HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

-- Second reading (trade paperback)
October 28th to December 1st, 2018

-- First reading (trade paperback)
September 25th to October 5th, 2014

As the book went on, it grew more and more interesting, until it was very difficult to put down in the last several chapters. Even though I have seen the movie, the descriptions of the last scenes were really well-done, and it was as if I was getting to know the story for the first time -again.

I didn't remember much of this movie going into the book. But every page I turned brought memories back. I think just about everything in this book was actually represented in the movie, which is quite impressive.

Harry's third year at Hogwarts starts in fear, of course, as the person who was found guilty of killing his parents escapes from prison. The element of fear was quite real while outside Hogwarts, but within, it was less so, and the story was kept very interesting by learning more about magic, and the classes that Harry, Ron and Hermione were taking. As Harry points out several times, Professor Lupin is the best defense against the dark arts teacher they've had so far, but alas, he is forced to leave because of his secret -that he is a werewolf. He was also great friends with Sirius Black and Harry's father, until Valdemort came for them.

Harry's classes culminate with him learning how to cast a spell that will keep the dementors at bay, since the guardians of Azkaban are so drawn to him, even when he is playing Quiddach. He also learns a prophecy, that Valdemort's spy will return to him. And so as he learns Hermione's secret (she was time travelling in order to take so many classes), he also time travels, in order to save himself by casting the spell across the lake, and rescue Black from the castle prison chamber upon Hagrid's poor Hippogrif, which was also sentenced to death before he and Hermione rescued it. But Peter Pettigrew, who was masquerading as Ron's rat for twelve years, and is the real person to have betrayed Harry's parents, escapes, and eventually returns to Valdemort.

I only have two real complaints about the plot in this book. One was Lupin not mentioning Harry and Hermione's double-location when he sees them on the map, as obviously the time-travel loop was there when he first saw them, otherwise Harry would never have survived his encounter with the Dementors -it could have easily been a tease by the author, a throwaway line. The other part is the treatment of Snape, which is really poor, I think. After the things that are done to him here, especially having the three kids disarm him and petrify him, and then having Dumbledore dismiss it with no punishment, I'm sure he would quit. He often yells at Hermione (in capital letters) and really goes into hysterics. It seems uncharacteristic.