Azkaban

**Azkaban** is a wizarding prison which serves Britain and Ireland. It houses convicted criminals who are guarded by Dementors until they defect during the Second Wizarding War. After the war ends, it is guarded by Aurors instead.

## About

Azkaban is guarded by Dementors for nearly four-hundred years until the Second Wizarding War. They induce despair in prisoners until they give up hope and their will to live. The health of prisoners deteriorate until they are completely insane. The prisoners are a food source for the Dementors, which the Ministry of Magic hope providing will give them control over their behaviour. However, even though there are calls for conditions to be improved, the Dementors are kept because Azkaban has a zero-breakout rate for centuries.

Rubeus Hagrid grew increasingly depressed in the short time he spent in Azkaban. He couldn't remember who he was and began to lose the will to live. Dementors don't want their prisoners to leave so they can keep feeding on them. Being free of the Dementors is like being "born again".

Since 1717, the use of Unforgivable Curses has an immediate life sentence to Azkaban unless using the curses are used under the Imperius Curse or with the permission of the government. Aurors have permission during the First Wizarding War to use these curses to subdue Death Eaters. The level of security around a prisoner is higher depending on who it is. Sirius Black was a top-security prisoner, and had Dementors outside the door day and night.

## History

During the First Wizarding War, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Barty Crouch Snr., didn't give suspected Death Eaters a trial and sentenced them to Azkaban right away. He thought if they had a trial they would manipulate the court and lie about being under the Imperius Curse. However, a lot of innocent people were wrongfully imprisoned in Azkaban. An Auror, Alastor Moody was thought to have filled half the cells in Azkaban because he was successful at capturing Death Eaters.

There were four known escapees. Barty Crouch Snr. sentenced his son Barty Crouch Jnr. to Azkaban after the First Wizarding War. Years later, his dying wife begged him to save their only child. He eventually agreed and snuck her into the prison, where he switched her with their son using Polyjuice Potion. She soon died in Azkaban while Crouch Jnr. was kept under the Imperius Curse at their house.

One summer, Cornelius Fudge gave Sirius Black a newspaper during an inspection, and he saw Peter Pettigrew in Animagus form on the front page. Fudge was surprised by how calm and sane Sirius was during the inspection. Sirius escaped Azkaban in Animagus form, being thin enough to get through the bars. There was a three-year search for him. At least a hundred Dementors were stationed at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for a year. They were ordered back to Azkaban when they attacked a student, Harry Potter.

In 1996, the Dementors revolted and joined Voldemort. They helped thirteen Death Eaters to escape including Bellatrix Lestrange. In 1997, another Death Eater breakout was covered up by the government. They eventually abandoned the prison and fought for the Death Eaters in fights including the Battle of Hogwarts. In 1997 to 1998, a Death Eater controlled government sentenced innocent Muggle-borns and supporters of Harry Potter to Azkaban.

## Trivia

* Hagrid isn't sent to Azkaban when Armando Dippet considers him responsible for opening the Chamber of Secrets the first time because he covered it up. It isn't revealed what the monster is or where it supposedly dwelled. It is thought by the wizarding world that whoever unleashed a monster that year was sentenced to Azkaban.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 6
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 3
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 11
4. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 14
5. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 5
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 10
7. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 13
8. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 35
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 19
10. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, Chapter 22
11. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 8
12. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 25
13. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 5
14. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, Chapter 1
15. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 32
16. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*, Chapter 13
17. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, Chapter 14
18. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 12