Trigger Warning! This article contains discussions of abuse.
Harry kept a secret in theHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixbook that made Dolores Umbridge even worse than she was in the movies. Umbridge has long been considered the true villain ofHarry Pottersince her sickeningly sweet cruelty had a more profound impact on readers and viewers than even Lord Voldemort. Actor Imelda Staunton did the role spectacular justice, making herself just as despicable as the toad-like character found on the page. However, some subtle changes to theHarry Pottermovies lessened the overall effect of Dolores Umbridge.
In theHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixmovie, Umbridge introduced Harry to her Black Quill during his very first detention with her. When Harry wrote lines with this particular quill (“I must not tell lies”), it magically wrote across the page without the necessity for any ink. Of course, the twist here was that the Black Quill, sometimes called the Blood Quill, uses the writer’s own blood instead.Each stroke of Harry’s quill translated to a cut on the back of his hand—a far crueler punishment than typical lines. It was much the same in theHarry Potterbook, though the continued impact differed slightly.
Harry Potter Kept Umbridge’s Abuse A Secret In The Order Of The Phoenix Book (Even From Ron & Hermione)
Harry Couldn’t Bring Himself To Share What Was Happening To Him
In the movie, Harry attempts to keep Ron and Hermione from seeing his injured hand, but Hermione immediately calls him out on it. In theHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixbook, on the other hand, he successfully kept Umbridge’s cruel treatment a secret far longer. When Ron and Hermione asked him what he had done in detention, he couldn’t bring himself to say more than “lines.” For the rest of that week, as Harry returned nightly to Umbride’s office,his friends made comments about how lines weren’t all that bad and that he had gotten off lucky.
Harry was able to get away with keeping this secret because the marks left by the Black Quill healed over immediately in theOrder of the Phoenixbook. It wasn’t until Harry was several days in that the damage became so severe that the skin could no longer heal. It was only then that Umbridge considered the point to have “sunk in” effectively, though she still required Harry to return one more night to really drive the lesson home. It was then that Ron noticed what had been going on.He was horrified, not only at Umbridge’s treatment but also thatHarry had kept such a secret for so long.
Harry Not Wanting To Tell Is A Painfully Accurate Depiction Of Abuse
Abuse & Secrets Go Hand-In-Hand
Harry himself wasn’t sure why he had lied to Hermione and Ron about what Umbridge was doing to him in detention, and this is perhaps the most impactful and disturbing part. He didn’t want to give Umbridge the satisfaction of telling Dumbledore of McGonagall, butit was only his fear and shock at this abuse that kept him silent with his friends. He just couldn’t bring himself to tell them and generally chose not to think about it. Reading Harry’s inner dialogue on this subject, it’s as if he has dissociated from the abuse entirely. This makes Ron and Hermione’s comments about his detention not being “that bad” all the more hurtful.
Umbridge knew what happened in her office would stay there, counting on Harry’s own fear and pride to keep him silent.
Though Harry keeping this secret forlonger in theHarry Potterbooksis only a subtle difference, it significantly impacts the overall story. It’s a painfully accurate depiction of abuse sinceabusers typically know that their victims will keep quiet. Not only was Umbridge physically harming Harry, but the resulting self-inflicted isolation that typically follows such treatment is another sort of pain entirely. This terrible woman likely knew this all too well—Umbridge knew what happened in her office would stay there, counting on Harry’s own fear and pride to keep him silent.
The Harry Potter Movies Lessened Umbridge’s Abuse Of Harry
The Harry Potter Books Made Harry A More Unique Target
Harry’s friends learning the truth subtly lessened the impact of Umbridge’s abuse in theHarry Pottermovies, but that’s not the only way the films did so. Shortly after Harry’s detention scene,Staunton’s on-screen character began using Black Quills on other students as well. It soon became common knowledge that Umbridge used such means as punishment, and at the peak of her power, she had entire classrooms writing bloody lines at once. This is, without a doubt, terrible. However, the Black Quill being a dark secret in theHarry Potterbooks made it feel much worse.
In theOrder of the Phoenixbook, the only other person who Harry noticed to have a bleeding hand was Fred and George’s friend Lee Jordan. Aside from this, it’s unknown precisely how many students Umbridge punished in this way.If anyone else went through what Harry and Lee had, they kept it to themselves—which is the point, after all. Regardless, Harry seemed to be Umbridge’s primary target, which makes sense considering his “lies” were why she was at Hogwarts to begin with. By spreading her cruelty over so many students, theHarry Pottermoviesdiminished the suffering Harry faced in isolation.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
