Harry Potter returns for his fifth year at Hogwarts only to discover that the wizarding community is in a state of denial regarding his recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about the Dark Lord's return to undermine his power, the Minister for Magic appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the authoritarian Dolores Umbridge. When her refusal to teach practical defensive magic leaves the students unprepared, Harry takes matters into his own hands, leading a secret group of students known as "Dumbledore's Army" to prepare for the inevitable wizarding war.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United Kingdom United States |
Premiere date |
July 11, 2007 |
Running time |
138 minutes |
Genre |
Fantasy Adventure Mystery Family |
Budget |
$150,000,000 |
Box Office |
$942,256,589 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
David Yates |
Produced by |
David Heyman David Barron |
Written by |
Michael Goldenberg |
Music by |
Nicholas Hooper |
Cinematography |
Sławomir Idziak |
Edited by |
Mark Day |
Production Co. |
Warner Bros. Pictures Heyday Films |
Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #05 in Harry Potter Collection
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The Plot
The Dementor Attack and Expulsion
In the wake of Cedric Diggory's tragic death and the terrifying return of Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter finds himself in a state of constant worry, fearing that circumstances are destined to deteriorate. While walking home from the park with his cousin Dudley Dursley—who had been antagonizing Harry in front of his friends—the two are suddenly ambushed by Dementors in an attack secretly orchestrated by Dolores Umbridge. Acting on instinct to save their lives, Harry casts a Patronus Charm, successfully repelling the creatures and saving them both from the Dementor's Kiss. A completely baffled and shaken Dudley is escorted back to Privet Drive by Mrs. Figg, a neighbor revealed to be a squib who had been tasked by Albus Dumbledore to keep watch over Harry.
Shortly after the incident, a Howler arrives from Mafalda Hopkirk of the Ministry of Magic. The screaming letter informs Harry that he has been expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the illicit use of magic in the presence of a Muggle, leaving his future in the wizarding world in jeopardy.
The Order of the Phoenix
Harry is soon rescued from the Dursleys by the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization dedicated to fighting Voldemort. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody informs Harry that Dumbledore has managed to get the expulsion order suspended pending a formal disciplinary hearing. The group flies Harry to their headquarters at 12 Grimmauld Place, where he reunites with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. During his stay, Harry is plagued by nightmares recounting the traumatic events of the previous year, specifically Cedric's murder and Voldemort's rejuvenation. His godfather, Sirius Black, reveals that the Dark Lord is currently seeking "something he didn't have last time." Harry learns that the Order includes members such as Sirius, Severus Snape, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Professor Moody.
The Ministry Hearing
At the Ministry of Magic, Harry faces his disciplinary hearing. Albus Dumbledore arrives to defend Harry’s actions, but the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, is hostile, flatly denying Harry's account of the Dementor attack and refusing to acknowledge the return of Voldemort. Mrs. Figg provides crucial testimony as a witness to the event, describing the presence of the Dementors. Despite Fudge's stubborn refusal to believe Dumbledore's suggestion that Voldemort could be behind the attack, Harry is ultimately cleared of all charges. Dumbledore successfully argues that expelling an underage wizard for using magic in a life-or-death situation is unjustifiable, regardless of school rules.
High Inquisitor Umbridge
Upon returning to Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that Dolores Umbridge, a sinister and mean-spirited Ministry official, has been appointed as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. It becomes immediately apparent that she is a puppet placed by the Ministry to interfere with Hogwarts affairs and suppress rumors of the Dark Lord's return. When Harry insists in class that he saw Voldemort return, Umbridge punishes him with a sadistic detention; he is forced to write "I must not tell lies" repeatedly with a cursed quill that carves the words into the back of his hand, using his own blood as ink.
Umbridge’s abuse of power escalates as she is named the Ministry's "High Inquisitor." She implements a series of restrictive Educational Decrees and begins evaluating faculty members to determine their fitness for teaching. This campaign of intimidation culminates in her sacking Professor Trelawney in the castle courtyard. However, before Umbridge can throw Trelawney out of the school, Dumbledore intervenes. He instructs Professor McGonagall to escort Trelawney back inside, firmly telling Umbridge that while she has the authority to dismiss teachers, she does not have the power to banish them from the grounds. During this tumultuous time, Dumbledore noticeably distances himself from Harry, fearing that the boy’s mind is connected to Voldemort’s, allowing the Dark Lord to exploit Harry’s emotions.
Dumbledore's Army
Faced with Umbridge’s refusal to teach practical defensive magic and the Ministry's continued denial of the growing threat, the trio—along with students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff—decide to take matters into their own hands. They form a secret group named "Dumbledore's Army" (DA) to honor the headmaster, who is currently the target of a Ministry smear campaign. Neville Longbottom discovers the Room of Requirement, a hidden chamber that provides exactly what its users need, serving as their secret training ground.
With Harry acting as their teacher, the students learn to cast defensive spells and Patronuses. During these sessions, Harry also begins a romantic relationship with Cho Chang. However, Umbridge, suspecting subversion, issues a decree banning all student groups and societies of more than three people unless explicitly approved, effectively revoking student freedom and forcing the DA to operate deeper in the shadows.
Visions and Occlumency
Harry’s connection to Voldemort intensifies when he experiences a vision of Arthur Weasley being attacked by a snake in the Department of Mysteries, a warning that ultimately saves Mr. Weasley's life. Over Christmas at Grimmauld Place, Harry confides in Sirius about the terror of feeling Voldemort inside his mind. To counter this, Dumbledore orders Severus Snape to give Harry Occlumency lessons to block the Dark Lord's influence. These lessons are grueling and cause Harry to become increasingly isolated from his friends. Simultaneously, the wizarding world is shaken by a mass breakout from Azkaban prison; ten convicted Death Eaters, including Sirius’s deranged cousin Bellatrix Lestrange, escape to rejoin their master.
