Prisoner of Azkaban Chapters 16-17

Oh Man, I Hate it When My Tortoise Still has a Spout for a Tail!

Reading about Harry and his exams makes me get test anxiety all over again. I love how Rowling uses real human emotions to make something imaginary like magic education seem believable. Anyone can relate to having pre-test anxiety or seeming overwhelmed by course workload. The details about magic that Rowling includes seem like they came from some encyclopedia. The subjects themselves seem like logical things one would need to learn to become a witch or wizard. I just think it's fantastic.

On a personal note, I just got done taking a 6 hour National Board Dental Examination on Thursday and that was brutal. Even with that, I've got nothing on what our trio had to do. They had to stay up until midnight to take their Astronomy exam on Tuesday night and then take History of Magic the next morning.

Death



J.K. Rowling has come right out and said that death is a big theme that she deals with in the books. Death gets addressed in many different ways: ghosts, memories, where we go when we die, dealing with loss, ways to conquer death, and the worth of the soul. There are many deaths in the series and I really respect Rowling for not shying away from death, but embracing that it happens and that the good guys sometimes don't escape it. I also appreciate the mature approach she uses to deal with death, despite her young audience. In my opinion, they way Rowling deals with real human emotions is one of her greatest strengths as a writer, especially given that this is a fantasy novel.

Up to this point in the series, Harry has not encountered someone he knows dying while he's been at Hogwarts. Even though Harry's parents obviously snuffed it, we weren't "there" to experience it. Buckbeak's execution is really our trio's first exposure to death. Rowling spends a lot of time building up to this event and I think this is to set the stage for deaths that will occur later in the series. This is by no means the most significant death of the series, nor is it the one that impacted me the most (I'll let you know when we get to the death that impacted me the most.)

Sirius Black

So we finally get to our "showdown" with Sirius Black. When I first read this book, I was saying to myself, "The climax of this book isn't like the first two books at all." There's no Voldemort, there's no Horcrux-destroying fang! It's wonderful to see the series keep the reader on their toes.



When Harry has his want pointed at Sirius, Crookshanks interferes by sitting on Black's chest. Again, this is a point when Hermione should have done her research on Kneazles. She should have known that they are excellent judges of character. On a seperate note, doesn't it seem odd that Harry is about to kill Sirius, yet he doesn't even know the killing curse yet? We don't learn that one until the next book. I'm not sure what Harry was planning on doing to Black, but it couldn't have been that bad. Harry thinks he's so bad.

Prisoner of Azkaban Chapters 14-15

Snape, Snape, Severus Snape



Once again, we find our little hero in a spot of trouble with our favorite potions master. This time, he's accused of being in Hogsmeade without permission. Our newly-christened teen needs to learn how to lie better. Having a staring contest with Severus Snape is not the best way to convince him of your innocence, Mr. Potter. Harry thinks that by looking Snape in the eyes, he will better be able to portray honesty. Wrong-o. We'll learn in the 5th book that this is a tactically inferior move.

In this particular instance, I actually agree with Snape. With Black on the loose, Harry shouldn't have been skulking around Hogsmeade unprotected. Then again, how exciting would the book be if Harry spent all his free time in his room brooding about how unfair life is. Oh, wait, that's the 5th book.

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs



When Snape summons Lupin to his dungeons to probe about the map, there's a lot of between-the-lines dialogue that is both said and unsaid.

1. Snape suggests that Harry got the map "directly from the manufacturers." - this suggests that either Harry or Lupin know who the "manufacturers" are.

2. Lupin asks Harry if he knows the "manufacturers." - Here, Lupin knows that Harry doesn't know who they are, but is betting on Harry's ignorance to get him out trouble.

3. The map insults Snape when he tries to get it to reveal its secrets. - This suggests that those who made the map know Snape.

4. We already knew that Lupin knew James and that Snape knew James. It only makes logical sense that Snape knew Lupin before Lupin became a teacher. I don't think Harry, at this point, puts these puzzle pieces together.

5. Because Snape and Lupin knew each other and that the makers of the map knew Snape, it would make sense that Lupin knows what the map is. I think Snape knows that Lupin knows what it is, and I'm pretty sure Lupin knew that Snape knew. Neither of them wanted to show their "cards" in front of Harry. The fact that Harry gets away with this and that Lupin pulls one over on Snape just increases Snapes hatred of both of them.

Watch Out ESPN

Rowling is actually a pretty good sports commentator. She not only has to balance the action, but has to incorporate Lee's commentating as well as what's going on inside Harry's head. With all that going on, I could see the action easily getting bogged down with a lot of words, but Rowling does a great job of keeping the action going. With the number of Quidditch matches that happen during the series, it becomes a difficult to make the matches interesting and unique. Rowling does a great job of avoiding the cliche and individualizing each match. I think it's great that Harry doesn't win every match. It's pretty "Rocky-esque."

