Dumbledore's Army

Dumbledore's Army
File:Harrypotter5-roomofrequirement.jpg Dumbledore's Army members as seen in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
First appearance	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Location	Room of Requirement
Leader	Harry Potter Neville Longbottom (acting in HP7) Ginny Weasley(acting in HP7) Luna Lovegood (acting in HP7)
Purpose	To learn and practice magical methods of self-defence; Resistance against Death Eater activities in Hogwarts
Affiliations	Order of the Phoenix
Enemies	Lord Voldemort, Death Eaters, Dolores Umbridge, Ministry of Magic

Dumbledore's Army (the D.A. for short) is a student organisation in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series that is founded by the main characters, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, in order to stand up against the regime of Hogwarts High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge, as well as to learn practical Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Synopsis

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Dolores Umbridge, chooses to only teach the basic theoretical principles of the subject in her classes instead of practical applications, due to Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge's erroneous fear that Albus Dumbledore is preparing to assemble a student army in order to overthrow him. This theory-only approach is widely unpopular among the students, especially those characters like Harry, who are in their fifth year and have to take their O.W.L. exams on the subject later in the year. Harry also believes that lack of practical experience makes them more vulnerable to Lord Voldemort's forces, though the Ministry staunchly refuses to accept that Lord Voldemort has returned. This prompts Hermione to suggest founding a student group where Harry would teach practical Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Hermione and Ron recruit students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw who all meet with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Hog's Head inn to discuss founding the group. When Umbridge learns about the meeting, she bans all unapproved student organisations, and meetings are secretly held in the Room of Requirement at least once a week for several months. Members are told when to meet through engravings on enchanted fake Galleons created by Hermione. Cho Chang suggests the "Defence Association", shortened to "D.A.", as the official name for the group, but Ginny Weasley's suggestion of "Dumbledore's Army", in order to mock the Ministry's paranoia and to show the group's loyalty to Dumbledore, is chosen.

Cho's friend Marietta Edgecombe betrays the group to Umbridge, and to prevent Harry's expulsion and the incrimination of other members, Dumbledore claims responsibility for organising the group, then escapes when Ministry officials attempt to arrest him. Though the D.A. stops meeting following these events, three members — Ginny, Neville and Luna — join Harry, Ron and Hermione in the battle in the Department of Mysteries towards the end of the fifth book. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Neville and Luna are distraught due to the fact that the D.A. no longer exists. When Hogwarts is invaded by Death Eaters, they are among the members who join the Order of the Phoenix in the ensuing battle.

In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, with Harry, Ron and Hermione's absence from Hogwarts, Neville, Ginny and Luna begin a covert rebellion against new headmaster Severus Snape by reactivating the D.A. However, Luna is abducted (although is later rescued by Harry, Ron and Dobby) and Ginny leaves school, leaving Neville as the D.A.'s leader. According to Neville, most of the D.A.'s activity ceased shortly after Michael Corner was tortured by Death Eater siblings Alecto and Amycus Carrow, for trying to rescue a first-year boy from imprisonment. The group thereafter hid from the Death Eaters in the Room of Requirement, using a secret passage to the Hog's Head to find food. The D.A. believed that if Harry returned he'd lead them in a revolution against Snape and the Carrows and are disappointed when he initially refuses to let them help. Harry does lead an impromptu revolt, but only himself, Luna and Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick and Slughorn take part in it, with Harry and Luna taking out the Carrows, and the professors (rallied by McGonagall and Harry) driving off Snape. In the book's climax, the D.A. (alongside the Order of the Phoenix) plays an important role in the Battle of Hogwarts, giving Harry enough time to find the remaining Horcruxes.

The enchanted Galleons are kept by the participating members after the battle as badges of honour; Neville shows his medal to admiring pupils.

Leaders

Harry Potter

Main article: Harry Potter (character)

Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom is a pure-blood Gryffindor student in Harry's year, described as round-faced and "short and plump and blond". Throughout the series, he is often portrayed as a bumbling, disorganised character and a rather mediocre student, though he is highly gifted at Herbology. His parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were prominent Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members until they were tortured and permanently incapacitated by a group of Death Eaters led by Bellatrix Lestrange; Neville was subsequently raised by his paternal grandmother, Augusta. Neville plays a minor role in the first four books, but Rowling wanted him to perform an act of bravery in Philosopher's Stone, in which Neville "finds true moral courage in standing up to his closest friends — the people who are on his side" towards the climax.

According to Rowling, Order of the Phoenix "was a real turning point for Neville" due to the central role he played in it. His magical abilities improve dramatically during D.A. meetings, and Harry comes to understand him on a deeper level after he and his friends learn about the fate of Neville's parents at St Mungo's. Neville participates in the battle in the Department of Mysteries, in which he accidentally breaks the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort. Dumbledore, to whom it was originally made, explains that it concerned "the Chosen One", a wizard who would have the power to vanquish Voldemort and who would be born "as the seventh month dies" to "parents who have defied the Dark Lord thrice"; thus could refer to either Neville, who was born on 30 July 1980, or Harry, who was born a day later. This means that Neville could easily have had Harry's fate, had Voldemort chosen to target him instead of Harry. Neville is also one of the few D.A. members to participate in the battle of the Astronomy Tower in the climax of Half-Blood Prince.

With Hogwarts at the mercy of new headmaster Severus Snape and Death Eater siblings Alecto and Amycus Carrow, in Deathly Hallows, Neville reforms Dumbledore's Army with Ginny and Luna, and spends much of his seventh year as the group's interim leader in Harry's absence, helping students who are tormented under the new regime. Neville's bravery is fully revealed here, as he not only tried to steal the sword of Gryffindor for Harry but also refuses to obey the Carrows' cruel regime. Neville reveals to Harry that he had suffered beatings by the Carrows as a result and was forced to go into hiding in the Room of Requirement to avoid Azkaban or death. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Neville uses his knowledge of Herbology to help ward off the attackers, and later helps Oliver Wood carry the body of Colin Creevey. When Voldemort returns with Harry's apparently lifeless body, Neville breaks free from the crowd to attack Voldemort. However, he is immobilised by Voldemort's Full Body-Bind curse, after which the Sorting Hat is placed on his head and set on fire. Neville later breaks free of the curse, and decapitates Nagini with Godric Gryffindor's sword, thus destroying the final Horcrux. In the ensuing conflict, he assists Ron in defeating Fenrir Greyback.

In the epilogue of Deathly Hallows, Neville returns to Hogwarts as its new Herbology professor, and shows off his D.A. Galleon to many admiring students and tells them about his adventures. Rowling revealed in October 2007 that Neville married Hannah Abbott, who then became the new landlady of the Leaky Cauldron. They live over the pub, which Rowling believed readers would find "particularly cool."

Neville was played by Matthew Lewis in the Harry Potter film series.

IGN listed Neville as their sixth top Harry Potter character, calling him the "quintessential dimwit-turned-hero". In NextMovie.com's Harry Potter Mega Poll, Neville was voted as the top character that should get a spin-off movie or book.

Ginny Weasley

Ginevra "Ginny" Molly Weasley is the youngest of the seven Weasley children and "the first girl to be born into the Weasley clan for several generations." Ginny is introduced in The Philosopher's Stone, in which she appears when Harry and four of her brothers leave for Hogwarts, and when she excitedly catches a glimpse of Harry upon his return at the end of the term.

