Redheaded Reviews: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

While at the Dursley's Harry receives his first Birthday cards and gifts from the Weasleys, Hermione, and Hagrid. It almost makes up for the fact that Aunt Marge is coming to visit for a week. That woman picks on Harry and dotes on Dudley. But if Harry is good Vernon will sign his form allowing him to go to Hogsmeade this year. Harry makes it until the last day but when she says something about his parents he loses it and suddenly Marge begins to inflate. Harry realizing how badly he's screwed up performing magic outside of Hogwarts and that he's surely expelled now and maybe going to be sent to Azkaban. So he gathers his things and heads out down the street.

He stops and notices something in the dark but then the Knight Bus shows up nearly running over him. The Knight Bus is for stranded witches and wizards and contains beds and hot cocoa and toothbrushes. Stan Turnpike is the conductor of the Knight Bus. Stan shows him an article about Sirius Black who has just escaped Azcakan prison and was put there for using a curse to kill a wizard and several humans. It takes him to the Leaky Caldron where he meets up with Cornelis Fudge, the Minister of Magic, who doesn't seem concerned at all about him blowing up Aunt Marge only that he is safe there and can stay there until school starts.

When Ron and Hermione show up a day before school starts Hermione wants to get an owl and Ron wants to get some treatment for his rat. A wild cat jumps down when it sees Ron's rat Scabbers. Hermione decides to buy him, named Crookshanks. Crookshanks and Scabbers do not get along and Ron hates Crookshanks and therefore he and Hermione fight constantly over their animals. Arthur Weasley wants to tell Harry something but Harry had overheard him and Molly arguing over it so he knows already that Sirius Black is after him because Black is Voldemort's second-hand man and wants to finish what he started and bring the Dark Lord back.

On the train to Hogwarts some Dementors board looking for Sirius Black. A Dementor begins to affect Harry until Professor Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher sends him away. He hands out chocolate to the kids because that's the cure for an encounter with a Dementor. Dementors will be guarding the entrances to Hogwarts. And as Dumbledore says they can see through an invisibilty cloak so any hope he had of sneaking out that way to Hogsmeade is out.

During Divination Class in his tea leaves, Professor Trelawny sees the Grim, a black dog that portends death. It reminds him of the dark shape he saw before the Knight Bus came which was likely a dog. Then when he's playing Quidditch against Hufflepuff he sees a dark dog image in the sky right before the Dementors come in and attack him causing him to fall from his broom. Dumbledore keeps him from landing hard, but his broom ran into the Whomping Willow and is destroyed. At Christmas, he gets a Firebolt, the latest broomstick from an unknown source. Hermione insists that he have it inspected for hexes. He barely gets it back in time for the next Quidditch match.

Fred and George feeling Harry's pain give him something that has helped them immensely since their first year: The Maurader's Map. You tap it and say "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." And a map of Hogwart's is revealed including secrets passages that no one knows about. In order to keep anyone from reading the map's secrets, you say "Mischief Managed" and the map disappears. Harry uses this to sneak into Hogsmeade.

Buckbeak, the Hippogriff attacked Draco Malfoy who was an idiot and insulted it when if he'd been paying attention he'd know that you don't insult a Hippogriff. He got a minor scrape that he milked for all it was worth and his dad used it to try to get Hagrid fired which didn't work but he did succeed in getting a death sentence for the Buckbeak.

Sirius Black tries to get into the Gryfindor rooms but the Fat Lady won't let him in and he attacks her. Then Harry and Hermione and Ron are in Hogsmeade enjoying a butterbeer when some professors come in and Hermione moves a Christmas tree to hide them. While the teachers are talking Harry finds out more about Sirius Black and his connection to his family and his real treachery.

Harry has to deal with Snape who seems to hate him even more in this book. He also has to deal with a killer being after him. In the Harry Potter series, this is the only one that doesn't have Lord Voldemort in it. It's one of my favorites. I love Lupin as a character. He is so kind and thoughtful as a teacher. Black is pretty interesting too, once you meet him. Hermione shows some backbone in this novel. She talks back to Professor Trelawny constantly, she stands up to Ron over her cat, and she boldly went to fetch Harry's Cloak which was hidden in the secret passage that Snape has been guarding. She doesn't take anything off of Harry or Ron either. And they eventually realize she's right. This is a fabulous book and I give it five of five stars.

Quotes

Well, well…I’m impressed. That suggests that what you fear most of all is –fear. Very wise, Harry.