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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Editorial
By Karen W.

With its darker theme and more mature characters this book marks a major turning point in the Harry Potter series where we start to see a darker side to the story and more conflicted emotions coming from the main characters especially Harry himself. It is in this book the depth of the characters really starts to grow, the combination of this and the introduction of some fabulous new characters (especially my favourites in the series, Sirius Black and Professor Lupin) make this a fantastic story and is where the magic really begins.

CHAPTER ONE - OWL POST

Back at the Dursleys we find Harry on the eve of his 13th birthday secretly doing his homework in his room (the Dursley’s would be horrified if they new Harry was studying magic under their roof). The Dursleys are Harry’s mean stepparents who disapprove of magic in any form and detest the magic world. Harry recalls an attempt by his best friend at Hogwarts, Ron Weasley to try to phone Harry resulting in a comedy exchange between Ron and his Uncle Vernon.

Harry turns 13 for an hour before he notices and starts to reminisce about his parent’s death and his own encounter with Lord Voldemort in the previous school year. Three owls arrive, Hedwig his own owl, the Weasley owl and an unconscious looking owl (being held up by the first two) with a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest.

The owls deliver letters and gifts from Harry’s closest school friends Ron, Hermione and Hagrid (the groundskeeper at Hogwarts). Harry opens his presents; from Ron he receives a sneakoscope (alerts you of any untrustworthy people around) from Hermione he receives a broomstick servicing kit and from Hagrid an unusual looking school book called the “Monster book of Monsters”.
He also receives a newspaper cutting from Ron about his Father, Arthur Weasley winning a Daily Prophet galleon competition along with a picture of the whole Weasley family celebrating in Egypt.

After reading the letters from his friends Harry opens his letter from Hogwarts. His attention is drawn to a permission slip that has to be signed by a parent or guardian and would allow Harry to visit Hogsmead, a wizarding village on certain weekends of the year. Harry falls asleep pondering how he will persuade the Dursleys to sign the permission slip and for once feels happy it’s his birthday.

CHAPTER TWO - AUNT MARGE’S BIG MISTAKE

Harry comes down to breakfast the next day to be ignored by the Dursleys –It is not unusual for Harry to be ignored whether it’s his birthday or not, in fact it was remarkable if Harry was ever noticed at all. Harry sees a news report on the television about an escaped convict called Sirius Black.

Harry is told his Aunt Marge; a ghastly woman who is always malicious towards him is coming to stay at the Dursleys. Harry is horrified but decides to use it as a bargaining tool with his Uncle Vernon. If Harry pretends to be attending a school for incurable criminal boys, and promises to be on his best behaviour then Uncle Vernon will sign the form. Aunt Marge arrives with her dog, Ripper and it doesn’t take her long to start throwing insults at Harry.
Harry tries his best to keep up his part of the bargain and remains as polite and as charming as possible. Eventually one night at dinner Marge really starts putting down Harry’s parents. Harry tries his best not to let it bother him but eventually he can’t control his temper any longer and makes his Aunt Marge swell up and float away like a balloon.

During all the commotion Harry runs from the kitchen and grabs his trunk from under the stairs. He runs to his room, grabs his belongings and attempts to run out of the house but his Uncle Vernon blocks door. Harry stands up to his Uncle and threatens him with his wand shouting, “She deserved what she got, you keep away from me” then escapes from the house.

CHAPTER THREE – THE NIGHT BUS

Harry starts to panic about being stranded in the Muggle (non magic people) world with no money and starts to worry about breaking the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry act. Worried that Ministry of Magic representatives are going to swoop down on him at any minute, Harry starts to ponder if he will be expelled from Hogwarts and outlawed from the wizard community. Harry contemplates using more magic to bewitch his trunk and fly to London using his invisibility cloak when suddenly he feels he is being watched. Harry notices the outline of something very big with wide gleaming eyes lurking in the shadows.

