Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night. And he also happened to be a wizard...

"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner.
"Fell over," said Harry.
"'Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan.
"I didn't do it on purpose," said Harry, annoyed.

That bit always makes me laugh. XP Anyway, as I'm currently three chapters into Prizoner of Azkaban, I thought I'd start off discussion. :]

In the beginning of the book at least, Jo still seems to be writing with a light tone. The book still seems like it's written as a children's book, even though darker themes are laced through it. There's a lot of little tidbits of humor in the beginning as well. Jo really is quite funny. =P

I'm also finding new appreciation for the foreshadowing in the beginning. Harry sees Sirius, obviously, but also things like the Sneakoscope Ron sent him and the photo of the Weasleys in Egypt. It's interesting. (:

^I'm still on CoS but I'm almost finished. Since we didn't really get to talk about it on the original forum, if you want to pop over to the CoS forum and share your favourite bits, feel free!

@r-pattz ive totally noticed that! i also notice that in the first 3 books jo always repeats everything. she reminds us what quidditch is about, who everyone is, what they look like, etc etc and once she gets to GOF then she starts not repeating things. I think GOF is the cut off; thats when things start getting more intense and "adult" if that makes any sense.

I've also always loved the mention of Cho and Cedric in POA. Jo is SO good at the foreshadowing thing it kills me!

Pointless randomosity: I just noticed that the first 3 Mary Grandpre book covers have Harry flying on them. Hmmmm....pointless observation. lol


@r-pattz, I forgot to concur that that scene with Stan Shunpike always makes me laugh too!

That scene is hilarious! Ahaha, and it comes right after a moment of tension, when Harry obviously sees Sirius (and we're meant to believe it's the Grim)..I just love that. And Hogsmeade!! Everytime I read of them going there and the shops I just wanna go, wish it was real..it sounds awesome. The Firebolt, Hermione hugging Ron when he says he'll help her with the Buckbeak situation. It's a really good book even though there's no Voldemort so it's probably, IF I really had to choose, my least favorite book even though I love it ahah.

I'm currently on Chapter 15, when they have the final match Gryffindor vs. Slytherin! I love reading about Dementors and Lupin too, really good storylines.

@bangel lol im right behind ya! i think im on chapter 14 right now; the fat lady's just been restored to her post after sir cadogan shirked his duties and let black in lol

idk why but harry seems more afraid of black in the book than the movie

^ In the book you feel how Harry feels he hear ever thought that goes though his head so he will seem more scared but in the moves they just rush throw in a way you do not get the same experance :P

"But Sirius Black escaped from [Azkaban]," Harry said slowly. "He got away..."
Lupin's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.

Then Lupin spoke, in an odd voice, a voice that shook with some suppressed emotion. "Where is he, Sirius?"

"Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.
Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.
"Together?" he said quietly.
"I think so," said Lupin.

No one else would have brought it up, and as Wolfstar is my biggest Potter ship, I just had to. So the question is: What are your thoughts on Wolfstar?

I'm expecting a huge "no way," but just think about it, you guys. They're so completely in sync and can read each other's faces with absolute ease, they're very protective of one another (in a way that reminds me of Ron and Hermione), there's an awful lot of physical contact between the two in this scene, they're so aware of one another both emotionally and physically, and there's clearly so, so much emotion between them! And come on, we all know Jo intends her audience to read between the lines. ;)

"Harry if you go into Hogsmeade again... I'll tell Professor McGonagall about the map!" said Hermione. "Can you hear someone talking, Harry?" growled Ron, not looking at Hermione. "Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I'll tell-" "So now you're trying to get Harry expelled!"said Ron furiously. "Haven't you done enough damage this year?" Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but with a soft hiss, Crookshaks leapt onto her lap. Hermione took one frightened look at at the expression on Ron's face, gathered up Crookshanks, and hurries away toward the girls' dormitories.

"Yeah it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help."
"Oh Ron!"
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.
"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers..." she sobbed.
"Oh-well- he was old," said Ron looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him.....

Gotta love me some Romione! even in POA. So cute :)

@r-pattz ive never seen it that way, but im not about to tear ya down for who you ship. I myself am a Dumbledore/McGonagall shipper because reading between the lines ive always felt there was some sort of history between them. Everyone interprets characters and their interactions differently :)

@HJ: LOL, I love that scene! So many little instances of Romione even prior to DH. <3


Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, "Get away from me, werewolf!"
Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione...


I was rereading that chapter and hit that bit... This is the first time I've fully understood those few lines and felt their impact. I suppose when I read them before I was reading too quickly for them to sink in... My heart breaks for Lupin, it really does. Since I'm gay, I know exactly how he's feeling. Jo's always sort of used werewolves as a metaphor for people with HIV - misunderstood outcasts shunned by others. I suppose that's given me an extra level of sympathy for Lupin, especially since in earlier decades people associated homosexuality with AIDS, giving both of them negative connotations.

Ha, that's me, always giving Potter gay undertones. But every time I reread HP, I catch something new... =P

That's one of the most amazing things about HP. It has many, many shades and all kinds of people with different interests, different tastes, different everything can relate.

