Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter Twenty-Nine:
Careers Advice

"The thing about growing up with Fred and George is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."

Synopsis by Maureen Knight
Notes and links by Steve Vander Ark and Michele L. Worley

U.S. hardcover edition: pages 651 - 675
U.K. hardcover edition: pages aaa - bbb
U.K. paperback edition: pages 716 - 743
Timeframe: the Friday before through the Monday following Easter Holidays, April 1996 [Y16]

In which Harry tells Ginny of his desire to talk to Sirius, receives career advice from Professor McGonagall, breaks into Umbridge's office to use her floo to talk to Sirius about his father, and Fred and George leave Hogwarts.

Interesting facts and notes about the text of this chapter:

This is one of the few chapters in the books where the chapter title differs between the U.K. and U.S. editions - the latter have it as "Career Advice" instead.

"Chocolate in the library?"

Characters introduced in this chapter:

• none

Characters returning in this chapter:

• Black, Sirius

• Filch, Argus

• Granger, Hermione

• Lupin, Remus

• McGonagall, Minerva

• Potter, Harry

• Snape, Severus

• Umbridge, Dolores

• Weasley, Fred

• Weasley, George

• Weasley, Ginny

• Weasley, Ron

• (unnamed) members of the Inquisitorial Squad

Characters mentioned in this chapter:

• Abbott, Hannah

• Binns, Professor

• Chang, Cho

• Crookshanks

• Dursley, Vernon

• Edgecombe, Marietta

• Finnigan, Seamus

• Gregory the Smarmy

• Hagrid, Rubeus

• Kreacher

• Malfoy, Draco

• Pince, Madam

• Potter, James

• Potter, Lily

• Sloper, Jack

• Trelawney, Sybill

• Weasley, Arthur

• Weasley, Molly

Settings and locations introduced or returning in this chapter:

• Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom

• Entrance Hall

• Gryffindor Tower Common Room

• McGonagall's Office

• Library

• number twelve, Grimmauld Place

• Umbridge's office

Settings and locations mentioned in this chapter:

• Gringott's Wizarding Bank

• St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

• Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes (number ninety-three, Diagon Alley)

Exceptional character moments:

• Fred and George, flying off into the sunset.

Spells:

• Accio

• Alohomora

• Evanesco

• Invigoration Draught

• Portable Swamp

• Veritaserum

• spell Umbridge cast on her office door to prevent Alohomora from opening it

Links and Resources:

• Aurors

• classes

  • Charms

  • Defence Against the Dark Arts

  • Potions

  • Transfiguration

• essays

  • The Changing Image of Grownups in the Harry Potter Books

  • D'you Really Think They're Suited?

  • Ginny Weasley, Why?

  • NEWTs and OWLs

• Floo Network

• Harry's dreams

• Invisibility Cloak

• Pensieve

• wizarding holidays

Memorable lines:

• "The thing about growing up with Fred and George," said Ginny thoughtfully, "is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."

• "I should have made my meaning plainer," said Professor McGonagall, turning at last to look Umbridge directly in the eyes. "He has achieved high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher."

• "Potter," she said in ringing tones, "I will assist you to become an Auror if it is the last thing I do! If I have to coach you nightly I will make sure you achieve the required results!"

• Fred looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd. "Give her hell from us, Peeves." And Peeves, whom Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

Strictly British:

• berk

• holiday

• smarmy

Timelines/Calendar:

This is one of the few chapters in the books for which it is rather difficult to determine any dates at all. We know it begins on the Friday preceeding the Easter holiday, continues through the holidays, and concludes on the Monday just following it. It's sometime in late March or early April, but it's impossible to determine more than that.