Prisoner of Azkaban Chapters 12-13

Ron Ruined It!

At one point in Chapter 12, Hermione was about to explain something about Professor Lupin, but Ron, being the thick twit that he is interrupts Hermione so that they never find out what she knew. It turns out that what she knew would have a big impact on the end of the story, but I won't give it away.

Captain Clueless

As Harry and Ron are walking back from Quidditch practice one evening, they notice Crookshanks in the distance. The author notes that Crookshanks disappeared by a certain tree. Come on super sleuths, pay attention to where the cat went! It seems like in this book, more than any other, Harry and Ron don't pay attention to things around them that could give them clues to the mystery surrounding Sirius Black. It seems that Harry really isn't focused on the man who is out to kill him. I sure would be. I would want to know as much about him as possible.

Cho Changers and Cedric Shin-Diggory


Once again, we see the pattern Rowling uses of introducing characters before they become relevant to the overall plot. Cho gets introduced to the series in this chapter, but really doesn't play a larger role until the next two books. It's nice to re-read the books and say, "Wow, I didn't realize this character was talked about in this book." Cho isn't the only character who will become more relevant that is introduced early. Cedric Diggory is also revealed in this book as the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain.


Worthy of note here is the mention that the actor who portrayed Cedric in the movies is none other than the undead celebate vampire, Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen). Thanks to Sam O. and Roger P, we've come up with some great alternate names for Cedric: Undead Cedric, Deadric Diggory, Edward Cufflepuff, Ced-rigor-mortis Diggory, Grave Diggory, "Avada Kedavra" Cullen, and Dead-ward Cullen.

Prisoner of Azkaban Chapters 10-11

For Diane O.... because you so love my blog.

Tests of Loyalty

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I have sure seen a decrease in loyalty in our society. Gone are the days of an entire city being devoted to one sports team. Seldom do you find consumers shopping at a single store out of loyalty (Ahem, Walmart.) And rarely do you see loyalty to a political figure and going even further, loyalty of that political figure to his or her office. People these days even jump ship on religions like they're fads. I can tell by the way she writes, that JK Rowling values loyalty as this is one of the major themes (and my favorite) that comes out throughout the book. Bonds of loyalty and trust and tried, tested, and sometimes even broken. In Chapter 10 of this book, Harry finds himself in the hospital wing because of a fall from his broomstick. Harry, being the moody teen he is, dwells on his overwhelming problems: his broken broomstick, quidditch, the issue with the dementors, the grim, and the fugitive, Sirius Black. We get a firsthand look inside Harry's head because he's the protagonist of the story, but what is not to be overlooked is that while Harry is lying in the hospital wing, Ron and Hermione "left Harry's bedside only at night." I don't think this is a superfluous tidbit added by Rowling; rather, I prefer to believe she did it intentionally to reenforce the theme of loyalty because their loyalty to Harry will be severely tested later in the series.



Keeping with the theme of loyalty, we see in this book that although Dumbledore is an extremely accomplished and powerful wizard, he has earned the respect of others. It has been said that the true test of character is how you treat your subordinates.... or something like that. We've already seen acts of loyalty demonstrated by Hagrid in earlier books and I'll reitterate those as more examples come later on. In this chapter, we see a demonstration of loyalty to Dumbledore by McGonagall. During her conversation with Fudge, Flitwick, and Hagrid in the Three Broomsticks, McGonagall unquestionably backs Dumbledore when Fudge mentions the dementors being angry with Dumbledore.

Christmas Bells are Ringing... blah blah blah blah blah blah.

During the Christmas feast, Professor Trelawny notices the absence of Professor Lupin. Dumbledore gives the excuse that he's ill. However, Professor Lupin has not been seen in the hospital wing... suspicious. Perhaps he knew he was going to be sick, and perhaps this is why he didn't want to start anti-dementor lessons with Harry until after break. I don't think he was really busy... hmmmm.

It's a Freaking Broomstick

It takes true talent to write about a plain object like a broomstick and make the readers yearn for one the same way they'd pine for a new sports car. As I was reading about Harry and Ron's excitement over the Firebolt, I had to stop and remind myself that it's a stupid broomstick she's describing. There is no such thing as a Firebolt, yet I found myself jealous that Harry had one and I didn't... :(

Harry Potter vs. Percy Jackson

Hey sports fans! During my little "Potter Hiatus," I took the chance to read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. If you don't know anything about them, I'll give a brief description. Percy is the son of Poseidon... and saves the day. The End. Told you it would be brief :)

A colleague of mine at the dental school recommended this 5-book series because he claims they're similar to Harry Potter, and he knowing what a rabid HP fan I am, suggested I give them a try. So I'm posting this as a book review for any of yous who are considering giving them a try.













