Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix Summary, Chapters 17–19 Summary & Analysis

The name the D.A. selects for itself, “Dumbledore’s Army,” is very significant, since with it the students manage to lodge a sly and private dig at a paranoid Cornelius Fudge. Fudge stubbornly continues to insist that Dumbledore is actively recruiting Wizards for some kind of secret army. Most of his paranoia is selfish, as he seems to fervently believe that Dumbledore is after his job. But even though the D.A.’s name is mostly facetious and not known outside of the group, it still contains an element of truth. Most of the students who signed their names to Hermione’s parchment are extraordinarily loyal to their Headmaster and would certainly fight on his behalf if asked to. For most of the student body at Hogwarts, Dumbledore is a wise, grandfatherly figure, representing the antithesis of the Dark Arts—he uses his incredible powers only for good, never evil. Naming a Defense Against the Dark Arts group after Dumbledore seems fitting.

At the first Quidditch match of the season, between Gryffindor and Slytherin, the two Houses seem more divided than ever, and each House’s characteristics are sharply pronounced. As Hermione will later note, Quidditch often seems to magnify hostility between Houses. Slytherin and Gryffindor have always enjoyed a particularly healthy competition, but the Slytherin team’s homemade badges, which read “Weasley is our King,” are an especially ruthless tactic to take against the Gryffindor team, effectively embarrassing and horrifying its newest player. As the Sorting Hat noted at the beginning of the novel, Slytherins are “cunning folk” who will happily “use any means to achieve their ends.” The “Weasley is our King” badges and the accompanying song are perfect examples of the Slytherin House going to any means necessary, even cruel and unfair humiliation, to achieve its goals. The Gryffindor team, on the other hand, does its best to ignore the Slytherin team, reaffirming the House characteristics of bravery, courage, and stoicism.

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