Problem Solving and Developing Expertise
Harry’s fifth term involved many struggles and inconveniences, but one that we are going to focus on is the development of Dumbledore’s Army. Dumbledore’s Army is an organization made by students for students, and was the only way they were getting any practice in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Dolores Umbridge was introduced in Harry’s fifth term, and since she was a part of the Ministry of Magic at the time, she was diminishing the practice of learning defensive spells (as the Ministry believed that Hogwarts was training to plot war against them). To solve this problem, the D.A. was created to prepare themselves for the real wizarding world, instead of just reading a textbook and getting slaughtered after their education (Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, 2003).
Step 1: Identify the Problem
“‘Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?’...’As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions,’ said Professor Umbridge dismissively.”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, pp. 242-44)
This conversation takes place during the first lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts between Hermione and Professor Umbridge. The students realize that they won’t be practicing any spells throughout the entire year, but they will be “theorizing” about them. It doesn’t seem quite real yet, however, so no plans have even been thought of to resolve this problem.
Step 2: Represent the Problem
“‘He says that counterjinxes are improperly named,’ said Hermione promptly. ‘He says ‘counterjinx’ is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable...but I disagree...Mr. Slinkhard doesn’t like jinxes, does he? But I think they can be very useful when they’re used defensively.”
‘Well, I’m afraid it is Mr. Slinkhard’s opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Granger...That is enough,’ said Professor Umbridge.”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, pp. 316-17)
This moment takes place in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, after Hermione had read the entire book. She was using their book’s author as an example, but she was insinuating that these were Umbridge’s opinions of how they shouldn’t be using spells because of the Ministry’s fear of Hogwarts starting war with them. The problem has been referred to and is becoming worse, and there have been thoughts of creating a plan to solve the problem.
Step 3: Select a Strategy
“I had the idea - that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts - and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us...because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts...I thought it would be good if we...took matters into our own hands. And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells…”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, p. 339)
This speech is spoken during the interest meeting of Dumbledore’s Army, when Hermione is presenting the idea to other students taking Umbridge’s class as well. Nothing is organized yet, but there is an idea to begin the solving the problem. They want to practice spells without Umbridge knowing, and there aren’t any specific solutions for this, but everyone is thinking about it in order to achieve their goal.
Step 4: Implement the Strategy
“[Harry] and the D.A. were resisting her under her very nose, doing the very things that she and the Ministry most feared, and whenever he was supposed to be reading Wilbert Slinkhard’s book during her lessons, he dwelled instead on satisfying memories of their most recent meetings…”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, p. 397)
This quote is one of Harry’s thoughts throughout the year, when the D.A. is still safe from being caught. Their plan is working, and little did he know that in a few weeks the D.A. will be compromised by one of their own, leading to other drastic events. They members of Dumbledore’s Army were learning spells well above their year and were excelling at their progress. The strategy to solve the problem concerning the constraints of practicing spells by Umbridge was working so far, but there were several ways that it would end, some good and some very bad.
Step 5: Evaluate the Results
“Neville had improved beyond all recognition...Harry felt himself positively swelling with pride as he watched them all...remembering how Neville had successfully disarmed Hermione, how Colin Creevey had mastered the Impediment Jinx after three meetings’ hard effort, how Parvati Patil had produced such a good Reductor Curse that she had reduced the table carrying all the Sneakoscopes to dust.”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, pp. 397, 454)
These few quotes are a part of Harry’s thoughts in between D.A. meetings. Everyone was improving immensely, especially Neville, and the spells they were mastering were either right at or well above their level. The D.A. continues to perform admirably in certain situations later in the book, but the main goal was achieved; the students of Professor Umbridge had learned to defend themselves without the aid of her or her theoretical Slinkhard book.
Step 1: Identify the Problem
“‘Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?’...’As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions,’ said Professor Umbridge dismissively.”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, pp. 242-44)
This conversation takes place during the first lesson of Defense Against the Dark Arts between Hermione and Professor Umbridge. The students realize that they won’t be practicing any spells throughout the entire year, but they will be “theorizing” about them. It doesn’t seem quite real yet, however, so no plans have even been thought of to resolve this problem.
Step 2: Represent the Problem
“‘He says that counterjinxes are improperly named,’ said Hermione promptly. ‘He says ‘counterjinx’ is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable...but I disagree...Mr. Slinkhard doesn’t like jinxes, does he? But I think they can be very useful when they’re used defensively.”
‘Well, I’m afraid it is Mr. Slinkhard’s opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Granger...That is enough,’ said Professor Umbridge.”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, pp. 316-17)
This moment takes place in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, after Hermione had read the entire book. She was using their book’s author as an example, but she was insinuating that these were Umbridge’s opinions of how they shouldn’t be using spells because of the Ministry’s fear of Hogwarts starting war with them. The problem has been referred to and is becoming worse, and there have been thoughts of creating a plan to solve the problem.
Step 3: Select a Strategy
“I had the idea - that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts - and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us...because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts...I thought it would be good if we...took matters into our own hands. And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells…”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, p. 339)
This speech is spoken during the interest meeting of Dumbledore’s Army, when Hermione is presenting the idea to other students taking Umbridge’s class as well. Nothing is organized yet, but there is an idea to begin the solving the problem. They want to practice spells without Umbridge knowing, and there aren’t any specific solutions for this, but everyone is thinking about it in order to achieve their goal.
Step 4: Implement the Strategy
“[Harry] and the D.A. were resisting her under her very nose, doing the very things that she and the Ministry most feared, and whenever he was supposed to be reading Wilbert Slinkhard’s book during her lessons, he dwelled instead on satisfying memories of their most recent meetings…”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, p. 397)
This quote is one of Harry’s thoughts throughout the year, when the D.A. is still safe from being caught. Their plan is working, and little did he know that in a few weeks the D.A. will be compromised by one of their own, leading to other drastic events. They members of Dumbledore’s Army were learning spells well above their year and were excelling at their progress. The strategy to solve the problem concerning the constraints of practicing spells by Umbridge was working so far, but there were several ways that it would end, some good and some very bad.
Step 5: Evaluate the Results
“Neville had improved beyond all recognition...Harry felt himself positively swelling with pride as he watched them all...remembering how Neville had successfully disarmed Hermione, how Colin Creevey had mastered the Impediment Jinx after three meetings’ hard effort, how Parvati Patil had produced such a good Reductor Curse that she had reduced the table carrying all the Sneakoscopes to dust.”
(Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix, pp. 397, 454)
These few quotes are a part of Harry’s thoughts in between D.A. meetings. Everyone was improving immensely, especially Neville, and the spells they were mastering were either right at or well above their level. The D.A. continues to perform admirably in certain situations later in the book, but the main goal was achieved; the students of Professor Umbridge had learned to defend themselves without the aid of her or her theoretical Slinkhard book.