Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Summary | Plot Summary

It is Harry Potter's third year at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The book starts out with Harry getting some revenge on his Uncle Vernon's sister, who has come for a visit and has been berating him for years. When she begins to viciously insult his parents, however, Harry finally snaps and puts a spell on her. This incident causes him to flee the Dursley's in anger and frustration over the years of bad treatment in their home.

As he heads off down the street, he is dreading his expulsion from Hogwart's for performing underage magic. Much to his surprise, he is not expelled and the Minister of Magic himself appears at the Leaky Cauldron to tell him that he is not in trouble. Instead, he must stay indoors. Sirius Black, a murderer, had escaped from Azkaban the wizard's prison. He is very dangerous and the ministry is concerned about Harry's safety.

Sirius Black turns out to have been the best friend of Harry's parents and it is thought that he betrayed them to Voldemort. He had led the Dark Wizard to them and thus, it was due to him that they were killed. It is assumed by all the Hogwart's staff and by the Ministry of Magic, that Sirius will try to come after Harry. Dementors, which are Azkaban prison guards, are posted at Hogwart's to capture Sirius Black. The Dementors, however, cause all forms of mayhem in their pursuit if the escaped prisoner.

We are introduced to yet another, new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Lupin. He was also a friend of Harry's parents and has joined the staff to teach this ill fated class.

Lupin turns out to be one of Harry, Ron and Hermione's favorite teachers. However, the teacher has a dark secret. He is a werewolf and must take a strong potion every time the moon is full to prevent his transformation and the imminent destruction of any in his path.

Harry, Ron and Hermione find out that Sirius Black may not have been the one who betrayed his parents. They are surprised to find out who the real traitor is and attempt to bring him to justice, only to have him escape. Sirius is captured and held on Hogwart's ground falsely, but no one can prove his innocence. He is about to be executed, when Harry and Hermione create a plan to save his and another innocent's lives.

It is the escape of Sirius Black and the resulting truth of what happened on the night of James and Lilly Potters murder, that is the central plot of this story. Much mayhem, mystery and magic work their way into the plot in generous doses. The book answers many questions from the previous two books and ends with questions unanswered. The reader's curiosity is peaked, as anticipation deepens for the next book in the series.