Before he can investigate further a triple-decker bus appears from nowhere and nearly runs him over. The conductor called Stan Turnpike greets Harry, “ Welcome to the knight bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard, just stick out your wand hand, step on board and we can take you anywhere you want to go“.
Harry hides his scar and to avoid any questions, boards the bus pretending to be Neville Longbottom a fellow pupil at Hogwarts. The knight bus takes Harry to Diagon Alley, a wizard community in London. On the journey Harry finds out more about the escaped convict Sirius Black and discovers Black is the first wizard to escape from Azkaban, a wizard prison that is guarded by creatures called Dementors. Black has spent the last 12 years in Azkaban for murdering 13 people and is a dedicated follower of Lord Voldemort.

On arrival at Diagon Alley Harry runs straight into the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. To Harry’s surprise the Minister is happy to see him and informs him his Aunt Marge has been returned to her normal size and her memory has been modified.
Harry is to stay in the Leaky Cauldron (a wizard pub) for the duration of the school holidays. Harry finds it peculiar he isn’t in any trouble but is pleased he has a Dursley free two weeks and falls asleep exhausted.

CHAPTER FOUR – THE LEAKY CAULDRON

Harry for the first time in his life has freedom. Harry makes the most of his free time by spending the next two weeks wandering around Diagon Alley exploring all the wonderful wizard shops it has to offer. Most of Harry’s time is spent sitting in cafes doing his homework, looking out for Ron and Hermione or admiring the new Firebolt broom outside his favourite shop “Quality Quidditch supplies”. The Firebolt is the latest state of the art racing broom with an acceleration of 0-150 miles an hour in 10 seconds. Harry visits Flourish and Blotts to buy his schoolbooks and is alarmed to see a large black dog on the front cover of a book about death omens.

At the end of the holidays Harry is finally reunited with his best friends Ron and Hermione. They visit a pet shop called Magical Menagerie to buy Hermione an owl and to buy a tonic for Ron’s pet rat Scabbers. A longhaired, ginger cat called Crookshanks attacks Scabbers who quickly runs out of the shop. Harry and Ron go after Scabbers and then catch up with Hermione who much to Ron’s disgust has purchased the longhaired ginger cat instead of an owl.

Harry then meets up with the rest of the Weasley family. Mrs Weasley has a soft spot for Harry and treats him like one of the family. That night Harry overhears Mr and Mrs Weasley discussing Blacks escape and discussing whether to warn Harry that Black has escaped to come looking for him. Black wants to carry out his revenge on Harry for causing the downfall of Lord Voldemort. Harry wonders why he doesn’t feel more frightened and decides he will be quite safe at Hogwarts under the Headmaster, Dumbledore’s protection.

CHAPTER FIVE – THE DEMENTOR

The following morning cars laid on by the Ministry of Magic arrive to take the Weasley’s, Harry and Hermione to Kings Cross station where they will board the Hogwarts Express. Harry assumes the cars have been provided because Mr Weasley works for the Ministry. Before Harry gets on the train Mr Weasley warns Harry not to go looking for Black.

Once on the train Ron, Hermione and Harry sit in a carriage with a sleeping man whose luggage label tells them is Professor R.J Lupin. Harry informs the others what he has found out about Black. Draco Malfoy, Harry’s school enemy enters and starts to tease Ron but then notices Professor Lupin asleep in the corner and leaves. Suddenly the train comes to a halt and Harry comes face-to-face with his first Dementor. Dementors are dark eerie figures that guard Azkaban prison and are searching the train for Sirius Black. A cold feeling comes over Harry and he passes out. When Harry awakes he recalls hearing a woman screaming however no one else seems to hear it. He asks what just happened and finds out Lupin sent the Dementor away by casting some kind of spell. Lupin makes them all eat chocolate and insists it will make them feel better.

