Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter Four:
Number Twelve,
Grimmauld Place

Synopsis by Maureen Knight
Notes and links by Steve Vander Ark and Michele L. Worley

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 59 - 78
U.S. hardcover edition: pages 58 - 75
U.K. paperback edition: pages 71 - 92
Timeframe: the evening of August 6, 1995 [Y15]

In which Harry is reunited with Ron and Hermione, learns of the Order of the Phoenix, and is reunited with his godfather, Sirius Black.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

a large umbrella stand that looked as though it had been made from a troll's leg

But this ornament goes beyond being a symbol of old-fashioned decor that has become tacky by modern standards - trolls are people, although wizards do not consider them to be very intelligent and historically have resisted granting them 'being' status (FB, OP31). Consequently, the umbrella stand is just as telling an indicator of the family's prejudiced attitude as are the house-elf heads on the wall.

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• Black, Mrs. (Sirius's mother, in her portrait)

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Black, Sirius

• Granger, Hermione

• Hedwig

• Lupin, Remus

• Moody, Alastor (Mad-Eye)

• Pigwidgeon

• Potter, Harry

• Snape, Severus

• Tonks, Nymphadora

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Molly

• Weasley, Ron

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Crookshanks

• Crouch, Barty Sr.

• Delacour, Fleur

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Dursleys, the

• Fletcher, Mundungus

• Fudge, Cornelius

• Kreacher

• Potter, James

• Potter, Lily Evans

• Skeeter, Rita

• Riddle, Tom Marvolo (as Voldemort, You-Know-Who)

• Weasley, Arthur

• Weasley, Bill

• Weasley, Charlie

• Weasley, Percy

• (unnamed) members of the Order of the Phoenix

• (unnamed) Death Eaters

• (unnamed) foreign wizards Dumbledore wants to recruit to the Order

• (unnamed) Muggles inside #11 and #13, Grimmauld Place

• (unnamed) deceased house-elves whose heads are on the wall

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• number twelve, Grimmauld Place

  • entrance hall

  • Harry and Ron's bedroom

  • outside the front door

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Egypt

• London

  • Gringotts Wizarding Bank

  • Ministry of Magic Headquarters

  • number eleven and number thirteen, Grimmauld Place

  • number twelve, Grimmauld Place

    • drawing room

    • kitchen

    • other bedrooms

• number four, Privet Drive

• Romania

Exceptional character moments:

• Ginny, calmly flinging Dungbombs at the kitchen door, then lying bare-faced about it to her mum, blaming the cat

• no big surprise: Fleur and Bill are an item

Spells:

• Apparation

• Disillusionment Charm

• Fidelius Charm

• Imperturbable Charm

• room-sealing spell

• Stunning Spell

• (unnamed) nonverbal fire spell Moody uses to burn Dumbledore's parchment - perhaps Incendio

• (unnamed) spell Lupin uses to lock and unlock the front door - perhaps Alohomora, but possibly something more complex, given the security precautions on the place)

Links and Resources:

• Bestiary, the

  • Dementors

  • dragons

  • house-elves

  • owls

  • sphinxes

  • trolls

• Daily Prophet, The

• Death Eaters

• items and devices, magical

  • Dungbombs

  • Extendable Ears

  • Philosopher's Stone

  • Put-Outer

• Ministry of Magic, the

• Ministry Rules and Regulations: Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery

• Order of the Phoenix, the

• S.P.E.W.

Memorable lines:

• "I don't want you to wake anything up."

• "Hello, Harry," said George, beaming at him. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones." "You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out," said Fred, also beaming. "There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you."

• Harry's impression was that Percy had not made a great success of his first job at the Ministry of Magic. Percy had committed the fairly large oversight of failing to notice that his boss was being controlled by Lord Voldemort.

• "His life's ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque just like his mother. Is that normal, Hermione?"

• The old woman's screeches died and an echoing silence fell. Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Harry's godfather, Sirius, turned to face him. "Hello, Harry," he said grimly, "I see you've met my mother."

Strictly British:

• binning

• drawing room

• git

• keen

• mate

• mum

• nicking

• peaky

• row

• skirting board

• spare, going

• streetlamps

• thick

Timelines/Calendar:

The chapter picks up on the same night where the previous one left off, the evening of 6 August. The action happens in real time through part of the evening.