupin's words were highly trustworthy.
After learning that many people still cared for him, Harry's face immediately brightened with a relieved smile. When the audience saw this heartwarming moment—
"Oh, this is the final bit of warmth before the great battle begins, isn't it?"
"Just thinking about all the life-or-death situations Harry is about to experience makes me sad!"
"I think this section was adapted very well. Harry is constantly starved of affection in the book. If I remember correctly, the original version focused more on his anxiety. After learning that he might be expelled, Harry wrote to Ron and Hermione, but he never received the response he wanted. Here, however,
wow."
"Exactly. Rowling's writing is incredibly cruel, but Chris Columbus's camera feels like a fairy tale!"
Now that Harry had made contact with the people Dumbledore sent, the main plot of The Order of the Phoenix: Part One officially began. After flying wildly through the Muggle world, Harry arrived at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in London.
This was the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.
Uh.
In the original novel, Harry did indeed travel to the Order's headquarters by broomstick. However, J. K. Rowling's Harry did not fly around recklessly. He cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and flew high among the clouds, hidden from people's sight.
After all, both the Ministry of Magic and Voldemort were watching Harry at the time.
If he flew around without any caution, the consequences would be even more serious than using Expecto Patronum to blast a Dementor away in the Muggle world.
But films needed visual spectacle.
Therefore, the screen presented this sequence in the coolest way possible.
Harry flew directly over the River Thames, skimming past Muggle tourist boats!
Anyone still worrying about logic or faithfulness to the original at a moment like this simply did not understand artistic creation.
Returning to the film,
after entering the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, the first familiar face Harry saw was Ron's mother, Mrs. Weasley.
Harry's safe arrival greatly relieved Mrs. Weasley. She rushed toward him and gave him a huge hug. But perhaps because the situation was so severe and the matters at hand were so urgent,
she only spoke with Harry for a few moments before sending him upstairs to talk with her son Ron and Hermione.
She assured Harry that Ron and Hermione could answer all of his questions.
Although Harry could not understand Mrs. Weasley's behavior, he still respected her decision.
When he went upstairs and entered the room where Ron and Hermione were staying—
"Oh, Harry, you're finally here!"
The moment the door opened and Hermione saw Harry, she rushed forward and gave him a huge hug.
With an anxious expression, she asked, "How are you? Is everything all right? When we learned that the Dementors had attacked you, we were terrified!
"And that hearing at the Ministry of Magic is completely absurd!
"Don't worry about it! I carefully checked the law! The Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery clearly states that underage witches and wizards are permitted to use magic in the Muggle world when their lives are under serious threat!"
Her rapid stream of words struck Harry like a heavy hammer.
It left him somewhat dazed.
Ron, standing beside Hermione, spoke up to help him. "Oh, Hermione, let Harry catch his breath first.
"He only just arrived!"
Although Ron's face was filled with joy and his voice overflowed with excitement, since Harry's safe arrival was wonderful news and the three of them were finally reunited,
Harry did not feel the same way.
When he first saw the two of them, Harry had been smiling.
Hermione's flying embrace and visibly excited concern had made him especially happy.
But when he heard Ron say that he had only just arrived and needed to rest,
the smile on Harry's face gradually receded like the tide.
"So, what is this place?"
Harry asked dejectedly.
"Headquarters,"
Ron answered instinctively.
"The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix,"
Hermione added. "The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organization Dumbledore established to fight You-Know-Who."
"Uh, I'd like to know why none of this could have been mentioned in your letters?"
Harry pursed his lips. Standing face-to-face with his friends, his expression was filled with confusion.
"Oh, we wanted to tell you in our letters, but Dumbledore made us swear not to reveal any of it."
Ron had already noticed Harry's displeasure, so he immediately revealed the heart of the matter.
The moment Harry heard the name "Dumbledore," his brow tightened. "Ron, are you saying Dumbledore didn't want me to know any of this?
"Oh, this is completely ridiculous! I never expected the two of you to obey him so faithfully!
"When we were at Hogwarts before, did you ever listen to him this obediently?
"No, right?
"So now! He tells you not to tell me anything about this place, and you simply obey him?
"This is, this is, this is completely unreasonable!"
The sudden roar left Ron stunned!
His body trembled as he said in alarm, "Harry, how can you think that way—"
"How can I think that way?"
