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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
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HPatPoA: Part 1: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5
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Harry meets Draco in diagon alley, not the train.
We see Black watching Harry before he gets on the bus.
Black recognizes Wormtail from a picture of the Weasley's in Egypt, but Lupin doesn't recognize him on the train?
Crookshanks knows something is wrong with scabbers right from the start.
Ah, Crookshanks. Love the cat, love the name.Looking back on the series, this is probably still my favorite. They are all very close since I loved them all, but this is the book that cemented my love for Harry and this series. So many great mysteries and revelations.
Yea, I guess Rowling's referring to their official meeting or something, as in when they learn who the other is.
I like that Rowling finally decides how she wants to handle the darkness involved in the book. First we have Harry seeing death omens, then there's the dementors. It's not ruined by her trying to play it down and keep it childish.
There was a part when they were all at the Leaky Cauldron when Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Ginny are talking about love potions and giggling. It reminded me of that article Dara shared, on the importance of Hermione. I think that scene made me like her even more. She does it all and at heart she's still very much a girly girl, heh.
I like that Rowling finally decides how she wants to handle the darkness involved in the book. First we have Harry seeing death omens, then there's the dementors. It's not ruined by her trying to play it down and keep it childish.
There was a part when they were all at the Leaky Cauldron when Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Ginny are talking about love potions and giggling. It reminded me of that article Dara shared, on the importance of Hermione. I think that scene made me like her even more. She does it all and at heart she's still very much a girly girl, heh.
Rob wrote: "Random notes from this section:
Harry meets Draco in diagon alley, not the train.
We see Black watching Harry before he gets on the bus.
Black recognizes Wormtail from a picture of the Weasley's..."
I think Black recognized him mainly because of the paw that's missing a digit. Lupin would have been busy with the Dementor, and then worried over Harry, so I guess it's understandable.
Harry meets Draco in diagon alley, not the train.
We see Black watching Harry before he gets on the bus.
Black recognizes Wormtail from a picture of the Weasley's..."
I think Black recognized him mainly because of the paw that's missing a digit. Lupin would have been busy with the Dementor, and then worried over Harry, so I guess it's understandable.
That darkness, I think, is what really sold me.
Yea, it gives the books a gravity that isn't really common among kids books.
The darkness in this book feels different though. Maybe because it's more personal for Harry or dementors are so frightening... it all works so well for me in this book.
Yea. It's all about fear, and Harry's mortality, this go around.
Ch. 1-I suppose Fred and George taught Harry how to pick locks.
-It seems rather foolish for the Weasleys to spend 700 galleons on a trip to Egypt with their financial situation. The clipping that Ron sent to Harry is the same article that Fudge absentmindedly gives to Sirius in Azkaban, motivating Sirius to escape.
-Good for Ron, getting a new wand that's all his own.
Ch. 2
-First mention of Sirius over breakfast. Harry got the photo book from Hagrid at the end of Philosopher's Stone. It's kind of odd that he doesn't recognize Sirius at all, not even a twinge of familiarity. I know Azkaban changes you, but still.
-Marge beat Harry around the shins and chased him up a tree. It's amazing that Harry turned out okay after being abused for so long.
-Harry thinks about the broomstick servicing kit when Marge starts on him. I use a similar tactic when I'm in an unsavory/boring situation except I think about Mass Effect.
-Harry defense James and says he had a job. Do we ever find out what James did?
Ch. 3
-Funny that he gives Neville's name – Neville could have easily been Harry.
-Rowling does a good job of making Sirius frightening. Killing 13 people with one curse, being the only wizard to escape Azkaban, his deranged look, everyone being so afraid of him, his infamy...
-Fudge meets Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. He seems genial and nice now. Not so much in Order of the Phoenix.
Ch. 4
-You'd think the Monster Book of Monsters would come with instructions on how to safely open it.
-Harry thinks he's seeing death omens.
-I love the mirror's snarky comments. About Harry's hair: “You're fighting a losing battle there, dear.”
-Scabbers isn't looking too well. Peter has heard about Sirius's escape and is scared. The witch at Magical Menagerie notes Scabbers' missing toe and that he's lived far longer than a common garden rat. I love when Ron calls the magical rats “show-offs.” I also love Crookshanks. He immediately recognizes Scabbers as a fraud.
-I love Fred and George. They are such a joy.
Ch. 5
-Mr. Weasley seems to know the story behind Sirius, at least that he supposedly betrayed James and Lily.
-I love Lupin. He's in my top 5 for favorite characters.
-The Sneakoscope keeps going off around Scabbers.