When they arrive at Hogwarts Hermione has a private talk with Professor McGonagall. At dinner in the great hall Dumbledore informs the school the Dementors will be stationed at every entrance of the grounds until further notice. Dumbledore advises the school Hagrid will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures and introduces Lupin as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
After dinner Harry retires to his bed feeling he is home at last.

CHAPTER SIX – TALONS AND TEALEAVES

At breakfast the next day Malfoy and some Slytherin cronies tease Harry about his encounter with the Dementor. Harry and Ron notice Hermione has lessons on her timetable at the same times and decide it must be a mistake.
Harry’s first class is Divination with Professor Trelawney, a goggle eyed women who tells the class much to Hermione’s disappointment that books wont help in the subject of Divination. Professor Trelawney makes a few predictions then instructs the class to study each other’s tealeaves. Professor Trelawney sees a Grim in Harry’s cup and warns Harry this symbolises a death omen. A death omen takes the form of a black dog and usually means the person is going to die.

Harry’s next class is Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. The Professor notices the class seem anxious after their Divination lesson and explains
Professor Trelawney predicts a student’s death every year and so far not one prediction has come true. Harry mentions he has seen a Grim to Hermione and Ron, Hermione brushes it off as a coincidence while Ron starts to worry about Harry being in mortal danger.

In Care of Magical Creatures Hagrid formally introduces Harry to a Hippogriff called Buckbeak and lets Harry ride him once around the paddock. On Harry’s return, Malfoy begins to taunt Buckbeak who retaliates by attacking him and leaves a nasty gash on his arm. Hagrid takes Malfoy off to the hospital wing whilst Harry, Ron and Hermione start to worry what Malfoy will do about the attack (Malfoy’s Dad, Lucius Malfoy has a huge influence over the Ministry and could have Hagrid sacked). Later that day the trio visit Hagrid in his cabin. Hagrid is upset from the earlier encounter and tells them off for wandering around after dark and quickly ushers them back to the castle.

CHAPTER SEVEN – THE BOGGART IN THE WARDROBE

Harry’s next class is his least favourite subject, Potions with Professor Snape. Professor Snape has always had it in for Harry and as usual picks on Harry by making him and Ron cut up Malfoy’s ingredients. Malfoy makes a big fuss about his arm and lets everyone know his father has made a complaint about Hagrid to the school governors and makes a strange comment about Harry wanting revenge on Black.

When walking to their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson Hermione seems to disappear then reappear behind them as if from nowhere. Professor Lupin gives the class a practical lesson about Boggarts. Boggarts take the shape of what a person fears the most, the only way to get rid of a boggart is to turn it into something funny by using the spell “Riddikulus”. Ron’s Boggart turns into a giant spider and Lupin’s turns into a white orb. Lupin stops the lesson before Harry and Hermione get to face the boggart.

CHAPTER EIGHT – FLIGHT OF THE FAT LADY

Defence Against the Dark Arts had fast become most peoples favourite lesson and was the only lesson Harry looked forward to. Harry starts training with his Quidditch team, which helps to take his mind off things. Gryffindor haven’t won the cup for seven years so the team decide to start training three times a week. A notice is put up in the Gryffindor common room announcing the first trip to Hogsmead. Harry decides to ask Professor McGonagall to sign his permission slip so he can visit Hogsmead with the others. Crookshanks continues to take an interest in Scabbers, which starts to cause some tension between Ron and Hermione.

Professor McGonagall refuses to sign Harry’s permission slip, as she is not Harry’s legal parent or guardian so Ron and Hermione head off to Hogsmead without him. Harry decides to visit Lupin in his office and asks him why he wasn’t allowed to fight the boggart in class. Lupin assumed the boggart would take the form of Lord Voldemort. Harry explains he is currently more frightened of the Dementors. This impresses Lupin as it shows Harry is frightened of fear above all else.
Snape enters and delivers a strange looking potion to Lupin.

