The fifth Harry Potter film premiered in the United States 19 years ago today. Warner Bros. released Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix In US theaters July 11, 2007.
This blockbuster film marked a darker, more mature chapter in the beloved franchise. Director David Yates led the project, which adapted the longest novel in author JK Rowling’s popular children’s book series.
The story follows a young wizard, played by Daniel Radcliffe, during his fifth year at Hogwarts. He faces severe suspicion from the authorities who refuse to believe his claims. The Ministry of Magic denies that Lord Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes, has returned.
To control the students of Hogwarts, the Ministry appoints Dolores Umbridge, played by Imelda Staunton, as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Inside her classroom, she explicitly bans defensive mantras and restricts students to reading textbooks.
This ban inspires Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, To create Dumbledore’s Army. Potter leads this secret training group and is in charge of teaching combat magic to his fellow students.
Fresh Tragedy: Inside One of the Harry Potter Franchise’s Most Tragic Deaths
Voldemort eventually plants an evil vision in Potter’s mind to lure him to the Ministry of Magic in London. This ploy leads Potter to believe that the Dark Lord is torturing his godfather, Sirius Black.
Potter and his friends fly to the Ministry to rescue Black, played by Gary Oldman. However, Voldemort’s dangerous followers, the Death Eaters, ambush the teenagers inside the Department of Mysteries.
The students fight them off before adult wizards from the Order of the Phoenix, founded by Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, arrive to assist.
Black also arrives on the scene to save Potter from the attacking dark forces. Tragically, Black’s own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, played by Helena Bonham Carter, kills him.
Lestrange attacks Black with a killing curse. He is knocked unconscious by a magical blast ancient stone archway until his death. The terrible tragedy has left the young magician completely broken.
Black was a rebellious wizard who was wrongly imprisoned inside Azkaban Castle for 12 excruciating years. Before this war he remained in hiding as a fugitive for two years. He was the best friend of Potter’s late father. Thus, for Potter, his godfather represented a protective father and a trusted mentor.
Voldemort and Dumbledore, portrayed by Michael Gambon, also appear in the scene and confront each other in a climactic duel. In the end, Dumbledore prevails, forcing the Dark Lord to retreat just as Ministry officials arrive. Voldemort’s reappearance finally forces the wizarding community to accept that he has returned.
Black’s death remains a major turning point for the franchise. Rowling later explained that this decision was necessary for Potter’s character development.
“I think it’s more satisfying for the reader if the hero has to go it alone and giving him a lot of support makes his job a lot easier, sorry,” British writer said.
This devastating event is one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the entire franchise. According to a ranking by buzzfeedThis is the fifth most tragic death among all casualties. Despite nearly two decades having passed since the film’s debut, this tragic loss still sticks deeply in the minds of fans.
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