Suggestions

Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
  • Shakespeare dark gray
    • No Fear Shakespeare Translations
    • Shakespeare Study Guides
    • Shakespeare Life & Times
    • Glossary of Shakespeare Terms
  • Literature dark gray
    • No Fear Literature Translations
    • Literature Study Guides
    • Glossary of Literary Terms
    • How to Write Literary Analysis
  • Other Subjects dark gray
    • Biography
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Computer Science
    • Drama
    • Economics
    • Film
    • Health
    • History
    • Math
    • Philosophy
    • Physics
    • Poetry
    • Psychology
    • Short Stories
    • Sociology
    • US Government and Politics
  • Test Prep PLUS dark gray
    • Test Prep Lessons
    • AP® English Literature
    • AP® English Language
  • Teacher dark gray
    • SparkTeach
    • Teacher's Handbook
  • Blog
My PLUS Dashboard
  • My PLUS Activity dark gray
    • Notes
    • Bookmarks
    • Test Prep PLUS
    • No Fear Translations & Audio
    • Mastery Quizzes
    • Flashcards
    • Infographics
    • No Fear Graphic Novels
  • Account Details
  • Subscription & Billing

Please wait while we process your payment

Reset Password

  • Please wait while we process your payment

    Log in Sign up

    Sparknotes

  • By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.

    Don’t have an account? Subscribe now

    Create Your Account

    Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial

    • Ad-free experience
    • Study notes
    • Flashcards
      & Quizzes
    • AP® English Test Prep
    • Plus much more

  • Already have an account? Log in

    Your Email

    Choose Your Plan

    BEST VALUE

    Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!

    Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?

    Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!

  • Price

    $24.99 $18.74 /subscription + tax

    Subtotal $37.48 + tax

    Save 25% on 2-49 accounts

    Save 30% on 50-99 accounts

    Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.

    Your Plan

    Payment Details

  • We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country.

  • Payment Details

    Payment Summary

    SparkNotes Plus

    You'll be billed after your free trial ends.

    7-Day Free Trial

    Not Applicable

    Renews February 7, 2023 January 31, 2023

    Discounts (applied to next billing)

    DUE NOW

    US $0.00

    SNPLUSROCKS20  |  20% Discount

    This is not a valid promo code.

    Discount Code (one code per order)

    SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.

    Choose Your Plan

    Payment Details

    Payment Summary

    Suggestions

    Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
    • My Account Icon My Account white
      • My PLUS Activity
        • Notes
        • Bookmarks
        • Test Prep PLUS
        • No Fear Translations
        • Mastery Quizzes
        • Flashcards
        • Infographics
        • No Fear Graphic Novels
      • Account Details
      • Subscription & Billing
      My PLUS Dashboard
    • Shakespeare white
      • No Fear Shakespeare Translations
      • Shakespeare Study Guides
      • Shakespeare Life & Times
      • Glossary of Shakespeare Terms
    • Literature white
      • No Fear Literature Translations
      • Literature Study Guides
      • Glossary of Literary Terms
      • How to Write Literary Analysis
    • Other Subjects white
      • Biography
      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • Computer Science
      • Drama
      • Economics
      • Film
      • Health
      • History
      • Math
      • Philosophy
      • Physics
      • Poetry
      • Psychology
      • Short Stories
      • Sociology
      • US Government and Politics
    • Test Prep PLUS white
      • Test Prep Lessons
      • AP® English Literature
      • AP® English Language
    • Teacher white
      • SparkTeach
      • Teacher's Handbook
    • Blog
    • Help

    Please wait while we process your payment

    expired-logo

    Your PLUS subscription has expired

    • We’d love to have you back! Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools.
    Renew your subscription

    Please wait while we process your payment

    expired-logo

    snpromo-logo
    • Get 20% off of AD-FREE study tools!
      Use Code: SparkPLUS20

