The story inHarry Potter and Order of the Phoenixwas perfectly set up byHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, with several elements of one book paralleled by the other. Though a close look at each installment in theHarry Potterfranchise reveals unique adventures for Harry and his friends, taking a zoomed-out observation of the series as a whole creates a different picture. Several of the books have a parallel counterpart, with common themes and character focuses from one to another. This allows for an exciting balance within the overarching series.
TheHarry Potterbooksreflecting each other in this way means the series follows a chiastic structure, where elements of a story begin to repeat themselves in reverse order at a certain point. In Harry’s story, things start going inreverse afterHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This means thatOrder of the PhoenixreflectsPrisoner of Azkaban,Half-Blood PrincereflectsChamber of Secrets, andDeathly HallowsreflectsPhilosopher’s Stone. In the case of the third and fifthHarry Potterbooks, the elements and stories of the first are paid off by those of the second.
Prisoner Of Azkaban & Order The Phoenix Perfectly Mirror One Another
Harry Potter Books 3 & 5 Are Brothers
In a significant way,Order of the Phoenixis the brother novel toPrisoner of Azkaban.The thirdHarry Potterbook is when Harry first learns of Sirius Black, and the fifth is when he has to say goodbye to the man forever.Prisoner of Azkabanis when Harry learns the most about his father, James Potter, and begins to revere the man, whileOrder of the Phoenixis when he learns about the darker side of his character.Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry of Magicwas an important feature of both, as well as Professor Trelawney’s only two real prophecies. So, let’s take a deeper look.
Sirius Black’s Primary Story Is At The Center Of Prisoner Of Azkaban & Order Of The Phoenix
These Are Sirius Black’s Standout Moments
Sirius Black’s character arc began inHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanand ended withHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In the thirdHarry Potterbook, Harry was thrilled to learn he had someone close to family (once he knew Sirius wasn’t a murderer). He imagined a life with Sirius at his home, but things, of course, didn’t work out that way.Still,during the climax ofPrisoner of Azkaban, Harry triumphantly saves Sirius' life, and from then on, they are bonded.Sirius was something between a father and brother to Harry.
The third Harry Potter book was far more idealized, while the fifth revealed a much darker reality.
Harry and Sirius' relationship became a lot more complicated inOrder of the Phoenix. The thirdHarry Potterbook was far more idealized, while the fifth revealed a much darker reality. Sirius had escaped from Azkaban, but being locked in Grimmauld Place represented a reversal of his freedom. It brought out the worst in the man, and he began lashing out at Harry.This contrast betweenPrisoner of AzkabanandOrder of the Phoenixis emphasized by the latter’s ending whenHarry attempts to save Sirius Black again, but this time, it is a cruel trick that ultimately causes Sirius' death.
Taking the parallels between Sirius' character in one book and the other even further, it’s interesting to consider the irony of his story. Beyond Harry’s efforts to save Sirius actually causing the man’s death, Sirius himself played a great hand in the tragedy. The whole point ofPrisoner of Azkabanwas that Sirius wasn’t actually evil, butOrder of Phoenixput this in reverse by revealing the inadvertent prejudices that he had developed growing up in a Dark wizarding family. Sirius wouldn’t have died if he hadn’t treated his house-elf, Kreacher, with such cruelty. He was a good man, but his hidden biases doomed him.
Prisoner Of Azkaban Set Up The Ministry Of Magic Conflict In Order Of The Phoenix
These Books Carry Themes Of Government Control & Intervention
Another point of significant parallel and contrast betweenPrisoner of AzkabanandOrder of the Phoenixis the role of the Ministry of Magic and Cornelius Fudge. InHarry Potter 3, Harry accidentally blew up his aunt, ran away from home, andwas found by Fudge himself, who was all too willing to look the other way and let the whole thing go. The Minister and Dumbledore agreed that Harry’s safety was a priority, but this is when Fudge introduced thedementors to Hogwarts—a fact which Dumbledore resented but couldn’t stop.
Order of the Phoenixmarked the return of the dementors after they were introduced inPrisoner of Azkaban.
Each of these factors was turned on their heads forHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This time around, Harry performed magic outside of school for a good reason (not just anger), butFudge was far less forgiving. He forced Harry to go through a full criminal trial, and any kindness or fatherlyness the man had once shown was entirely gone. Rather than dementors being sent to Hogwarts,Fudge placed something even worse at the castle—Dolores Umbridge. Though Fudge’s actions were far more extreme inOrder of the Phoenix, the general idea of the government poking its nose where it doesn’t belong remains the same.
Harry Glorified James & Sirius At The End Of Book 3 (But This Fell Apart In Book 5)
These Books Were Important To Harry Learning About His Father’s Complex Morality
Another common focus betweenOrder of the PhoenixandPrisoner of Azkabanis the Marauders generation.Harry first learned all about Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs in his third yearwhen he acquired the Marauder’s Map from Fred and George Weasley. At the end ofPrisoner of Azkaban, he learned that these four were really Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter. In addition to this, Harry discovered more about the Marauders' rivalry with Severus Snape, which was something he could relate to. AfterPrisoner of Azkaban, there were few Harry looked up to more than James and Sirius.
Order of the Phoenix is when Harry realized that the picture he had painted in his mind of James and Sirius wasn’t entirely accurate.
Order of the Phoenixis when Harry realized that the picture he had painted in his mind of James and Sirius wasn’t entirely accurate. This all began with his trip into the Pensieve during his lessons with Snape—he saw James and Sirius treat Snape with terrible cruelty and was deeply disturbed.He had to accept that these two men were real people with faults. Harry could love and respect them but chose to be different from them. It was a tough lesson to learn, especially considering the contrast between how he had come to see them in his third and fifth years at Hogwarts.
Trelawney’s Only Real Prophecies Played Important Roles In Harry Potter 3 & 5
Professor Trelawney Is Another Stand-Out In Prisoner Of Azkaban & Order Of The Phoenix
Trelawney was mostly a phony, but she made two genuine prophecies in her lifetime, and they happened to both be a significant focus ofPrisoner of AzkabanandOrder of the Phoenix.After Harry’s third-year exams, his Divination teacher made a surprising prophecy that Voldemort would be reunited with an old servant, who would eventually help his master return. Of course, this foreshadowedPrisoner of Azkaban’s ending. WhatHarry didn’t know at the time was that Trelawney had previously made one prior accurate prophecyand that this would be at the center of hisOrder of the Phoenixadventure.
Professor Trelawney’s first prophecy was made 16 years beforeOrder of the Phoenixand detailed how a boy who the Dark Lord would mark as his equal would be born at the end of July. Voldemort heard part of this prophecy before he killed Lily and James Potter, but after his resurrection, he made it his goal to hear the rest of it before facing Harry again. This led to the battle at the Department of Mysteries, and, at the very end ofOrder of the Phoenix, Harry finally heard the whole prophecy for the first time in Dumbledore’s office. It’s just another of the many ways that thisHarry Potterstory is reflected by Sirius' first introduction.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
