Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

**Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban** is a British children's novel written by J.K. Rowling. It was first published in 1999 by Bloomsbury. It is the third book in the Harry Potter series.

## Synopsis

It is the summer holidays. Harry has just completed his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and will start the third year in September. The Dursleys have forbidden Harry from speaking to anyone or having any of his school equipment. Harry struggles to complete his summer homework without the school equipment, but he has managed to sneek some spell books into his room. Harry's relationship with Uncle Vernon declines after Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley, makes a phone call to the Dursley household. Harry's birthday comes around and Harry receives gifts from his friends, including a book that tries to bite, from Hagrid. Ron also sends a letter saying that his family have won a competition ran by the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet. Harry also receives a permission slip for regular visits to Hogsmead, a village near Hogwarts. All students in the third year and up are allowed to visit, providing a parent or guardian gives permission by signing the slip. For Harry, it means trying to convince Uncle Vernon to sign. The next morning, Harry comes downstairs to see the news is on television. The news reports that a man named Sirius Black has escaped from prison. Viewers are warned that Black is very dangerous and should not be approached. Much to Uncle Vernon's annoyance, the news does not state which prison Black escaped from. Vernon goes on to announce that his sister, Marge, will be coming to visit the house. Harry does not like Marge, but Vernon agrees that if Harry behaves himself, he will sign Harry's permission slip. Marge is very rude, especially about Harry and his dead parents. One night, Marge insults Harry's father. Harry becomes angry and accidentally inflates Marge. Harry then runs away from the house, fearful that he will be expelled from school for underage magic, which is unlawful.

Harry walks along and sees large black dog staring at him. Harry is taken aback by the dog. He falls over and accidentally summons the Knight Bus, a magic bus for wizards and witches. Harry asks to go to the wizarding street Diagon Ally. While on the bus, Harry reads the Daily Prophet. He reads that Sirius Black had escaped from the wizard prison, Azkaban. The newspaper says that Black was a follower of Lord Voldermort (the wizard who killed Harry's parents, amongst many others). Sirius Black was convicted of murdering 13 people and is the first person to ever escape from Azkaban. The bus arrives at the Leaky Couldron, an inn in Diagon Ally. There, Harry meets the Minister of Magic, Cornellius Fudge. Fudge assures Harry that he is not in trouble for blowing up Marge, and that she has been deflated and her memory has been modefied so that she is no longer aware of the event. Fudge also books Harry a room to stay in for the rest of the holidays. On the last day of the holidays, Harry meets with Ron and Hermione at the Leaky Couldron. Hermione decides to buy a cat, which she names Crookshanks. Much to Ron's annoyance, Crookshanks often torments Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. In the evening, Harry overhears a conversation between Ron's father, Arthur Weasley, and Ron's mother, Molly Weasley. He hears them say that Black might try and kill Harry. However, Harry feels that he will be safe at Hogwarts.

Harry and the Weasleys then go to King's Cross to board the Hogwarts Express. Before Harry sets off back to school, Arthur warns Harry that Black is a danger to him and tells Harry he must not try and hunt down Black himself. Harry does not understand why Arthur thinks Harry would want to look for Black. The children all then board the train. Harry, Ron and Hermione find a compartment, but a disheveled man is sleeping in it. Part way through the train journey, the train stops unexpectedly. Some mysterious creatures with black hooded capes on enter the train. Harry suddenly feels extremely sad for no apparent reason. Harry faints. When Harry regains consciousness, the dishevelled man- who has now woken up- explains that the creatures were dementors. He tells Harry that dementors guard Azkaban, and were on the train searching for Black. To help him recover, the dishevelled man gives Harry some chocolate. Eventually, the train arives at Hogwarts.

Once they get off the train, McGonagall takes Harry to the hospital wing to be checked over. There, Harry discovers that the dishevelled man is the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry is found to be well and goes to the start of year feast. As well as announcing that the new teacher, whose name is Lupin, will be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore also announces that Hagrid will be the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Dumbledore also informs the students that the dementors will be guarding the entrances of the school this year.

