======Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban======
=====Publication Information=====
  * **Series:** Book 3 of 7
  * **Author:** [[J.K. Rowling]]
  * **UK Publication Date:** 8 July 1999
  * **US Publication Date:** 8 September 1999
  * **Preceded By:** `[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book)]]`
  * **Followed By:** `[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book)]]`
=====Plot Summary=====
The third novel in the series marks a significant shift in tone, introducing darker themes and revealing crucial details about the First Wizarding War and the history of [[Harry Potter]]'s parents.
After accidentally inflating his aunt, [[Marge Dursley]], [[Harry]] flees [[Number 4, Privet Drive]]. He is picked up by the [[Knight Bus]], an emergency transport for witches and wizards, and travels to the [[Leaky Cauldron]]. There, he is met by the [[Minister for Magic]], [[Cornelius Fudge]], who surprisingly does not punish him. [[Harry]] learns that a dangerous murderer, [[Sirius Black]], has escaped from the wizarding prison, [[Azkaban]], and is believed to be hunting him.
On the [[Hogwarts Express]], the train is stopped and boarded by [[Dementor]]s, the ghoulish guards of [[Azkaban]], who are searching for [[Black]]. One [[Dementor]] attacks [[Harry]], causing him to faint before he is rescued by the new [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] teacher, Professor [[Remus Lupin]], who repels the creature with the [[Patronus Charm]].
At [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]], security is tightened with [[Dementor]]s patrolling the grounds. The school year introduces two new teachers: [[Lupin]] and Professor [[Sybill Trelawney]], who teaches [[Divination]]. [[Rubeus Hagrid]] is appointed the new [[Care of Magical Creatures]] professor, but his first class goes awry when [[Draco Malfoy]] provokes a [[Hippogriff]] named [[Buckbeak]], who injures him. [[Malfoy]]'s father ensures [[Buckbeak]] is sentenced to death.
[[Harry]] discovers that [[Sirius Black]] was his parents' best friend, his own godfather, and the one who allegedly betrayed [[James Potter|James]] and [[Lily Potter]] to [[Lord Voldemort]]. Fueled by a desire for revenge, [[Harry]] tries to find [[Black]]. He is aided by a magical map of [[Hogwarts]] given to him by [[Fred Weasley|Fred]] and [[George Weasley]]: the [[Marauder's Map]], which shows the location of everyone within the castle. Using the map, he sneaks into the nearby village of [[Hogsmeade]].
The climax occurs when [[Ron Weasley]] is dragged by a large black dog into a tunnel beneath the [[Whomping Willow]]. [[Harry]] and [[Hermione Granger]] follow, discovering the tunnel leads to the [[Shrieking Shack]]. The dog is revealed to be [[Sirius Black]], who is an [[Animagus]]. Professor [[Lupin]] arrives and reveals the full truth: [[Black]] is innocent. The real traitor was another of their school friends, [[Peter Pettigrew]], who has been hiding for twelve years in his [[Animagus]] form as [[Ron]]'s pet rat, [[Scabbers]].
[[Severus Snape]] arrives and attempts to hand [[Black]] over to the [[Dementor]]s, but [[Harry]], [[Ron]], and [[Hermione]] stun him. They force [[Pettigrew]] back into his human form and head back to the castle. However, the full moon appears, and [[Lupin]], a [[werewolf]], transforms. In the ensuing chaos, [[Pettigrew]] escapes. [[Black]] is captured by [[Dementor]]s, who nearly perform the [[Dementor's Kiss]] on both him and [[Harry]] before a powerful [[Patronus]] drives them away.
Following advice from [[Albus Dumbledore]], [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] use a [[Time-Turner]], a device that allows for time travel, to go back three hours. They successfully rescue [[Buckbeak]] from execution and then save [[Sirius Black|Sirius]] and [[Harry]]'s past self from the [[Dementor]]s, with [[Harry]] realizing he was the one who cast the powerful stag [[Patronus]]. [[Sirius]] escapes on [[Buckbeak]], a fugitive but a free man. Professor [[Lupin]] resigns after his status as a [[werewolf]] is revealed.
=====Major Themes=====
  * **Fear and Trauma:** The [[Dementor]]s serve as a physical manifestation of fear and depression, feeding on happy memories. [[Harry]]'s struggle against them and his learning of the [[Patronus Charm]] is a central part of his character development.
  * **Innocence and Justice:** A core theme is the wrongful conviction of [[Sirius Black]] and the subsequent search for the truth. The book explores how perception and public opinion can condemn an innocent person, while the guilty party, [[Peter Pettigrew]], lives in hiding.
