Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Character Analysis

Harry Potter

The titular protagonist; a fifteen-year-old wizard. As a baby, the Dark Lord Voldemort tried to kill Harry. He succeeded in murdering Harry's parents, James and Lily, but when he tried to kill Harry, the… read analysis of Harry Potter

Dolores Umbridge

One of the novel's antagonists. A short, squat witch who looks like a toad and often wears pink and fluffy cardigans, Umbridge is in league with Fudge and will do whatever she can to keep… read analysis of Dolores Umbridge

Hermione Granger

One of Harry's two best friends and the smartest witch in his year. Hermione is thrilled to be made a prefect and takes her responsibilities very seriously. She does her best to stop Fred… read analysis of Hermione Granger

Ron Weasley

One of Harry's two best friends. Ron is a tall, gangly redhead and the sixth Weasley child. Though he's never been a great student and has gotten into nearly as much trouble at school… read analysis of Ron Weasley

Professor Albus Dumbledore

The headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore is an old and accomplished wizard who, according to many, is the only wizard Voldemort is afraid of. As Harry's mentor, Harry is very close to Dumbledore, so it's… read analysis of Professor Albus Dumbledore

Sirius Black

Harry's godfather. Fourteen years earlier, Sirius was imprisoned in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, but he escaped two years ago with Harry's help and has been on the run since then. He… read analysis of Sirius Black

Lord Voldemort

The main antagonist of the series; a Dark wizard who came to power decades ago, was destroyed when he tried to kill Harry as a baby, and then returned to power four weeks before the… read analysis of Lord Voldemort

Professor Severus Snape

The Potions Master at Hogwarts and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry has a difficult time believing that Snape is truly loyal to Dumbledore, given that he was once a Death… read analysis of Professor Severus Snape

Luna Lovegood

Luna is a quirky fourth year Ravenclaw student. Classmates call her "Loony" Lovegood and make fun of her, as she has persistently misty eyes, a dreamy voice, and believes fully in creatures that don't exist… read analysis of Luna Lovegood

Hagrid

The Hogwarts gamekeeper as well as Harry's friend and confidante. Hagrid is gone for the first few months of the school year and nobody knows where he is. When he returns, bruised, bleeding, and… read analysis of Hagrid

Fred Weasley

One of the Weasley twins. A seventh year, Fred isn't especially interested in returning to Hogwarts to sit his N.E.W.T. exams. He only does so because Mrs. Weasley insists, and Fred and George don't want… read analysis of Fred Weasley

George Weasley

One of the Weasley twins. A seventh year, George isn't especially interested in returning to Hogwarts to sit his N.E.W.T. exams. He only does so because Mrs. Weasley insists, and Fred and George don't want… read analysis of George Weasley

Neville Longbottom

Harry's friend and fellow fifth year student in Gryffindor. Neville has been raised by his gran, as Voldemort's followers tortured his parents to insanity and they now live in St. Mungo's hospital. Though… read analysis of Neville Longbottom

Professor Minerva McGonagall

The Hogwarts Transfiguration professor and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She's a proper, imposing, and rule-abiding witch, which puts her in a difficult position when Umbridge begins her crusade to bring Hogwarts… read analysis of Professor Minerva McGonagall

Kreacher

The house-elf that serves the Black family at number twelve, Grimmauld Place. He's ancient and the towel he wears is so filthy as to be nearly unrecognizable. He seems to entirely subscribe to the Black… read analysis of Kreacher

Ginny Weasley

The youngest Weasley child and the only girl; she's a fourth year this year. Over the summer, Ginny joins Fred and George in trying to listen in on Order of the Phoenix meetings and later… read analysis of Ginny Weasley

Cornelius Fudge

The pompous and self-important Minister of Magic. Though Harry has most often found Fudge to be bumbling and fatherly throughout the series, Fudge becomes an adversary this year by refusing to believe that Voldemort has… read analysis of Cornelius Fudge

Percy Weasley

The third Weasley child. Though Percy has always been a fan of rules and order, he takes this to the extreme in the weeks before the novel starts. Rather than stand with the rest of… read analysis of Percy Weasley

Professor Trelawney

The Hogwarts Divination professor. Harry describes her as being like a "glittering insect," as she wears lots of scarves, jewelry, and glasses that magnify her eyes. She attempts to behave mysteriously and act as though… read analysis of Professor Trelawney

Mr. Weasley

Ron's father and an employee in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office at the Ministry of Magic. Mr. Weasley loves Muggles and is very interested in Muggle technology, so he enjoys his job. The… read analysis of Mr. Weasley