Ron and Hermione return from Hogsmead with lots of sweets for Harry. Harry brings them up to date and tells them about his conversation with Lupin. After the Halloween feast the Gryffindor’s discover the portrait of the fat lady that guards the Gryffindor common room has been slashed. The student’s later find out Sirius Black is responsible and has been spotted in the castle.

CHAPTER NINE – GRIM DEFEAT

That night the students sleep in the great hall while the teachers search the castle for Black. Harry overhears Snape expressing his concern to Dumbledore that Black is getting inside help. Things start to go back to normal but the teachers seem to be keeping a tight watch on Harry. Professor McGonagall asks Madam Hooch to supervise the Gryffindor evening Quidditch training.
Snape stands in for Lupin in the next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson and tells the class Lupin is feeling to ill to teach. Snape then insists on teaching the class about Werewolves and sets them a huge amount of homework.

On the day of the first Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff the weather takes a turn for the worse. As the game progresses Harry makes a sudden dash for the golden snitch when he notices a silhouette of an enormous black dog. As Harry continues chasing the snitch a cold eerie silence comes across the stadium. Harry starts to get the familiar cold feeling and hears a woman screaming. Hundreds of Dementors start to circle him causing Harry to fall off of his broom.
Harry awakes in the hospital wing to the news that the Whomping Willow, a rather troublesome tree in the Hogwarts grounds, has shattered his broom and Gryffindor have lost the Quidditch match.

CHAPTER TEN – THE MARAUDERS MAP

Harry has to stay in the hospital wing for a few days. He doesn’t tell Ron and Hermione about seeing the Grim again and starts to wonder why the Dementors seem to affect him much more than they affect other people. He also realises it is his mother’s death at the hands of Voldemort that he keeps hearing whenever the Dementors are close by. Harry stays behind after his next Defence Against the Dark Arts class and questions Lupin about the Dementors and why they affect him so much. Lupin tells him it is because his past is darker and more ghastly than other peoples. Lupin agrees to teach Harry how to defend himself against the Dementors and they agree to have the first lesson after Christmas.

Just before the next trip to Hogsmead Fred and George, the Weasley twins, present Harry with a piece of blank parchment. The parchment is actually called the Marauders Map and when you tap the map with your wand and say, “I solemnly swear I am up to no good” the parchment reveals a map of Hogwarts and shows where everyone is in the castle. The map also shows all the secret passageways out of Hogwarts and has been signed by Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. When you have finished with the map you simply tap it and say “mischief managed” and the map returns to a blank piece of parchment.
Fred and George recommend a good route to Hogsmead so Harry sets off with his invisibility cloak and heads down a secret passage.

Harry comes out in the cellar of Honeydukes sweet shop and meets up with Ron and Hermione. Harry stays hidden under his invisibility cloak so no one else can see him. When they are in the Three Broomsticks pub Harry overhears a conversation about Black deceiving Harry’s parents and how he killed amongst others a wizard called Peter Pettigrew. All they found of Peter Pettigrew was his finger! Harry also discovers even though Black was the Potters best friend and is also Harry’s Godfather he was the one who gave the Potters up to Lord Voldemort, causing their death.

CHAPTER ELEVEN – THE FIREBOLT

Harry is upset about what he has discovered and starts to show immense anger towards Black. Harry notices Sirius Black in his parents wedding photo and starts to think about revenge. Hermione and Ron try to talk him out of doing anything stupid and to keep his mind off things take Harry to see Hagrid.
They find Hagrid extremely tearful as he has been told Buckbeak could be executed and a trial date has been set. Hagrid is also worried about being sent back to Azkaban prison. Harry, Ron and Hermione do their best to cheer him up then head off to the Library to look up similar cases in a bid to help.

Christmas comes to Hogwarts and Harry awakes on Christmas morning to find a Firebolt broomstick amongst a pile of presents. There is no card enclosed with the broom, which Hermione feels is very suspicious. Before they go down to the great hall for dinner Crookshanks attempts to attack Scabbers again.