VS






As a stand-alone series, it's a pretty fun and easy read, but comparing it to Harry Potter is like comparing the contents of my daughter's diaper to the Mona Lisa. My biggest beef with the series is that it doesn't grow and mature like the Harry Potter series does. What I mean by that is the first Percy Jackson book reads very similar to the first Harry Potter book. Both main characters are just learning about the special worlds they are a part of. In the second Harry Potter book, Harry and his friends mature and the overall plot grows in depth and complexity. In the second Percy Jackson book, however, new characters are added, but we don't get a maturing of the characters even though they age along a similar timeline as the HP characters do. Both of these series are aimed at young adult readers, but the difference between the two is that the last book in the HP series is aimed at an older, more mature audience while the Percy Jackson series stays at that 11-13 year old range.

Another problem I have with the Percy Jackson series is that the characters don't react to dangerous situations like the average person would. When faced with impending doom, Percy still manages to pop off a few wisecracks or puns. Facing the same situation, Harry deals with his emotions in a much more real and understandable way. I think the way the characters are treated in the Percy Jackson series does a disservice to the readers. Yes, the pre-teens will still love the books, but in my opinion, they won't be able to relate to the characters on any kind of personal level. In contrast, in HP, a lot of people can relate to someone like Ron whose accomplishments are overshadowed by those of his older siblings. He feels that he has to take the backseat to Harry and sometimes Hermione. Some people can also relate to being brainy like Hermione, but also being aware of lacking some social grace and being the target of scrutiny. Some may even be able to relate to being thrust in the spotlight like Harry despite a multitude of insecurities.

The Percy Jackson series does have some redeeming qualities. The books are very action packed and I never felt that they dragged in any regard. The author does a good job of keeping the plot moving forward. Another good thing is that I actually learned quite a bit about Greek Mythology. The author also does a good job of not "Disney-fying" the Greek Gods. For example, he doesn't shy away from the fact that the gods had extra-marital affairs and that even the gods are flawed and don't always do "good."

Overall, the series was a quick and enjoyable read and I would recommend them for a light-hearted adventure. I would not, however, recommend starting a blog discovering the depths and complexities of Percy Jackson.

Prisoner of Azkaban Chapters 8 - 9

Looks Like a Truck Ran into its Face

Ok, so what's the deal with Crookshanks? First of all, why's he out for scabbers. Second of all, how is that cat so smart? Third of all, why would Hermione buy such an ugly insult to nature in the first place?

First, I can't answer why he appears to be after Scabbers without giving too much away. We just have to take things at face value for now, but I will say that Ron's assumptions about the cat will prove to be well founded.

Second, I really have no idea how the cat is so smart. That's one thing about Crookshanks that has always bothered me. I get that he's a magical pet, but most pets that have abilities beyond their counterparts in the muggle world are given some kind of personality: Hedwig, Buckbeak, and even Scabbers. Referencing Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, Crookshanks is not actually a cat, but a magical creature called a "kneazle." They resemble cats, but are more intellegent, loyal, and aggressive. Mr. Scamander also points out that they are excellent at detecting unsavory or suspecious characters (an importand point to keep in mind throughout this book.) He also points out that a liscense is require for ownership of a kneazle. I'm not sure Hermione has one of thems.

Thirdly, no one can answer why Hermione would buy a trainwreck of a cat, but if you think about Hermione's personality, it kinda fits. She values intellegence and loyalty above looks and popularity. But as smart as Hermione is, I'm surprized she didn't know more about kneazles. That could have changed the whole landscape of the third book.

Turn to Page Three-Hundred Ninety-Four

So we see in Chapter 9 that Snape definetly does not like Professor Lupin. We don't yet understand why, but it becomes more clear later in this book and in Book 5.




Extra Credit:

If you want something fun to test your HP knowledge, go here:

http://www.sporcle.com/games/GeoGod/allharrypotter

Welcome back!

It's about time you guys came back. Sheesh. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever have readers again. I pretty much blame all you guys for my absence.

Now that you've learned your lesson, let's move on.

Have you seen this? If you haven't, shame, shame, shame on you all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EC2tmFVNNE

This is the newest trailer for BOTH Deathly Hallows movies. I had to watch it multiple times to take it all in. I looks to be the best thing the happen to mankind, so show it to all your friends, family, and cow-orkers.

(More on Prisoner of Azkaban to come shortly)