Movie adaptation: Dir. David Yates, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2007. 

Video game based on the novel and the movie: Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, published by Electronic Arts, composer: James Hannigan, 2007. 

Multiple languages.

Fourth book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000.

Sixth book: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2005.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the continuation of the adventures of the young wizard, Harry Potter (now 15) and his friends attending the Hogwarts school for witches and wizards. In this part, Harry has to deal with false accusations. The authorities of the magical world and the magical community refuse to believe in the return of Voldemort, even though Harry has witnessed it. The Dark Lord once again tries to take control of the wizarding world, and the only (secret) organisation that opposes him is the eponymous Order of the Phoenix (founded and led by Albus Dumbledore, the organization’s membership includes former and current opponents of Lord Voldemort). The struggle is complicated by the fact that, officially, the Ministry of Magic denies that the Dark Lord returned and claims that Harry Potter and Dumbledore are lying. Therefore, the Ministry of Magic becomes an enemy of Harry. To silence Harry, the Ministry charges him with the offence of using magic in the presence of a Muggle. In reality, Harry was merely defending his cousin from a dementors’ attack. However, the Ministry, in accepting such an explanation, would have to admit that the dementors were either acting on the Ministry’s orders, or that they were controlled by Voldemort. In the end, Harry is exonerated by the majority of the Wizengamot (the wizarding court). However, the Minister and his followers decide to take control of Hogwarts and silence Harry. 

Cornelius Fudge sends to Hogwarts Dolores Umbridge – a secondary villain of the series, to assume the post, initially of new teacher of the Defence against the Dark Arts, later of Inquisitor and finally Headmistress. Hogwarts students are prevented from learning defensive spells. In reaction to Umbridge’s decrees, Harry, Ron and Hermione form a secret organisation, Dumbledore's Army, where Harry teaches his fellow students to defend themselves against the Dark Arts. Umbridge in turn creates her own group made up of students (mostly from Slytherins) who spy on her opponents. Umbridge uses the truth-telling potion to force students to inform on the Dumbledore’s Army. As a result Harry and his friends are captured and Dumbledore has to flee, foiling an arrest attempt. Hermione and Harry manage to outwit Umbridge by luring her to the Forbidden Forest, where she gravely insults the Centaurs who abduct her. This traumatic event causes her mental breakdown. 

The book is mainly focused on the students' fight against Umbridge. However, Voldemort’s attempts to eliminate Harry, with whom he is mysteriously linked, continue. The key to solving this mystery is a prophecy hidden in the Ministry of Magic. Voldemort also wants to gain access to Harry's mind so he can control him and transmit false visions. Despite his attempts to resist, Harry succumbs to the false images and thinking that Sirius Black, his godfather, is being tortured by Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries where prophecies are stored, he is ambushed there by Death Eaters. Sirius dies in the battle, but the prophecy shatters and eludes Voldemort. Eventually, faced with irrefutable evidence, the entire wizarding world must accept the fact of Voldemort's return and of Harry’s truthfulness. 

In this part of the adventures of the young wizard, we are dealing with a decidedly more complex narrative structure, already in the previous part, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the narrative for children gradually transformed into an adolescent and more grownup narrative. The Order of the Phoenix is a much darker part, in which Harry must overcome the influence of Voldemort, who wants to control him, by showing him provocative visions – real, uncontrolled or false, controlled – designed to cause a specific reaction. Through this connection and access to Harry’s mind, Voldemort threatens  both the boy and the entire wizarding world. To resist the Dark Lord's attempts, Harry begins attending unofficial lessons with Professor Snape. The potions master teaches Harry two spells: Legilimens (reading someone’s mind) and Occlumens (shielding from the Legilimens through closing one’s mind). Legilimency (as most spell names in “Harry Potter” series) is derived from Latin “legere” “to read,” and “mens”, “mind.” Occlumency is derived from Latin as well – coming from “occludere” “to close” and same as in the previous case “mens.” Rowling uses her knowledge of classical philology here to create layer upon layer of magical world. Through the use of Latin names, she combines the ancient and the magical worlds, thus indicating the deep roots linking both traditions, which can be truly accessed by a select few. 

The fifth book also shows the return of the Centaurs, creatures living in isolation from human society in the Forbidden Forest. Harry, Hermione and Dolores Umbridge are attacked by the Centaurs in response to Umbridge’s insults (she calls them half-breeds) and demands their obedience. The Centaurs kidnap the teacher and presumably mete out a punishment. Upon returning from the Forbidden Forest, Umbridge is unable to speak, which would indicate a traumatic experience. Lisa Maurice in her 2015 chapter on the Centaurs notes a polemic on the fanfiction sites about interpreting the abduction in the context of rape which would bring Rowling’s Centaurs closer to their ancient reputation (Maurice, 2015, 151–152, Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca E1. 21; Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, 4. 69.4). However, the Centaurs, in the Harry Potter world, are star-gazers unconcerned with human pursuits. The scene presenting Umbridge, Harry, Hermione, the Hagrid’s giant brother, and the Centaurs was recreated by Lego.

Maurice, Lisa, "From Chiron to Foaly: The Centaur in Classical Mythology and Fantasy Literature", in Lisa Maurice, ed., The Reception of Ancient Greece and Rome in Children’s Literature, Brill, 2015, 139–168.

Olechowska, Elżbieta, “J.K. Rowling Exposes the World to Classical Antiquity”, in Katarzyna Marciniak, ed., Our Mythical Childhood… The Classics and Literature for Children and Young Adults, Leiden: Brill, 2016, 384–410. 

Spencer, Richard A., Harry Potter and the Classical World: Greek and Roman Allusions in J.K. Rowling’s Modern Epic, Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2016.