Ginny is a first-year in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which she develops a crush on Harry and is sorted into Gryffindor. In the climax, it is revealed that she had opened the Chamber of Secrets, and is attacking Muggle-born students while being possessed by Tom Riddle's (Lord Voldemort's) old school diary, which Lucius Malfoy had slipped into her cauldron in Flourish and Blotts prior to the term. She has little involvement in Prisoner of Azkaban where she studies at Hogwarts and in Goblet of Fire her role was larger as she attends the Yule Ball with Neville Longbottom and can be seen in back-ground appearances.

In Order of the Phoenix, Ginny has "given up on Harry months ago", and has a boyfriend, Michael Corner, whom she met at the Yule Ball. George Weasley also mentions how good she is with Bat-Bogey Hexes. When Umbridge punishes Harry with a "lifetime" Quidditch ban, Ginny replaces him as Gryffindor Seeker. She joins Dumbledore's Army and is one of five members who accompany Harry in his attempt to rescue Sirius Black from the Department of Mysteries. During the last part of the book, Ginny breaks up with Michael due to his sulking over Ravenclaw losing the Quidditch Cup final to Gryffindor, and starts dating Dean Thomas.

In Half-Blood Prince, after she casts the Bat-Bogey Hex on Zacharias Smith, Professor Slughorn respects her magical abilities enough to invite her to join his "Slug Club". Ginny becomes a permanent member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Chaser, and substitutes for Harry as Seeker when Snape puts him in detention during the Quidditch Cup final. After witnessing Ginny kissing Dean in a private hallway, Harry realises his love for Ginny, but since Ron vocally objects to Dean dating his sister, Harry interprets this as his not wanting any of his friends to date her. Ginny's relationship with Dean ends altogether in April following an "accidental" nudge from Harry under the effects of Felix Felicis, which Ginny interprets as Dean unnecessarily trying to help her through the portrait hole. Ginny and Harry share their first kiss after Gryffindor again wins the Quidditch Cup over Ravenclaw, thus initiating their relationship. After Dumbledore's death, however, Harry decides to end their relationship as he fears his love for Ginny would place her in danger.

Propelled by the revelation that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are leaving to seek the remaining Horcruxes in Deathly Hallows, Ginny kisses Harry in her bedroom, and they realise that they both still love each other. She returns to Hogwarts for her sixth year, where she works with Neville and Luna on reuniting Dumbledore's Army. As Ron is on the run with Harry and Hermione, Ginny is forced to go into hiding with her family. Though underage, she takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts despite her mother's and Harry's disapproval. After Harry's supposed death, she, Hermione, and Luna take on Bellatrix Lestrange, who nearly strikes Ginny with a Killing Curse, infuriating Molly Weasley to the point of intervening and slaying Bellatrix herself.

In the epilogue, set nineteen years after the events of Deathly Hallows, Harry and Ginny are married and have three children: James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, and Lily Luna Potter. Rowling extrapolated on Ginny's future after the release of the book, saying that after leaving Hogwarts, she joined the Holyhead Harpies and, after spending a few years as a celebrated player, retired to become the senior Quidditch correspondent at the Daily Prophet, and to start a family with Harry.

Ginny was played by Bonnie Wright in the Harry Potter film series.

For the video-game adaptions, Ginny Weasley was voiced by Victoire Robinson for Chamber of Secrets. Bonnie Wright voiced Ginny for Order of Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows Part 1 and provided likeness for the voice of Ginny in Deathly Hallows Part 2. Annabel Scholey voiced Ginny Weasley for Deathly Hallows Part 2.

IGN listed Ginny as their 22nd-favourite Harry Potter character, that "Ginny and Harry's eventual romance captivated us", that Ginny was the "quintessential girl who got her guy" and they "wouldn't have it any other way".

Luna Lovegood

Luna Lovegood is a Ravenclaw student one year younger than Harry. She is described as having straggly, waist-length dirty blond hair and a "permanently surprised look". Rowling has often said that Luna is the "anti-Hermione", as Hermione is "inflexible and logical", as opposed to Luna, who would "believe 10 impossible things before breakfast". Her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, is the editor-in-chief of The Quibbler. When Luna was only 9 years old, her mother was killed while performing spell experiments. Luna witnessed the accident, which enabled her to see Thestrals. Luna is at first socially isolated at school, but she appears to have the rare quality in that she cares little about what others think of her.

In Order of the Phoenix, she and her father are among the few who believe Harry and Dumbledore when they claim that Voldemort has returned, and even publish an article outlining Harry's side of events, as opposed to the ministry influenced media that try to portray Harry as crazy. During this particularly turbulent year for Harry, Luna serves as the only person who can quell his temper. As a result, he forms a strong friendship with her. Luna also becomes a member of Dumbledore's Army. Later in the book, she joins Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville in the conflict with Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries. In Half-Blood Prince, after Luna and Neville are snubbed by some of Harry's new fans, she observes that Harry is expected to be with "cooler" people. Harry later invites Luna to Slughorn's Christmas party. She also does the Quidditch commentary for Gryffindor's game against Hufflepuff, a scene that Rowling particularly enjoyed writing, calling it "blinding inspiration". Later, when Death Eaters attack Hogwarts, Luna, Ginny and Neville are the sole D.A. members who answer the call to protect Hogwarts.

In Deathly Hallows, Luna and her father attend Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding at the Burrow, where she immediately recognises Harry (who is posing as another Weasley under the effects of Polyjuice Potion) by way of the expression on his face. She returns to school for her sixth year, where she and Neville help Ginny secretly revive the D.A. to oppose Snape's regime as Hogwarts headmaster. During Harry's visit to the Lovegood residence along with Ron and Hermione, the trio notices evidence suggesting that she has been missing for several weeks. It is then revealed that while travelling home for the Christmas break on the Hogwarts Express, Luna was kidnapped in an effort to prevent her father from publishing information in support of Harry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with Luna, Dean Thomas, Griphook, and Mr Ollivander, are captured and held hostage at Malfoy Manor, but are soon rescued by Dobby, who takes them to safety at Shell Cottage. When Harry returns to Hogwarts in search of Ravenclaw's diadem, Luna helps him enter the Ravenclaw common room in order to view a replica of it, then stuns Alecto Carrow when they are discovered. During the battle, she, Ernie, and Seamus help Harry fight the Dementors by conjuring their respective Patronuses; Luna's takes the form of a silver hare. After Harry's apparent death, Luna ends up dueling Bellatrix Lestrange, along with Hermione and Ginny, until Molly Weasley takes over and defeats Bellatrix herself. She is among the first to congratulate Harry when Voldemort is defeated and later helps him get some solitude.

Rowling revealed that, after Hogwarts, Luna pursues a career that is "the wizarding equivalent" of a naturalist. She also accepted that some of her father's beliefs were, after all, not so true. She married a fellow naturalist named Rolf, the grandson of Newt Scamander. Luna and Rolf had twin boys, Lorcan and Lysander. After Harry and Ginny are married, they name their daughter Lily Luna.

Evanna Lynch portrayed Luna in the last four Harry Potter film series.

IGN listed Luna as their 12th top Harry Potter character, saying that looniness made her a "delight".

