Dark Night of Potter's Soul

Harry Potter is desperate for something, anything about what's going on in the wizarding world. And he's getting angry. Very angry.

Thus J. K. Rowling's multi-billion dollar character begins his fifth adventure as a young wizard. And he's not finding it an easy one - no indeed. In her fifth novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Rowling breaks completely new ground for her popular hero. She moves out of the black and white areas she has previously dwelt in and begins to ask questions far beyond the depth of her first four books and of most modern fiction.

This novel is the first where Harry looks inside his own soul and is frightened by what he sees. Harry realizes that Voldemort is not the only person who can be filled with evil; he sees that he himself can be just as destructive as the Dark Lord. In his anger, resentment, and confusion, Harry lashes out at everyone nearest him, whether it results in a detention from Dolores Umbridge or a wounded relationship with Ron and Hermione. Rowling does an excellent job of keeping her plot genuine, though. The tension in Phoenix is very real: has Harry defeated Lord Voldemort multiple times only to succumb to the evil within himself? And though Harry pulls through, it's a close enough call that it sobers readers.

In addition, Rowling throws a curve-ball with her portrayal of Harry's role models, particularly Sirius Black. Up to this point in the novel, they have been upheld unquestioningly. But in Order of the Phoenix, we see faults in all three of Harry's most respected heroes. His father, James Potter, was every bit the bully Severus Snape said. Dumbledore mistakenly distances himself from Harry, trying to help him, but merely weaking Harry's resolve. And Sirius Black acts almost as a mirror to Harry; he too is consumed by discontented anger and frustration. In many ways, he inflames Harry's fury and bitterness with his own. Rowling makes Harry and his faithful readers examine their motivations for doing things. Just because Sirius approves, Hermione warns Harry, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry learns to recognize the flaws in the men loves most and to act in accordance with his discoveries.

In short, despite a tacked-on flirtation between Harry and Cho Chang which was nothing more than an embarrassing waste of precious time, I really enjoyed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In it, Rowling moved into deeper waters and, I was a bit surprised to see, swam quite well.

And, as a teaser, I'll tell you now that her backstroke is quite engaging in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. :-)