They attend Christmas dinner with the teachers where Professor Trelawney makes more negative predictions. After dinner Hermione takes it upon herself to speak to Professor McGonagall about Harry receiving the Firebolt. McGonagall feels the broom could be from Sirius Black and confiscates it for further inspection. Harry and Ron are furious with Hermione and stop speaking to her.

CHAPTER TWELVE – THE PATRONUS

Harry attempts to get his broom back by asking Oliver Wood the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain to speak to McGonagall. The attempt fails so Harry heads off to his first Dementor lesson with Professor Lupin. Lupin tells Harry the Patronus charm is very advanced magic for a wizard of Harry’s age. The charm works by creating a shield between the conjurer and the Dementor, the shield has to be formed from a strong happy memory – something Harry does not have to many of. Harry thinks about the first time he rode a broomstick and what it would be like to win the Quidditch Cup but these memories are not strong enough to repel the Dementor. After a few attempts Harry starts to hear the woman screaming but this time hears his Father telling his mother to take Harry and run and hears some cackling laughter.

Harry discovers Lupin and his Father were at Hogwarts together and were very close friends along with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Harry also discovers the Ministry of Magic have given the order for the Dementors to perform the soul sucking death kiss on Black when they catch him. Harry realises terrible as it is to hear his parents last moments played in his head whenever the Dementors were near, these were the only times he had heard their voices since he was a small child.

Ron and Harry notice the strain Hermione is under from her immense workload and again wonder how she is fitting in so many classes. She had even stopped talking to people and had begun snapping at anyone who interrupted her while she had her head in her books. Harry eventually gets his broom back in time for his next training session for the match against Ravenclaw. Ron and Harry finally make up with Hermione and just as things start to get back to normal Ron discovers some blood and hair on his sheets and realises Scabbers is missing.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - GRYFFINDOR VERSUS RAVENCLAW

Ron is furious with Hermione and accuses Crookshanks of murdering Scabbers. Hermione denies the accusation and is angry with Ron for accusing Crookshanks in the first place. Harry attempts to interfere causing Hermione to loose her temper with him and she asks him to leave her alone.
As time goes on Ron and Hermione continue to squabble and Harry concentrates on training for the upcoming Quidditch match.

The Quidditch match arrives and Gryffindor really need to beat Ravenclaw to be in with a chance of winning the Cup. The match begins and Harry takes a liking to Ravenclaw’s new Seeker called Cho Chang. During the match Harry spots three Dementors on the pitch so pulls out his wand and casts a Patronus charm to make them disappear. This seems to work and Harry manages to catch the golden snitch. Gryffindor win the match and Harry is overjoyed, he is also pleased the Dementors didn’t seem to affect him at all. The Dementors turn out to be Malfoy and some Slytherin cronies dressed up in black cloaks. McGonagall is furious with the Slytherin’s and punishes them all with detention and takes away some Slytherin house points.

In the Gryffindor common room celebrations go on into the night. When Harry finally goes to bed Ron’s screaming wakes him up. Ron has seen Sirius Black standing over his bed with a knife. Ron’s story is confirmed by the portrait of Sir Cadogan who reveals Black had the passwords to the Gryffindor common room written down on a piece of paper. It turns out the piece of paper belongs to Neville Longbottom who wrote the passwords down so he wouldn’t forget them. Professor McGonagall is furious.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - SNAPES GRUDGE

Hagrid invites Ron and Harry to his hut for tea and tells them off for ignoring Hermione and lectures them on how important it is to value your friends.
At the next Hogsmead weekend Harry uses the Marauders Map and his invisibility cloak to sneak through the tunnel to Honeydukes cellar. Harry and Ron visit the Shrieking Shack, which is said in the wizarding world to be the most haunted building in Britain.

