Pottermore Moments Revisited: Off to a Short Start

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Book three is tied with book seven for my favorite in the series. I’m not quite sure what it is: perhaps the characters of Sirius and Lupin have something to do with it, or perhaps it could be because I love the idea of the Patronus, or I just love that Harry gets to know more about his family. Whatever the reason, this is the book I love to go back to and reread.

Chapter 1: “Owl Post”

Honestly, this is one of my favorite chapters. I love that Harry finally has a happy birthday like a normal kid. We also see some of JKR’s best writing in this chapter, as it’s full of such humor and detail. As Harry falls asleep looking at his birthday cards and gifts, I can’t help but smile for him.

Moment 1: Harry’s Birthday

This is a simple moment that has lots of great details. Harry’s room is rather bare, but his birthday gifts are spread out on his bed and floor. I love how you can see the letters and newspaper clipping in their entirety. It’s a nice moment to start off with.

Chapter 2: Aunt Marge’s Big Mistake

The Dursleys are back and as bad as ever. As we meet Aunt Marge, it seems odd to me that no one has commented about the abuse Harry is suffering at the hands of these people, especially Marge. Harry struggles through the week and is so close to getting his Hogsmeade form signed when he just can’t take it anymore (and does anyone blame him?). Notable moments include the news story about Sirius Black on the television, Harry and Vernon’s deal, and, as the title suggests, the incident with Aunt Marge.

Moment 1: Aunt Marge

We get some great new information in this moment about Marge (the best of it being that she is in love with the Colonel Fubster mentioned in the book). Vernon’s yells in this moment took me by surprise the first time I heard them; for some reason, I was not expecting a sound like that to ever occur. I was also surprised at the ducks decorating the Dursleys’ dining room; they just don’t seem like the kind of people to have ornamental ducks.

This is a very short post for having gone through two whole chapters. I especially think chapter two could have used at least one more moment. The conversation at breakfast would have been a perfect moment, as we would have seen the entire Dursley family and perhaps heard the snippet from the book that is our first mention of Sirius Black the murderer.

In any case, Harry has just run away, and who knows where he’ll go…