Book 5 of 7: nobody believes Voldemort is back, the Ministry sends a teacher to Hogwarts to silence Harry, and a door in his dreams keeps getting closer.
The longest and angriest book in the series, and one of the best: a sharp story about truth, an unforgettable villain in Umbridge, and a gripping final act. It is baggy in the middle and Harry shouts a lot. Four and a half out of five.
Every guide comes as a video and a full written article. Pick the one you need: the review is spoiler-free, the ending explained is not.
Is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix worth reading? A spoiler-free review of J.K. Rowling's book 5 of 7: the setup, Umbridge, the characters, the pacing, content notes and my score.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ending explained: the vision, the Forest, the Department of Mysteries, the prophecy, Sirius, Voldemort and Dumbledore's confession. Full spoilers.
Every clue hidden in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: the dreams and the black door, the weapon, Neville, Kreacher, Sirius's mirror and the Thestrals, plus payoffs in later books. Full spoilers.
How does the 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film compare to the book? Cast, runtime, reception, what was cut and what was changed. Contains spoilers.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003) is book 5 of 7 in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and the longest of them. Harry, fifteen and furious, knows Voldemort has returned, but the Ministry of Magic insists he is lying, and Hogwarts is taken over by the Ministry’s Dolores Umbridge.
Below you’ll find a spoiler-free review, the ending explained, the clues you missed, and how the 2007 film compares.
The book came out in two thousand three, and Harry is fifteen. It is the middle of a boiling summer, and he is stuck on Privet Drive with no news at all. He knows Voldemort is back. Nobody will tell him what anyone is doing about it.
Then Dementors turn up in a quiet suburban street, and Harry has to use magic where he should not. The Ministry of Magic wants him expelled. Soon he is whisked away to a secret headquarters, where he meets a group called the Order of the Phoenix.
Then the school year begins, and the Ministry insists that Voldemort has not returned. It says Harry and Dumbledore are liars. And it sends a new teacher to Hogwarts to keep an eye on them.
The book came out in two thousand three, and Harry is fifteen. It is the middle of a boiling summer, and he is stuck on Privet Drive with no news at all. He knows Voldemort is back. Nobody will tell him what anyone is doing about it.
The longest and angriest book in the series, and one of the best: a sharp story about truth, an unforgettable villain in Umbridge, and a gripping final act. It is baggy in the middle and Harry shouts a lot. Four and a half out of five. Read it if: you have read the first four books and want the series to get serious; you enjoy stories where friends stand up to an unfair system; you do not mind a very long, dark book. Skip it if: you have not read the earlier books; you want a fast, light, cozy read; young readers who are not ready for a grief-heavy ending. Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix →
Our ending explained covers the final chapters in full, with spoilers. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ending explained: the vision, the Forest, the Department of Mysteries, the prophecy, Sirius, Voldemort and Dumbledore's confession. Full spoilers. Ending explained: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix →
How does the 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film compare to the book? Cast, runtime, reception, what was cut and what was changed. Contains spoilers. Book vs movie: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix →
Yes. The UK first edition runs to 766 pages, and the text has more than 250,000 words. It is roughly three times as long as the first book.
Yes. It has a cruel teacher, a lot of fear and anger, real danger and a heavy ending about grief. It is best for readers around eleven and up.
Yes. This is book 5 of 7 and leans heavily on the events of the first four, especially the return of Voldemort at the end of book 4.
Yes. Warner Bros. released a film in July 2007, directed by David Yates with a screenplay by Michael Goldenberg. It runs 138 minutes and stars Daniel Radcliffe, with Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge.
Thirty-eight chapters. It came out in 2003, and Harry is fifteen in it.