At the Shrieking Shack Ron gets harassed by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Harry throws mud at Malfoy from under his invisibility cloak and in the commotion his cloak slips off revealing Harry’s head. Malfoy runs off to tell Snape what Harry’s been up to and Harry runs as fast as he can back through the secret tunnel to the castle.
Harry leaves his invisibility cloak in the tunnel and arrives just in time for Snape to catch him in the corridor. Snape takes Harry to his office and taunts him about his parents. Snape compares Harry’s arrogant and trouble making tendencies to that of his Fathers and asks Harry to empty his pockets.

Snape finds the blank piece of parchment and some sweets from Honeydukes. Snape is convinced the Parchment holds some dark magic and tries to get it to reveal its secrets. The map insults Snape so he summons Lupin. Lupin passes the map off as a Zonko’s joke product but takes the map away as a precaution. Harry notices a strange atmosphere between Snape and Lupin. Ron runs in claiming he bought Harry the sweets. When Snape has gone Lupin scolds Harry for using the map when Black is on the loose. Lupin reminds Harry his parents gave their lives to keep him alive and it was a poor way to repay them by gambling that sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks, he also tells Harry he wont cover for him again.
After they leave Snape’s office Harry and Ron bump into Hermione who tells them Hagrid has lost the trial and Buckbeak is to be executed!

CHAPTER 15 – THE QUIDDITCH FINAL

Harry, Ron and Hermione discuss the news about Buckbeak and wonder if there will be an appeal. Ron offers to help Hermione with any extra work and Hermione apologises about Scabbers. The gang all make up and things go back to normal again. Hermione’s stress with her huge workload starts to show and at the next Care of Magical Creatures lesson she slaps Malfoy for taunting Hagrid about Buckbeak. Hermione also misses a charms class, which is most out of character and is found asleep in the Gryffindor common room. At the next Divination class Professor Trelawney sees another Grim this time in Harry’s crystal ball. Hermione and the Professor fall out and Trelawney tells Hermione she does not have what it takes for the art of Divination. Hermione storms out of the class.

The Easter holidays start and all the 3rd years are busy revising for their exams and doing their homework especially Hermione who even without Divination looked like she was always close to tears. Ron looks into Buckbeak’s appeal as well as doing his homework and Harry tries to fit in extra Quidditch training.

The final Quidditch match is looming and on the eve of the final Harry sleeps badly and dreams he is late for the match and that the Slytherin’s are riding dragons instead of brooms. Harry awakes and sees Crookshanks and a black dog together in the grounds. Harry realises if Crookshanks can see the Grim then maybe it isn’t a death omen. Harry wakes up Ron but when Ron looks out of the window the cat and dog have disappeared. The following day, Gryffindor beat Slytherin at Quidditch and win the school cup making them the Hogwarts champions.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN – PROFESSOR TRELAWNEY’S PREDICTION

Exams approach and Harry and Ron notice Hermione has exams on her timetable at the same times but give up on asking her how she is managing it.
Harry gets full marks for his Defence Against the Dark Arts exam and finds the Care of Magical Creature exam easy. During his Divination exam Professor Trelawney suddenly goes into a trance and in a deep husky voice exclaims the Dark Lords servant will rejoin him tonight before midnight and the Dark Lord will rise again with his servants aid. She then turns back into herself and apologises for drifting off.

A note arrives from Hagrid telling Harry, Ron and Hermione he lost Buckbeak’s appeal and Buckbeak will be executed at sunset. The note tells them not to come, as there is nothing they can do and he doesn’t want them to see something like that. Hermione retrieves the invisibility cloak from the tunnel to Hogsmead (much to Harry and Ron’s surprise) and after dinner the three of them sneak down to Hagrid’s hut. Hagrid says they shouldn’t of come and is very upset but is happy because Dumbledore is coming and will be with him when it happens. Hermione finds Scabbers in a milk jug and reunites Ron with his rat. Time runs out so they sneak out the back before they are seen. While walking back across the grounds Scabbers starts to struggle and keeps trying to bite Ron. Suddenly they hear the thud of an axe.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – CAT, RAT AND DOG

As the shock of Buckbeak’s execution starts to sink in Ron notices Crookshanks in the distance followed by a large black dog. Scabbers struggles desperately and the dog launches itself at Ron and pulls him by the leg through a hole in the base of the Whomping Willow.

