Dumbledore's Army
| Dumbledore's Army | |
|---|---|
| Dumbledore's Army in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Dumbledore's Army logo | |
| First appearance | Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix |
| Location | The Room of Requirement |
| Purpose | To learn and practice magical methods of self-defence ("Defence Against Dark Arts"); Resistence against Death Eater Activities in Hogwarts |
| Enemies | The Ministry of Magic, the Inquisitorial Squad, Dolores Umbridge, Lord Voldemort, and the Death Eaters |
Dumbledore's Army (DA) is a magical self-defence organization founded in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
Main objective
In her Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, Hogwarts professor and High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge only teaches defensive theory, abstaining from any practical applications or demonstrations. She does this because the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge erroneously fears that Albus Dumbledore is preparing to mobilise a student army against the Ministry of Magic to overthrow him. This new teaching approach is widely unpopular among the student body, especially the fifth-years, who are soon to sit through their O.W.L. (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) examinations, which involve practical tests. Harry Potter also complains that lacking practical experience makes them more vulnerable to the newly reborn Voldemort. However, his view is at odds with the Ministry of Magic's official stance that Voldemort has not returned. This prompts Hermione Granger to suggest founding a student group where Harry (who had accumulated much expertise on the subject, due in part to his practice for the Triwizard Tournament), would teach practical Defence Against the Dark Arts. Initially reluctant, Harry eventually agrees to do what he can.
Hermione and Ron recruit "a couple" of students (which turns out to be 28) from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw Houses, including all fifth-year Prefects in those Houses. These students meet with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at The Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade to discuss founding the group. When Umbridge learns about the meeting via Willy Widdershins (who tells her of it in exchange for getting off from a charge of muggle-baiting), she bans all student organisations not approved by her. To avoid this restriction by Umbridge, Harry secretly teaches students in the Room of Requirement, meeting once a week for several months. Members communicate by using magical gold coins (fake Galleons) created by Hermione and styled after the Dark Marks used by Death Eaters. Cho Chang suggests that the group call itself "the Defence Association", or the D.A. for short; however, Ginny Weasley suggested "D.A." stand for "Dumbledore's Army", to ridicule Umbridge's political motivations, to mock Fudge's paranoia over Dumbledore's supposed planned coup, and to show the group's loyalty to Dumbledore. The shortened version, "the D.A.," however, is kept in use.
Downfall
Cho Chang's friend Marietta Edgecombe betrays the group to Umbridge; although, in the film adaption, this is somewhat changed (In the film, it is stated that Umbridge had used the last of Severus Snape's veritaserum on Cho to get her to reveal the location). This activates a curse Hermione placed on all D.A. members to ensure their secrecy and results in a jinx in which pimples spell the word "SNEAK" across Marietta's face. To prevent Harry's expulsion from school, Dumbledore, with assistance from Kingsley Shacklebolt, (an auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix), claims he organized the group in order to build a student army to overthrow the Ministry. During a confrontation with Ministry officials as they are about to arrest him, Dumbledore escapes, overpowering Dolores Umbridge, Cornelius Fudge, and an Auror named Dawlish. Dumbledore tells Harry, Marietta, and Professor Minerva McGonagall (who are present in his office) that "Fudge will soon wish he had never dislodged me from Hogwarts". The meaning behind this statement is not entirely clear, though Fudge is sacked later that year when the truth about Voldemort's resurrection is revealed to the general public, as well as Fudge's overall poor handling of the situation.
Aftermath
Though the D.A. stops meeting following these events, the students retain the impressive amount of defensive magic they have learned, apparently even by Ministry of Magic standards. Six D.A. members (Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood) are involved in an altercation against Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. Only Harry and Neville are left standing by the end: Hermione was cursed with an unknown spell by a mute Antonin Dolohov; Ron was attacked by an unknown "loopy" spell, then attacked by brains; Luna is knocked out; and Ginny breaks her ankle and is then stunned. Neville gets kicked in the face and breaks his wand in the kick but survives, but he might have been driven insane had members of the Order not arrived, because Bellatrix was eager to repeat on him what she did to his parents. Harry was spared because the Death Eaters wanted to protect the prophecy globe he held. Despite their efforts, the prophecy was destroyed without any Death Eaters learning its contents. None of the D.A. members suffer permanent injuries, though Order member Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, is killed in action. Over the summer, Fred and George Weasley use what they learned from Harry to devise a Shield Hat. The Ministry of Magic ordered five hundred hats from them, indicating that some Ministry employees are unable to perform a simple Shield Charm.
D.A. members Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot use what they learned to jinx Draco Malfoy (furious that Harry played a role in revealing his father Lucius, as a Death Eater), Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle when they ambushed Harry on the Hogwarts Express at the end of the year. The three Slytherins resembled "gigantic slugs squeezed into Hogwarts uniforms," indicating the spells the D.A. had learned were powerful and effective, and that mixing several curses, hexes, and jinxes has a deforming, if temporary, effect upon the target.