  * **Friendship and Loyalty:** The story of the [[Marauders]]—[[James Potter]], [[Sirius Black]], [[Remus Lupin]], and [[Peter Pettigrew]]—highlights the deep bonds of friendship and the devastating consequences of betrayal. This is mirrored in the unwavering loyalty of [[Harry]], [[Ron]], and [[Hermione]].
=====Key Introductions=====
//Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban// introduces several critical elements to the wizarding world.
====Characters====
  * **[[Sirius Black]]:** [[Harry]]'s wrongly-accused godfather and a member of the [[Marauders]].
  * **[[Remus Lupin]]:** The new [[Defence Against the Dark Arts]] professor, a [[werewolf]], and a member of the [[Marauders]].
  * **[[Peter Pettigrew]]:** A former friend of the [[Potters]] and a member of the [[Marauders]], revealed to be [[Lord Voldemort]]'s servant.
  * **[[Sybill Trelawney]]:** The eccentric [[Divination]] professor at [[Hogwarts]].
  * **[[Cornelius Fudge]]:** The [[Minister for Magic]] is given a more substantial role.
  * **[[Madam Rosmerta]]:** The landlady of [[The Three Broomsticks]] pub in [[Hogsmeade]].
  * **[[Stan Shunpike]]:** Conductor of the [[Knight Bus]].
====Creatures and Races====
  * **[[Dementor]]s:** Soul-sucking, spectral beings used as guards at [[Azkaban]]. They feed on positive emotions.
  * **[[Hippogriff]]s:** A magical beast with the head and forelegs of a giant eagle and the body of a horse.
  * **[[Werewolf|Werewolves]]:** Humans who, upon the full moon, transform into wolves.
  * **[[Animagus|Animagi]]:** A witch or wizard who can [[transfigure]] themselves into an animal at will.
  * **[[Grim]]:** A giant, spectral dog that is an omen of death.
  * **[[Boggart]]:** A shape-shifter that takes on the form of its observer's worst fear.
====Locations====
  * **[[Azkaban]]:** The high-security wizarding prison, guarded by [[Dementor]]s.
  * **[[Hogsmeade]]:** The only all-wizarding village in Britain, which third-year [[Hogwarts]] students and above are allowed to visit.
  * **[[Shrieking Shack]]:** An abandoned, supposedly haunted house in [[Hogsmeade]], used by [[Remus Lupin]] for his monthly transformations.
  * **[[The Three Broomsticks]]:** A popular pub in [[Hogsmeade]].
  * **[[Honeydukes]]:** A famous sweet shop in [[Hogsmeade]].
  * **[[Knight Bus]]:** Magical triple-decker bus for stranded witches and wizards.
====Spells and Magic====
  * **[[Patronus Charm]] ([[Expecto Patronum]]):** An advanced and powerful defensive charm to repel [[Dementor]]s. It conjures a guardian of positive energy.
  * **[[Riddikulus]]:** A spell used to defeat a [[Boggart]] by forcing it into a comical form.
  * **[[Secret-Keeper]]:** The person in whose soul a secret is hidden via the [[Fidelius Charm]].
====Magical Objects====
  * **[[Marauder's Map]]:** A magical map of [[Hogwarts]] that reveals the location of everyone on the grounds, created by the [[Marauders]].
  * **[[Time-Turner]]:** A device used for time travel, regulated by the [[Ministry of Magic]].
  * **[[Firebolt]]:** A world-class racing [[broomstick]], which [[Harry]] receives as an anonymous gift from [[Sirius Black]].
=====Significance in the Series=====
This book is a turning point in the series. It moves away from the more mystery-oriented plots of the first two books and delves deeply into the history of the [[Potter]] family and the First Wizarding War. The introduction of [[Sirius Black]] and [[Remus Lupin]] provides [[Harry]] with a direct link to his parents and a new, loving support system outside of [[Hogwarts]]. The revelation that a trusted friend, [[Peter Pettigrew]], was the true betrayer complicates the narrative's understanding of good and evil. The book's darker tone and more complex emotional themes, particularly concerning fear and despair personified by the [[Dementor]]s, set the stage for the escalating conflicts in the subsequent novels.
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * J.K. Rowling has stated that she found this book the easiest to write and that [[Remus Lupin]] is one of her favorite characters (J.K. Rowling interview).
  * The UK children's edition cover, illustrated by Cliff Wright, depicts [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] riding [[Buckbeak]]. The US cover by Mary GrandPré shows [[Harry]] and [[Hermione]] with the [[Dementor]]s by the lake.
  * The film adaptation, //Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban//, released in 2004 and directed by Alfonso Cuarón, is often cited by critics and fans as a significant artistic turning point for the film series due to its distinct visual style and darker atmosphere (film).