Harry and Hermione go after Ron and find themselves in a tunnel that leads to the Shrieking Shack. They find Ron in a room guarded by Sirius Black. Harry discovers Black is an Animagus (a wizard who can turn into an animal). Harry realises he has been seeing Sirius in his Animagus form and not a Grim.

Harry is furious with Black for causing his parents death and goes to attack him.
Lupin enters the room and disarms Harry, Ron and Hermione by taking their wands.
Lupin is accused of helping Black and Hermione exposes Lupin’s secret and informs everyone he is actually a Werewolf. Lupin tells Hermione she is a clever witch and assumes she worked it out form Snapes lecture and from his boggart turning into a full moon. Lupin swears he isn’t helping Black and explains he saw Peter Pettigrew on the Marauder’s Map walking around with Ron and realised Peter must be alive. Lupin hands them back their wands and asks Ron to show him his rat.
Black and Lupin claim Scabbers is actually Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – MOONY WORMTAIL PADFOOT AND PRONG

Ron refuses to believe his faithful rat is an Animagus. Lupin explains when he was at Hogwarts he used the Whomping Willow to escape to the Shrieking Shack whenever it was a full moon. Dumbledore had used the Whomping Willow as a way of getting Lupin safely to the Shrieking Shack and a way of preventing anyone else following. The Shrieking Shack is not haunted, the noises people used to hear were actually Lupin transforming into a werewolf. Pettigrew, Black and James Potter all learnt how to transform into animals and created the Marauder’s map so they could accompany Lupin without being in danger.

Snape has been making Lupin potions to help him keep his mind clear and remain harmless when he transforms. Snape was also at Hogwarts with James, Lupin and Black. One full moon as a practical joke Black tricked Snape into following Lupin to the Shrieking Shack. James went after Snape and stopped him getting to Lupin before he came face to face with a full sized Werewolf. This is one of the reasons Snape holds a grudge against Black, Lupin and James and now holds a grudge against Harry. Snape suddenly appears from underneath Harry’s invisibility cloak.

CHAPTER NINETEEN – THE SERVANT OF LORD VOLDEMORT

Snape found Harry’s invisibility cloak at the entrance to the Whomping Willow. Snape takes great pleasure in threatening Black and Lupin and refuses to listen to the truth. Snape decides he is going to hand Black and Lupin over to the Dementors.

Harry, Ron and Hermione disarm Snape using an Expelliarmus spell, which knocks Snape unconscious. Black tells them he worked out Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew from a photo he had seen of the Weasley’s in the Daily Prophet and had come to Hogwarts to find him. Black tells them Crookshanks has been helping him and what gave Scabbers away was his missing toe. All that was found of Pettigrew was his finger; Pettigrew must of cut it off before he disappeared.
Lupin transforms Scabbers into Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew swears he is innocent but eventually admits it was him who betrayed Harry’s parents and he was the one responsible for all the deaths Black had been accused of. Black and Lupin go to kill Pettigrew but Harry stops them and suggests they hand Pettigrew over to the Dementors, as his father wouldn’t want his two best friends becoming murderers. They tie up Peter; pick up Snape and start to head back to Hogwarts.

CHAPTER 20 - THE DEMENTORS KISS

On the way back to the castle Harry gets to talk with Sirius. Sirius talks about his role as Harry’s Godfather and asks Harry if he wants to come and live with him when this is all over. Harry is overjoyed with the thought of never going back to the Dursleys.

