Granted, we didn't know what Voldemort was doing most of the book (except snatches we got from Harry's 'visions'), and while Voldemort had his own agenda, mostly he used other people to do his dirty work (the Death-Eaters, primarily). People who served the Dark Lord before and once broken out of Azkaban, went to serve him again. Voldemort wasn't even the one who hurt the kids and killed Sirius--his Death-Eaters did.
My point being that Dumbledore's predictions--that people would not only make choices but that Voldemort's true strength lay in his ability to divide people and set them against each other--were so true and played out quite accurately in book 5. Voldemort, directly, was less the issue...the real issues were racism (against anyone not a pure-blood wizard), reforming anyone (professors, students, etc.) not with Fudge/Umbridge and his new 'regime' (fighting Dumbledore only because he was a threat to Fudge's credibility), and the 'government' (in this case, the Ministry of Magic) keeping people in the dark about Voldemort. I felt the Ministry was a bigger 'enemy' than Voldemort, in a way, because they kept the 'good people' from doing what needed to be done...
That's why I called this thread, "Voldemort's Puppets"...we've all known that the Death-Eaters have sworn allegiance to Voldemort, and we even knew that Voldemort would be working to get the giants, dementors, and anyone else he could on his side. He really lucked out that Fudge's vast insecurities and Umbridge's zealous obsession with running things *her* way really played to his favor...the two of them alone kept Hogwarts and everyone in it in such a mess they had little time to think or do anything about what Voldemort was up to.
Additionally, the Ministry was after all the innocent people (like Dumbledore and Sirius) all the while indirectly helping all the truly evil people (Voldemort, the Death-Eaters, etc.) and causing people who deserved no harm to really suffer. It was much easier to go with the Ministry's agenda and assumptions about the truth and be political (only thinking of Fudge's reputation and their racist beliefs [beliefs much like many of the Death-Eaters--the pure-blood wizards]) than it was to be brave and fight for all people and what was right, as the "Order of the Phoenix" and some of "Dumbledore's Army" did.
What are your thoughts about all of this? I'll be interested to hear!
~ Lizzy
Lol, I guess I've been wrong in thinking that intelligence was a good thing to have! But anyway, I did enjopy the fact that this book, far more than the others, could be interpreted on this other level. The power of racism has been mentioned and the fact that it's a destructive force and can blind people, causing them to do what's wrong instead of what's right (in both Harry's world and in our present-day one) makes it a v. poignant theme to consider. Furthermore, the book also had much to do with how a corrupt government governemnt can bring down and hinder the good intentions of those over whom it governs. Were it not for the short-sightedness and stuborn-ness of the MoM (and Fudge's hunger for power, for that matter,) than the plans of DD and the Order would have gone off much more easily.
Additionally, what Dumbledore said in book 4 how Voldemort's true strength lie in his ability to spread dischord and divide people was all too well illuminated in book 5. Perhaps everyone had to react in their own ways to his return before realizing and appreciating how much they all must band together in order to fight him.
) has 'seen the light' on the LV issue (regarding his return), I can't say the Slytherins have...so many of their parents are Death-Eaters, so naturally, the kids feel loyalty to their parents, not necessarily Hogwarts, the Order, or the Ministry. 
This is a whole new generation of possible 'Death-Eaters'...Voldemort successfully recruited the most of the giants, has some very loyal Death-Eaters (like the horrid and unmericiful Bellatrix 
I don't think he'd kill them ala the veil, but then again, who knows? 
Ok, rant done...she makes me so angry, though, and she is so evil! 