Lessons start. Harry attends the Divination lesson. The students are doing tea leaf reading. Harry sees the Grim, a large black dog which is an omen of death, in his teacup. Trelawney warns Harry that he is likely to die soon. Harry recalls the black dog he saw in the summer, and becomes afraid. However, in the next lesson-Transfiguration-McGonagall expresses scepticism over Trelawney's predictions, and tells the class that Trelawney always predicts the death of a student every year, none of which have died. This comforts Harry greatly. The next lesson is Care of Magical Creatures. The lesson focuses on hippogriffs, which are magical creatures that are a combination of a horse and an eagle. Hagrid explains that hippogriffs are very emotionally sensitive animals who become defensive if they are insulted. Harry flies on a hippogriff named Buckbeak. Malfoy -Harry's nemisis- then approaches Buckbeak and insults him. Buckbeak attacks Malfoy. Hagrid becomes upset by the incident and fears he will get into trouble. Malfoy returns to lessons with a heavily bandaged arm. Harry suspects that Malfoy is exagerating his injuries. Malfoy also drops hints that Black is linked to Harry's family. Harry also discovers that there have been reported sightings of Black near Hogwarts.

The next lesson is Defense against the Dark Arts, where Lupin teaches the class about boggarts. Boggarts change into a person's worst fear. Lupin teaches the students a spell which changes the boggart into an amusing form. As Harry is about to face the boggart, Lupin jumps in front of him. The boggart changes into a mysterious white glowing ball. Harry is disapointed that Lupin did this, as he feels that Lupin thinks Harry would not be capable of taking on the boggart. On Halloween, the students go for their first trip to Hogsmead. As nobody signed Harry's permission slip, Harry must stay at school. Harry spends the day with Lupin. Lupin tells Harry that he did not let Harry face the boggart because he assumed it would take the form of Lord Voldemort, which would be distressing for the class. They continue to chat, when Snape comes in with a potion. He gives Lupin the potion to drink. Lupin tells Harry that he is ill and the potion will help him feel better.

The rest of the students return from Hogsmead. Harry goes with Ron and Hermione to the Gryfindor common room. However, the fat lady in the magical fat lady portrait -which guards the common room- has gone. (Portraits in the wizarding world are able to talk and move, and the person in the portrait may leave.) The portrait has also been slashed. Peeves, Hogwart's poltergeist, tells everyone that Sirius Black slashed the portrait after she refused to let him in the common room, and the fat lady fled to another portrait in fear. All the students are sent to sleep in the great hall while the staff search the castle for Black. Snape suggests to Dumbledore that somebody has helped Black enter Hogwarts, but Dumbledore dismisses this theory. The fat lady is temporarily replaced by a portrait of Sir Cadagon the Mad Knight. Harry is also guarded by members of staff and prefects to protect him from Black. A few days later, the students have a Defence against the Dark Arts class. Much to Harry's suprise and disapointment, Lupin is absent and Snape is taking the class instead. Snape insists the class skip forward in the sylabus and cover werewolves.

The next day, Harry plays in the first Quiddich match of the term. During the match, Harry sees another large, black dog. The dementors then go onto the pitch and Harry faints. Harry wakes up in the hospital wing, where Oliver Wood, the team captain, informs Harry that the team lost. Furthermore, Harry's cherished broomstick has flown into the Womping Willow- a tree that is able to hit with its branches- which has destroyed the broom. Harry stays in the hospital wing until the following Monday. Harry is discharged from the hospital wing and attends the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Lupin has returned. At the end of the lesson, Harry goes to talk to Lupin about the dementors. Lupin agrees to give Harry private lessons to help him cope with any future encounters with the dementors. At the weekend, there is another trip to Hogsmead. Once again, Harry must remain at school. However, Harry encounters Ron's mischevious older twin brothers, Fred and George. Fred and George give Harry the Marauder's Map- an enchanted map of Hogwarts that shows all the secret passageways in and out of Hogwarts, as well as who is in the school at any given time. Using his new knowledge of the secret passageways, Harry uses a secret passage that takes him to Hogsmead. He meets up with Ron and Hermione, and goes to the pub with them. In the pub, Harry overhears the landlady talking with Fudge, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and Hagrid. He hears them say that Sirius Black was a close friend of Harry Potter's father, and that Black is Harry's godfather. As well, the Potters were using a special charm to hide from Voldermort, that relied on appointing someone as a secret keeper. In the Potter's case, Black was the secret keeper. Black told Voldermort where the Potters were hidden, which allowed Voldermort to come to their home and kill Harry's parents. Black was then confronted by Peter Petigrew, another friend of Harry's father. Black killed Petrigrew and 12 muggles (non-magical people), resulting in his arrest and imprisonment. Petigrew's body was so badly damaged that only his finger was found. Harry becomes very upset by these revelations and cannot understand why nobody told him the truth about Black. Harry goes to visit Hagrid in the hopes of talking about what he has discovered, but when he gets to Hagrid's Hut, Hagrid is upset about Buckbeak's upcoming hearing. Harry decides to not talk about Black.

