Previous:

1. The Philosopher’s Stone
2. The Chamber of Secrets

 

The Prisoner of Azkaban

(started June 25th, finished July 1st)

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Chapter 1: Owl Post.

– I honestly love the way these books start. So casually and so wholesome. Harry, who had never received so much as a birthday card has now received cards and gifts from all his favourite people. He’s a happy boy 🙂

Chapter 2: Aunt Marge’s Big Mistake.

– She deserved what she got. What an abhorrent and repulsively vile person.

Chapter 3: The Knight Bus.

– Well that was weird. There’s definitely something up, and I think it has to do with this Sirius Black character. You think he’s after Harry? The Ministry of Magic is clearly keeping a very close eye on him. They’re almost worried?
– I hope Harry doesn’t get caught up in this. He’s known for getting caught up in things but if he ends up face to face with a wizard serial killer I’ll be worried.

Chapter 4: The Leaky Cauldron.

– Fred and George are very fun little scoundrels that I appreciate.
– Lots of mentions of these Azkaban guards. I wonder what they’re like? Not many people seem to like them but it sounds like they’re very fierce.
– So Sirius Black is after Harry after all! This is so absolutely exciting. Scary, but exciting. There’s a dark wizard who used to serve Voldemort on the loose who (1) is insane (2) wants to kill Harry Potter. Everyone is on alert! No wonder that ice cream shop owner at Diagon alley kept giving him free ice cream. They’re all really scared for him. It’s interesting though, it’s almost like a look at what life would be like if Harry stayed in the wizarding world after his parents died. He’s important to almost everybody. I wonder how the Hogwarts professors will treat him this year. Or even Dumbledore for that matter
– I totally glanced over this when it first happened, but the dog shadow thing Harry saw the night he ran away from home! Harry recognized it as something called a death omen from a book in that bookstore. Scary stuff but it’s still very mysterious.
– Harry, expectedly, is frustrated. Thinks the adults don’t trust him to be able to take care of himself. Understandably so. He’s encountered Voldemort a couple of times at Hogwarts already. But those were both in weird circumstances. Sirius Black is in the flesh. Can he really stand against him?

Chapter 5: The Dementor.

– There is DEFINITELY something going on here, the sneakoscope started acting up around Lupin. I think it’s most likely a red herring but I’ll be damned if there isn’t something up.
– So the Dementors are the guards of Azkaban. They’re described as inhuman things.
– Hagrid is a professor now! I’m so happy for him.

Chapter 6: Talons and Tea Leaves.

– So Dementors suck the happiness out of their surroundings.
– Hagrid is so happy to be a professor I love it.
– The divination professor is pretty eccentric, though professor McGonagall really doesn’t like her huh.
– Some more talk of Harry’s impending doom. Professor Trelawney saw a grim in Harry’s tea leaves. And apparently the dog that Harry saw was a Grim.
– I think the most interesting thing about it all is the fact that all of these various creatures exist in one way or another in the wizarding world but why do they exist? What purpose do they serve? Like why are Grims just things that roam the world and all wizards are afraid of them. Or Dementors, which are exclusive to Azkaban sure, but still.
– Malfoy really is useless isn’t he. Gets it from his father probably.
– Hagrid really got mad at Harry for being out and about! I guess I’m only now just realizing how much everyone is on edge about Sirius Black.

Chapter 7: The Boggart in the Wardrobe.

– Professor Lupin is an excellent professor so far, but I’ve still got my eye really close on him.
– I really liked this chapter because it was a first look at what a real Defence Against the Dark Arts class should look like.
– Curious that Harry didn’t get a chance to take on the Boggart. Curious even more is that Hermione didn’t either. She’s been acting strange lately. The first instance of this was after she spoke to McGonagall and sort of brushed Ron and Harry off when they asked about it. The second was after potions class when she went back to get something? Her not getting a chance at the Boggart might be related to that.

Chapter 8: Flight of the Fat Lady.

