Deep thoughts on Harry Potter {5}

My husband and I listened to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (JK Rowling), wonderfully narrated by Jim Dale, while on vacation.  These are snippets of the conversations we had, questions that popped up, while listening.

First, here is what was going through my head most of the time while listening...

~What houses were Umbridge and Fudge in?  Aaron thinks that Umbridge is definitely Slytherin, because she favors them so much, but I think that Fudge was also Slytherin---he's self-serving.

~This is the first book where I thought Harry was a complete butt.  He was whiny and rude to Ron and Hermione in the beginning, middle and end.  And he was a jerk (or typical 15 year old) towards Dumbledore at the end (when he was explaining everything).

~Who hurt Hedgwig?  Was it Umbridge while checking the mail?  Its never really explained...

~For me, a lot of what Umbridge was doing, with her Educational Decrees, reminded me a lot of what is happening in education today---the feeling of control being taken away, having to teach in ways that we don't agree with / subject matter that we dont agree with, etc.  And by someone who doesn't have a background in education!  I think that's what gets me the most!

~Aaron brought up that this was the first book for him that made him see why the Sorting Hat wanted to put Harry in Slytherin. 

~We also agreed that we would have liked to have seen, and there were a few opportunities for it, Draco and Harry as being portrayed as different sides to the same coin.  Dark and light.  The hero and the anti-hero. 

What do you think?  Do you have any deep thoughts on Harry Potter?