Mrs. Weasley

Ron's mother and an important member of the Order of the Phoenix. She is a kind, warm woman who treats Harry as an honorary son—but because of this, she tries to keep Harry in… read analysis of Mrs. Weasley

Lily Potter

Harry's mother. She and her husband, James, died when Harry was only a year old, trying to protect him from Voldemort. Lily was beautiful, with red hair and green eyes that she… read analysis of Lily Potter

James Potter

Harry's father. James and his wife, Lily, died when Harry was one year old, trying to protect Harry from Voldemort. Harry admires his father and takes pride any time someone says that… read analysis of James Potter

Draco Malfoy

Harry's nemesis at school. Malfoy is a wealthy boy in Slytherin, from a prominent Wizarding family. Though he's always been power-hungry and cruel, this year he has the added benefit of being a prefect… read analysis of Draco Malfoy

Lucius Malfoy

Draco Malfoy's father and a prominent Death Eater. A rich man, Mr. Malfoy is well connected at the Ministry because he often gives money to charitable causes. Nobody outside of the Order of the… read analysis of Lucius Malfoy

Remus Lupin

One of James Potter's childhood friends and formerly a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. He's an active member of the Order of the Phoenix and is one of Harry's beloved… read analysis of Remus Lupin

Firenze

A centaur whom Dumbledore hires to teach Divination after Umbridge fires Professor Trelawney. For a centaur, Firenze has an unusually close relationship with humans; he allowed Harry to ride him to safety in Harry's… read analysis of Firenze

Dudley

Harry's Muggle cousin. Dudley has been overweight his entire life, but in the year before the start of the novel, Dudley took up boxing and is now a boxing champion. Harry isn't sure this… read analysis of Dudley

The Sorting Hat

The sentient hat that's responsible for sorting students into different Houses. While it always sings a song before the Sorting Ceremony, this year the hat takes a newly political tone. It suggests that sorting students… read analysis of The Sorting Hat

Professor Lockhart

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher during Harry's second year at Hogwarts. He was a famous author who, Harry and Ron discovered, hadn't actually done any of the heroic things he wrote about… read analysis of Professor Lockhart

Cedric Diggory

A fifth year student who, a month before the start of the novel, was murdered by Voldemort. Harry has nightmares often about Cedric's murder. In the aftermath of his death, when the government takes… read analysis of Cedric Diggory

Nymphadora Tonks

A young Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix who goes by her surname. She's a Metamorphmagus, which means that she can change her appearance at will. Though this helped her when she… read analysis of Nymphadora Tonks

Mad-Eye Moody

A former Auror and present member of the Order of the Phoenix. Moody's work as an Auror left him scarred, short one leg and one eye, and extremely suspicious of everyone. He's known as "Mad-Eye"… read analysis of Mad-Eye Moody

Rita Skeeter

A former journalist for the Daily Prophet. She made her name painting Harry as an unhinged madman, but stopped her crusade when Hermione figured out that Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus and threatened to… read analysis of Rita Skeeter

Dobby

A house-elf who, three years ago, Harry freed from service to the Malfoy family. Dobby now works in the Hogwarts kitchens as a happily free elf and idolizes Harry. He loves clothes and is the… read analysis of Dobby

Uncle Vernon

Harry's uncle. He's a huge man with a massive moustache. Vernon detests Harry and thinks he's always up to no good, so he doesn't take Harry seriously when Harry wants to watch the news… read analysis of Uncle Vernon

Aunt Petunia

Harry's aunt. She's a thin and horse-faced woman who loves nothing more than spying on the neighbors. Though Petunia hates Harry, she knows that she has to continue to allow him to stay at… read analysis of Aunt Petunia

Cho Chang

The Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. She's a year older than Harry and was Cedric Diggory's girlfriend, though she nurses complicated feelings for Harry throughout the book. While Harry finds Cho beautiful and… read analysis of Cho Chang

Mrs. Figg

Harry always thought that Mrs. Figg was just a batty, cat-loving neighbor on Privet Drive, but this year he learns that Mrs. Figg is actually a Squib (a non-magical person born to magical parents). She's… read analysis of Mrs. Figg

Mrs. Black

Sirius's mother. Though she's been dead for twelve years at the start of the novel, she appears in her portrait in number twelve, Grimmauld Place. Her portrait isn't entirely sentient, but it screams obscenities… read analysis of Mrs. Black

Mundungus Fletcher

A dirty and smelly criminal known for stealing and smuggling valuable objects. Though Mrs. Weasley doesn't like him and he's not a particularly pleasant person to be around, he's an asset to the Order of… read analysis of Mundungus Fletcher

Grawp

Hagrid's 16-foot giant half-brother. Hagrid found him while on his mission to make contact with the giants over the summer and brought him back to Hogwarts to live in the Forbidden Forest, as Grawp… read analysis of Grawp