The Discovery and Dumbledore's Departure
Umbridge eventually discovers the secret of the Room of Requirement by illegally using Veritaserum on Cho Chang. Led by the "Inquisitorial Squad"—a group of Slytherin students including Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson—Umbridge breaks into the room and captures Harry and Cho. They are dragged to Dumbledore’s office where the Minister for Magic and other officials are waiting. To protect the students, Dumbledore claims full responsibility for the group, noting it is named "Dumbledore’s Army," not "Potter's." When officials attempt to arrest him and take him to Azkaban, Dumbledore makes a spectacular escape with his phoenix, Fawkes. In his absence, Umbridge is appointed Headmistress and subjects the members of the DA to torture using her blood quills.
Snape's Worst Memory
During a subsequent Occlumency lesson, Harry, exhausted by Snape’s insults and mental intrusions, retaliates by casting a Shield Charm that inadvertently penetrates Snape's mind. Harry witnesses one of Snape’s most traumatic memories: James Potter and Sirius Black relentlessly bullying a teenage Snape. Livid at this invasion of privacy, Snape violently ends the lesson and refuses to teach Harry Occlumency ever again.
Chaos and the Vision of Sirius
During the O.W.L. examinations, Fred and George Weasley stage a massive revolt against Umbridge’s tyranny. They set off an assortment of fireworks in the Great Hall, creating chaos, destroying Umbridge’s oppressive decrees, and celebrating their departure from Hogwarts to the cheers of students and staff alike. Amidst the jubilation, Harry collapses with a terrifying vision: he sees Sirius Black being tortured by Voldemort within the Department of Mysteries. Although Hermione warns that Voldemort might be planting a false vision to lure him into a trap, Harry refuses to risk his godfather’s life, declaring that Sirius is the only family he has left.
Confrontation in the Forest
Desperate to contact the Order, the trio rushes to Umbridge’s office to use her fireplace, the only one unmonitored by the Ministry. They are intercepted by Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad. Umbridge demands Snape provide more Veritaserum to interrogate Harry, but Snape calmly reveals she already wasted the last of it on Cho Chang. As Snape leaves, ignoring a coded warning from Harry, Umbridge threatens to use the Cruciatus Curse on Harry to extract information. Quick-thinking Hermione deceives Umbridge by claiming they have hidden a "secret weapon" in the Forbidden Forest.
Harry and Hermione lead Umbridge to the hiding place of Grawp, Hagrid's half-giant brother. There, they are confronted by a herd of centaurs. When Umbridge foolishly insults and attacks them, the centaurs retaliate. As she is seized, she begs Harry for help, but he coldly replies, "I'm sorry, professor. But I must not tell lies." The centaurs drag the screaming Headmistress deep into the woods.
The Department of Mysteries
After escaping the forest, Harry and Hermione regroup with Ron, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Ginny Weasley, who have escaped the Inquisitorial Squad. The group flies to the Ministry of Magic on Thestrals to rescue Sirius. Upon arrival at the Department of Mysteries, they search the Hall of Prophecies but find no sign of Sirius. Instead, they discover a prophecy orb bearing Harry and Voldemort's names. As Harry retrieves it, they are ambushed by Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and other Death Eaters. Lucius mocks Harry, revealing the vision of Sirius was a trick, saying, "You only saw what he wanted you to see."
A battle erupts as the students fight for their lives, refusing to surrender the prophecy. Just as the Death Eaters corner the group and threaten to kill them, members of the Order of the Phoenix—Sirius, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Mad-Eye Moody—arrive to join the fray. In the ensuing combat, Sirius punches Lucius Malfoy, causing the prophecy to smash and be lost. Moments later, tragedy strikes: Bellatrix Lestrange hits Sirius with a Killing Curse, sending him falling backward through the mysterious veil, killing him instantly.
The Duel of Wizards
Devastated and enraged, Harry chases Bellatrix into the Ministry Atrium, knocking her down with the Cruciatus Curse. Voldemort’s voice whispers in Harry’s ear, urging him to give in to his hatred and kill her. Realizing he is being baited, Harry turns to face the Dark Lord himself. Voldemort mocks Harry's "weakness" and attempts to kill him, but Albus Dumbledore arrives via the Floo Network just in time to defend him.
A titanic duel ensues between Dumbledore and Voldemort. Dumbledore effortlessly counters Voldemort's most destructive attacks, including a torrent of dark energy and a storm of glass shards, while Bellatrix flees. Failing to defeat Dumbledore physically, Voldemort attempts to possess Harry's body to cause Dumbledore to kill the boy. However, Harry fights back through the power of his love for his friends and Sirius, defiantly telling Voldemort that he is the weak one for never knowing love or friendship. Repelled by this emotion, Voldemort is forced out of Harry’s mind. As Ministry officials arrive, Voldemort tries to Disapparate but is seen by Cornelius Fudge, forcing the Minister to finally admit the Dark Lord has returned. Fudge resigns in disgrace, Umbridge is fired, and Dumbledore is reinstated as Headmistress.
The Prophecy
Back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore explains the true meaning of the lost prophecy to Harry: "neither can live while the other survives." Harry realizes that he is destined to fight Voldemort one last time, and that in the end, one of them must kill the other. Despite the heavy burden of this revelation, Harry ends the school year standing side-by-side with his friends. He faces the uncertain future with optimism, knowing that he possesses something Voldemort never will: something worth fighting for.
