1995-1996 – The year of Umbridge and the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

Mascots have been a problem at several Quidditch matches. An attempt by the ICWQC to restrict the size and nature of mascots to “herbivores, creatures smaller than a cow and nothing that breathes fire” was defeated in 1995 (Pm). Currently the ICWQC’s rulebook states “no dragon is to be introduced… Read More
The latest broom model from the Cleansweep Broom Company – the Cleansweep 11 – is released in 1995. When Ron Weasley is looking for a new broom as his parent’s gift for being made a Prefect, he learns that this broomstick has just come on the… Read More
Two Dementors attack Harry and Dudley in an alley in Little Whinging. The Dementors show up just as Harry is frightening Dudley by pretending to perform magic. The Dementors, we find out later, had been sent by Dolores Umbridge (OP32). After Harry saves his cousin and himself (he successfully conjures… Read More
Mrs. Figg reveals her identity to Harry; Mundungus Fletcher arrives and is sent to report to Dumbledore. The Improper Use of Magic Office atttempts to expel Harry from Hogwarts, but Dumbledore arrives at the Ministry and forces them to comply with the letter of the law. Read More
Tonks arrives with the other members of the Guard in Privet Drive and remarks about the “unnatural” cleanliness of the Dursley’s house. When the group travels from Little Whinging to Grimmauld Place, Tonks flies with Harry’s trunk suspended under her broom. Read More
The Dursleys depart for what they believe to be the prize-giving of the All-England Best Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. The Advance Guard — “Mad-Eye” Moody, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, and Hestia Jones — arrive at number four, Privet Drive to… Read More
Mundungus shows up at number 12, Grimmauld Place, with a stack of cauldrons of suspicious origin. Molly Weasley loses her temper and hollers at Mundungus, much to the amusement of Fred and George. The cauldrons were possibly the same ones that had tempted Dung away from his post watching over Harry… Read More
In a spate of Muggle-baiting, Widdershins enchanted the toilets to spew out their contents all over unsuspecting Muggles (OP7). Widdershins was injured and captured when one of the toilets exploded (OP23). Read More
Harry attends his hearing for underage magic in front of a Muggle in defending himself and Dudley from Dementors. Fudge continues to disbelieve him about Voldemort’s return, and Dumbledore arrives to assist Harry. Mrs. Figg testifies and Harry is cleared of all charges.He sees the Department of Mysteries corridor in… Read More
Just before they begin their fifth year at Hogwarts, Hannah Abbott and Ernie MacMillan learn that they have been chosen as the two Hufflepuff prefects for their year (OP10). Read More
Molly Weasley buys Ron’s Cleansweep Eleven. That night, Harry first sees Moody’s old photograph of the 1970s Order of the Phoenix and Harry, Lupin, and Moody learn about Molly’s Boggart. Read More
At 11 am, the Hogwarts Express departs King’s Cross Station. Ginny introduces Harry and Neville to Luna Lovegood (OP10). After the train arrives at Hogwarts, Harry sees Thestrals for the first time (OP10). At the feast, the Sorting Hat sings a song of warning, and Dolores Umbridge is introduced (OP11). Read More
He can’t explain to Eric Munch, the Ministry guard on duty, why he’s sneaking around the Ministry of Magic headquarters at 1 am and is arrested. He had been ordered by the Order of the Phoenix to guard the Hall of Prophecy from any attempt by Death Eaters to steal… Read More
Ron confronts Cho Chang about the Tutshill Tornados, after which Hermione tells him off (OP12). From this point on, Hermione tends to drag Ron out of the way when Cho wants to talk with Harry. Harry is given a week’s worth of detentions by Umbridge and a biscuit by… Read More
Umbridge visits classrooms and asks pointed, humiliating questions of the teachers in front of their classes. Trelawney gets the worst of it, while McGonagall tells her off and Flitwick doesn’t seem ruffled at all. Read More
Hermione invites interested students to the Hog’s Head, and twenty-eight people show up. In the dirty, seedy Hog’s Head pub, where many of the more typical patrons keep their faces covered, students gather who are interested in going around Umbridge and learning more than just theory of Defense Against… Read More
The Decree is in response to a meeting in the Hog’s Head pub involving a number of Hogwarts students. The meeting was set up to organize a study group to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts skills, since Umbridge refused to teach those skills in the classroom. The teacher was… Read More
Harry, having fallen asleep in the common room, wakes up from his recurring dream to find Dobby before him. The elf is wearing a tower of knitted hats with a cured Hedwig on top of them. Dobby tells Harry that Winky is still drinking and struggling emotionally, and asks Harry… Read More
The Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams play their first match of the 1995-96 season. Ravenclaw Luna Lovegood has constructed a roaring Lion Hat to show her support for Gryffindor. The Slytherin supporters have invented a song, “Weasley is Our King“, to unnerve Keeper Ron Weasley. Ron, who… Read More
The class is a review of everything the DA had been working on during the previous couple of months. They start out with the Impediment Jinx, then practice Stunning spells. Harry feels that they’ve accomplished a huge amount. Read More
After the last DA lesson before Christmas, Cho Chang remains behind in the Room of Requirement with Harry. They talk about the DA and about Cedric’s death, she starts to cry, then they kiss. Later, in the common room, Harry describes the experience as “wet.”… Read More
As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Mr. Weasley takes a turn standing guard at the Department of Mysteries. Harry sees the snake attack in a dream (OP21). Harry brings his vision to Dumbledore’s attention, and other members of the Order rush to save Mr. Weasley and… Read More