-I'm with Harry – dementors are terrifying. That's probably what my boggart would be. Or a clown.
-Chocolate activates the same chemicals in the brain that being in love activates so it make sense that chocolate is used as a treatment for being around a dementor.
-First vague mention of thestrals. Harry assumes the stagecoaches are pulled by invisible horses but we know they are pulled by thestrals, which can only be seen if you have seen somebody die. Harry saw his mother die so why can't he see them now?
-Hermione receives her Time Turner in McGonagall's office.
-Snape is particularly angry about Lupin's appointment. Guess Lupin reminds him of is school days too much.
It's never said what James did. I don't think he worked, considering he was on the lam from Voldemort with the Order of the Phoenix and all.
Had the same thought regarding the thestrals. I don't remember it ever being explained, if it's past a certain age or you actually have to remember it, etc.
Maybe you have to be old enough to comprehend what you're seeing or something? No clue.
Maybe you have to be old enough to remember it. Harry knows his mother was murdered in front of him but he has no personal recollection of it.
Mod
The other thing I forgot: Harry's invisibility cloak. Dumbledore warns Harry not to use it to evade the Dementors. But we know that it's a true cloak of invisibility. One of the deathly hallows. So does it really not work? Dumbledore borrowed it from Harry's dad to test it I think, but if he knew it was a Hallow, would he have given it to Harry?
Rob wrote: "I forgot to bring up Threstrals. Looks like you got it covered.
The other thing I forgot: Harry's invisibility cloak. Dumbledore warns Harry not to use it to evade the Dementors. But we know that ..."
I think the Dementors would still be able to sense him. The Cloak's supposedly impervious to most spells, but they never mentioned anything about being undetectable under it.
Also, Dumbledore knows it's a Hallow. That's why he borrowed it from James in the first place.
The other thing I forgot: Harry's invisibility cloak. Dumbledore warns Harry not to use it to evade the Dementors. But we know that ..."
I think the Dementors would still be able to sense him. The Cloak's supposedly impervious to most spells, but they never mentioned anything about being undetectable under it.
Also, Dumbledore knows it's a Hallow. That's why he borrowed it from James in the first place.
Yeah, agreed that he knew it was a Hallow. So I guess at that point, before giving it back to Harry, he was in possession of 2 of the 3 Hallows. Did he ever have all three at the same time? I guess he didn't get the stone until between books 5 and 6 though. I know he mentions at some point not wanting too much power when talking about taking the ministry job. Maybe giving back the cloak, and releasing one of the Hallows, was a way of getting away from the power they could give.
The Dementors can't see, I don't believe, everything is based on feelings and what they sense so he might be invisible but they would still sense a person near them
He never had all three at once. Up to book one he had the Elder Wand and the Cloak, he gave Harry the Cloak and then at the start of book six he had the Stone.
Mod
Rob wrote: "What's the stone do again?"Bring the dead back. But it brings them back in a weird, almost ghostly state, not really alive. I think ... or something like that ... maybe haha
They basically come back as ghosts. Ordinary folks need to choose to remain Earthbound to exist as ghosts after death, but the Stone allows the user to bring whoever he wants back as a ghost. Except, they only stick around as long as the user has the Stone, and only the user can see them.
Much better explanation!
Mod
I think the dementors would still sense Harry. Regardless, if I were Harry, I wouldn't be too keen to try it out.
Another thing about dementors: Sirius says at the end of the book that they can't actually see, they feel people out by feeding on their emotions. Sirius says the only reason why he kept his mind is because he was able to transform into a dog. His emotions were less complex as a dog so the dementors thought he was losing it like everyone else. He would transform when it all got to be too much. They didn't see him transform but felt his emotions change so it stands to reason that the dementors wouldn't see Harry no matter what but would still feel him.
Yeah the Dementors also come up in the Goblet of Fire with Crouch and their inability to distinguish between him and his mom
I agree on the red herrings. They add a bit of fun to the story, when you think about it. This made me crack up, though:
In my mind, Dementors and Nazgul look the same. Except for when they kiss, then the Dementors look like Jynx from Pokemon.
In my mind, Dementors and Nazgul look the same. Except for when they kiss, then the Dementors look like Jynx from Pokemon.
Nazgul have that armor, though.
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NOTE: While this section is meant to focus on the specified chapters of this book, this read is meant for people who have already read the entire series.
As a result, unlike most of our group reads, full spoilers for the series will be allowed without spoiler tags in every discussion post.
If you haven't read some/all of the books (What's wrong with you?) proceed at your own peril.