Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Ch 14-18

Harry Potter and the First Time Readers

Chapter 14 - Snape’s Grudge

Q1 - What should the procedure be after Sirius Black has been caught sneaking into Hogwarts again?

Q2 - Why hadn’t Sirius killed Ron and then gone to Harry?

• “But I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two’d value yer friend more’n broomsticks or rats. Tha’s all.”
• Ron had to hold onto the fence to keep himself standing, he was laughing so hard.

Q3 - What is the hardest you have ever laughed?

• “So, everyone from the Minister of Magic downwards has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences.”

Q4 - Does Snape have a point about Harry here?

• “I told you to shut up about my dad!” Harry yelled. “I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn’t even be here if it weren't for my dad!” Snapes sallow skin had gone the colour of sour milk. “And did the Headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?” he whispered. “Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter’s delicate ears?”

Q5 - What do you think of Snape and James Potter?

Q6 - Who do you think made the Marauders Map?

• Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them — by gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks.”

Chapter 15 - The Quidditch Final

• “There’ll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can’t see any hope…nothing will have changed.” “Yeah it will,” said Ron fiercely. “You won’t have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I’ll help.” Hermione flung her arms around Ron’s neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away.

Q1 - Do you think Ron and Hermione or Harry and Hermione are a better couple?

• Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first — SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy around the face with all the strength she could muster.

Q2 - How do we like aggressive Hermione?

• “Fine!” she repeated swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair, “I give up! I’m leaving!” And to the whole class’s amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.

PREDICTION - ONE WILL LEAVE THE NUMBER FOREVER!

Q3 - What do you think is the deal with crookshanks and the grim?

• The Gryffindor crowd were screaming themselves hoarse — Gryffindor were sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the snitch now, the cup was theirs.

Q4 - How bad of a seeker is Malfoy?

Q5 - Do you guys like quidditch now?

Chapter 16 - Professor Trelawney’s Prediction

• Even Fred and George Weasley had been spotted working.

Q1 - What do you think differentiates between a charm and a spell?

• Their second from last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep padding pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh, ignoring the misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart.

Q2 - Which of professor Lupins final exam obstacles would trip you up?

• “Hermione!” said Lupin, startled. “What's the matter?” “P-P-Professor McGonagall!” Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. “Sh-she said I'd failed everything!”

Q3 - If you had to make up a prediction, what would you say?

• Her eyes started to roll. Harry stood there in a panic. She looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure. He hesitated, thinking of running to the hospital wing - and then Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own: “The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. Tonight ... before midnight .. the servant will set out ... to rejoin … his master.”

Q4 - What are your thoughts about this prediction?

Q5 - Is Trelawney a true seer?

• Hermione didn’t wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed the fat lady’s portrait open and vanished from sight.

Q6 - Has Hermione changed at all from this book to the previous two?

• “Ron, I - I don’t believe it - it’s Scabbers!”
• There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an ax.

Chapter 17 - Cat, Rat, and Dog

• But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws. Something was bounding towards them out of the dark -an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog. Harry reached for his wand, but too late the dog had made an enormous leap and its front paws hit him on the chest. He keeled over backwards in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth.

Q1 - What is the worst injury you’ve had?

Q2 - If your best friend was in the most haunted place in the world, would you go rescue them?

• Harry and Hermione dashed across to him. 'Ron- are you OK?' Where's the dog?' "Not a dog; Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. 'Harry, it's a trap -' What 'He's the dog…. he's an Animagus. Ron was staring over Harry's shoulder. Harry wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them. A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius black.

Q3 - Did you suspect the dog was Sirius black?

• “If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us, too!” he said fiercely, though the effort of standing up had drained him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.

Q3 - How has Ron’s character progressed over these books?

• Harry raised the wand. Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge his mother and father. He was going to kill Black. He had to kill Black. This was his chance..

Q4 - Is Harry’s anger justified here?

Q5 - Why is Black being so unclear here?

• Then lupin spoke, in an odd voice, a voice that shook with some suppressed emotion. “Where is he, Sirius?” Harry looked quickly at Lupin. He didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was Lupin talking about? He turned to look at Black again. Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand, and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Harry glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered. “But then .. Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind. Why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless - Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, unless he was the one ... unless you switched. without telling me?” Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face. Black nodded.

Q6 - Do you understand what they are talking about here?

• Her voice wavering out of control, and all the time you've been his friend!' You're wrong,' said Lupin. I haven't been Sirius's friend for twelve years, but I am now ... let me explain. 'NO!' Hermione screamed, Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too - he's a werewolf!” What's my rat got to do with anything?' "That's not a rat.' croaked Sirius Black suddenly. 'What d'you mean of course he's a rat - No, he's not;' said Lupin quietly. 'He's a wizard.' An Animagus, said Black, 'by the name of Peter Pettigrew.

Chapter 18 - Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

• “They’ve — got — a — right — to — know — everything.” Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. “Ron’s kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don’t understand! And Harry — you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!” Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron’s bitten, scratched and bleeding hands. “All right, then,” said Black, without taking his eyes off the rat. “Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for…”

Q1 - Who is right here? Lupin for waiting, or Black for wanting to kill Peter first?

Q2 - Why didn’t Scabbers try to escape earlier on?

• “Because ... because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework - the Ministry keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things…and I went and looked Professor Mcgonagall up on the register, and there have only been seven Animagi this century, and pettigrews name wasn’t on the list.”

Q3 - I ask again, what would you be if you could be an Animagus?

• “It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster and he was sympathetic.”
• REDDIT - alphaWLFgang1 - So if we were looking at it from that perspective then I’d be a Nebelung Cat (according to Wizarding World) But, I mean if I had to choose I’d want to be something that could fly. So like an Eagle or maybe a Hippogriff would be sick too if that’s even possible? I’d want to fly or swim! So maybe a shark? I’d want to be an animal that can either fly/swim under water. I’d want to fly so I can travel faster places and swim because I love the water.

Q4 - Was Dumbledore right to let Lupin come to school?

Q5 - Why does Hogwarts have such a rag-tag bunch of teachers?

• “Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her…I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth and they didn’t desert me at all. Instead they did something for me that would make my transformations the best times of my life. They became animagi.”

Q6 - Do you know and understand how truly difficult it is to become an Animagus?

Q7 - What was the craziest/most dangerous thing you’ve done in your life?

Q8 - Have you ever put someone else’s life in danger?

• “Sirius thought it would be — er — amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree-trunk with a long stick, and he’d be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it — if he’d got as far as this house, he’d have met a fully grown werewolf — but your father, who’d heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life.”

Q9 - Do you have any sympathy for Snape?