Members

Hannah Abbott

Hannah Abbott is a Hufflepuff student in Harry's year, described as "pink-faced" with blonde hair worn in pigtails. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, she is initially sceptical of housemate Ernie Macmillan's belief that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin, and sports a "Support Cedric Diggory" badge during the Triwizard Tournament in Goblet of Fire because she and several other Hufflepuffs initially believe Harry had stolen their housemate's glory, although she remains on good terms with Harry, Ron and Hermione. In Order of the Phoenix, Hannah is named a Hufflepuff prefect and later joins Dumbledore's Army, yet she also appears to be rather highly-strung: she suffers a nervous breakdown because she feels she is too stupid to take her upcoming O.W.L. exams, and has to be given a Calming Draught. She is among the six D.A. members who prevent Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle from ambushing Harry aboard the Hogwarts Express at the end of the term.

In Half-Blood Prince, Hannah leaves Hogwarts after her mother is murdered by Death Eaters, but she returns in the series finale to take part in the Battle of Hogwarts; she, Fred Weasley, and Lee Jordan stand guard over a secret passage together, and Harry later saves her and Seamus Finnigan from Voldemort's curse with a Shield Charm, allowing them to join the fight in the Great Hall. Hannah, as an adult, marries Neville Longbottom and becomes the landlady of The Leaky Cauldron.

Charlotte Skeoch played Hannah in the film adaptations of Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire, and voiced the character in the video game adaptation of Order of the Phoenix and by Louisa Warren in The Deathly Hallows versions.

Katie Bell

Katie Bell joins the Gryffindor Quidditch team in her second year (Harry's first) as a Chaser, and joined Dumbledore's Army in her sixth year. In Half-Blood Prince, she is the last remaining member of the original Gryffindor squad that was helmed by Oliver Wood (apart from Harry), and she advises Harry not to discriminate in favour of old players like her, but to hold trials for all. She nonetheless succeeds in retaining her spot as Chaser alongside newcomers Ginny Weasley and Demelza Robins.

In Half-Blood Prince, Malfoy secretly attempts to use Katie to deliver a fatally-cursed necklace to Dumbledore. Madam Rosmerta, whom he has placed under the Imperius Curse, gives it to Katie, who was also under the Imperius Curse, in Hogsmeade. Katie accidentally touches the necklace through the torn package and is badly cursed. Fortunately, she only touches it with a minute amount of skin due to a small hole in her glove, but she is nonetheless hospitalised for several months in St Mungo's, and is temporarily replaced by Dean Thomas on the Gryffindor team. Katie returns fully healed to participate in Gryffindor's Quidditch Cup final win over Ravenclaw. In Deathly Hallows, she reunites with Oliver, Alicia and Angelina to assist the D.A. in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Katie was portrayed by Emily Dale in a non-speaking part in the first two films. She featured in an expanded role in Half-Blood Prince and a brief appearance in Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Deathly Hallows – Part 2 and was played by Georgina Leonidas, who also voiced the character in the Half-Blood Prince video game adaptation.

Susan Bones

Susan Bones is a Hufflepuff student in Harry's year who wears her hair in a long plait down her back. She is sorted in Philosopher's Stone, but is not mentioned again in the series until Order of the Phoenix, in which she attends the initial D.A. meeting in the Hog's Head, expresses curiosity over whether Harry could produce a corporeal Patronus, and reveals to Harry that her aunt was Amelia Bones, a high-ranking member of the Wizengamot who had presided at Harry's trial before the term. Following the break-out of several Death Eaters from Azkaban prison, including those who murdered her uncle Edgar and his family, Susan becomes a subject of unwanted notoriety among her fellow students, and she tells Harry that she understood how he felt. She is also part of the group of D.A. members who prevent Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle from ambushing Harry aboard the Hogwarts Express at the end of the year. Susan's last appearance in the series is in Half-Blood Prince, when she accidentally Splinches herself during an Apparition lesson. Though her leg is successfully reattached, the incident leaves her somewhat shaken.

Eleanor Columbus (daughter of director Chris Columbus) portrayed Susan in a non-speaking role in the first two films, but she has a speaking role in the video games.

Terry Boot

Terry Boot is a Ravenclaw student in Harry's year who is close friends with housemates Michael Corner and Anthony Goldstein. In Order of the Phoenix, Terry becomes a member of Dumbledore's Army at the first meeting at the Hog's Head. After one D.A. meeting in the Room of Requirement, Terry is impressed by Hermione's charmed communication-device Galleons distributed among the members, as well as her ability to perform the N.E.W.T.-level Protean Charm. He is among the six D.A. members who assist Harry when Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle attempt to ambush him aboard the Hogwarts Express at the end of the term. In Half-Blood Prince, Terry appears in Horace Slughorn's Advanced Potions class, and is physically punished by the Carrows in his seventh year after shouting an announcement in the Great Hall about Harry, Ron, and Hermione's Gringotts break-in and their escape on a dragon. He is among the D.A. members who later seek refuge in the Room of Requirement prior to Harry's return to Hogwarts, and provides Harry with an explanation of Ravenclaw's diadem.

Terry's first name was originally "Trevor" on Rowling's original pre-canon classlist that she created prior to the completion of Philosopher's Stone. He did not appear in any of the films, but was included in the Order of the Phoenix video game.

Lavender Brown

Lavender Brown is a Gryffindor student. She is a close friend of housemate Parvati Patil; they seem to enjoy the same classes, especially Divination, and share many common interests. The two also seem to have a reasonably close relationship with Professor Trelawney, comforting and supporting her in her various crises. Lavender is one of the few students who help round up the Blast-Ended Skrewts after a disastrous Care of Magical Creatures class, and she attends the Yule Ball with Seamus Finnigan in their fourth year. She initially believes the Ministry's smear campaign against Harry, but is among the original members of Dumbledore's Army.

In Half-Blood Prince, Lavender becomes Ron's first girlfriend for several months; he relishes the opportunity to make Hermione jealous and prove that he can "snog" or kiss people whenever he wants. All Lavender wants to do is snog Ron. It becomes increasingly evident that Ron is not particularly enamoured with Lavender and actually finds her irritating. Lavender becomes jealous of Ron's friendship with Hermione, and finally splits up with him when she sees them leaving Harry's dormitory together, as she is under the impression that they had been alone together, not realising Harry was there under his Invisibility Cloak. In Deathly Hallows, during the battle for Hogwarts, Lavender is attacked by Fenrir Greyback, and, in the film, she was killed.

Jennifer Smith portrayed Lavender in a brief, non-speaking role in Prisoner of Azkaban. Jessie Cave played the character in a larger role in Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and also briefly in Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

Cho Chang

Cho Chang is a Ravenclaw student one year above Harry, and plays Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. During the formation of Dumbledore's Army, Cho's parents wish her not to take part in any anti-Ministry relations. She is best known for being Harry's first kiss, is described as being "very pretty" with long dark hair and is frequently accompanied by a group of giggling Ravenclaw girls.