Bellatrix Lestrange

One of Sirius's cousins and a prominent Death Eater. She escapes from Azkaban after Christmas with other Death Eaters and returns to serve Voldemort. When Harry meets her in the Department of Mysteries… read analysis of Bellatrix Lestrange

Peeves

The Hogwarts poltergeist. Though his usual habit is to make life horrible for students and he only barely accepts the authority of Hogwarts teachers, he uncharacteristically takes an order from Fred and George when, upon… read analysis of Peeves

Marietta

A friend of Cho Chang's who unwillingly joins Dumbledore's Army. Harry is suspicious of her from the beginning, and these suspicions later prove correct: Marietta outs Harry and the other students to Umbridge… read analysis of Marietta

Broderick Bode

A Ministry employee who worked in the Department of Mysteries. He ends up in St. Mungo's hospital and is there in a long-term ward when Mr. Weasley is hospitalized over Christmas. He cannot speak about… read analysis of Broderick Bode

Sturgis Podmore

A member of the Order of the Phoenix who makes off with Mad-Eye Moody's good Invisibility Cloak. After several months of being mysteriously absent from duty, Podmore is put in Azkaban for trying to… read analysis of Sturgis Podmore

Professor Flitwick

The Charms professor at Hogwarts. Flitwick is a small and cheerful man, though he works Harry's class very hard in preparation for their O.W.L. exams. Because he's loyal to Dumbledore, he feigns incompetence… read analysis of Professor Flitwick

Phineas Nigellus

One of the former Hogwarts Headmasters and a relative of Sirius. Though dead in real life, his portrait hangs in Dumbledore's office and he's able to travel between his portraits that hang in… read analysis of Phineas Nigellus

Seamus Finnigan

One of Harry's roommates and a fellow fifth year Gryffindor student. Seamus and Harry begin the year on the wrong foot, as Seamus's mother tried to forbid him from returning to Hogwarts—she believes Harry… read analysis of Seamus Finnigan

Ernie MacMillan

A pompous and self-important, yet kind, Hufflepuff student in the fifth year. He's also a prefect. He's upfront about his family believing Harry's testimony that Voldemort is back and is eager to join Dumbledore… read analysis of Ernie MacMillan

Professor Grubbly-Plank

The substitute Care of Magical Creatures teacher. She's a no-nonsense woman who refuses to say anything about where Hagrid is, though it's unclear if she's lying or honestly doesn't know. She's an extremely competent teacher… read analysis of Professor Grubbly-Plank

Nearly Headless Nick

The Gryffindor ghost, named because his beheading wasn't entirely successful, and his head is still attached to his body by a small bit of flesh. Harry seeks Nick out after Sirius dies to ask him… read analysis of Nearly Headless Nick

Kingsley Shacklebolt

A tall Auror with a calming demeanor. He's also a member of the Order of the Phoenix. At the Ministry he's in charge of the hunt for Sirius, so he feeds the Ministry false… read analysis of Kingsley Shacklebolt

Lee Jordan

A friend of Fred and George's. He stays at school after they leave and takes over tormenting Umbridge for them. He makes a habit of levitating nifflers into Umbridge's office through the window, which… read analysis of Lee Jordan

Filch

The caretaker of Hogwarts. He's old, detests students, and longs for the days when he used to be able to whip students or chain them in the dungeons. He adores Umbridge because she promises to… read analysis of Filch

Bill Weasley

The eldest Weasley sibling, who is a former treasure hunter at Gringotts Bank and a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Because of his line of work, he's in contact with goblins and tries… read analysis of Bill Weasley

Minor Characters

Pansy Parkinson

A mean and rude Slytherin student whom Dumbledore makes a prefect. She watches the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts for Keeper and there, reveals that in addition to the classic Slytherin belief in "blood purity," she's also racist—she insults Angelia Johnson for her traditionally black hairstyle.

Neville's Gran

The imposing woman who raises Neville. Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet her over Christmas, while Neville and his gran are at St. Mungo's hospital visiting Neville's parents. Neville's gran is clearly very proud of her son and daughter-in-law, and encourages Neville to take pride in his parents' sacrifice.

Charlie Weasley

The second-oldest of the Weasley children. He works with dragons in Romania and remains there throughout the novel so that he can work on cultivating international support for the resistance effort against Voldemort.

Amelia Bones

The imposing witch who, along with Cornelius Fudge, presides over Harry's disciplinary hearing. She's impressed that Harry can conjure a “corporeal” Patronus.

