Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on 8 July 1999. A film based on the book was released on 31 May 2004, in the United Kingdom and June 4, 2004 in the U.S. and many other countries.

 Plot

J.K. Rowling's third book opens with Harry Potter spending yet another miserable summer at the Dursleys. While there, they see a news report about an escaped convict called Sirius Black. When Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge, viciously insults him, Harry's anger causes her to inflate and float to the ceiling. Still seething, and despite his uncle's threats, Harry runs away, and amid the street's dark shadows, he sees a large black dog ominously watching him. The Knight Bus suddenly appears and takes him to Diagon Alley. During the trip, Harry finds out that Black murdered thirteen people with one curse and is a supporter of Lord Voldemort. He is met by Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, who Harry is certain will expel him from Hogwarts for using under-age magic. Surprisingly, however, the matter is dropped. While at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry hears Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing over whether he should be warned about Black.

There are a few changes at Hogwarts as Harry begins his third year. For one, Hermione is taking nearly twice as many classes, including some taught simultaneously. In addition, two new teachers join the staff: Professor Remus J. Lupin for Defence Against the Dark Arts and Rubeus Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures. While Lupin's lessons are enjoyable, Hagrid's soon become dreary. During the first class, Draco Malfoy deliberately provokes the hippogriff Buckbeak, a half-horse, half-bird creature, into attacking him. Lucius Malfoy, a person of great influence at the Ministry and a Governor of Hogwarts, files a complaint against Hagrid. Because Black is at large, Dementors, the inhuman Azkaban Prison guards, patrol Hogwarts. Dementors drain happiness from anything they approach. Harry is particularly affected, and Professor Lupin teaches him the Patronus charm that repels them. During a Quidditch match, several Dementors approach Harry, causing him to faint and fall off his broomstick. Albus Dumbledore stops Harry's fall, but his Nimbus 2000 flies into the Whomping Willow and is destroyed.

Meanwhile, tension grows between Hermione and Ron when Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, continually torments Ron's rat, Scabbers. At Christmas, an anonymous benefactor sends Harry a superb Firebolt broomstick, although Hermione suspects it was sent by Black. She reports it to Professor Minerva McGonagall, who confiscates it for testing, although it is returned in time for the next Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. Harry and Ron are furious with Hermione, but when the broom is returned, they try to make up with her. It goes wrong, however, when Ron discovers Scabbers gone, blood on his bedsheets and cat hairs. Hermione refuses to believe that her cat is guilty, making things worse.

Shortly before Christmas, the Weasley twins give Harry the Marauder's Map, a complete map of Hogwarts, which shows people and animals moving around inside. Harry uses the map to locate a passage into Hogsmeade. In Hogsmeade village, Harry overhears a disturbing conversation that Black was his parents' best friend and is still his godfather and legal guardian. He supposedly divulged the Potters' secret whereabouts to Lord Voldemort and murdered their friend Peter Pettigrew, as well as the thirteen Muggle bystanders.

As Harry is talking with Professor Trelawney, she goes into a trance and predicts that the Dark Lord's servant will return to him that night. After learning of Hermione's troubles trying to help Hagrid prepare a defence for Buckbeak, Harry and Ron finally make peace with her, with Ron offering to help her with the case, to which Hermione responds by hugging him and apologizing about his rat. Hermione goes so far as to slap Draco Malfoy for his cruelty. When the Trio learns that Buckbeak will be executed, they visit Hagrid to console him. While there, Scabbers turns up, although Crookshanks chases him to the Whomping Willow. A large dog attacks Ron and drags him and Scabbers into a hole at the tree's base. Harry and Hermione follow, finding a tunnel leading to the Shrieking Shack. Inside, Harry finally confronts Sirius Black, who, as an illegal Animagus, can transform into an animal at will. Lupin, who spotted the group on the Marauder's Map, suddenly bursts in and embraces his old friend Black. Confronted by Hermione, Lupin admits to being a werewolf and also the Map's creator along with Black, Pettigrew and James Potter, the latter two also being illegal Animagi (a rat and a stag, respectively). Lupin and Black explain that Scabbers is actually Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form. He is Voldemort's servant, and he betrayed the Potters, framing Black for the crimes. Harry is skeptical until Black and Lupin force Pettigrew back into his human form. Black explains he discovered that Pettigrew was still alive and escaped Azkaban to kill him. Black and Harry quickly form a very close bond.

As the group heads back to the castle, the full moon rises, causing Lupin to turn into a werewolf. During the ensuing commotion, Pettigrew escapes. Black turns into his dog form in order to stop Werewolf Lupin from hurting anyone. Lupin flees, leaving Black badly injured. As Dementors move in to attack Black, Harry and Hermione see a mysterious figure in the distance cast a powerful stag-shaped Patronus, scattering the vicious creatures. Remembering that his father was a stag animagus, Harry becomes convinced it is his father, or at least his father's spirit who produced the Patronus. Black is then captured and taken to the castle where the Dementors intend to suck out his soul.

Dumbledore advises the two, rather enigmatically, that two lives could be saved that night, and that three turns should do it. Hermione reveals to Harry that she possesses a time-turner, which is how she has been taking so many classes. She and Harry travel back in time three hours, watching themselves go through the night's previous events. They set Buckbeak free and return to the Whomping Willow. As the dementors are about to attack the "other" Harry and Black, Harry waits for his father to come. As the minutes pass Harry realizes that the mysterious figure he saw earlier was actually himself. He casts the powerful Patronus that disperses the dementors. Black then mounts Buckbeak and escapes as the timeline restores itself to normal. Harry is deeply disappointed he will be unable to live with his godfather, but takes comfort in knowing that Black is safe. He later takes some satisfaction in warning his abusive Uncle Vernon that his godfather is a convicted murderer who will not hesitate to harm Vernon himself if Harry tells him that his uncle has been unkind to him.

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