– SIRIUS BLACK IS IN THE SCHOOL HOLY SHIT.
– Also just want to point out the curious interaction with Lupin, Harry and Snape. Snape handed him a potion of something. Curious.
– I just have to note this though. Is it really Sirius Black? There are so many factors that make this unlikely, I mean there are Dementors guarding the school. Are you telling me the only thing that stopped him wasn’t the Dementors but the password to their dormitory? There’s definitely something else going on.

Chapter 9: Grim Defeat.

-What the hell were Dementors doing on the school grounds? And a hundred of them to boot? Dumbledore was pissed!
– The Dementors are clearly bringing back memories of Harry’s first encounter with Voldemort when he was just a baby. What’s the connection there?

Chapter 10: The Marauder’s Map.

– Okay so this map is crazy handy. You’re telling me Fred and George have had something like this the entire time?! I’m not surprised honestly. I can’t help but feel that this will become useful very soon…
– Holy, what an information drop. Harry’s dad was Sirius’ best friend and Sirius betrayed him. Sirius is also Harry’s godfather! The teachers’ retelling of the events surrounding Harry’s parents’ death and Sirius involvement seem like there are a few things missing. We know for a fact that Sirius was in league with Voldemort, we know that he was James’ secret Keeper and we know that Voldemort found them. Is there really no other way to access the secret besides the secret Keeper willingly giving up that information? What if the information was stolen from him? I’m wondering about this because Hagrid said Sirius looked shocked when he saw that James and Lily were dead. Of course Hagrid assumed that he was really just shaken up over the fact that Voldemort had been defeated, but there’s really no solid proof of that either? Of course he did go on to kill a bunch of people afterwards … I really don’t know. Also the Dementors have no real effect on him? That’s really strange.
– “Hit Wizards” exist. That’s so cool.

Chapter 11: The Firebolt.

– Thoughts of revenge are stirring inside Harry…
– I do agree with Hermione though, such an expensive gift being sent to Harry just like that is most definitely fishy.

Chapter 12: The Patronus.

– Lupin really is helpful huh! He also used to know Sirius Black.
– The Patronus charm is so cool. Harry’s finally learning some advanced wizard techniques and it’s so awesome.

Chapter 13: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw.

– A small thing I noticed that was really good was really good was the fact that when Harry saw Cruikshanks in a tree and thought it was a Grim. He made it a point to not look left and right. Does that mean he did see things out of the corner of his eyes but chose not to think about it?
– These Quidditch games are getting more and more exciting to read by book! And the flawless Patronus charm Harry pulled off (even though it was really just Malfoy and co. pretending to be Dementors) What a great day.
– Sirius Black has entered the building. (Gryffindor tower)

Chapter 14: Snape’s Grudge.

– Lupin’s really just a great professor huh?
– Oh no… Harry left the invisibility cloak… in the only secret passage that the Dementors, nor any of the professors know about. This isn’t going to be good…

Chapter 15: The Quidditch Final.

– This chapter was so full of happiness and excitement I could feel the happiness inside of me. Wow!

Chapter 16: Professor Trelawney’s Prediction.

– Really sad about Buckbeak. I’ll be honest I didn’t really care much for the Hippogriff until this chapter. I’m sad.
– So that’s the end of exams, a strangely uneventful year at Hogwarts? Professor Trelawney’s weird distorted prediction was really creepy though. Something is happening tonight. Something must have possessed her!

Chapter 17: Cat, Rat and Dog.

– I’M SPEECHLESS.

Chapter 18: Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.

– THERE’S SO MUCH HAPPENING AT ONCE.

Chapter 19: The Servant of Lord Voldemort.

– Aaaaaaa!!!

Chapter 20: The Dementor’s Kiss.

– AAAAAH!!!!

Chapter 21: Hermione’s Secret.

– Wow

Chapter 22: Owl Post Again.

– Just amazing.

OVERALL SUMMARY

– I think that … this is my favorite book in the series so far. Up until now I’ve tried really hard to look at this series with a very analytical lense (cause I wanted to get the most out of it) but this is the book that really started to suck me in. I couldn’t bear to even put the book down. I’ve started to feel that feeling over the course of the first two books of course, but not so intensely as when I read this one. The time travel. The patronus. The connections to Harry’s father. Simply amazing. I can’t stop thinking about what the next book has in store!