Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix Summary, Chapters 29–31 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 29

Snape refuses to give Harry additional Occlumency lessons. Harry wants to talk to Sirius about what he saw in the Pensieve but knows it is too dangerous. A notice for Career Advice is posted on all the bulletin boards. Fifth-years must meet with their Heads of House sometime in the following week.

Fred and George offer to create a distraction so Harry can use the fire in Umbridge’s office to talk to Sirius. Hermione thinks the plan is too dangerous. Harry leaves for his Career Advice meeting with McGonagall, which Umbridge also attends. McGonagall approves of Harry’s aspirations to become an Auror (one of the wizards who seek out and destroy dark wizards) and encourages him to study hard. Umbridge suggests that he consider another path, since the Ministry would never employ him. Harry leaves and prepares for his break-in. He thinks about how Sirius had told him that James enjoyed taking risks. Harry wonders if he even wants to be like his father anymore.

Harry sneaks into Umbridge’s office and uses Floo power to transport his head to the fireplace at number twelve. Harry tells Sirius what he saw in the Pensieve, and Sirius insists that he and James were just young and foolish. Harry mentions that Snape has since stopped Occlumency lessons, and Lupin insists that Harry convince him to continue. Harry leaves the fire and returns to find that Fred and George have turned the school into a swamp. Umbridge threatens serious punishment, but Fred and George decide, instead, to drop out of Hogwarts. They use magic to fetch their brooms from Umbridge’s office and fly off, saluting Peeves, the Hogwarts poltergeist.

Chapter 30

Harry and Hermione take their seats for the final Quidditch match of the season (Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw). Hagrid sneaks up behind them and asks them to follow him into the Forest. Eventually, they run into a Giant that Hagrid has brought back from the mountains. Hagrid believes that the Giant is his half-brother and is trying to teach it English. The Giant’s name is Grawp, and he had been bullied by the other Giants for being too small. Hagrid introduces Harry and Hermione to Grawp, who is pulling up trees by their roots. Hagrid asks the young wizards to visit Grawp and help him with his English if Hagrid is fired. On their way out of the forest, Hagrid is surrounded by a herd of threatening Centaurs, who are angry with Hagrid for bringing Grawp to the forest. Harry and Hermione return to the Quidditch pitch to hear a new version of “Weasley is our King.” Gryffindor has won the match and the Quidditch cup. Ron is ecstatic.

Chapter 31

Harry and Hermione explain Hagrid’s request. Ron is horrified by the prospect of visiting with a Giant but does not want to let Hagrid down. The students begin taking their O.W.L. exams. As they are filling in their star charts in the Astronomy Tower, Harry spies a team of six people entering Hagrid’s cabin. The team attempts to stun Hagrid, waving their wands all at once, but Hagrid successfully deflects the spells. Professor McGonagall runs across the lawn to help him. Four red beams strike her down. Hagrid disappears past the gates. McGonagall, badly hurt, is taken by Professor Trelawney to the hospital wing. That night, Harry gets almost no sleep.

The following morning, Harry is exhausted for his History of Magic O.W.L., falling asleep in the middle of the test. He has another vision. This time, he reaches the room with the glass spheres and, in Voldemort’s voice, instructs a black shape to lift a sphere down for him. The shape on the floor refuses, saying he would die first. Harry then realizes that the shape is actually Sirius and that Voldemort is torturing him.

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