Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter Seventeen:
Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four

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

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 350 - 373
U.K. hardcover edition: pages 312 - 331
U.K. paperback edition: pages 388 - 412
Timeframe: 7 October, 1995 [Y15]

In which the High Inquisitor orders all Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs disbanded, Harry and Ron learn that boys are not allowed in the girls' dormitory, Hedwig is hurt coming back from London, and Sirius is almost caught by Umbridge in the Gryffindor common room fireplace.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

Neville's face was scarlet; the pressure Harry was exerting on his throat rendered him quite incomprehensible, but odd words spluttered from his mouth.
'Not...funny...don't... Mungo's... show...him...

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• (Unnamed) Stone gargoyles outside staffroom door
  

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Black, Sirius (as Snuffles)

• Brown, Lavender

• Crabbe, Vincent

• Crookshanks

• Goyle, Gregory

• Granger, Hermione

• Grubbly-Plank, Wilhelmina

• Hedwig

• Johnson, Angelina

• Jordan, Lee

• Longbottom, Neville

• Malfoy, Draco

• McGonagall, Minerva

• Parkinson, Pansy

• Patil, Parvati

• Potter, Harry (as Perkins)

• Snape, Severus

• Thomas, Dean

• Trelawney, Sybill

• Umbridge, Dolores

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Ron

• (unnamed) second years crowded around Educational Decree

• (unnamed) fourth year girls who slide out of girls' dormitory

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Abbott, Hannah

• Binns, Professor

• Boot, Terry (as one of "those Ravenclaw blokes")

• Chang, Cho

• Corner, Michael

• Crouch, Jr., Bartemius (as "someone inside Hogwarts trying to kill Harry")

• Dumbledore, Aberforth (as the Hog's Head Barman)

• Dumbledore, Albus

• Edgecombe, Marietta

• Filch, Argus

• Finnigan, Seamus

• Fletcher, Mundungus

• Goldstein, Anthony (as one of "those Ravenclaw blokes")

• Hagrid, Rubeus

• Macmillan, Ernie

• Malfoy, Lucius

• Merlin

• Midgen, Eloise

• Peeves

• Podmore, Sturgis

• Potter, James

• Riddle, Tom Marvolo (as Voldemort, "someone outside Hogwarts who'd like to kill us all")

• Smith, Zacharias

• Weasley, Arthur

• Weasley, Molly

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
  
• classrooms:
• Defense Against the Dark Arts
• Divination, in the North Tower
• History of Magic
• Potions dungeon
• Great Hall
• Gryffindor Tower:
• Common Room
• Stairs to the Girls' Dormitory
• lake, the

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Hogsmeade

  • Hog's Head Tavern

  • Shrieking Shack

  • Three Broomsticks, the

• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

  • hospital wing

  • owlery

  • staffroom

• London

  • number twelve, Grimmauld Place

  • St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

Exceptional character moments:

• Still to come....

Spells and Potions:

• Evanesco

• Strengthening Solution

• (unnamed) spell Hermione uses on her knitting needles in order to knit socks and hats

• (unnamed) jinx Hermione places on the parchment signed by the D.A.

• (unnamed) nonverbal spell Snape uses to make writing appear on the blackboard

• (unnamed) protective spell placed on the stairs to the girls' dormitory, preventing boys from entering

Links and Resources:

• Bestiary

  • owl

  • thestral

• Chocolate Frog Cards

• Hogwarts classes

• Defense Against the Dark Arts

• Divination

• History of Magic

• Potions

• D.A., the

• Educational Decrees

• Floo Network

• Gobstones

• house points - OP

• Order of the Phoenix

• Quidditch Teams:

  • Gryffindor

  • Slytherin

• types of wizarding people

  • Animagi

  • Seers

• Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes

Memorable lines:

• "Does this mean they're going to shut down the Gobstones club?" [Second year, upon seeing the decree]

• "First of all, Ron - I've sworn to pass on a message from your mother.  She says on no account whatsoever are you to take part in an illegal secret Defense Against the Dark Arts group.  She says you'll be expelled for sure and your future will be ruined.  She says there will be plenty of time to learn how to defend yourself later and that you are too young to be worring about that right now.  She also" - Sirius's eyes turned to the other two - "advises Harry and Hermione not to proceed with the group, though she accepts that she has no authority over either of them and simply begs them to remember that she has their best interests at heart."

Strictly British:

• none

Timelines/Calendar:

The entire chapter takes place over the course of one day, the Monday following the first Hogsmeade weekend (the first weekend in October).  Since 2 September was a Monday, this date has to be 7 October.