Order of Merlin

[OliveOil_Med]

I have something I have been pondering lately. Do you think the Trio was ever awarded the Order of Merlin for their defeat of Voldemort? After all they went through: skipping their last year of school, hunting down the Horcrux, and leading the fight against Voldemort, don't you think winning the honor is the least the wizarding world.

Also, what class do you think each member of the trio won? And do you think they students who stayed and fought at the Battle of Hogwarts were awarded the order as well, even if it was only Second or Third Class?

Who else do you think might have been awarded the honor for their role in the Second War?

[Equinox Chick]

If Lockhart can get an award, then they all can.

I think The Trio plus Neville probably got 1st class and I'm fairly sure a shedload of others would have got lower class orders. Some would probably be posthumous (Remus, Tonks, Colin perhaps)

In my story Aberforth Dumbledore: A Love that Dare Not Bleat Its Name, I gave him an Order of Merlin second class, and Molly a First Class. She did kill Bellatrix after all. In retrospect perhaps if Harry gets a first class, she should probably only get a second, but it suited my story that she got a first.

What did Dumbledore get his for? Was it for defeating Grindelwald?

~Carole~

[Tim the Enchanter]

From Prisoner of Azkaban, I recall Fudge telling Snape that his efforts in capturing the notorious Sirius Black merited at least an Order of Merlin, Second Class.

Considering that Harry Potter killed Voldemort, I cannot see him getting anything other than First Class. I assume the rest of the Trio would also receive Orders of Merlin, First Class for their role in bringing down Voldemort. Another First Class recipient could be Neville Longbottom for leading the underground resistance in Hogwarts and his role in the final battle. Other DA leaders could receive Second Classes.

As for the rest of the students (cannon fodder), you might see Third Classes spread here and there, but I don't imagine EVERYONE who fought for the good guys at the battle would receive a medal. Instead of handing out individual Orders of Merlin, there could be some new award for heroism issued to the fighters collectively.

And lastly, SNAPE. We already know that Harry Potter, being the goody goody man he is, already cleared his name by the DH Epilogue. It is possible that he might have campaigned to give Snape a posthumous Order of Merlin.

What did Dumbledore get his for? Was it for defeating Grindelwald?

Presumably, yes..

Tim the Enchanter

[Northumbrian]

A small part of the plot of Grave Days (which will carry over into Aurors and Schoolgirls) involves Harry refusing to accept any medal until a few names are added to the list of medal recipients. Dobby did, after all, save Harry's life, and Lupin gave his life in the battle. House elves and werewolves would not normally be considered.

N

[OliveOil_Med]

What did Dumbledore get his for? Was it for defeating Grindelwald?

I believe it was first class, mentioned in OotP during Harry's trial.

So you suppose special consideration was given to students who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts? Would a dead student be more likely to receive it than one who had fought and live, or else considered for higher consideration.

Also, as far as 'DA leaders' who would these people be?

[Tim the Enchanter]

So you suppose special consideration was given to students who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts? Would a dead student be more likely to receive it than one who had fought and live, or else considered for higher consideration.

Also, as far as 'DA leaders' who would these people be?

In Muggle armies, simply getting killed in action does not merit a medal for bravery. So I'd normally not consider awarding all casualties of the Battle of Hogwarts an Order of Merlin of at least Third Class. What we must consider, however, is that these casualties were not soldiers. They were not expected to put their lives on the line and kill or be killed. Being civilians, they had no obligation to fight, yet they did anyway. Since these were ordinary people, that might merit them some decorations.

I believe higher decorations should be awarded based on heroism and personal contribution to the victory, not just being a casualty. For example, Neville Longbottom might receive First Class for personally resisting Voldemort, killing Nagini, and restoring the morale of the beleaguered good guys. Any John Doe who just becomes a casualty five minutes into the battle probably should not be eligible for higher awards.

As far as other DA leaders go, I'll probably go with Luna and Ginny. They plus Neville are sort of like the "other" Trio of the series, or at least of DH.

Tim the Enchanter

[ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor]

In Muggle armies, simply getting killed in action does not merit a medal for bravery.

I don't know about that. Just about all soldiers that are wounded in battle for the US army are awarded the Purple Heart, which is specifically for soldiers who are wounded/killed in the line of duty. So, it would be reasonable to assume that there is some sort of service award for fighting the most evil wizard of all time (that does sound awfully simplistic, doesn't it) and being hurt/killed in the process. It doesn't seem like a stretch to invent something completely original along this vein. The Ministry could have even created some sort of award or medal for just this purpose.

I hope someone asks JKR about her views on the Order of Merlin at some point. It would be interesting to see what she had in mind in terms of the Battle.

[Liandrin]

Originally posted by Tim:
In Muggle armies, simply getting killed in action does not merit a medal for bravery.

I know your emphasis is on 'bravery', but getting killed in action still does merit a posthumously awarded accolade. ^^ In the US, it is the Purple Heart; in Canada, it is the Sacrifice Medal. I'm not an expert (not remotely) on the different medals awarded outside of North America, but I do know that in past wars, like the Crimean War, medals were posthumously awarded to those killed in action (RE: Light Brigade). WWI and WWII KIAs were awarded bronze plaques, as opposed to medals (this was in the UK and the Commonwealth); however, depending on the bravery displayed, they would also be awarded medals of honour (posthumously).

/Lia's annoying military history lesson

[OliveOil_Med]

Some military medals are even awarded to civillians when they show bravery that would be considered exemplary for soldiers serving their country.

For example (one of my favorite bragging stories about my heritage), the Maltese people as a whole were awarded the George Cross in 1942 for their collective bravery in standing against the invading forces of the Axis.

The GC was awarded to the island of Malta in a letter dated 15 April 1942 from King George VI to the island's Governor Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie:
To honour her brave people, I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history.

The Governor answered:
By God's help Malta will not weaken but will endure until victory is won.

The cross and the messages are today found in the War Museum in Fort Saint Elmo, Valletta. The fortitude of the population under sustained enemy air raids and a naval blockade which almost saw them starved into submission, won widespread admiration in Britain and other Allied nations. Some historians argue that the award was in fact a propaganda gesture to justify the huge losses sustained by Britain to prevent Malta from capitulating as Singapore had done in the Battle of Singapore.[26]

The George Cross is woven into the Flag of Malta and can be seen wherever the flag is flown.

This was when Malta was still a colony, mind you, and geographically, it was considered a military stronghold between Europe and Africa, just so people aren't thinking that the British just hand out military medals like bubble gum.

Thinking about this, however, makes me wondering how the wizarding world would recognize the difference between civillian bravery and those who are 'expected' to serve. The order of Merlin doesn't seem to discriminate, but I wonder if there would be other awards or honors given to Aurors, Ministry officials, and other people who would have putting themselves in danger as a job description.

[Mossee]

For the soldiers that have died in the recent conflicts (post 2001 I think) a new medal, the Elizabeth Cross, has been created by the British government. Could the ministry have done something similar, created a new award perhaps less prestigious than the Order of Merlin so that everybody who fought or everybody who died received some token of thanks?