Harry Potter, #3
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
by J.K. Rowling
Contents
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Overview
Chasing Scabbers from Hagrid’s, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are attacked by a huge black dog that drags Ron into the Whomping Willow’s tunnel, leading to the Shrieking Shack. There, the dog is revealed as Sirius Black. Lupin arrives, allies with Sirius, admits he’s a werewolf and Marauder, and exposes Scabbers as Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus.
Summary
Reeling from the sound of an axe at Hagrid’s, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneak back under the Invisibility Cloak as dusk falls. Scabbers panics, escapes Ron, and Crookshanks gives chase. Ron throws off the Cloak to pursue and the others follow. An enormous black dog ambushes them, grapples with Harry, then seizes Ron by the arm and drags him toward the Whomping Willow. The tree batters Harry and Hermione back as Ron is pulled underground, his leg breaking with a crack.
Crookshanks slips through the branches and presses a knot on the trunk, freezing the Willow. Harry and Hermione follow into a tunnel that leads to a derelict house Hermione identifies as the Shrieking Shack. Upstairs, they find Ron injured. A gaunt man shuts the door—Sirius Black—who disarms them and taunts Harry. Consumed by rage, Harry attacks physically; a struggle erupts with Hermione, Ron, and Crookshanks joining the fray. Harry recovers his wand and nearly kills Sirius, but hesitates as footsteps approach.
Lupin bursts in, disarms everyone, and, to Harry’s shock, greets Sirius like a brother. Hermione accuses Lupin of helping Black and reveals he is a werewolf. Lupin calmly admits his lycanthropy but denies aiding Sirius, then returns their wands to prove good faith and asks them to listen.
Lupin explains he tracked them with the Marauder’s Map, which he helped create, recognized Sirius approaching, and saw another presence with them. He asks to see Scabbers. As the terrified rat struggles in Ron’s hands, Lupin and Sirius reveal the truth: Scabbers is not a rat at all, but Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus.
Who Appears
- Harry PotterChases Ron and Scabbers, fights Sirius in the Shrieking Shack, nearly kills him, then listens to Lupin’s revelations.
- Sirius BlackRevealed as the enormous black dog Animagus; confronts the trio; reunites with Lupin; identifies Scabbers as Pettigrew.
- Remus LupinArrives, disarms all, reconciles with Sirius, admits he’s a werewolf and Marauder; explains the Map; exposes Pettigrew.
- Ron WeasleyBites his lip chasing Scabbers, is dragged by the dog into the tunnel, breaks his leg, defies Sirius despite injury.
- Hermione GrangerFollows into the tunnel, calls for help, outs Lupin as a werewolf, demands explanations, retrieves wands during the fight.
- CrookshanksChases Scabbers, disables the Whomping Willow by pressing its knot, protects Sirius and interferes in the struggle.
- Peter Pettigrew (Scabbers)Ron’s rat, terrified and struggling; unmasked by Lupin and Sirius as an Animagus hiding in plain sight.