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

    J. K. Rowling

    Study Guide
    • Study Guide
    • Summary
      • Summary & Analysis
      • Section One
      • Section Two
      • Section Three
      • Section Four
      • Section Five
      • Section Six
      • Section Seven
      • Section Eight
      • Section Nine
      • Section Ten
      • Section Eleven
      • Full Book
      • Full Book Summary
      • Key Facts
    • Characters
      • Characters
      • Harry Potter
      • Ron Weasley
      • Hermione Granger
    • Literary Devices
      • Themes
      • Motifs
      • Symbols
    • Quotes
      • Quotes
    • Quick Quizzes
      • Book
      • Full Book Quiz
      • Section One
      • Section Two
      • Section Three
      • Section Four
      • Section Five
      • Section Six
      • Section Seven
      • Section Eight
      • Section Nine
      • Section Ten
      • Section Eleven
        • More
        • Context
        • Summary
        • Characters
        • Analysis of Major Characters
        • Themes, Motifs, Symbols
        • Essays
          • Mini Essays
          • Suggested Essay Topics
        • Further Study
          • Suggestions for Further Reading
          • J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Background

        Please wait while we process your payment

        snplus-logo

        Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial!

        Unlock your FREE Trial!

        Sign up and get instant access to bookmarks.
        • Ad-Free experience
        • Easy-to-access study notes
        • Flashcards & Quizzes
        • AP® English test prep
        • Plus much more
        Already have an account? Log in
        Characters

        Characters

        Characters Characters
        • Harry Potter

          The hero and protagonist, Harry is a twelve-year-old boy with messy hair and glasses who became famous within the wizard community by surviving the curse of a powerful wizard. Harry frequently finds himself entangled in dangerous adventures but he always lives to tell the tale. Harry's character represents good intentions, innocence, and the fantasies of childhood.

          Read an in-depth analysis of Harry Potter .

        • Ron Weasley

          Ron is tall, red-haired, and from a respected but poor family. Ron is one of Harry's two best friends at Hogwarts. He is loyal to Harry, and belligerent to their enemy, Malfoy. Ron uses experience and a process of trial-and-error to solve most mysteries. Ron's character is often overshadowed by Harry's, but Ron always manages to succeed.

          Read an in-depth analysis of Ron Weasley .

        • Hermione Granger

          Hermione is always the top student in her class. She is clever and well-read. Most spells come easily to her and remain in her encyclopedic mind.. However, she is in principle a rule-follower, and so in this story she often alienates Harry and Ron by reporting or threatening to report them to Professor McGonagall, in cases such as Harry's gift of the Firebolt, or his possession and use of the Marauder's map.

          Read an in-depth analysis of Hermione Granger .

        • Voldemort

          Once a student who attended Hogwarts fifty years prior to Harry's time, Voldemort molded himself into the most powerful dark wizard the world has ever seen. Twelve years before, he killed Harry's parents and tried to kill Harry, only to have his curse backfire and render him powerless. It is generally believed that Sirius Black turned Harry's parents over to Voldemort, although in truth, Peter Pettigrew is guilty.

        • Remus Lupin

          Lupin is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and he is very competent and likeable. He teaches Harry how to defend himself against Dementors, but he is forced to leave Hogwarts at the end of the year on account of his being a werewolf. He is one of the creators of the Marauder's Map.

        • Sirius Black

          Once James Potter's best friend, now an escaped convict from the wizard prison Azkaban, Black is suspected to be the cause of twelve Muggle deaths as well as the indirect cause of the deaths of Harry's parents. He is a threat on the frontier of this story, one of the premier good wizards turned bad, although in the end he is revealed to be innocent in addition to being Harry's godfather. Also, Black is able to transform himself at will into Padfoot, a large black dog that Harry mistakes for the Grim. One of the creators of the Marauder's Map.