In Goblet of Fire, Harry's crush on Cho intensifies and he works up the courage to ask her out to the Yule Ball, but Cho apologises and replies that she had previously accepted Cedric Diggory's offer, leaving Harry to ignore his own date, Parvati Patil, and jealously obsess about the couple for nearly the entire length of the ball. Nonetheless, Cho is still kind to Harry, much to his relief, and she refuses to wear one of Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badges. She and Cedric maintain their relationship until his murder by Peter Pettigrew during the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Cho is one of the first students to believe Harry's declaration of Voldemort's return in Order of the Phoenix, and when invited by Hermione to join the D.A., she joins because she is determined to fight against Voldemort and avenge Cedric's murder. Cho initiates a kiss with Harry after the last D.A. session before the Christmas holidays; much to Ron's amusement, Harry describes the kiss as "wet," but then explains that Cho was crying. Harry and Cho go out on a date on Valentine's Day, but her sustained grief over Cedric's death, her jealousy over Harry's friendship with Hermione, and Harry's lack of knowledge about girls all make for a miserable experience. Their relationship is damaged after the outing, and it ends permanently when Dumbledore's Army is exposed following Marietta Edgecombe's betrayal of the group to Umbridge. Cho defends her friend's actions by saying that Marietta simply made a mistake, and labels Hermione's secret anti-treachery jinxing of the group's list of names a "dirty trick". On the train back to King's Cross, Ginny reveals that Cho was now dating Michael Corner.

In the series finale, Cho demonstrates her loyalty to Hogwarts when she returns to join other D.A. members in hiding in the Room of Requirement prior to engaging in the Battle of Hogwarts; Harry and Cho, united by a common cause, appear on amicable and friendly terms. She shares with Harry the little information known about Ravenclaw's diadem (one of Voldemort's Horcruxes). She offers to escort him to the Ravenclaw common room to search for clues, but Ginny hurriedly suggests that Luna take Harry up instead. Rowling revealed during an October 2007 book signing that Cho had married a Muggle.

Cho was played by Katie Leung in the film series starting from when the character made its debut in the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In the film version of Order of the Phoenix, she takes the role of exposing Dumbledore's Army to the Umbridge instead while under the influence of the Veritaserum potion as her friend Marietta does not appear in the film series.

Michael Corner

Michael Corner is a Ravenclaw student in Harry's year who is close friends with housemates Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein. Michael and Ginny met and began dating after the Yule Ball, but this is not explicitly mentioned in canon until Order of the Phoenix. Michael joins the D.A. because of his relationship with Ginny. When Michael duels Ginny during a training session, he does not jinx her, either because he does not know the spell or wants to avoid cursing his girlfriend. After Gryffindor defeated Ravenclaw in the Quidditch Cup final, Michael expresses his displeasure of the result and the relationship ends. He then begins dating the Seeker from his own team, Cho Chang, fresh from her split with Harry.

In Half-Blood Prince, Michael is one of the few students in Harry's year to enrol in Slughorn's Advanced Potions class after achieving a high score on his Potions O.W.L. In Deathly Hallows, Michael is tortured by the Carrows for trying to free a first-year boy from imprisonment during Snape's regime as Hogwarts headmaster, causing the D.A. to cease operations prior to Harry's return. He is among the regrouped members hiding in the Room of Requirement before engaging in the Battle of Hogwarts, and when Harry attempts to reject the D.A.'s offer to help him in his mission, he soon relents due to Michael's protests and those of other members.

Michael was initially a Hufflepuff on Rowling's original pre-canon classlist that she created prior to the completion of Philosopher's Stone. He never appeared in any of the films, but was included in the Order of the Phoenix video game.

Colin and Dennis Creevey

Colin and Dennis Creevey are Muggle-born Gryffindor students; their father is a milkman. Colin is one year younger than Harry and is in a regular state of excitement; he is delighted at the discovery that he is a wizard, and takes photographs of memorable people, objects and events to send home to his family. He is also star-struck by Harry and pursues him regularly to get pictures, but Harry quickly tires of Colin's constant attention. During one of Gryffindor's Quidditch practices, Colin sits in the stands and repeatedly snaps pictures of Harry, and inappropriately photographs Ron vomiting slugs after his curse directed at Malfoy backfires. Ironically, Colin's camera later proves to be a lifesaver when he attempts to take a picture of the basilisk, and the camera lens shields him from the creature's direct and fatal eye contact, and Colin is only Petrified.

Dennis is two years younger than Colin and shares his brother's near-constant enthusiasm; he can barely contain his excitement about having fallen out of his boat and into the lake on the way to the castle and being pushed back in by the resident giant squid. During the Triwizard Tournament, he and Colin try to rework a stack of "Potter Stinks" badges into reading "Support Harry Potter," but only succeed in changing them to "Potter Really Stinks." In Order of the Phoenix, Dennis joins Colin in the D.A., even though he is a second-year at the time and therefore prohibited from visiting Hogsmeade. At one D.A. meeting in the Room of Requirement, their attempts at the Expelliarmus Charm go awry and result in books flying off the shelves. After three meetings, he managed to master the Impediment Jinx.

Despite being too young to take part in the Battle of Hogwarts, Colin sneaks back into the castle to participate, and dies in combat. His body is recovered by Neville and Oliver Wood, and Harry sombrely notices how small he is in death. It is not stated whether Dennis was involved in the battle.

Hugh Mitchell played Colin in the film version of Chamber of Secrets, and voiced the character in the Order of the Phoenix video game. Dennis never appeared in any of the films.

Marietta Edgecombe

Marietta Edgecombe is a Ravenclaw student, with curly reddish-blonde hair, and is part of Cho Chang's cadre of giggling Ravenclaw girlfriends; her mother works for the Floo Network authority in the Ministry. Marietta reluctantly attends the first D.A. meeting out of peer pressure from Cho, and, with great reservations, joins the group. Later in the term, Marietta becomes an informant and betrays the group to Umbridge, which is not without consequences: the parchment that all the members signed back at The Hog's Head at the first meeting was jinxed by Hermione, causing anyone breaking the oath to have purple pustules spelling the word "SNEAK" to break out across their face. Umbridge attempts to goad Marietta into revealing more crucial information, but Marietta is too terrified to show her face or even to speak. Kingsley Shacklebolt then swiftly and secretly modifies her memory with an Obliviate Charm. The "SNEAK" resisted all remedies to remove it, forcing Marietta into blatant and unsuccessful ploys to conceal it. Rowling revealed in a chat session after the release of Deathly Hallows that the "SNEAK" eventually faded, but still left a few scars.

In the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, Marietta's betrayal is instead committed by Cho, under the influence of the Veritaserum potion. Marietta's name was seen alongside those of other D.A. members on the movie's promotional site and on some official merchandise, but she did not appear in the film.

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Justin Finch-Fletchley is a Hufflepuff student in Harry's year, and a Muggle born who was originally headed for Eton until he discovered that he was a wizard at age eleven. He is sorted in Philosopher's Stone but makes his first proper appearance in Chamber of Secrets, in which he is threatened by a snake conjured up by Malfoy during Gilderoy Lockhart's disastrous Duelling Club. Harry orders the snake to relent by speaking in Parseltongue but the other students imagine that Harry was encouraging the snake to attack. Despite Ernie Macmillan's subsequent order that he stay in his dormitory, Justin is later petrified by the Basilisk along with the Gryffindor House ghost Nearly Headless Nick.