When they are back in the grounds the clouds clear and expose a full moon, which causes Lupin to transform into a Werewolf. Black transforms into a dog and fights with the Werewolf and chases it away from Harry. During the commotion Pettigrew uses a spell on Ron, knocks him unconscious, changes himself into a rat and escapes with Sirius chasing after him.

Harry sets off after Sirius and finds him collapsed on the floor by the lake and sees hundreds of Dementors approaching. Harry tries desperately to cast the Patronus charm over and over to make the Dementors go away but there are to many of them closing in. One of the Dementors starts to perform the death kiss on Harry. Harry feels himself going cold and starts to slip away when suddenly a bright shape comes between Sirius, Harry and the Dementors. The Dementors disappear and Harry thinks he sees his Father across the other side of the lake before he passes out.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – HERMIONE’S SECRET

Harry awakes back in the hospital wing and notices Ron unconscious in the bed next to him. Harry hears Snape boasting to Cornelius Fudge about how he caught Black and how he saved Ron, Harry and Hermione from a Werewolf. Harry and Hermione immediately get up and start telling the Minister what really happened and protest Black is innocent. Dumbledore joins them and once Snape and the Minister have gone he tells Harry and Hermione he believes Black is innocent but there is no evidence to prove it. He suggests with more time they could save two lives that night and tells them Black is being kept in Professor Flitwick’s office on the seventh floor (the thirteenth window from the right of the west tower).

Harry doesn’t understand what Dumbledore means but Hermione starts to turn back an hourglass on a chain three times and Harry and Hermione go back in time. Hermione explains Professor McGonagall gave her the hourglass so she could fit in more lessons and explains how important it is that nobody sees them especially themselves.

They head off to Hagrid’s and once they have seen the executioners go into the hut they untie Buckbeak and take him into the woods. They wait in the woods until they see themselves by the lake. Harry waits for his Father to turn up and cast the Patronus so the Dementors will go away but soon realises his father isn’t coming and it was himself who cast the Patronus. Harry casts a Patronus that takes the form of a dear. Harry realises the Patronus has taken the shape of his fathers Animagus animal (Prongs). Harry and Hermione fly Buckbeak up to the window where Black is being kept. Sirius and Harry say their goodbyes and Black escapes with Buckbeak. Sirius tells Harry he will see him again and Harry is truly his father’s son.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – OWL POST AGAIN

Harry and Hermione make a quick dash to the hospital wing and arrive just in time to tell Dumbledore they were successful. Snape comes to the hospital wing to have a go at Harry, he is most displeased that Black has escaped and that he will no longer receive any credit for catching him. The Dementors are finally sent away form the castle. Harry discovers Lupin has resigned so visits him in his office. Harry wants Lupin to remain at Hogwarts but Lupin has to leave because the students parents will find out he is a Werewolf and won’t trust him with their children. Lupin returns the Marauders Map to Harry before he leaves. Harry speaks to Dumbledore and tells him he thinks it has all been for nothing as Pettigrew escaped. Dumbledore assures Harry it was not for nothing and Harry saved an innocent man from a terrible fate. Dumbledore also points out it is no coincidence Harry’s Patronus takes the form of his Fathers Animagus.

Harry boards the train to go home quite confused and starts to dread returning to the Dursleys for another summer. Ron invites Harry to stay with him in the holidays and invites Harry to the Quidditch World Cup. Feeling considerably more cheerful he notices a small owl outside the window. The owl delivers a letter to Harry from Sirius telling him he is safely in hiding with Buckbeak and it was him who sent Harry the Firebolt broom. Sirius also sends Harry a note giving him permission to visit Hogsmead next year and tells Harry to let Ron keep the owl as a pet to replace Scabbers.

Harry is greeted by the Dursleys and makes sure he tells his Uncle Vernon all about his murderous Godfather and how he is in touch with Harry and likes to make sure Harry is happy. Harry heads off with the Dursleys feeling for once he will have a much better summer than the last few.