        • Hagrid

          The gamekeeper at Hogwarts and a good friend of Harry's, Hagrid is a giant, hairy man with an inimitable accent, and he has a great liking for strange and dangerous creatures. In this book, he is the defender of Buckbeak, a hippogriff that is placed on trial for injuring Draco Malfoy.

        • Peter Pettigrew

          The fourth in the group of friends that included James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, Pettigrew betrayed Lily and James, turning their whereabouts over the Voldemort, then blowing up a dozen Muggles, framing Black and turning himself into a rat so that he could escape. Another of the creators of the Marauder's Map. Disguised as Scabbers, he has lived many years as Ron's pet rat.

        • Albus Dumbledore

          Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, is a wise, powerful, elderly man with a long silver beard, and he is one of the most impressive characters Harry has ever met. He has a calm, secretive demeanor and is extremely intuitive, tolerant, and trustworthy.

        • Sibyll Trelawney

          The Divination Professor; an insect-like, rather dramatic women who loves predicting deaths but is not at all accurate in her predictions.

        • Minerva McGonagall

          The head of Gryffindor House, a stern but deeply concerned witch, and a great aficionado of Quidditch.

        • Severus Snape

          The Potions teacher, and a slimy, ill-tempered man, Snape is the head of Slytherin House and gets great pleasure out of trying to get Harry into trouble.

        • Professor Flitwick

          A small, kind professor who teaches Charms.

        • Draco Malfoy

          A slimy, smirking, and snotty boy from Slytherin House, Malfoy is Harry's greatest Hogwarts nemesis (not counting Voldemort, who usually resides outside Hogwarts). Because his family is very wealthy and influential, Malfoy is able to use his father's power as an intimidation tactic, in this book when he tries to have Hagrid fired and Buckbeak executed.

        • Lucius Malfoy

          Draco Malfoy's father, a mean, powerful man whose name and money his son, Draco, uses to get his way.

        • Ginny Weasley

          Ron's younger sister, and a sweet and shy red-haired girl with an enormous crush on Harry.

        • Percy Weasley

          Ron's oldest brother still at Hogwarts, a prefect, and a somewhat pompous figure, with, in the end, good intentions.

        • Fred Weasley

          One of Ron's older brothers, Fred is a beater for the Gryffindor House Quidditch team, and a good solid troublemaker when paired with his twin brother, George. Fred has the slightly louder, more over-the-top sense of humor of the two, but they are identical and usually inseparable. He and his brother George are responsible for passing the Marauder's Map onto Harry.

        • George Weasley

          One of Ron's older brothers, George is a beater for the Gryffindor House Quidditch team, and a good solid troublemaker when paired with his twin brother, Fred. He is somewhat subtler and more tongue-in-cheek than his twin, but otherwise, for the most part identical. Together, the Weasley twins are an infamous, amusing, and charming pair.

        • Molly Weasley

          Ron's mother; she is very maternal and protective, but also quite strict.

        • Arthur Weasley

          Ron's father, who works in the Misuse of Muggles Artifacts Office within the Ministry of Magic. He loves any sort of Muggle things with a buoyant, childlike enthusiasm. A thoroughly likeable man, Mr. Weasley treats Harry as if he were one of his own (many) children.

        • Vernon Dursley

          Harry's stuffy, overweight, and nasty-tempered Muggle uncle.

        • Petunia Dursley

          Harry's stuffy, underweight, and nasty-tempered Muggle aunt.

        • Dudley Dursley

          Harry's spoiled, overweight, and nasty-tempered Muggle cousin.

        • Aunt Marge

          Vernon Dursley's visiting sister; a loud, beefy, nasty-tempered Muggle woman who adores attack dogs and enjoys insulting Harry and his late parents.

        • Lily Potter

          Harry's mother who sacrificed herself to save Harry from Voldemort; Harry can hear her screams when Dementors are near.

        • James Potter

          Harry's father, also killed by Voldemort; his animagi stag becomes the shape of Harry's patronus. One of the creators of the Marauder's Map.