In Goblet of Fire, under the impression that Harry was attempting to steal fellow Hufflepuff and Triwizard Tournament entrant Cedric Diggory's glory by entering the competition, Justin and Ernie temporarily do not talk to Harry. Justin joins Dumbledore's Army in his fifth year in Order of the Phoenix. He is also among the group of D.A. members who successfully defend Harry against Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle aboard the Hogwarts Express at the end of the term.

Justin was played by Edward Randell in the film adaptation of Chamber of Secrets.

Seamus Finnigan

Seamus Finnigan is an Irish Gryffindor student in Harry's year who is described as having sandy hair. He is a huge Quidditch fan and supports the Kenmare Kestrels, and is best friends with housemate Dean Thomas. His mother is a witch and his father a Muggle, who only found out his wife's secret after their marriage; according to Seamus, it was "a bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out."

Seamus is seen in Goblet of Fire with his mother and Dean attending the Quidditch World Cup. He is one of the few students who help round up the Blast-Ended Skrewts after a disastrous Care of Magical Creatures class, and he attends the Yule Ball with Lavender Brown in their fourth year. The next year, Seamus is initially influenced by the Ministry's smear campaign against Harry, and his mother nearly prevents him from returning to Hogwarts. He engages in a heated argument with Harry on the first night of the new term over the Daily Prophet's allegations that Harry had merely fabricated the story in a bid for further attention, but he later realises his mistake, offers his apologies to Harry, and becomes a late addition of the D.A. In Half-Blood Prince, Seamus refuses to allow his mother to take him home before Dumbledore's funeral.

Seamus is first mentioned near the climax of Deathly Hallows as one of many D.A. members sheltered in the Room of Requirement during Snape's reign as Hogwarts headmaster when Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville return from the Hogs Head before the Battle of Hogwarts. He enthusiastically greets Dean at the entrance, yet his face is bruised so badly after being punished by the Carrows that Harry initially fails to recognise him until he speaks. During the battle, he, Luna, and Ernie help Harry fight the Dementors by conjuring their respective Patronuses; Seamus's takes the form of a fox. He is last seen entering the Great Hall to take part in the final stage of the battle, when Harry shields him and Hannah Abbott from one of Voldemort's curses.

Devon Murray played Seamus in the Harry Potter film series.

Anthony Goldstein

Anthony Goldstein is a Ravenclaw student in Harry's year, and is close friends with housemates Michael Corner and Terry Boot. His series debut comes in Order of the Phoenix, in which he becomes a Ravenclaw prefect, and joins the D.A. after accompanying Michael to the initial meeting at the Hog's Head. Zacharias Smith's numerous attempts to disarm Anthony during one D.A. meeting are comically interrupted by the Weasley twins. Anthony is also one of six D.A. members who assist Harry against Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle as they attempt to ambush Harry on the Hogwarts Express at the end of the school year. He goes unmentioned in Half-Blood Prince, but returns in Deathly Hallows as one of many D.A. members holed up in the Room of Requirement who enthusiastically greet Harry upon his return to Hogwarts, prior to entering the Battle of Hogwarts.

Anthony was initially a Hufflepuff on Rowling's original pre-canon classlist that she created prior to the completion of Philosopher's Stone. He never appeared in any of the films, but was included in the Order of the Phoenix video game.

Angelina Johnson

Angelina Johnson is a Black British girl with long black hair who is two years older than Harry. She has been a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team since her second year, and replaces Oliver Wood as team captain in Harry's fifth year. She proves to be at least as demanding of her team as Oliver had been, but attributes her hard-driving attitude to the stress of the job and regrets having been so hard on Oliver during his stint as captain. In Goblet of Fire, she unsuccessfully attempts to enter the Triwizard Tournament and attends the Yule Ball with Fred. Angelina joined Dumbledore's Army in her seventh year. In Deathly Hallows, she reunites with the D.A. and takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts. After Hogwarts she marries George Weasley and has two children, Fred and Roxanne.

Angelina was played by Danielle Tabor in the first three films. Tiana Benjamin was recast for the role in Goblet of Fire, and voiced the character in the Order of the Phoenix video game.

Lee Jordan

Lee Jordan is a Gryffindor student two years ahead of Harry, and a close friend of Fred and George; he is as witty and fun-loving as the twins and a fellow Quidditch enthusiast. Lee wears his hair in dreadlocks and serves as Hogwarts' Quidditch commentator. Harry first encounters him at King's Cross as he attempts to smuggle a giant tarantula onto the train. Though Lee is a lively and astute commentator, he has a tendency to discuss off-topic subjects such as Harry's Firebolt or his own attraction to Angelina Johnson, his commentary is clearly biased in favour of his house, and his jovial tone often turns sarcastic whenever he talks about the Slytherin team. Lee also habitually swears in frustration whenever an opponent commits an infraction or scores against Gryffindor, often to the point where a frustrated Professor McGonagall attempts (unsuccessfully) to take away his megaphone.

In his seventh year, Lee joins the D.A. and helps Fred and George with testing their merchandise on unsuspecting first years. He also becomes the only known victim, besides Harry, of Umbridge's detention quill. His Quidditch commentary suffers from lack of enthusiasm after the twins unexpectedly leave Hogwarts in the wake of the student uprising against Umbridge, during which he does his part by levitating two nifflers through her office window. In Deathly Hallows, Lee becomes an undercover pirate radio anchor, broadcasting under the pseudonym of "River" on an anti-Ministry of Magic radio station called Potterwatch, which supports the activities of Harry and the Order of the Phoenix. He and George successfully take down Death Eater Yaxley in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Luke Youngblood portrayed the character in the first two films.

Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom is a pure-blood Gryffindor student in Harry's year, described as round-faced and "short and plump and blond". Throughout the series, he is often portrayed as a bumbling, disorganised character and a rather mediocre student, though he is highly gifted at Herbology. His parents, Frank and Alice Longbottom, were prominent Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members until they were tortured and permanently incapacitated by a group of Death Eaters led by Bellatrix Lestrange; Neville was subsequently raised by his paternal grandmother, Augusta. Neville plays a minor role in the first four books, but Rowling wanted him to perform an act of bravery in Philosopher's Stone, in which Neville "finds true moral courage in standing up to his closest friends — the people who are on his side" towards the climax.

According to Rowling, Order of the Phoenix "was a real turning point for Neville" due to the central role he played in it. His magical abilities improve dramatically during D.A. meetings, and Harry comes to understand him on a deeper level after he and his friends learn about the fate of Neville's parents at St Mungo's. Neville participates in the battle in the Department of Mysteries, in which he accidentally breaks the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort. Dumbledore, to whom it was originally made, explains that it concerned "the Chosen One", a wizard who would have the power to vanquish Voldemort and who would be born "as the seventh month dies" to "parents who have defied the Dark Lord thrice"; thus could refer to either Neville, who was born on 30 July 1980, or Harry, who was born a day later. Neville is also one of the few D.A. members to participate in the battle of the Astronomy Tower in the climax of Half-Blood Prince.