On Christmas day, Neville and his Gran visit Neville’s parents in St Mungos. While there, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione happen to visit the same ward and are surprised to learn the truth about Neville’s parents – that they were tortured to insanity by Bellatrix and her cronies and that… Read More
Since only a few are allowed in to visit Mr. Weasley at a time, the others wander the hospital. On another floor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione encounter Lockhart, still suffering from the memory charm gone wrong, and, to their surprise, Neville, who is visiting his parents with his Gran. Read More
On the last night of winter break, Severus Snape arrives at Grimmauld Place, headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Mrs. Weasley tells Harry to go to the kitchen where he finds Snape and his godfather, Sirius Black, sitting in awkward silence because they are old rivals from school days. Read More
Because of Harry’s vision before Christmas, (involving Mr Weasley being attacked by Nagini) Dumbledore decides that Harry should start taking Occlumency lessons with Snape so that he will be able to close his mind against the Dark Lord. The sessions take place in Snape’s office once a week, and Snape… Read More
They are freed by Voldemort as he rebuilds his power. The Ministry led by Fudge blames the whole thing on Sirius Black. The Daily Prophet reports: The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban. Speaking to reporters in his private office,… Read More
The plant is brought to him anonymously as a gift on Christmas Day, 1995. His caretaker assumes it’s a harmless Flitterbloom and encourages him to take care of it. When he touches it, it strangles him. The plant had been brought by Walden Macnair in order to kill Bode, who… Read More
Harry Potter has his first date with Cho Chang. They have coffee at Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop and Harry’s tactlessness causes a misunderstanding. Harry then meets Hermione at the Three Broomsticks where he finds her sitting with Rita Skeeter and Luna. Harry agrees to be… Read More
With Harry and the Weasley twins under a “lifetime ban” from playing Quidditch, Angelina Johnson captains a Gryffindor team with replacements Ginny Weasley as Seeker, and Jack Sloper and Andrew Kirke as Beaters. She sticks with Ron Weasley as their Keeper, even though he seems… Read More
Umbridge uses the power given to her by Educational Decree Number Twenty-three to sack Trelawney from her post as Divination teacher. Crowds of students gather as she attempts to throw a wailing Trelawney out of the castle. Dumbledore intervenes as the power to decide who may live in the castle… Read More
Harry and his classmates go to Divination class, now in classroom eleven on the ground floor – to accommodate their new teacher, Firenze. The room has been transformed to resemble a forest and display a starry sky on the ceiling. Firenze introduces his students to the astronomy-based Divination practiced by centaurs (… Read More
Marietta Edgecombe squeals on the D.A. to Umbridge. Rather than let Harry get expelled, Dumbledore takes the fall instead and is removed from Hogwarts. Unwilling to “go quietly,” he instead makes a dramatic escape. Read More
When the D.A. is caught at practice, Dumbledore takes the blame and leaves the school. By order of her own Educational Decree 28, Hogwarts High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge becomes the Headmistress. Unhappy with this development, the students soon revolt (OP28). Read More
The students in general act up in rebellion when Umbridge replaces Dumbledore as the school’s head, but Fred and George’s act of protest – wreaking havoc by setting off a whole crate of their Wildfire Whiz-Bangs fireworks inside the castle – takes the cake. Similarly displeased with Umbridge, the teachers… Read More
As they stand ready to leave Hogwarts, flying off into the sunset on their brooms, they announce to the awed crowd of students: “If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley – Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes. Our new premises!” Fred and George Weasley worked for… Read More
The twins are caught by Filch turning a Hogwarts corridor into a swamp. Umbridge tells them that they’re going to find out what happens to wrongdoers at Hogwarts, to which they reply “No, I don’t think we will.” They Accio their brooms from her office and fly off into the… Read More
During the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw Quidditch match, from which Harry Potter is banned from playing, he and Hermione Granger go with Hagrid deep into the Forbidden Forest to meet his giant half-brother Grawp (OP30). In spite of Slytherin supporters singing “Weasley is our King” to upset… Read More
Harry and the others in his year sit their Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) examinations. O.W.L.s occurs over the span of two weeks. First week of O.W.L.s: Monday – Charms (written exam in the morning and practical in the afternoon); Tuesday – Transfiguration (written exam in the morning and practical in… Read More
The fifth years take the practical portion of their Astronomy O.W.L. On the grounds below, Umbridge and others go to sack Hagrid, who fights them off and runs out the front gates carrying Fang. McGonagall tries to intervene on his behalf, is Stunned and taken to St. Mungo’s (OP31). Read More
On the evening of June 18, 1996, a running battle is fought between members of the D.A. led by Harry Potter, a group of Death Eaters led by Lucius Malfoy, and members of the Order of the Phoenix. Sirius Black is killed and many others are wounded (OP35). When Voldemort… Read More
During the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Bellatrix hits Sirius Black with a spell in the chest. His body, still smiling, falls through the veil in the Death Chamber (OP35). Read More
July 13, 1996 – Harry and Dumbledore travel via Side-Along Apparition to the Burrow, arriving just after midnight. Before going in, Dumbledore takes Harry aside. In an uncharacteristically intimate conversation, the two discuss Sirius’ death and Harry’s reaction to it, the fact that Harry should confide in Ron and Hermione,… Read More