This is a summary based on my understanding of the novel. Please also note that this summary contains spoilers. You may want to read the entire book first before proceeding - click this link to purchase via amazon.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling – Novel Summary
During summer at the Dursleys, Harry’s Aunt Marge was there to stay and she loved insulting Harry. When Harry was provoked, he turned Aunt Marge into a balloon and he stormed out of the house with nowhere to go. While walking, he saw a dog which for a long time he thought was an omen. He was rescued by a knight bus and was taken to Diagon Alley. He learned about the prisoner who escaped, Sirius Black. He was imprisoned because of killing Peter Pettigrew infront of muggles. Harry was closely watched because everyone thought Sirius was after Harry, and that he works for Voldemort. Sirius has been talking in his sleep, saying – ‘he’s on Hogwarts…’
On the bus to Hogwarts, they were raided by the Dementors (Azkaban’s guards) and Harry passed out. Together with them at the bus was professor Lupin, the new Defense to Dark Arts teacher.
- Hermione has been very busy because she took up so many classes.
- Harry has been busy with the Quidditch practice.
- Their professor at Divination kept on insisting that Harry is about to die.
- Harry was given the Maurader’s Map by Fred and George Weasley so he could go to Hogsmeade. While he was at Hogsmeade, he discovered (while the professors were talking) that Sirius Black is his godfather, and that he is James Potter’s bestfriend – and that he betrayed them for Voldemort.
- Hagrid became a professor, his first lesson was about Hippogriffs, and it bit Draco Malfoy. The hippogrff named Buckbeak is subject for execution.
- Lupin has been teaching Harry ‘expecto ptaronum’ to fight the effect of the Dementors.
On the day of Buckbeak’s execution, they went to Hagrid’s cabin to comfort him. Buckbeak was executed. On Hagrid’s cupboard they’ve seen Scabbers, Ron’s pet rat who they thought was eaten by Cookshanks, Hermione’s cat. While they were on their way back to the castle, they ended in the shrieking shack, where they met Sirius Black. At first, Harry was angry, he was willing to kill Sirius by himself but then someone else came, Professor Lupin, who to their amazement greeted Sirius like an old friend. After a few minutes, Snape showed himself, who used the invisibility cloak that Harry left behind.
The truth:
The Maurader’s Map was made by Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot and Prongs (Sirius, Lupin, Peter Pettigreew and James Potter). Lupin was a werewolf, so his other three friends became an animagus, someone who can transform themselves as rats. It wasn’t Sirius who betrayed James and Lily, it was Peter. Sirius didn’t kill Peter, he simply transformed itself into a rat which killed muggles during the transformation. Sirius got all the blame and was imprisoned for 12 years and Peter became a rat for the Wealeys. Sirius escaped by transforming himself as a dog and the Dementors couldn’t recognize animals. He escaped because he saw Peter on the newspaper with the Weasleys. When he said ‘he’s in Hogwarts’ he wasn’t talking about Harry, he was talking about Peter.
Ron’s leg was broken, and Snape was knocked out by Harry’s ‘Expellarmus’ . They tied Peter while they were on the way to the castle. Sirius was glad because Peter being imprisoned means he would be free. But then Lupin forgot to take the potion that keeps himself from transforming (made by Snape) and he transformed. Peter escaped, Snape regained consciousness and the Dementors came. Harry ran for Sirius, afraid that he will be taken by the Dementors. He kept saying ‘Expecto Patronum’ and then the Dementors backed away. Harry and Hermione fainted.
They woke up at the hospital wing, hearing Snape taking all the credits, even saying that he saved Harry’s life. Sirius will be given the Dementor’s kiss. Harry and Hermione panicked and explained to Dumbledore what they know, hoping that he would believe him. It turns out he already did and he’ll be helping. He also said, ‘you might save more than one life’
Hermione was given by a time turner by Ms. Mcgonagall because she has lots of classes. They used that to travel back in time, They watched themselves do what they did 3 hrs back and made changes while making sure they could not be seen. They freed Buckbeak, and used him to fly to the room where Sirius was imprisoned. Buckbeak and Sirius escaped together. Snape was furious. The next day he mentioned that Lupin was a werewolf, which made Lupin resign.
On their way home from Hogwarts, Harry received a letter from Sirius Black, Ron received the owl that carried the letter. The letter says that Sirius and Buckbeak are still riding and that Sirius was the one who sent the firebolt. There was also a permit from Sirius as Harry’s guardian, to allow him to go to Hogsmeade.
The End of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling.
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