Andrew, Eric, Micah, and Laura return to the Ministry of Magic for Chapter 36 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, “The Only One He Ever Feared,” where Dumbledore and Voldemort finally go wand to wand.
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The full episode is above. Below, you’ll find the key points from our chapter discussion.
Harry Chases Bellatrix
The chapter picks up seconds after Sirius falls through the veil. Harry goes from hoping Sirius will step back out to realizing, as Laura put it, that “Sirius really ain’t coming out from behind that curtain.” Then he takes off after Bellatrix.
Lupin is the one holding Harry back, even though he has just lost one of his oldest friends. Andrew called it “an incredibly difficult line to walk.” Lupin has to comfort and protect Harry while dealing with his own loss, and Micah pointed out that he still finds time to lift the curse on Neville’s legs.
Can You Just Ask the Department of Mysteries for the Exit?
Harry yells at the wall to ask for the way out, and a door swings open. If it was that easy, why didn’t anyone try it earlier? Eric joked about getting lost in a government building: “Oops, wrong turn, Department of Mysteries.”
Micah had a practical answer. A place this secretive and dangerous probably has some kind of emergency exit built in. “I do like the idea that for security purposes, you can get out if you need to,” he said. Andrew pictured the room getting fed up with all the visitors that night, wondering how many free passes it has to hand out.
Eric noted that when the kids first arrived, they didn’t know the official name of the Hall of Prophecy, so they couldn’t have just asked for it. Micah also suggested Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters may have had an advantage, since they may have scouted the Department ahead of time and probably knew their way around much better than six panicked teenagers.
Could Harry Have Pulled Off the Cruciatus Curse?
Harry tries to use the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix, and it barely works. She tells him he has to really mean it. Laura wondered whether Harry might have succeeded if he’d had a little more time.
Andrew isn’t sure Harry had it in him. “Maybe yes, he wants to cause pain, but does he enjoy it? I’m not so sure,” he said. Micah compared it to Deathly Hallows, when Harry uses the curse on Amycus Carrow. By then Harry is calmer and more deliberate, and he knows exactly what he’s doing. Eric added that a successful curse here could have been a disaster for Harry, since the Ministry would have loved an excuse to go after him.
Why Didn’t Dumbledore Stop Harry?
Dumbledore arrives at the Ministry and lets Harry keep running after Bellatrix, straight into Voldemort. Eric wasn’t okay with that. “It feels irresponsible,” he said, comparing it to the end of Sorcerer’s Stone, when Dumbledore says Harry had a right to face Voldemort. Harry was eleven years old.
Micah agreed. “I think that Dumbledore should have done some sort of intervention here to prevent Harry from going after Bellatrix,” he said. Eric summed up the two ways to read it: Dumbledore is “careless at worst and manipulative and strategic at best.”
Is There Something Between Bellatrix and Voldemort?
Eric has a theory that gets stronger every time he rereads this chapter. Bellatrix says Voldemort personally taught her the Dark Arts, Voldemort calls her “Bella,” and he even comes back to pull her out of the rubble before escaping. “It’s these little, little moments in the dialogue and uncharacteristic behavior,” Eric said.
Andrew agreed the nickname stood out, and Laura found it odd coming from someone who doesn’t seem capable of affection. Micah offered a less romantic reading. Bellatrix is his most loyal follower, and with so many Death Eaters captured, Voldemort can’t afford to lose her. The hosts also tied the theory to Cursed Child, which takes the idea a lot further.
The Fountain of Magical Brethren Comes to Life
During the duel, Dumbledore brings the statues of the Fountain of Magical Brethren to life. The wizard statue shields Harry, the witch pins down Bellatrix, and the house-elf and goblin run off for help. Laura pointed out that the fountain always showed the centaur, goblin, and house-elf gazing up adoringly at the humans, and now that picture of harmony is literally being smashed.
Micah sees a message in it. “In order to defeat Voldemort, the entire wizarding community is going to need to find a way to work together,” he said. He also noticed that the witch statue taking on Bellatrix is a nice preview of Molly’s big moment in Deathly Hallows. Eric joked that the house-elf and goblin were sent for help because they weren’t exactly built for bodyguard duty.
Pokémon Battles and the Power of Sirius
The hosts have teased the movie version of the duel as a Pokémon battle for years. Then Laura reread the chapter. “Upon rereading this chapter, that’s like, pretty much what happens?” she said. Eric hopes the TV series gives the fight more room and makes better use of the environment, since the statues and the Atrium itself are part of the battle.
The chapter peaks when Voldemort possesses Harry. Micah pointed out that it’s specifically Harry’s love for Sirius that forces Voldemort out, which hits even harder minutes after Sirius died. Eric noticed how quickly Voldemort retreats once Harry starts thinking about his godfather. It’s the clearest example yet of the power Voldemort will never understand. Then Fudge and a crowd of Ministry officials arrive in time to see Voldemort with their own eyes. After a whole year of denial, Fudge can’t pretend anymore, and Dumbledore is the one giving the orders. It’s a long overdue moment of vindication for Harry and Dumbledore, even if it came at a terrible price.