The Order of the Phoenix, a resistance group created by Albus Dumbledore to fight against Voldemort in both the First and Second Wizarding Wars of Harry Potter, was a formidable force. However, even great groups can have blind spots and make errors.
Since they effectively comprised one of the armies in two different wars, having members who fought in both, it's expected that certain events would slip through their grasp and not work out as desired. For example, there didn't seem to be a backup plan for the Potters' protection against Voldemort other than setting up the Fidelius... Therefore, here are ten of the mistakes the Order of the Phoenix made over the course of the series.
The Plan with the 7 Potters
In the seventh Harry Potter novel, the Order's plan for there to be seven Harry Potters is fairly risky. Though all the impersonators agree to do it, the Order is still trusting and allowing young adults to risk their lives as opposed to risking older members. It is also due to Hedwig that the real Harry is found out, and she ends up giving her life for their mission. If by some chance every single Harry Potter had been caught and brought to Voldemort, it's likely the impersonators would have been killed on the spot - and it would have been the Order's fault.
Harry and Voldemort's Connection
The Order, but especially Dumbledore, didn't anticipate the connection that formed between Harry Potter and Voldemort. After understanding it, it seems obvious to the reader, to the point where everyone starts to wonder how others didn't figure it out before Dumbledore. Why shouldn't Harry and Voldemort have some kind of connection, after Harry survived the Killing Curse? No one else had ever had. that experience. It hadn't been documented or studied; no one knew what kind of effects might have befallen Harry. Therefore, the fact that individual members of the Order didn't raise the possibility of a connection is a mistake.
No Backup Plan
The Order never came up with a backup plan for the Potters other than the Fidelius. From the. text, it also seems as though Dumbledore was the only one who was assisting with setting up the Fidelius, besides James' friends. Why wasn't anyone else involved? If Voldemort chose to focus on the Potters' son as the child of the prophecy, why weren't any other Order members working on protection strategies? Even if they were simplistic protections, there should have been other pieces in place to ensure the. Potters' survival other than the Fidelius charm.
Trusting Fletcher
The fact that the Order as a whole trusts Mundungus Fletcher, who is known to be a smuggler, as a good protector of Harry Potter at the beginning of the fifth book is, frankly put, laughable. His failure kicks off the entire plot of the novel.
If Arabella Figg had been allowed to assist him, she could have been his eyes and he could have handled the magic, if necessary, such as against the dementors that show up in Little Whinging.
Not Reuniting Sooner
The Order of the Phoenix doesn't reunite under Dumbledore until after Voldemort is officially back. However, this is also after Voldemort has attacked Harry twice, once through a professor and once through a memory. It seems likely that Dumbledore should have shared this information with a few more of his members so they would be better prepared for the upcoming war. Instead, he waits until the summer after Cedric Diggory's death to reunite the Order. It's also a mistake that they allow the long wait time, and don't insist on reuniting and problem-solving earlier, especially considering all the problems happening every year at Hogwarts.
Accepting Dumbledore's Secrets
One common interpretation of Albus Dumbledore is that he is unable to see and assist the individual, that everything he does is for the Greater Good and is for the long game of the war. However, it's unlikely that every single Order member was willing to accept that Dumbledore was the best Britain could offer in terms of defensive magical strategists. It's a mistake that Dumbledore wasn't questioned more for his self-described necessity to keep secrets from those he was working with and from the boys who were at the center of the prophecy and a war that very well might end with them dead.
Taking Time
Harry tells Snape that Voldemort has Padfoot in the Ministry towards the end of fifth year. However, despite the time Harry and Hermione take to detain Professor Umbridge and fly to the Department of Mysteries, their group of friends still manage to arrive before the Order of the Phoenix, who were presumably warned by Snape.
Since Umbridge was already out of the picture, why did Snape take so long to summon the Order, or, in a different sense, why did everyone take so long to get to the Ministry? The climax of the novel already takes place at night, so. there weren't any awkward excuses to make with work for any of the members.
Not Involving The Trio
This comes back in a negative way, but the fact that the Order is actively trying to convince Harry, Ron, and Hermione to stay out of the plans for the war is a mistake. It's already known that Harry attracts trouble, Hermione is the brightest witch of her age, and Ron is a genius at strategy. Why wouldn't the Order want their help and insight? Later in the same novel, Harry shares his own thoughts on what it's like to fight Voldemort; not with the Order, but instead with the fighting group he creates himself: Dumbledore's Army.
No Final Plan
During the final novel and last year of the war against Voldemort, it doesn't seem as though the Order has much of a plan for fighting the enemy. Though the trio doesn't hear that much about what is happening, due to being on the run hunting Horcruxes, it comes down to fighting at Hogwarts. Ultimately, Neville and Ginny end up protecting Hogwarts throughout the year by shepherding everyone to the Room of Requirement.
The battle at Hogwarts is the final event of the active war, and it seems as though most of the battles from that year were on a smaller scale.
Nothing Flashy?
Throughout both wizarding wars, it never seems as though Dumbledore or the Order of the Phoenix come up with any particularly flashy plans to defeat Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The most surprising thing about Voldemort is the existence of his Horcruxes, which most members of the Order and wizarding society don't know about. Therefore, it's surprising that talented members of the Order like Kingsley Shacklebolt or Dumbledore never came up with any flashy, new defensive or protective magic to use against Voldemort and the Death Eaters.