The Christmas holidays begin. Much to his surpise, Harry recieves a top-of-the-range broomstick for Christmas. Harry does not know where the broomstick came from. Hermione suspects that Black has sent it. Because of this, McGonagall insists on taking it to be checked. This causes a rift between Harry and Hermione. Hemione also falls out with Ron over Crookshanks attacking Scabbers. After the holidays, Harry starts his special lessons with Lupin. Lupin uses a boggart, which takes the form of a dementor, for Harry to practice the Patronus charm. The Patronus charm is a spell specifically for fighting dementors. In the lessons, Lupin tells Harry that he was friends with Harry's father and Sirius Black while they were at school. Lupin also tells Harry that if Black is caught, he will be punished with the dementor's kiss, where the dementor sucks away a person's soul.

After the lesson, McGonagall gives Harry his new broom back. No issues have been found with the broom. Harry then meets up with Ron and goes to the common room. When they get there, fellow Gryfindor student Neville Longbottom is upset. He has lost a list of passwords he has made. Soon after, the next Quiddich match of the season takes place. Harry sees some dementors in the stand and casts a successful Patronus charm. He then catches the golden snitch and wins the match. However, it turns out that the dementors are actually Malfoy, Crabbe, Gole and Marcus Flint dressed up as dementors. After winning the match, the Gryfindors celebrate late into the night until McGonagall sends the students to bed. In the night, Ron wakes up to find Sirius Black has slashed the curtains around his bed. At first, everyone assumes Ron had a nightmare, but when they realise the curtains have been slashed, they realise Black has indeed been in the dormetory. Sir Cadagon also says he allowed Black into the common room, as Black had a list of passwords and he gave the correct one. McGonagall angrily demands to know who wrote the passwords down, and Neville confesses.

The students go on another trip to Hogwarts. Harry sneeks out of the castle using the secret passageway shown on the Marauder's Map with his invisibility cloak. After Ron gets into a dispute with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, Harry attacks Malfoy with his invisibilty cloak on. However, the cloak starts to slip off and Malfoy sees Harry's head. Malfoy reports what he saw to Snape. Snape then questions Harry when he returns. Snape makes Harry turn out his pockets, resulting in him finding the Marauder's Map. As the map can be made to go blank when it is not being used, Snape sees what appears to be a blank piece of paper. Snape tries to get the paper to reveal its content, but instead, a number of insults appear. Snape sends for Lupin, who tells Snape there is nothing sinister about the paper. Ron then tells Snape that it is from the joke shop in Hogsmead. Snape lets Harry go, but Lupin then reprimands Harry for endangering his life by keeping the map and visiting Hogsmead without permission. Lupin also confiscates the map. Harry and Ron then meet up with Hermione, who tells then that Buckbeak will be executed. Ron, Harry and Hermione all make up. Harry then has the final Quiddich match of the season, which Gryfindor wins, resulting in them winning the Quiddich Cup.

