The Order of the Phoenix

The Order of the Phoenix is an anti-Voldemort organization established and headed by Albus Dumbledore at the height of Lord Voldemort's powers. Its scope of action extends from covert information-gathering to outright battle. Among the original members were Lily and James Potter (Harry's parents), Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Alastor Moody. The situation of the time put the Order in a vastly disadvantageous position and its casualty rate was around 50%. When Voldemort fell from power after trying to kill Harry, the Order was disbanded.

Upon Voldemort's return in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore re-established the Order. It set up headquarters in Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London — Sirius' family home. Dumbledore is the Secret-Keeper for the Order of the Phoenix; as such, its headquarters at Grimmauld Place cannot be found by anyone whom Dumbledore has not personally informed about it.

The word phoenix is probably related to Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet phoenix, whose feathers form the core of both Voldemort and Harry's wands. In the fifth book, Dumbledore sends Fawkes on several missions for the Order.

The Order was reformed within an hour of Lord Voldemort's return to power. Dumbledore and the original members of the order seemed to be expecting Voldemort's return (This can be seen from the behaviour of the original members of the order). Also, Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic at that time, refused to believe that Lord Voldermort had risen again. As Fudge insisted that Dumbledore was spreading rumours to try to take him down, the Order went underground — not that it would have kept a high profile at the best of times. Anyone who was known to be Dumbledore's favourites were mis-trusted by the Ministry. Also, the Ministry forced the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, to keep mentioning that Dumbledore and Harry were insane. Due to this, many witches and wizards refused to believe that Lord Voldemort had risen again.

However, when Lord Voldemort was sighted in the Ministry headquarters itself, Fudge was forced to admit that Dumbledore was telling the truth. As a consequence, Fudge was replaced as Minister for Magic in the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

It is thought that the members of the Order will remain the central characters in the fight against Voldemort, acting as "good" counterparts to Voldemort's Death Eaters.

Sirius Black
Edgar Bones (killed in the first war against Voldemort)
Caradoc Dearborn (went missing in the first war; presumed deceased)
Dedalus Diggle
Elphias Doge
Aberforth Dumbledore
Albus Dumbledore
Benjy Fenwick (killed and mutilated in the first war)
Rubeus Hagrid
Alice Longbottom (driven insane by Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters after Voldemort was defeated)
Frank Longbottom (driven insane by Bellatrix Lestrange and other Death Eaters after Voldemort was defeated)
Remus Lupin
Minerva McGonagall
Marlene McKinnon (killed in the first war)
Dorcas Meadowes (killed in the first war)
Alastor Moody
Peter Pettigrew (betrayed James and Lily Potter during the first war and joined Voldemort's Death Eaters)
Sturgis Podmore
James Potter (killed in the first war)
Lily Potter (killed in the first war)
Fabian Prewett (killed in the first war)
Gideon Prewett (killed in the first war)
Severus Snape (defected from Voldemort's Death Eaters before the end of the first war)
Emmeline Vance

Sirius Black (killed in the Department of Mysteries [HP5])
Dedalus Diggle
Aberforth Dumbledore (membership assumed)
Albus Dumbledore (killed in the Battle of Hogwarts by Severus Snape [HP6])
Elphias Doge
Arabella Figg
Mundungus Fletcher (arrested [HP6])
Rubeus Hagrid
Hestia Jones
Remus Lupin
Olympe Maxime (not named as a member, but has acted on their behalf in a diplomatic mission with the giants [HP5])
Minerva McGonagall
Alastor Moody
?Sturgis Podmore? (arrested, presumably released [HP5])
Kingsley Shacklebolt
?Severus Snape? (double agent for the Order of the Phoenix or spy for the Death Eaters - killed Albus Dumbledore [HP6])
Nymphadora Tonks
Emmeline Vance (killed by Death Eaters in the "Second" War on information from Snape.)
Arthur Weasley
Bill Weasley (badly injured in the Battle of Hogwarts by Fenrir Greyback [HP6])
Charlie Weasley
Molly Weasley

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