Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ======Dumbledore's Army====== =====Organization Information===== * **Type:** Secret student organisation for learning practical [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] * **Founder(s):** [[Hermione Granger]] (originator of the idea), [[Harry Potter]], [[Ron Weasley]] * **Leader:** [[Harry Potter]] * **Headquarters:** The [[Room of Requirement]] at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] * **Communication Method:** Enchanted fake [[Galleon]]s =====Description and History===== **Dumbledore's Army**, often abbreviated to the **D.A.**, was a secret student-run organisation founded during the 1995-1996 school year. Its primary purpose was to teach members practical defensive magic, a skill neglected by the [[Ministry of Magic]]-appointed [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor, [[Dolores Umbridge]]. **Formation and Activities (1995-1996)** The group's formation was proposed by [[Hermione Granger]] in response to Professor [[Dolores Umbridge]]'s curriculum, which forbade the use of wands and focused entirely on theory. Believing that Lord [[Voldemort]] had returned and that students needed to be able to defend themselves, Hermione suggested that [[Harry Potter]], the only person known to have survived the [[Killing Curse]] and faced [[Voldemort]] multiple times, should be their teacher. The first meeting was held at the [[Hog's Head]] inn in [[Hogsmeade]]. Twenty-eight students signed a bewitched parchment to join, which would later cause the traitorous member to break out in severe boils. The group's name was suggested by [[Cho Chang]]. While Harry preferred a name like "Defence Association," "Dumbledore's Army" was chosen to mock the Ministry's paranoia that [[Albus Dumbledore]] was secretly building a private army to overthrow them. The D.A. held its meetings in the [[Room of Requirement]], a secret room at [[Hogwarts]] that provided them with all necessary equipment, such as cushions for stunning practice and books on defensive magic. Under Harry's tutelage, members learned and practiced a variety of useful spells, including: * [[Expelliarmus]] (Disarming Charm) * [[Stupefy]] (Stunning Spell) * [[Impedimenta]] (Impediment Jinx) * [[Protego]] (Shield Charm) * The [[Patronus Charm]] Communication between members was facilitated by enchanted fake [[Galleon]]s, created by Hermione. Instead of a serial number, the coins' edges were bewitched with a [[Protean Charm]] to show the date and time of the next meeting. The group was eventually discovered after [[Marietta Edgecombe]] betrayed them to Professor [[Umbridge]]. To protect Harry and the other students, [[Albus Dumbledore]] took responsibility for the organisation, leading to his forced departure from [[Hogwarts]]. **Reformation and Rebellion (1997-1998)** Following [[Voldemort]]'s takeover of the [[Ministry of Magic]] and the installation of Death Eaters [[Alecto Carrow]] and [[Amycus Carrow]] as teachers at [[Hogwarts]], the D.A. was secretly revived. With Harry, Ron, and Hermione absent from school, the resistance was led by [[Neville Longbottom]], [[Ginny Weasley]], and [[Luna Lovegood]]. The revived D.A. engaged in acts of rebellion, such as writing graffiti on the castle walls (e.g., "Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting") and attempting to steal the [[Sword of Gryffindor]] from [[Severus Snape]]'s office. The [[Room of Requirement]] once again became their sanctuary, providing a safe haven for members hiding from the Carrows. During the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], [[Neville Longbottom]] used the enchanted [[Galleon]]s to summon the original D.A. members, as well as allies from the [[Order of the Phoenix]], to fight against [[Voldemort]] and his [[Death Eater]]s. The training they had received years earlier proved invaluable during the final conflict. =====Role in the Story===== Dumbledore's Army is central to the plot of //[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]// and plays a crucial role in the climax of //[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]//. * **Student Empowerment:** The D.A. represents a powerful form of student resistance against tyranny, first from the bureaucratic control of the [[Ministry of Magic]] and later from the direct rule of [[Voldemort]]. * **Character Development:** It was instrumental in developing Harry's confidence and leadership skills. It also provided [[Neville Longbottom]] with the environment he needed to grow into a courageous and capable wizard. * **Practical Training:** The skills learned in D.A. meetings were directly responsible for the survival of several members during critical battles, including the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]] and the [[Battle of Hogwarts]]. * **Symbol of Hope:** The continued existence of the D.A. in the final book served as a symbol of hope and defiance within [[Hogwarts]], demonstrating that loyalty to [[Dumbledore]] and Harry's cause had not been extinguished. =====Known Members===== The following students signed the original D.A. parchment: * [[Hannah Abbott]] * [[Katie Bell]] * [[Susan Bones]] * [[Terry Boot]] * [[Lavender Brown]] * [[Cho Chang]] * [[Michael Corner]] * [[Colin Creevey]] * [[Dennis Creevey]] * [[Marietta Edgecombe]] (Betrayed the group to [[Dolores Umbridge]]) * [[Justin Finch-Fletchley]] * [[Seamus Finnigan]] (Joined later in the year) * [[Anthony Goldstein]] * [[Hermione Granger]] * [[Angelina Johnson]] * [[Lee Jordan]] * [[Neville Longbottom]] * [[Luna Lovegood]] * [[Ernie Macmillan]] * [[Padma Patil]] * [[Parvati Patil]] * [[Harry Potter]] * [[Zacharias Smith]] (Showed a cynical and cowardly attitude; abandoned the group before the [[Battle of Hogwarts]]) * [[Alicia Spinnet]] * [[Dean Thomas]] * [[Fred Weasley]] * [[George Weasley]] * [[Ginny Weasley]] * [[Ron Weasley]] =====Behind the Scenes===== * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix//, the character of Nigel Wolpert, who does not appear in the books, is an enthusiastic member of the D.A. He serves as a composite character, partially filling the role of the [[Creevey]] brothers. (film) * The film also features a training montage showing the D.A. learning spells like //[[Reducto]]//, which is not mentioned as part of their book curriculum. (film) * J.K. Rowling revealed that [[Neville Longbottom]] later became the [[Herbology]] professor at [[Hogwarts]] and would proudly show his D.A. [[Galleon]] to his students. (J.K. Rowling interview)