With Hogwarts at the mercy of new headmaster Severus Snape and Death Eater siblings Alecto and Amycus Carrow, in Deathly Hallows, Neville reforms Dumbledore's Army with Ginny and Luna, and spends much of his seventh year as the group's interim leader in Harry's absence, helping students who are tormented under the new regime. Neville reveals to Harry that he had suffered beatings by the Carrows and was forced to go into hiding in the Room of Requirement to avoid Azkaban or death. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Neville uses his knowledge of Herbology to help ward off the attackers, and later helps Oliver Wood carry the body of Colin Creevey. When Voldemort returns with Harry's apparently lifeless body, Neville breaks free from the crowd to attack Voldemort. However, he is immobilised by Voldemort's Full Body-Bind curse, after which the Sorting Hat is placed on his head and set on fire. Neville later breaks free of the curse, and decapitates Nagini with Godric Gryffindor's sword, thus destroying the final Horcrux. In the ensuing conflict, he assists Ron in defeating Fenrir Greyback.

In the epilogue of Deathly Hallows, Neville returns to Hogwarts as its new Herbology professor, and shows off his D.A. Galleon to many admiring students and tells them about his adventures. Rowling revealed in October 2007 that Neville married Hannah Abbott, who then became the new landlady of the Leaky Cauldron. They live over the pub, which Rowling believed readers would find "particularly cool."

Neville was played by Matthew Lewis in the Harry Potter film series.

IGN listed Neville as their sixth top Harry Potter character, calling him the "quintessential dimwit-turned-hero". In NextMovie.com's Harry Potter Mega Poll, Neville was voted as the top character that should get a spin-off movie or book.

Luna Lovegood

Luna Lovegood is a Ravenclaw student one year younger than Harry. She is described as having straggly, waist-length dirty blond hair and a "permanently surprised look". Rowling has often said that Luna is the "anti-Hermione", as Hermione is "inflexible and logical", as opposed to Luna, who would "believe 10 impossible things before breakfast". Her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, is the editor-in-chief of The Quibbler. When Luna was only 9 years old, her mother was killed while performing spell experiments. Luna witnessed the accident, which enabled her to see Thestrals. Luna is at first socially isolated at school, but she appears to care little for what others think.

In Order of the Phoenix, she and her father are among the few who believe Harry and Dumbledore when they claim that Voldemort has returned. During this particularly turbulent year for Harry, Luna serves as the only person who can quell his temper. As a result, he forms a strong friendship with her. Luna also becomes a member of Dumbledore's Army. Later in the book, she joins Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville in the conflict with Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries. In Half-Blood Prince, after Luna and Neville are snubbed by some of Harry's new fans, she observes that Harry is expected to be with "cooler" people. Harry later invites Luna to Slughorn's Christmas party. She also does the Quidditch commentary for Gryffindor's game against Hufflepuff, a scene that Rowling particularly enjoyed writing, calling it "blinding inspiration". Later, when Death Eaters attack Hogwarts, Luna, Ginny and Neville are the sole D.A. members who answer the call to protect Hogwarts.

In Deathly Hallows, Luna and her father attend Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding at the Burrow, where she immediately recognises Harry (who is posing as another Weasley under the effects of Polyjuice Potion) by way of the expression on his face. She returns to school for her sixth year, where she and Neville help Ginny secretly revive the D.A. to oppose Snape's regime as Hogwarts headmaster. During Harry's visit to the Lovegood residence along with Ron and Hermione, the trio notices evidence suggesting that she has been missing for several weeks. It is then revealed that while travelling home for the Christmas break on the Hogwarts Express, Luna was kidnapped in an effort to prevent her father from publishing information in support of Harry. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with Luna, Dean Thomas, Griphook, and Mr Ollivander, are captured and held hostage at Malfoy Manor, but are soon rescued by Dobby, who takes them to safety at Shell Cottage. When Harry returns to Hogwarts in search of Ravenclaw's diadem, Luna helps him enter the Ravenclaw common room in order to view a replica of it, then stuns Alecto Carrow when they are discovered. During the battle, she, Ernie, and Seamus help Harry fight the Dementors by conjuring their respective Patronuses; Luna's takes the form of a silver hare. After Harry's apparent death, Luna ends up dueling Bellatrix Lestrange, along with Hermione and Ginny, until Molly Weasley takes over and defeats Bellatrix herself. She is among the first to congratulate Harry when Voldemort is defeated and later helps him get some solitude.

Rowling revealed that, after Hogwarts, Luna pursues a career that is "the wizarding equivalent" of a naturalist. She also accepted that some of her father's beliefs were, after all, not so true. She married a fellow naturalist named Rolf, the grandson of Newt Scamander,author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Luna and Rolf had twin boys, Lorcan and Lysander. After Harry and Ginny are married, they name their daughter Lily Luna.

Evanna Lynch portrayed Luna in the last four Harry Potter film series.

IGN listed Luna as their 12th top Harry Potter character, saying that looniness made her a "delight".

Ernie Macmillan

Ernie Macmillan is a Hufflepuff student in Harry's year. He is described simply as a stout boy, and is descended from nine consecutive generations of pure-blood witches and wizards. His series debut is in Chamber of Secrets, in which Ernie believes that Harry is the Heir of Slytherin after he is witnessed speaking Parseltongue to a snake that is threatening Justin Finch-Fletchley, who is later petrified. After Hermione meets the same fate, Ernie realises his mistake and apologises to Harry. In Goblet of Fire, he wears a "Support Cedric Diggory" badge and again gives Harry the cold shoulder after Harry enters the Triwizard Tournament, which Ernie believes is an apparent attempt at further glory, but they mend fences after the First Task.

Ernie becomes a Hufflepuff prefect in his fifth year along with Hannah Abbott, and joins Dumbledore's Army. He is among the few Hogwarts students who openly side with Harry's and Dumbledore's claims that Voldemort has returned. He deals with the pressure of O.W.L. exams by studying as much as eight to ten hours a day, and his hard work and determination pay off as he shows up in Slughorn's Advanced Potions class in his sixth year. During the climax of Half-Blood Prince, Ernie emerges from the Hufflepuff common room as Snape, Malfoy and Harry run down a corridor during the Death Eaters' raid of Hogwarts; he attempts to ask Harry what was going on, but Harry blows by him with no response.

In Deathly Hallows, when McGonagall addresses the students in the Great Hall about Voldemort demanding Harry's surrender and the urgent need to evacuate, Ernie shouts, "And what if we want to stay and fight?", which rallies the older students to join the Battle of Hogwarts. During the battle, he, Luna, and Seamus help Harry fight the Dementors by conjuring their respective Patronuses; Ernie's takes the form of a boar.

Louis Doyle played Ernie in Chamber of Secrets and Goblet of Fire, and voiced the character in the video game adaptation of Order of the Phoenix.

Padma Patil

Padma Patil is a Ravenclaw student in Harry's year, and the twin sister of Gryffindor student Parvati Patil. While both sisters are sorted in Philosopher's Stone, Padma is not mentioned again in the series until Goblet of Fire. Padma attends the Yule Ball with Ron, at the urging of Parvati (Harry's date) when Harry begs her to find a date for Ron. Padma is less than enthusiastic at having Ron for a partner, since he refuses to dance with her and instead spends the evening stewing in jealousy over Hermione's date with Viktor Krum. Padma and Parvati both eventually abandon their uninterested dates and dance with some Beauxbatons boys, although later in the year Padma is said to become more interested in Ron after he is taken as Harry's bait in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. In Order of the Phoenix, Padma becomes a Ravenclaw prefect, and joins Dumbledore's Army along with her sister. They are taken home by their parents after Dumbledore's death and subsequent funeral at the conclusion of Half-Blood Prince, but in Deathly Hallows they return to take part in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Afshan Azad appeared as Padma in the Harry Potter film series, in which Padma is in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw.

