Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• 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)`

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 Dementors, 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 Dementors 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 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 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 Dementors, 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 Dementors, 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 and Harry's past self from the Dementors, 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.

• Fear and Trauma: The Dementors 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.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban introduces several critical elements to the wizarding world.

• 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.

• Dementors: Soul-sucking, spectral beings used as guards at Azkaban. They feed on positive emotions.
• Hippogriffs: A magical beast with the head and forelegs of a giant eagle and the body of a horse.
• Werewolves: Humans who, upon the full moon, transform into wolves.
• 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.

• Azkaban: The high-security wizarding prison, guarded by Dementors.
• 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.

• Patronus Charm (Expecto Patronum): An advanced and powerful defensive charm to repel Dementors. 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.

• 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.

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 Dementors, set the stage for the escalating conflicts in the subsequent novels.

• 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 Dementors 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).