Ron's question made Harry even angrier. He shouted, "Because the two of you have been together for more than a month while I was completely alone at the Dursleys'! We went through everything together! We all know how serious the situation is! But I couldn't hear or see anything! I could only spend every day surrounded by fear!"
Harry clenched both hands tightly!
His face turned red!
Veins bulged along his neck!
He roared,
"I was trapped on Privet Drive for four whole weeks! To gather information about the outside world, I even lay in the Dursleys' flower bed listening to the news! I desperately wanted to know more, but I had no way of learning anything! That isn't fair to me, is it?
"I know why Dumbledore told you to keep everything from me! He was afraid Voldemort might intercept our communications! But that doesn't justify hiding absolutely everything from me, does it?
"Ron!
"Do you remember the beginning of our second year? You drove a flying car to take me to Hogwarts!
"Hermione!
"Don't you know who protected the Philosopher's Stone? Who defeated Riddle? Who drove away the Dementors? Who had to get past a dragon, a Sphinx, and every other disgusting creature imaginable? Who personally witnessed Voldemort's return? Who had to do everything possible to escape from Voldemort?
"It was me!
"It was me!
"It was me!"
Harry's heart-wrenching cries poured out all the resentment buried inside him!
His reddened eyes revealed how helpless he felt!
Honestly, Dumbledore's current arrangement, keeping Harry completely in the dark, was somewhat inappropriate.
Harry had endured endless pressure over the past several years.
As the savior of the magical world, he had the right to know at least some of what was happening behind the scenes.
But Dumbledore had not done that. He had treated Harry like a puppet on strings.
That was
rather cruel.
However, every matter needed to be examined from more than one perspective, didn't it?
Therefore, when faced with his shouting, the cleverest young witch in the Harry Potter series, Hermione Granger, took a deep breath and nodded with genuine understanding. "I'm sorry, Harry.
"You're right.
"You truly had the right to know all of this. We handled the situation badly."
"?"
Hermione's words were like a Silencing Charm. They interrupted Harry's spell and left him frozen while he was still breathing heavily.
Hermione continued, "Honestly, if I were you, I would be angry too.
"I'm not some perfectly obedient girl. Over the past several years, I've broken plenty of school rules.
"So I can't excuse my behavior merely by saying that Dumbledore ordered me to do it.
"If scolding me makes you feel better, you can continue."
"??"
Hermione's words made Harry frown instinctively. He did not understand why she was saying this.
Ron also looked at Hermione in surprise.
Under their gazes, Hermione continued speaking to Harry. "But I want to tell you something sincere.
"The reason Ron and I obediently followed Dumbledore's instructions this time is that the situation has become far too serious. That man has returned, and he intends to attack the magical world again. So when Dumbledore told us that you might be the key to defeating him, we no longer dared to act recklessly.
"We were afraid our actions might disrupt Dumbledore's plans.
"More than that, we were afraid that acting impulsively might place you in danger.
"We don't want anything to happen to you.
"Harry."
Only then did Hermione finally stop.
She looked calmly at Harry, but tears were already gathering in her eyes.
As for Harry,
while looking into Hermione's eyes, he had already pressed his lips tightly together!
His teeth were clenched!
He was desperately trying to control himself and prevent himself from crying!
But,
after a brief pause, Harry finally raised his head.
"Oh, this adaptation is wonderful!"
"My God, Hermione directly resolved Harry's emotional conflict before the war even began?
"'I truly let you down'? 'We don't want anything to happen to you'? Those words are so simple and sincere!"
"But the simplest words are often the most moving, aren't they?"
"Exactly! Honestly, I almost want to cry alongside Harry now! Hermione said it perfectly!"
"Uh, although I also think Hermione's dialogue here was excellent, don't you think Hermione genuinely resembles Harry's mother? In the previous film, when Harry and Ron were fighting, Hermione was also the one who helped them understand each other and resolve the conflict. And in this film, only a mother would tolerate her child unconditionally and admit her mistakes in front of him, right?"
"Hiss, that comparison is incredibly dark. So Harry Potter could also be called Hermione Granger Takes Her Beloved Son to Fight Voldemort, the Strongest Dark Wizard in History?"
"Hahahaha, I like that title!"
"Same here!"