Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

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Chapter 25: The Beetle at Bay

The Daily Prophet announces that ten Death Eaters have escaped from Azkaban, including Antonin Dolohov, Augustus Rookwood and Bellatrix Lestrange. The paper also says that Order member Broderick Bode has been strangled to death in St. Mungo’s by a Devil’s Snare that was smuggled in to kill him.

Hagrid finds out he is on probation. Everybody is very subdued and teachers are wandering about whispering to each other. That is partly because of Decree Twenty-Six, that teachers are banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach. Lee Jordan tried to use this to his advantage by telling Umbridge she was not allowed to tell Fred and George off for playing Exploding Snap in the back of class. Next time Lee was seen, he was bleeding from the back of his hand, as if Umbridge had made him write lines with the magical pen.

Harry’s scar is hurting more often and the only things he looks forward to are DA meetings.

On Valentine’s Day, Harry agrees to meet Hermione at midday but goes off with Cho for the morning. They go to a café where other couples are talking and kissing. Harry feels out of his depth and very nervous. Cho tries to talk about Cedric but Harry won’t. Harry is tactless and says he has to go to meet Hermione. Cho gets very upset and storms out.

Harry meets Hermione who is with Rita Skeeter. After some discussion, Harry agrees to give Rita an interview with all the details of what happened to Cedric and the fight with Voldemort. It will be printed by Luna Lovegood’s father in The Quibbler. Rita points out that the Daily Prophet only exists to sell itself and does not have good standards of independence. Harry names all the Death Eaters assisting Voldemort in the article.