The Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore’s Army Teach Us Age is Just a Number

Pottermore’s tribute to the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore’s Army is just what we need in today’s turbulent world.

Everywhere we look, the world is falling apart. We are inundated with news every day that someone somewhere has been killed for their race, ethnicity, religion, or just daring to exist.

In the world we face, the lesson Harry Potter taught us as children becomes even more prevalent: you don’t have to be an adult with a degree and a career to start making a difference in the world.

Anyone can change the world

Created by Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix was a group of brave wizards and witches who had passed their teenage years. The youngest members seem to have been the Marauders and their friends, who were in their early 20’s by the time they joined.

Enter Dumbledore’s Army, the group created by Hermione, Harry and Ron. Consisting of Hogwarts schoolmates, the DA showed Potterheads everywhere that we can fight the system and its bigotry even as a teenager.

Both groups played a significant role in destroying Voldemort and his cronies. However, while the majority of DA members survived the wizarding war, a good chunk of the Order did not.

As the 20th anniversary of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” draws near, we remember both groups and the courageous men and women that fought to rid the world of evil.

The Order of the Phoenix

Gallant Order members fought to the point of insanity, death and imprisonment. These include:

The Marauders:

• Moony: Died in the first battle
• Wormtail: Failed his friends and himself when his lack of courage turned him to Voldemort (later killed by his own silver hand when he hesitated in killing Harry)
• Padfoot: killed by his Death Eater aunt in the battle in the Ministry
• Prongs: killed by Voldemort himself after thrice defying him
• Lily Evans: killed by Voldemort himself after thrice defying him and giving her life for her son

And the rest:

• Frank and Alice Longbottom: tortured to insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange
• Gideon and Fabian Prewett: killed by five Death Eaters
• Dorcas Meadowes: killed by Voldemort himself
• Marlene McKinnon, Edgar Bones, Benjy Fenwick and Caradoc Dearborn: murdered by Death Eaters
• Albus Dumbledore: killed by Severus Snape in the second war
• Emmeline Vance: fought in both wars, killed by Death Eaters
• Sturgis Podmore: fought in both wars, Imperiused by Death Eaters and sentenced to Azkaban

And the ones who survived both wars: Dedalus Diggle, the little man who was thrilled when Harry remembered him; Elphias Doge, close friend of Dumbledore; Aberforth Dumbledore, the man who was a bit too fond of goats; Alastor Moody, impersonated by a Death Eater; and Rubeus Hagrid, everyone’s favorite lovable half-giant.

New members in the second Order of the Phoenix had a much better chance of survival. Minerva McGonagall, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Bill and Charlie Weasley, George Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Mundungus Fletcher, Hestia Jones and the future Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt all emerged out of the war victorious.

Padfoot, Moony, Tonks, Fred Weasley, Dumbledore and Snape did not.

Dumbledore’s Army

What began as a way to defy Delores Umbridge soon became just as important in the battle against Voldemort as the Order.

In the group created by Hermione Granger and named by Ginny Weasley, only Fred Weasley and Colin Creevey did not survive the final battle.

While Marietta Edgecombe quickly turned on the group to save her aunt, the rest of the DA members remained faithful to the cause. Some even accompanied Harry to fight the Death Eaters in the Ministry.

Hermione, Harry, Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny and George all survived the final battle, but they weren’t the only ones to do so.

Other survivors include:

• • Dean Thomas, who offered to fight without a wand
  • Lee Jordan, creating Potterwatch to keep the wizarding world informed
  • Seamus Finnigan, staying to pay his respects to Dumbledore despite his mother’s wishes
  • Angelina Johnson, one of the best captains the Gryffindor Quidditch team ever had
  • Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet, Gryffindor Chasers extraordinaire
  • Cho Chang, who defied her parents to fight for what she believed in
  • Hannah Abbot, the future Mrs. Longbottom
  • Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Lavender Brown, Michael Corner, Dennis Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Anthony Goldstein, Ernie Macmillan, Padma and Parvati Patil and Zacharias Smith

Next: Celebrate Harry Potter’s anniversary with the book that started it all!

Let’s raise our wands to both groups and remember what they taught us: you are never too young to make the world a better place.