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Harry has spent yet another miserable summer at home with the Dursleys. He can’t wait to get back to school at Hogwarts, and he’s especially anticipating the third-year privilege of visiting the all-magical village of Hogsmeade near the school. The only problem is that he has to get Uncle Vernon to sign his permission slip to do so. Harry’s bargain with his uncle over the form backfires when Harry gets angry and accidentally “inflates” Aunt Marge.
Frightened that he will be under arrest by the Ministry of Magic for the improper use of magic by an underage wizard, Harry tries to run away but is picked up by a magical bus and delivered to Diagon Alley, where he is able to meet his Hogwarts friends and purchase his supplies for the new school year.
Rather than being punished by the Ministry of Magic, Harry soon finds that he is being protected. A much-feared prisoner named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, the wizard prison, and Harry is believed to be the target of his next kill. Soon, Black has found his way into Hogwarts, so Harry isn’t even safe in his own dormitory.
Once again, Harry, Ron and Hermione must solve the mystery—what were the circumstances of Black’s original crime, and how is he related to Harry’s parents and their death? Who is the traitor who informed on Harry’s parents to Voldemort? In working out this puzzle, Harry finds both his father’s best friends and his own godfather. Even though Harry and friends do find the traitor, he escapes in the end, leaving both Voldemort and one of his loyal supporters to haunt Harry in the next volume.
Positive Elements: Harry practices self-control in not spending extravagantly, even though he desperately wants a new flying broom, he is on his own and he has plenty of money. New Professor Lupin teaches the students that laughter fights what one fears the most. Selfless loyalty to one’s friends is upheld as a high virtue: “ ‘If you want to kill...
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