The students then take their end of year exams. In his divination exam, Trelawney makes a rare genuine prophecy that Voldermort's servant will reunite with him, culminating in Voldermort's return to power. Later in the day, Buckbeak is due to be slaughtered. Harry, Ron and Hermione decide to visit Hagrid to comfort him. Scabbers, who has been missing for a while, is found in Hagrid's hut. Harry, Ron and Hermione leave before Dumbledore, Fudge and the ministry's executioner arrive. Buckbeak is executed. Scabbers then jumps from Ron's hands. They run to catch him, when they see the large black dog with Crookshanks. Ron catches Scabbers, but the dog then drags Ron through a tunnel under the Womping Willow. This breaks Ron's leg. Harry, Hermione and Crookshanks chase after them. They find themselves in the Shrieking Shack, a house that is said to be haunted by violent spirits. The dog has transformed into Sirius Black, who turns out to be an unregistered animagus (a person who has learned to transform into an animal). Harry is furious with Black, who admits to being responsible for the death of his parents. Lupin then suddenly arrives. Hermione accuses Lupin of assisting Black. She also asserts that he is a werewolf. Lupin denies aiding Black, but admits that he is a werewolf. Lupin tells Harry, Ron and Hermione that he found out where they were from the Marauder's Map. He says that he helped create the map. He also tells them that he noticed Peter Petigrew on the map, when Petigrew supposedly died many years ago. He reveals that Peter Petigrew is an animagus who is able to transform into a rat. Peter Petigrew is Scabbers. Harry, Ron and Hermione refuse to beleive that Scabbers is Petigrew and are still convinced that Black murdered Petigrew.

Lupin then explains that he had become a werewolf in childhood. There is a great stigma against werewolves, and Lupin's parents did not initially believe it would be possible for Lupin to go to Hogwarts. However, Dumbledore had put a number of special measures in place so that Lupin could go to school, including building the passage to the Shrieking Shack and planting the Womping Willow. Lupin was taken to the shack at full moon to transform safely away from anyone else. Dumbledore encouraged the residents of Hogsmead to believe the Shrieking Shack was haunted to hide that it was actually a werewolf making the sounds. Lupin made friends with Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Petigrew. Lupin did not tell his friends that he was a werewolf, but eventually they worked out the truth. As werewolves can only harm humans, Lupin's friends became animagi to keep Lupin company during his transformations. Sirius became a dog, James became a stag and Peter became a rat. Lupin also reveals that James once saved Snape's life, when Sirius tricked him into going into the Shrieking Shack while Lupin was transformed. James rushed and grabbed him, but Snape still saw that Lupin was a werewolf. While teaching at Hogwarts, Snape makes a potion called the wolfsbane potion for Lupin- a potion which had only been discovered since Lupin left school. The potion allows werewolves to keep their minds during the transformation, making transformation much safer. Snape then appears; he had snuck in using Harry's invisibility cloak, which Harry had accidently left in front of the Womping Willow. Snape tries to summon someone to arrest Black and Lupin, but Harry, Ron and Hermione stun him to stop this. Black says that he saw the front page of a copy of the Daily Prophet that had accidentally been left. There was a picture from when Arthur Weasley won the competition, where the whole family were stood together, including Scabbers. Sirius noticed that one of Scabber's toes was missing, witch was the same toe as the finger that was found when Petigrew purportedly died. Petigrew was actually the Potter's secret keeper; he is the reason that they died. To prove his innocence, Black and Lupin transform Scabbers out of his animagus form, into Petigrew. Petigrew admits that Black is telling the truth and pleads with them to show mercy. Black and Lupin try to kill Petigrew, but Harry stops them. Instead, they start to takek Petigrew to the dementors. Harry bonds with Sirius as they walk, but then the full moon appears. Lupin transforms into a werewolf. Petigrew uses this as an opportunity to knock Ron unconcious, turn back into a rat and escape. Lupin also injures Black, before running into the Forbidden Forest. Hundreds of dementors arrive, causing Harry, Hermione and Sirius to faint. In the distance, Harry notices a figure casting a patronus that successfully drives all the dementors away. Harry, Ron and Hermione are then taken to the hospital wing, and Sirius is locked away in the west tower until a dementor can perform a kiss on him.