The D.A. no longer meets in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince because they have a teacher (Severus Snape) who teaches real defensive magic, though Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom would have liked to have continued the meetings. When Hogwarts was invaded by Death Eaters, it was Luna and Neville who answered Harry's D.A. distress call to assist him, Dumbledore, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. All five of Harry's friends who came to the Ministry also fought in the first Battle of Hogwarts, coming through mostly unscathed (and at least alive) because of the small portions of Felix Felicis "liquid luck" that Harry had insisted they drink before the battle. Ginny admits this saved their lives, as "Everything seemed to just miss us."
The Return and Final Battle
In this seventh book, Neville, Ginny and Luna attend Hogwarts and begin a covert rebellion against Death Eater control of the school, reactivating and possibly expanding Dumbledore's Army, performing tasks to defy the Death Eaters in Hogwarts. Eventually, however, Luna is abducted by the Death Eaters and Ginny withdraws from school, leaving Neville in sole control. According to him, most of their activity ceased shortly after Micheal Corner was tortured for trying to rescue a first-year who was chained up (as Neville didn't want any more of the members hurt). The D.A. members seemed to hide from the Death Eaters in the Room of Requirement, using a secret passage to get to the Hog's Head to find food (this same passage is used to help Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneak into Hogwarts as well as to evacuate underage students). Rallied by Neville, the Army is able to play a major role in the last battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Upon Harry's appearance at Hogwarts, Neville summons other D.A. members, who in turn call members of The Order of the Phoenix. Several D.A. members personally duel with the attacking Death Eaters. In this final battle, the emotional and psychological significance of the organization's name becomes a matter of literal interpretation, rather than just an attempt to cock a snook at the Ministry.
Members
Note: The Battle of the Ministry refers to the events at the end of Order of the Phoenix. The same six DA members (Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny, Neville) who fought there also fought against the Death Eater infiltration in Harry's sixth year in The Half-Blood Prince. This battle is sometimes referred to as The Death Eater Raid of Hogwarts.
It is implied that everyone who had ever been a member of Dumbledore's Army returns for the final battle. Fred Weasley told Harry: "We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army...", and as those members stated to be present included students who ought to have graduated from school (such as Lee Jordan), as well as those who had left for other reasons or whose parents had removed them (e.g. Hannah Abbott, following her mother's death), this is taken as true for the following list.
| Member | Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter | Ministry, Raid, Battle | (founder/leader/teacher) — Risked his life to confirm the destruction of the Diadem Horcrux. Destroyed the Diary Horcrux prior to the foundation of the Army. Victor in the final confrontation with Lord Voldemort. |
| Ron Weasley | Ministry, Raid, Battle | (co-founder/adjutant) — Destroyed the Locket Horcrux. |
| Hermione Granger | Ministry, Raid, Battle | (co-founder/adjutant) — Destroyed the Cup Horcrux. |
| Neville Longbottom | Ministry, Raid, Battle | (reformer/temporary leader) — Reactivated and expanded Dumbledore's Army in the absence of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Became leader and was tortured for act of resistance. Directly defied Voldemort and destroyed the Snake Horcrux, Nagini. Tried to help Luna and Ginny steal Gryffindor's sword. |
| Luna Lovegood | Ministry, Raid, Battle | (reformer/temporary co-leader) — Helped reactivate and expand Dumbledore's Army during Harry's absence from the school. Tried to help Neville and Ginny steal Gryffindor's sword. |
| Ginny Weasley | Ministry, Raid, Battle | (reformer/temporary co-leader) — invented the name, helped reactivate and expand Dumbledore's Army during Harry's absence from the school. Tried to help Neville and Luna steal Gryffindor's sword |
| Cho Chang | Battle | Suggested the abbreviations "D.A." Reluctantly betrays the group in the film version of Order of the Phoenix under the forced influence of truth potion Veritaserum. |
| Hannah Abbott | Battle | |
| Lavender Brown | Battle | Injured in battle, attacked by Fenrir Greyback and saved by Hermione. |
| Katie Bell | Battle | |
| Susan Bones | Battle | |
| Terry Boot | Battle | Beaten by Alecto Carrow during the Hogwarts resistance for shouting about Harry's break in and escape from Gringotts. |
| Michael Corner | Battle | Badly tortured during the Hogwarts resistance for attempting to free a first-year who had been chained up by the Carrows. |
| Colin Creevey | Battle | Defied orders to evacuate from the battle. Killed in action. |
| Dennis Creevey | Unknown | |
| Marietta Edgecombe | None | Betrayed the DA to Dolores Umbridge in Order of the Phoenix. |
| Justin Finch-Fletchley | Battle | |
| Anthony Goldstein | Battle | |
| Angelina Johnson | Battle | |
| Lee Jordan | Battle | |
| Ernie Macmillan | Battle | |
| Padma Patil | Battle | |
| Parvati Patil | Battle | |
| Alicia Spinnet | Battle | |
| Dean Thomas | Battle | |
| Fred Weasley | Battle | Killed in action. |
| George Weasley | Battle | |
| Seamus Finnigan | Battle | Joined late, due to dispute with Harry beforehand. Tortured during the Hogwarts resistance. |
| Zacharias Smith | None | Original member, but always scornful. Deserted. Was seen to push past first years to evacuate from the battle. |
| Nigel | None yet | In the film version only. |
The DA and several other groups at the Battle of Hogwarts suffer a total of roughly fifty casualties. Their losses are not examined in detail and only those specifically mentioned are listed.