Parvati Patil

Parvati Patil is a Gryffindor student in Harry's year and the twin sister of Ravenclaw student Padma Patil. Her best friend is Lavender Brown; they are particularly fond of Trelawney's Divination class, and share many common interests. In Philosopher's Stone, she sticks up for the helpless Neville after Malfoy mocks him and steals his Remembrall during the first-year students' flying class, and is then teased by Pansy Parkinson, who laughed at Parvati's supposed love for "fat little crybabies". Parvati attends the Yule Ball with Harry in Goblet of Fire, but her evening is a disappointment as Harry spends the evening jealously preoccupied with Cho Chang's date with Cedric Diggory and disdains dancing with Parvati; she eventually abandons him to dance with a Beauxbatons boy whom she then later meets in Hogsmeade.

In her fifth year, Parvati joins Dumbledore's Army along with her sister. In Half-Blood Prince, the twins are almost removed from Hogwarts by their parents, and ultimately do return home after Dumbledore's death. However, the Patil twins return to their seventh year at Hogwarts, and they are first seen in the final book before the Battle of Hogwarts. Parvati duels with the Death Eater Travers during the battle, and attacks Antonin Dolohov with a Body-Bind Curse after he attempts to retaliate at Dean for stunning another Death Eater.

The Patils' names and appearance in the films imply that they are of Indian descent. Patil is a common Maratha surname in the state of Maharashtra, India. Rowling originally intended the twins' first names to begin with "Ma", and on her classlist from Harry Potter and Me, their last name was spelled as Patel. Parvati is also the name of one of the three primary Hindu goddesses.

Parvati was portrayed by Sitara Shah in Prisoner of Azkaban. Shefali Chowdhury took over the part for Goblet of Fire, along with the film and game versions of Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince.

Zacharias Smith

"Zacharias Smith" redirects here. For other uses, see Zach Smith (disambiguation).

Zacharias Smith is a Chaser for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Unlike the majority of his housemates, Zacharias does not appear at all likeable, and his behaviour irritates most people, especially the series' main protagonists. He makes his first appearance in the debut meeting of the D.A. in Order of the Phoenix, but was the most sceptical of Harry's claims. Hermione later admits to Harry and Ron that she only invited him because he overheard her talking with Ernie and Hannah about joining. Later in the year, however, Zacharias is as eager for more D.A. lessons as the other members.

In Half-Blood Prince, Zacharias is first mentioned as being on the receiving end of one of Ginny's famed Bat-Bogey Hexes. He also splits Quidditch match commentary duties with Luna during the term. His jeering at the Gryffindor team is highly unpopular to the point where Ginny deliberately crashes into the announcer's pit following Gryffindor's win over Slytherin. He is not seen again until the day after Dumbledore's death, when his 'haughty-looking' father escorts him from Hogwarts before the funeral, implying that he was not supportive of Dumbledore and his policies. In Deathly Hallows, Zacharias attends Hogwarts under Snape's rule as headmaster. Before the Battle of Hogwarts, he is seen pushing past younger students for the evacuation point rather than staying to fight alongside the D.A.

Nick Shirm briefly appeared as Zacharias in the film adaptation of Order of the Phoenix, but was not mentioned by name; he was identified as "Somewhat Doubtful Boy" in the closing credits. Shirm also voiced the character in the video game adaptation of Order of the Phoenix.

Alicia Spinnet

Alicia Spinnet first joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team as a reserve and moves up to the first team the next season (Harry's first year). Alicia is most often the Chaser who takes penalties when the other team commits an infraction. In her seventh year, she is jinxed by Slytherin Keeper Miles Bletchley in the library prior to the Gryffindor-Slytherin match, causing her eyebrows to grow long enough that they obstruct her face; Snape deliberately ignores the accounts of fourteen eyewitnesses, instead passing the incident off as her errant attempt at a Hair-Thickening Charm. Alicia joined Dumbledore's Army in her final year, and is not seen in Half-Blood Prince because she is no longer a student, but returns in the final book to defend the school in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Alicia was portrayed by Leilah Sutherland in Philosopher's Stone, and by Rochelle Douglas in Chamber of Secrets.

Dean Thomas

Dean Thomas is a Gryffindor student in Harry's year. He is best friends with Seamus Finnigan and a football fan (particularly West Ham), which leads to his initial confusion over the complexities of Quidditch. Dean's mother is a Muggle and his father was a pure blood wizard who kept his blood status a secret and had to leave his family when Dean was very young as a measure of protection for his family against the Death Eaters, and was slain when he refused to join them. Dean was subsequently raised by his mother and stepfather, and has several half-brothers and sisters.

Dean joins the D.A. in his fifth year and also believes Harry and Dumbledore when they insist that Voldemort has returned; but, when Harry and Seamus engage in a heated row over the Daily Prophet's allegations that Harry had merely fabricated the story, Dean refuses to take sides. At the end of the term, he begins dating Ginny Weasley and temporarily fills in for Katie Bell on the Gryffindor Quidditch team in Half-Blood Prince after she is hospitalised. The relationship eventually ends after Ginny becomes annoyed with Dean when she thinks he tries to help her through The Fat Lady's portrait hole. Harry, though jealous of the relationship from the start, is accidentally responsible for the split: under the Invisibility Cloak and the influence of Felix Felicis, he accidentally brushes Ginny as she and Dean pass through the portrait hole. Ginny thinks that Dean is being pushy and overprotective, which leads to the fight that ends their relationship.

Dean's role is expanded in Deathly Hallows. Unable to prove that he is actually a half-blood, he does not return to Hogwarts and goes on the run from the Ministry, who are rounding up Muggle-borns upon Voldemort's orders. Harry, Ron, and Hermione first come across him during their mission as they eavesdrop on his conversation with fellow runaways Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell, and the goblins Griphook and Gornuk. Snatchers soon viciously attack the group; Dean and Griphook are the lone survivors but are captured along with Harry, Ron, and Hermione and taken to Malfoy Manor. They are all rescued by Dobby, who transports them to Bill and Fleur's Shell Cottage for protection. Dean returns to Hogwarts towards the end of the book and fights in the Battle of Hogwarts, in which he uses a Stunning Spell on an unnamed Death Eater, and when Dolohov attempts to retaliate against Dean, Parvati attacks Dolohov with a Body-Bind Curse.

Dean was originally named "Gary" in the original drafts of Philosopher's Stone. Rowling omitted his physical description ("a Black boy taller than Ron") from the British version of the book at her editor's request, but it was included in the American edition. His backstory was originally expanded in Chamber of Secrets, but she ultimately cut it due to her inability to work it into the storyline.

Alfred Enoch played Dean in the Harry Potter film series, with the exception of Deathly Hallows – Part 1, and voiced the character in the Order of the Phoenix video game.