In the hospital wing, Dumbledore comes in and Harry and Hermione explain what happened. Dumbledore explains that he cannot save Sirius as Snape has told Fudge lies about what happened, and that Fudge would most likely not beleive Harry and Hermione because of their young age. Dumbledore gives Hermione some vague instructions about needing more time. Dumbledore leaves and Hermione reveals that she has a time-turner, which is a device that allows her to go back in time. McGonagall has given it Hermione so she could attend all her lessons, as she had chosen all the subjects possible even though many clash. Harry and Hermione go back three hours. They realise that Buckbeak can be used for Sirius to fly to freedom. Harry and Hermione set Buckbeak free while Dumbledore, Hagrid, Fudge and the executioner are in Hagrid's hut. Harry and Hermione then hide to prevent anyone seeing two versions of them. While hiding, Harry tells Hermione that he thinks that it was his father who cast the powerful Patronus. Harry and Hermione then go out and see that they have fainted. Harry waits for his father to cast the patronus, but he does not come. Harry then casts the patronus and realises he did not see his father earlier, but his future self. Harry and Hermione then fly up to the west tower on Buckbeak to rescue Sirius. Harry and Sirius say goodbye to each other, before Sirius flies away on Buckbeak. Harry and Hermione then return to the hospital wing and then reach the present time.

Fudge and Snape then burst in to the hospital wing. Snape accuses Harry of letting Sirius free. Fudge dismisses Snape's claims as Harry and Hermione have been in the hospital wing the whole time. Snape has also lost the Order of Merlin award that Fudge was going to give him for catching Black. Fudge also agrees to remove the dementors from Hogwarts on Dumbledore's request. Snape, Fudge and Dumbledore leave, and Ron regains consciousness. The next day, the students have another trip to Hogsmead. Harry learns that Lupin is resigning after Snape told the students about Lupin being a werewolf. Harry goes to see Lupin. He tries to convince Lupin to stay, but is unsuccessful. Lupin gives Harry his invisibility cloak back. He also gives him the Marauder's Map, saying that he no longer feels obliged to keep it now that he is not a teacher anymore. Dumbledore then comes to say goodbye to Lupin. Harry later talks with Dumbledore. Harry tells Dumbledore that he regrets not letting Sirius and Lupin kill Petigrew. Dumbledore assures Harry that he did well to save Sirius from the dementor's kiss.

The school year finishes. Hermione gives up her time-turner and drops a subject so that she can cope more easily. Ron also says that he may invite Harry and Hermione to the Quiddich world cup if his father can get tickets. On the train, Harry recieves a letter from Sirius delivered by a small owl. The letter says that he bought the broomstick. He also says that he provides permission for Harry to visit Hogsmead. Finally, Sirius says Ron can keep the owl to replace Scabbers. Harry returns to the Dursleys. He tells them about his godfather as a ploy to get the Dursleys to treat him better.

## Publication

Rowling began writing the Prisoner of Azkaban the day after she finished writing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The book was published in July 1999 in the UK and September 1999 in the USA. When it was first released, the book was the fastest-selling book in the UK, selling 64,000 in the first three days of being released.

## Critical reception

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban received positive reviews in many publications, including the New York Times, Publisher Weekly,  and The Horn Book Magazine  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has won many notable literary prizes, including the Witbread Award, the British Book Awards and the Nestle Smarties Prize. However, not all reception was positive. Writer and critic Anthony Holden condemmed the decision to award the Whitbread Award, arguing that The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson should have won instead, and that Rowling's victory represented a decline in literary standards.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20131209001627/http://theremembrall.org/books/azkaban/
2. ↑ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/donotmigrate/3593769/Longing-for-the-clock-to-strike-12.html
3. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/05/books/lord-of-the-golden-snitch.html
4. ↑ https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-13635-8
5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120524201003/http://archive.hbook.com/magazine/reviews/group/harrypotter\_revs.asp
6. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20130722185020/http://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/author/awards
7. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/jun/25/booksforchildrenandteenagers.guardianchildrensfictionprize2000