        • Stan Shunpike

          The teenaged, pimply, nosy conductor of the Knight Bus.

        • Ernie Prang

          The driver of the Knight Bus.

        • Argus Filch

          The Hogwarts caretaker, who is grouchy and adores nothing but his cat.

        • Mrs. Norris

          Filch's beloved cat.

        • Cornelius Fudge

          The rather eccentrically dressed Minister of Magic, very involved in the protection of Harry and Hogwarts against Sirius Black.

        • Oliver Wood

          The Gryffindor Quidditch captain and keeper.

        • Cedric Diggory

          The handsome Hufflepuff seeker; catches the Snitch when Harry falls from his broom.

        • Cho Chang

          The pretty fourth-year Ravenclaw seeker; Harry beats her to the Snitch.

        • Neville Longbottom

          A sweet, pudgy, and very clumsy Gryffindor boy; leaves the passwords on a scrap of paper in the corridors, thus allowing Sirius Black to enter Gryffindor Tower.

        • Goyle

          One of Draco Malfoy's unintelligent, lumbering cronies.

        • Crabbe

          The other of Draco Malfoy's unintelligent, lumbering cronies.

        • Penelope Clearwater

          A Ravenclaw prefect and Percy's girlfriend.

        • Madam Rosmerta

          The barmaid at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.

        • Nearly-Headless Nick

          A friendly Gryffindor ghost.

        • Peeves

          A poltergeist who causes lots of harmless trouble at Hogwarts.

        • Buckbeak

          One of Hagrid's beloved hippogriffs, Buckbeak attacks Malfoy and is sentenced to death, only to be saved by Harry and Hermione when they turn time back.

        • Hedwig

          Harry's pet owl.

        • Scabbers

          Ron's aging rat; the animal form of Peter Pettigrew.

        • Crookshanks

          Hermione's aggressive ginger cat.

        • Padfoot

          Sirius Black's animagi name, when he is a large black dog.

        • Prongs

          James Potter's animagi name, when he is a stag.

        • Moony

          Remus Lupin's werewolf name.

        • Wormtail

          Peter Pettigrew's animagi name, when he is a rat.

        Next section Harry Potter
        Test your knowledge

        Take the Characters Quick Quiz

        Take a study break

        QUIZ: Is This a Taylor Swift Lyric or a Quote by Edgar Allan Poe?

        Take a study break

        The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

        Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? x

        Please wait while we process your payment

        snplus-logo

        Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial!

        Unlock your FREE Trial!

        Sign up and get instant access to creating and saving your own notes as you read.
        • Ad-Free experience
        • Easy-to-access study notes
        • Flashcards & Quizzes
        • AP® English test prep
        • Plus much more
        Already have an account? Log in

        Popular pages: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

        • Harry Potter: Character Analysis CHARACTERS

        • Quotes QUOTES

        • Themes LITERARY DEVICES

        • Review Quiz FURTHER STUDY

        Take a Study Break

        • QUIZ: Is This a Taylor Swift Lyric or a Quote by Edgar Allan Poe?

        • The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

        • The 6 Best and Worst TV Show Adaptations of Books

        • QUIZ: Which Greek God Are You?

        Sign up for our latest news and updates!
        By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. You can view our Privacy Policy here. Unsubscribe from our emails at any time.

        SparkNotes—the stress-free way to a better GPA

        • Quick Links
        • No Fear Shakespeare
        • Literature Guides
        • Other Subjects
        • Blog
        • Teacher’s Handbook
        • Premium Study Tools
        • SparkNotes PLUS
        • Sign Up
        • Log In
        • PLUS Help
        • More
        • Help
        • How to Cite SparkNotes
        • How to Write Literary Analysis
        • About
        • Contact Us
        • Advertise

        Copyright © SparkNotes LLC

        • Terms of Use
        • |
        • Privacy
        • |
        • Cookie Policy
        • |
        • Do Not Sell My Personal Information