Frank Longbottom

Neville's father. Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters tortured him and his wife to the point of insanity, so they now live at St. Mungo's hospital. He was a prominent member of the original Order of the Phoenix.

Alice Longbottom

Neville's mother. Bellatrix Lestrange and others tortured her and her husband to the point of insanity, so she now lives at St. Mungo's hospital. Though she's not very old, she has graying hair.

Fleur Delacour

A French witch who, last year, represented Beauxbatons Academy in the Triwizard Tournament. She now has a job in London and according to Fred and George, has been spending a lot of time with Bill so she can "practice her English."

Lavender Brown

One of Harry's fellow fifth year Gryffindor students. She loves Divination and admires Professor Trelawney, so she's distraught when Umbridge fires Trelawney. Her best friend is Parvati Patil.

Parvati Patil

One of Harry's fellow fifth year Gryffindor students. She loves Divination and admires Professor Trelawney, so she's distraught when Umbridge fires Trelawney. Her best friend is Lavender Brown.

Dean Thomas

One of Harry's roommates and a fellow fifth-year Gryffindor student. He joins Dumbledore's Army and, on the Hogwarts Express home, Ginny admits that Dean is her boyfriend.

Bane

A centaur who lives in the Forbidden Forest. He's especially vocal about Firenze's "betrayal" and suggests that the centaurs should punish Harry and Hermione for entering the forest.

Willy Widdershins

The wizard behind the regurgitating toilets that Mr. Weasley is asked to attend to. He gets out of punishment for that charge and later becomes an informant for Dolores Umbridge.

Winky

A freed house-elf who hasn't adjusted well to her freedom. Dobby tells Harry that Winky is beginning to improve from where Harry saw her last in the previous novel, and Winky's alcoholism is getting marginally better.

Karkus

The first Gurg (chief) of the giants when Hagrid and Madame Maxime invite the giants to join Dumbledore. He's interested and sympathetic, but another giant, Golgomath, kills him and takes over as Gurg before Karkus can commit to the cause.

Golgomath

The second Gurg (chief) of the giants when Hagrid and Madame Maxime are attempting to invite the giants to join Dumbledore. Golgomath is interested in speaking with Death Eaters and tries to kill Maxime and Hagrid.

Madame Maxime

A half-giant woman and the headmistress at Beauxbatons Academy. She and Hagrid take the summer to complete a mission on Dumbledore's behalf to make contact with the giants and invite them to work with Dumbledore.

Montague

A Slytherin Quidditch player. Fred and George shove him into a vanishing cabinet and he goes missing for several weeks. He reappears in a toilet, though he's not coherent enough to tell anyone where he was.

Angelina Johnson

A tall black girl who's the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. She takes her appointment very seriously and later joins Dumbledore's Army.

Narcissa Malfoy

Draco Malfoy's mother. She's Sirius's cousin and Bellatrix Lestrange's sister, and because of her favorable marriage to Lucius Malfoy, Mrs. Black left Narcissa on the Black family tree.

Wormtail

Voldemort's servant and formerly, one of James, Sirius, and Lupin's best friends.

The Fat Lady

A large woman in a pink dress whose portrait guards the Gryffindor portrait hole.

Professor Binns

The ghost professor of History of Magic. Nobody but Hermione can stay awake through his lectures, and he can make any subject boring.

Michael Corner

A boy in Ravenclaw that Ginny dates for much of the school year. He later joins Dumbledore's Army and is dating Cho at the end of the novel.

Susan Bones

A fifth year Hufflepuff student who joins Dumbledore's Army. Her aunt is Amelia Bones, the witch who oversees Harry's trial.

Buckbeak

The hippogriff that Sirius escaped with two years ago. He lives in Mrs. Black's room at number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

Professor Quirrell

The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor during Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Voldemort was possessing him.

Viktor Krum

A competitor in the Triwizard Tournament the year before. He remains in contact with Hermione, whom he dated briefly.

Katie Bell

A Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and a member of Dumbledore's army.

Alicia Spinnett

A Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and a member of Dumbledore's army.

Zacharias Smith

A Hufflepuff student who's skeptical that Harry is telling the truth, but ultimately joins Dumbledore's Army.

Hannah Abbott

A Hufflepuff student who joins Dumbledore's Army. She's also a prefect.

Regulus Black

Sirius's brother. He joined the Death Eaters and was killed, probably by another Death Eater, around the time that Voldemort disappeared the first time.

Perkins

Mr. Weasley's coworker and officemate at the Ministry.

Mr. Crouch

Mr. Crouch is deceased, but he was formerly Percy Weasley's boss.

Professor Sprout

The Herbology teacher and the Head of Hufflepuff House.

Crabbe

One of Malfoy's cronies and a new Beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

Goyle