Now I'm reading the part where Minus is finally transformed. I have just an issue about this chapter: I think JK made forced a bit Sirius to make him look like he was evil and wanted to kill Harry. Before knowing he's innocent there's this part (can't find it in English) when he grabs Harry's throat and starts squeezing his fingers around it...Seriously?? I mean, he was trying to get him off without hurting him but that seems like a forced thing to do. Oh well, it's just me and my stupid little issues. LOL

@r-pattz, although I've never seen Lupin and Black's relationship as romantic [personally I just see friendship/brotherhood forged under unusual circumstances and strengthened by tragedy], it's easy to see how it could be interpreted as such. Also, there's the whole issue of Black's lack of romantic relationships with anyone! Which suggests he harbored an unrequited love. I'm not sure that love was Lupin but it's entirely possible.

@Bangel, although part of that is a mislead, part of it is just the fact that Sirius spent over a decade in Azkaban and is more than a little out of it. He's consumed with revenge and he's so close to getting it that the thought of anything getting in his way [even Harry] is unbearable. The truth is that Black's time in prison fractured his mind. It's shown repeatedly throughout the series that sometimes he's just not all there. Sometimes he gets confused. It's only natural, given everything he's been through.

@fanfly..I couldn't help but laugh at "and is more than a little out of it". I'm not mocking you..on the contrary, I found it funny. But yeah, he clearly is..those 12 years haven't been funny at all, poor Sirius, I understand he had such a hard time but that passage still makes a little *WTF*..ahah.

lol ^ I was trying to phrase it some other way than 'Sirius Black is loony!'. XDD It does sound funny.

I just finished up POA around midnight last night. :) I was gonna wait til today but i couldnt do it. Actually, reading the Shrieking Shack part i was a little thrown off by how just plain angry and off the wall Snape got. I also forgot that in the movie, while Snape hops up to protect HH&R from Lupin transforming, in the books he's still knocked out cold and doesn't come to until after Harry, Hermione, and Sirius were out from the Dementors. It just seems weird to me.

I'm with r-pattz in that i think Lupin's problems are often overlooked in the books. I know it's mentioned again when Tonks is pregnant but in general, after POA, Lupin's transofrmations arent very important. But it gives him something in common with Harry by the end of GOF: being an outcast.

I actually really like the changes they made to the end of the book for the movie. It flowed much faster and more smoothly. Not to say that it was bad in the book, but the whole scene inside the Shack, after and then the time travel just had to be streamlined for movie format and I think they did an excellent job.

I haven't quite finished yet but I'm getting there!

I will say one thing. As much as I love Hermione and understand that she was extremely stressed this year and as much as I love Crookshanks [and as much as Scabbers/Peter deserved to be harassed]- I really do think she behaved somewhat callously towards Ron and his concerns from the moment she got Crookshanks. But nobody's perfect- not even Hermione! lol

Does anyone else just love the way Lee Jordan commentates Quidditch matches? XDD

So...just finished it and *sigh* I love this one! It's one of my favourites in the series- and one of my favourites of the film adaptations too.

Dumbledore always gets the best, most deep and meaningful lines! I loved how he talked about Harry's Patronus assuming his father's 'form' and how Harry found his father inside himself that night. It really made me tear up. Because it's true- Harry didn't consciously choose a stag as his patronus- he didn't know what his father's animagus form was until afterwards.

And oh Lupin...it still breaks my heart that he was forced to resign. But he handled it with such grace. Like r-pattz and HJ have said, his situation can be used as an allegory for anyone who's discriminated against but I think mostly aptly homosexuals because it wasn't until he was forced 'out of the closet' that it became an issue. :( He was the best DADA Hogwarts has ever seen.

And Snape...he truly has a hair trigger when it comes to the Marauders. He hates them so fiercely, so blindly. I don't think any of that is show- he just can't let go of the past. But that's Snape for you. Everything he does is driven by his past.

@fanfly "but thats snape for you. everything he does is driven by his past."

thats a really good way to put it actually! it makes him who he is. why does he do what he does for the DA and Dumbledore? Because he loved Lily and can never stop loving her. It's what makes him tragic. He's truly a good guy but it's buried beneath layers of jealousy, loss, and guilt. Such a well thought out in depth character!

lol about lee jordan. gonna agree, and how mcgonagall yells at him each time as if she thinks he's ever going to do things differently :p

^Yes, that's why I love Snape. He's such a complex and well-written character. You peel away one layer and there's a dozen more underneath.

And I think McG secretly loves the way Lee commentates! Otherwise, she'd pick someone else. lol But she's got to put up a good show.

Finished it...I love it. It's so sad Harry couldn't realize his dream of living with Sirius...that would've been amazing for him, really. I just love how Dumbledore believed Harry and Hermione without hesitation and Snape was just screaming Harry did something..and he was right LOL

It's a really really good book this one..I just wish Lupin would've stayed with them as a professor...he was the best.

i think most would agree that lpin was the best DADA teacher. moody...errr....well not moody was pretty good too :p but he was a death eater so that doesnt help much.

This is one of my favourite of the books as I wish I could own Hermione's Time Turner
wouldn't it be cool
and I also love it when Malfoy gets punched
the character sooo deserved it but Tom Felton didn't XD