Sirius Black escapes Azkaban, and Harry is told that the fugitive threatens his life. Dementors guard Hogwarts, forcing Harry to confront memories of his parents’ deaths. Professor Lupin teaches him a different way to respond to fear.

The ideas beneath the story

The novel asks how much of a person’s reputation rests on a story that was never properly tested. New information changes Harry’s understanding of his family and the people around him. Its treatment of fear is equally important: strength can grow from memory, practice, and support.

A question to carry away

What changes when we hear a second version of an event? This is the series’ clearest early lesson in revising a confident judgment.

Plot outcome · Ending spoilers

Sirius is revealed to be Harry’s godfather, wrongly blamed for the betrayal committed by Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew escapes. Harry and Hermione use a Time-Turner to save Buckbeak and help Sirius flee, though Harry cannot yet move in with him.

Official book information ↗