Sirius Black is one of my favorite characters in the whole Harry Potter series, and Prisoner of Azkaban is where we first get to know him. His escape puts everyone on edge before Harry even gets back to Hogwarts. You hear about how dangerous he is, see the precautions being taken, and spend the book trying to understand what’s actually going on.
That uncertainty gives Sirius a great introduction. Harry knows very little about him at first, and what he learns makes the situation increasingly personal. The story starts digging further into the people who knew Harry’s parents and the history they left behind. There’s more for Harry to discover than another secret hidden somewhere at school.
The Dementors were an awesome addition. They bring cold, fear, and misery with them, and their effect on Harry makes them especially disturbing. Hearing his mother’s final moments whenever they get close gives those encounters weight. Harry has already learned that his parents were murdered. Here, that loss becomes something he has to experience in a different and frightening way.
Lupin’s lessons give Harry a way to start dealing with that fear. Learning to produce a Patronus takes work, especially when the Dementors affect him so badly. There’s something satisfying about watching Harry practice a skill he actually needs, with a teacher willing to help him understand what he’s facing.
The Knight Bus was another memorable part for me. The whole idea of it is cool, and the driver really stood out. Harry has just left the Dursleys, and suddenly he’s on this ridiculous bus tearing through the night. It’s a great piece of the wizarding world to discover outside Hogwarts. Even with the darker direction of the story, there’s still room for strange, funny stuff like that.
I also loved what this book did with Scabbers. Ron’s rat is already a familiar part of the group by this point, and the trouble involving him and Crookshanks gives Ron and Hermione plenty to argue about. I’m keeping the bigger details out of the review, but Scabbers becomes part of what makes the mystery come together so well.
And I thought the ending was perfect. There’s a lot to bring together: Sirius, the history surrounding Harry’s parents, Scabbers, and the events Harry and his friends have been trying to understand. The way it all comes together worked for me. It gives the mystery a payoff while making the people involved matter even more.
Prisoner of Azkaban has some great additions to the series. The Knight Bus brings the fun, the Dementors bring a more unsettling kind of danger, and Sirius becomes someone I care about far beyond this one book. Add an ending that I loved, and there’s plenty here that stayed with me.
Who I’d recommend it to
Anyone who enjoyed the first two books and wants a darker mystery with more of Harry’s family history. Read Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets first. The familiar characters and smaller details matter as the series develops.
Caution
Keep chocolate handy. If you’re taking the Knight Bus, eat it after the ride. And don’t insult a wizard’s parents unless you’re prepared to leave through the ceiling.
Discussion questions
Did Sirius become one of your favorite characters too?
How did the Dementors compare with the dangers in the first two books?
Did the ending work for you, or did you have questions about how everything came together?
Keep the comments spoiler-free, or clearly mark spoilers before discussing specific outcomes.
— Cory Lane