Fred and George Weasley

Fred and George Weasley are the older identical twin brothers of Ron. The two often work together and are addressed as a single unit as opposed to two individual people. They are so similar that even their mother often has a difficult time telling the two apart. Born on April Fools' Day, they first appear in Philosopher's Stone as third-years and are the school clowns and prime troublemakers, more interested in inventing new pranks than studying. Despite their poor results in their O.W.L. exams, the twins are intelligent and proficient wizards capable of sophisticated magic. In addition, they served as Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

The pair often come to Harry's assistance throughout the series; in Chamber of Secrets, they and Ron help him escape his house arrest from Privet Drive, and give Harry the Marauder's Map during his third year. In Goblet of Fire, they begin selling novelties under the name "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes", first testing their merchandise on impressionable first-years, and once on Dudley Dursley at the beginning of the book. Though their mother wants them to work for the Ministry of Magic, the twins aspire to own a joke shop, and Harry provides their start-up capital by donating his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament. In Order of the Phoenix, the twins are permanently banned from Quidditch after a postmatch brawl with Malfoy, and later eschew the remainder of their seventh year by taking part in a student uprising against Umbridge, during which they light off a mass of fireworks and conjure up a Portable Swamp in a corridor before abandoning their education; a small amount of the swamp is later kept and cordoned off by Filius Flitwick as a tribute. In Half-Blood Prince, Fred and George continue to run their joke shop despite the unrest in Diagon Alley.

In Deathly Hallows, the twins are Order of the Phoenix members and serve as two of Harry's six decoys when he escapes Privet Drive. George's ear is permanently severed by a stray Sectumsempra curse from Snape, who was actually aiming at a Death Eater. Meanwhile, the twins are forced to abandon their shop due to the Death Eater-helmed Ministry of Magic's surveillance of the Weasley family, and instead operate another owl-order business out of their Great-Aunt Muriel's house. During this time, one of the twins, speculated to be Fred, shows up in the pirate radio station Potterwatch as "Rapier". The twins return to participate in the Battle of Hogwarts, during which Fred and Percy Weasley defeat Pius Thicknesse and an unidentified Death Eater, but moments later, Fred is killed in an explosion caused by Augustus Rookwood. Rowling said in an MSNBC interview that she always knew Fred would be the twin who would die, though she could not specify a particular reason. She revealed in a web chat after the release of Deathly Hallows that George never fully got over Fred's death, but succeeded in turning Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes into a "money spinner" with Ron, who eventually quit to become an Auror. Rowling also revealed that, by the time of the epilogue of Deathly Hallows, George is married to Angelina Johnson and has two children, Fred and Roxanne.

James and Oliver Phelps played Fred and George respectively in the Harry Potter film series.

Fred and George were listed by IGN as eleventh top Harry Potter characters, saying that "taking umbrage at Umbridge and leaving Hogwarts with a bang in Order of The Phoenix showed us that these two weren't just goofy side splitters; they were brave and valiant freedom fighters".

Ginny Weasley

Ginevra "Ginny" Molly Weasley is the youngest of the seven Weasley children and "the first girl to be born into the Weasley clan for several generations." Ginny is introduced in The Philosopher's Stone, in which she appears when Harry and four of her brothers leave for Hogwarts, and when she excitedly catches a glimpse of Harry upon his return at the end of the term.

Ginny is a first-year in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, in which she develops a crush on Harry and is sorted into Gryffindor. In the climax, it is revealed that she had opened the Chamber of Secrets, and is attacking Muggle-born students while being possessed by Tom Riddle's (Lord Voldemort's) old school diary, which Lucius Malfoy had slipped into her cauldron in Flourish and Blotts prior to the term. She has little involvement in Prisoner of Azkaban where she studies at Hogwarts and in Goblet of Fire her role was larger as she attends the Yule Ball with Neville Longbottom and can be seen in back-ground appearances.

In Order of the Phoenix, Ginny has "given up on Harry months ago", and has a boyfriend, Michael Corner, whom she met at the Yule Ball. George Weasley also mentions how good she is with Bat-Bogey Hexes. When Umbridge punishes Harry with a "lifetime" Quidditch ban, Ginny replaces him as Gryffindor Seeker. She joins Dumbledore's Army and is one of five members who accompany Harry in his attempt to rescue Sirius Black from the Department of Mysteries. During the last part of the book, Ginny breaks up with Michael due to his sulking over Ravenclaw losing the Quidditch Cup final to Gryffindor, and starts dating Dean Thomas.

In Half-Blood Prince, after she casts the Bat-Bogey Hex on Zacharias Smith, Professor Slughorn respects her magical abilities enough to invite her to join his "Slug Club". Ginny becomes a permanent member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Chaser, and substitutes for Harry as Seeker when Snape puts him in detention during the Quidditch Cup final. After witnessing Ginny kissing Dean in a private hallway, Harry realises his love for Ginny, but since Ron vocally objects to Dean dating his sister, Harry interprets this as his not wanting any of his friends to date her. Ginny's relationship with Dean ends altogether in April following an "accidental" nudge from Harry under the effects of Felix Felicis, which Ginny interprets as Dean unnecessarily trying to help her through the portrait hole. Ginny and Harry share their first kiss after Gryffindor again wins the Quidditch Cup over Ravenclaw, thus initiating their relationship. After Dumbledore's death, however, Harry decides to end their relationship as he fears his love for Ginny would place her in danger.

Propelled by the revelation that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are leaving to seek the remaining Horcruxes in Deathly Hallows, Ginny kisses Harry in her bedroom, and they realise that they both still love each other. She returns to Hogwarts for her sixth year, where she works with Neville and Luna on reuniting Dumbledore's Army. As Ron is on the run with Harry and Hermione, Ginny is forced to go into hiding with her family. Though underage, she takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts despite her mother's and Harry's disapproval. After Harry's supposed death, she, Hermione, and Luna take on Bellatrix Lestrange, who nearly strikes Ginny with a Killing Curse, infuriating Molly Weasley to the point of intervening and slaying Bellatrix herself.

In the epilogue, set nineteen years after the events of Deathly Hallows, Harry and Ginny are married and have three children: James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, and Lily Luna Potter. Rowling extrapolated on Ginny's future after the release of the book, saying that after leaving Hogwarts, she joined the Holyhead Harpies and, after spending a few years as a celebrated player, retired to become the senior Quidditch correspondent at the Daily Prophet, and to start a family with Harry.

Ginny was played by Bonnie Wright in the Harry Potter film series.

For the video-game adaptions, Ginny Weasley was voiced by Victoire Robinson for Chamber of Secrets. Bonnie Wright voiced Ginny for Order of Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows Part 1 and provided likeness for the voice of Ginny in Deathly Hallows Part 2. Annabel Scholey voiced Ginny Weasley for Deathly Hallows Part 2.

IGN listed Ginny as their 22nd-favourite Harry Potter character, that "Ginny and Harry's eventual romance captivated us", that Ginny was the "quintessential girl who got her guy" and they "wouldn't have it any other way".

Impact in the real world

The goal of Dumbledore's Army inspired actor/comedian Andrew Slack, a Harry Potter fan, to create a group called Harry Potter Alliance to highlight the crisis in Sudan and social inequalities. In an interview, Slack compared Harry and the D.A. to Darfur, claiming, "With both the Ministry of Magic and the Daily Prophet (the Wizarding World’s mainstream news source) in denial that Voldemort has returned and evil is afoot, Harry and his underground rebel group, 'Dumbledore’s Army,' work with the adult group, 'The Order of the Phoenix,' to awake the world."

External links

• Dumbledore's Army on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
• The Harry Potter Lexicon item on Dumbledore's Army