Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is the third installment in J.K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter series. In this book, Harry returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his third year, facing new and daunting challenges. The story unfolds as Sirius Black, an infamous prisoner who has escaped from Azkaban, is believed to be after Harry, intensifying the atmosphere of danger within the school. Harry's encounter with Dementors, the terrifying guards of Azkaban, adds to his struggles as he tries to understand his own fears and the complexities of the wizarding world.
As events progress, Harry discovers that Sirius Black is not his enemy but his godfather, who has been unjustly accused and is actually a protector linked to Harry's father’s past. The narrative also delves into themes of friendship and loyalty, highlighted by Harry, Hermione, and Ron's efforts to save both Sirius and the magical creature Buckbeak from dire fates. The book introduces new characters, including Remus Lupin, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who plays a crucial role in Harry's development. Ultimately, the story intertwines elements of mystery, magic, and the ongoing threat posed by Voldemort, as Harry learns to wield new powers and confront his fears. This installment is significant for its deeper exploration of character backgrounds and the moral complexities of the wizarding world.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1999
Type of work: Novel
The Work
Having further penetrated the mysteries of Hogwarts Academy, where Voldemort had once been a pupil under the name of Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry faces sterner challenges in his third year at the school. The infamous Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban—the magical prison to which Voldemort’s key supporters, the Death-Eaters, were sent when his first campaign was thwarted—and is rumored to be making his way to the school in order to kill Harry.
Harry begins to realize that the matter is more complicated when he has a terrifying encounter with a Dementor—one of the hideous, soul-sucking entities which guard the prison—on the Hogwarts Express. Even Dumbledore seems to doubt his testimony in this regard but is determined to keep him safe, with the aid of Remus Lupin, the new teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts (a post with a remarkably high turnover). Harry has further trouble with both Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy, and his situation is further complicated when Hagrid becomes distraught after one of his unruly protégés, the hippogriff Buckbeak, is condemned to be put down.
It transpires that Sirius Black is actually Harry’s nearest living relative and staunchest defender, having once been part of a group of friends with Harry’s father and Remus Lupin, whose affliction with lycanthropy the group had striven to protect. The true enemy and cause of Harry’s troubles is, as always, Voldemort, who has subverted Azkaban and now has the Dementors at his beck and call. Harry is able to call upon the aid of the Marauder’s Map, which allows the locations of the academy’s inhabitants to be determined, as well as a time-bending watch, but he, Hermione, and Ron are tested to the limit of their strength and ingenuity by the quest to save Sirius and Buckbeak and to thwart Voldemort’s plans for a third time.
Bibliography
Beahm, George. Muggles and Magic: An Unofficial Guide to J. K. Rowling and the Harry Potter Phenomenon. 2d ed. Charlottesville, Va.: Hampton Roads, 2006.
Blake, Andrew. The Irresistible Rise of Harry Potter: Kid-Lit in a Globalized World. London: Verso, 2002.
Eccleshare, Julia. A Guide to the Harry Potter Novels. London: Continuum, 2002.
Gupta, Suman. Re-Reading Harry Potter. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
Heilman, Elizabeth, ed. Harry Potter’s World: Multidisciplinary Critical Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Nel, Philip. J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” Novels: A Reader’s Guide. London: Continuum, 2001
Smith, Sean. J. K. Rowling: A Biography. London: Michael O’Mara, 2001.
Whited, Lana A., ed. The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2004.