2021-01-24

What kind of order is the Order of the Phoenix?

I’ve always ignored the first part of the name of Dumbledore’s special group. “Phoenix” is interesting: Dumbledore’s familiar, connected to his interest in immortality, and possibly also connected to the name of Voldemort’s special group. (We see Fawkes “eat” death, or at least a Killing Curse. Maybe there’s some historical lore tying phoenixes to “eating death,” making it seem appropriate for a club hoping to learn a few things about immortality from their master? But we needn’t insist on this.) “Order” just makes it sound fancy. Right?

Maybe there’s more to it, though.Read more... )