PoA Re-Read
I'm doing a re-read of the third Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. I promise I'm actually going through with this one. It's easier recapping a book than several seasons of a TV show.
The book takes place in 1993. I read it in 1999. December, to be exact. I was fourteen and in 8th grade.
I had read the first two(!) books that summer, because nobody would shut up about it.I finally gave in, and realized I was dealing with something special. Still, the books were cute to me; they were still written for a younger audience, and it was obvious to me.
Then there was PoA, where Harry's aunt calls his dead mother a bitch and he has memories of his parents being murdered. Not the darkest thing a book has ever done, but still, it's more real than an evil snake (that apparently can go a thousand years without food) petrifying people. No, Dementors don't really exist, but triggers do, and Dementors make you remember things you don't want to think about, maybe didn't even know you remembered. That's very, VERY real. Knowing this, I really looked at the HP books a different way.
Then fandom came along, and I loved PoA more because it had "MWPP" (Moony Wormtail Padfoot and Prongs), more specifically Remus and Sirius. I had a huge fangirl crush on Remus, and while I always thought Sirius was a bit screwed up and wasn't remotely surprised by OoTP, I liked his character too. I loved the story of MWPP altogether, of course - it was just so tragic, this group of best friends torn apart by war. One of them a misunderstood werewolf, the other a misunderstood criminals. I was also going through my slightly emo phase, so that helped. I thought most Sarah McLachlan songs fit the Marauders' hardship.
But as time has passed, and the books have come and gone, I've realized I may have loved what PoA became to me, became to fandom, more than the actual book. Meanwhile, we learned in later books that fandom's initial perception of the Marauders wasn't necessarily correct. Nor did we necessarily get the point. Or did we?
That's partly why I want to re-read PoA. I want to read it now that I've taken a bit of a step back from the MWPP aspect of fandom - I still dabble, and I still love the books, but although I've re-read PoA before, it was always with fandom lenses. In other words, skipping most of the trio parts (except anything with the slightest hint of Ron/Hermione) and going straight for the MWPP goodness. What I really want to do now is look at how the book set up the rest of the series, as well as the story itself. From an unbiased, less fangirly POV.
However, I will warn you - I used a Time Turner and went back to 2002. A fangirl might have come back with me. You have been warned.
Chapter 1: Owl Post
In this chapter, we learn that Harry was "highly unusual" because he hated the summer and was doing his homework. He hates summer because he's back with his abusive family, but he also hates it because he can't do his homework (since the Dursleys forbid it), and has a lot. Although I'm glad he's upholding such a great example, I'm willing to bet most of his classmates just do at least some of it on the train back. He's reading about witch burnings, which were apparently "completely pointless" because they would just use flame freezing charms. (We do later learn that they had other methods, but either JKR hadn't decided that or Harry's teachers are being fair by not making him write about every single form of witch torture.)
I find it interesting that from the start, we're presented with the idea of fooling authority. Harry is doing his assignment in the dark so his aunt and uncle don't catch him. His assignment is on a witch, Wendelin the Weird, who tricked authority into thinking they'd successfully killed her but had evaded them. The idea of authority being equally stifling and easy to fool is one of the major themes in this book, and right off bat, we're told - the person in a position of authority you may have only the incentive of power, not justice. At the same time, they can and have been duped.
Ron has tried to contact Harry, but did so by screaming, as he didn't know how to use a phone. Apparently Ron never caught onto the fact that mentioning Hogwarts was a bad idea, either. Ron... has Harry never ever mentioned how much his aunt and uncle hate magic? Harry got in trouble and never heard from Ron after that, probably because Vernon hollered at the kid and scarred him for life.
Harry reflects on his shitty life, which has moments of brilliance, and rehashes the past two books for us. This almost makes me think of The Baby-Sitter's Club or Sweet Valley High...
Voldemort and Harry were as different as night and day, but connected by the fact that Voldemort killed Harry's parents, but couldn't kill Harry. He gave him a scar. Hermione and Ron were also a different as night and day; Ron was fun but poor, his clothes long and oversized. Hermione was smart but bossy, and had bushy hair...
Hedwig the Owl was heading towards his window with what we'd learn were two Weasley owls and a Hogwarts owl. They bring letters, news clippings, cards and a gift from Hagrid (I'll get to that, but if you don't remember you should still be worried). We learn that the Daily Prophet covered the money Arthur won and how they used it to go to Egypt. There is a picture of them, and Ron conveniently has his "rat" on his shoulder. This Is Important. Ron has also added a letter, apologizing for the phone call. He's happy because he's also going to get a new wand.
We get an explanation as to why Ron didn't have one, and I realized I remembered it all wrong. I thought Ron's damaged was the result of cursing Draco after calling Hermione a mudblood, but it was the Ford Anglia crashing into the Whomping Willow. (Which we are reminded of here, conveniently enough.) Ron's wand being defunct was why he ended up barfing slugs. See, there are things I don't remember or only half remember! This is fun. If scary how quickly I was able to jump to the "right" canon moment. I really didn't have a life in high school.
Ron has also send a "sneakscope", which I'd half remembered; it's supposed to warn you about untrustworthy people. "Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard
tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup."
I have to admit, I don't quite buy this sneakscope, even though I know it tries to reveal who Scabbers is and stuff later. (Or I think it does. We'll find out.) But couldn't James have just held it in front of people he thought might be spying on him? "Remus mate, what's new? Okay, you're good - I mean, gotta go. Peter, nice to see - YOU!")
FFP: OH MY GOD THAT TRAITOR! But I bet he had his reasons. TRAITOR!
Hermione has written that she was in France, and learned a lot of local history. This is why I loved Hermione so much, before I realized she was kind of a batshit brat. I still think she's the hero of nerdy girls everywhere. Nerdy scary girls. Also see: Willow Rosenberg.
Much to Harry's surprise, Hermione got him a a broomstick kit. Don't worry Harry, two books from now you'll get the annoyingly patronizing "educational" book you were expecting. Harry thinks about his precious Nimbus Two Thousand. Just wait 'till you get your Firebolt.
Hagrid's present is a book that bites - "The Monster Book of Monsters." Hagrid. Fire breathing dragons in a wooden house? Giant spiders? Bad idea, but okay, you're doofy. But books that actually hurt children? Uhhh... I can see why fandom doesn't like you. (I still do. For some reason.)
McGonagall has sent Harry a permission slip for Hogsmeade, which of course never gets signed.
The chapter ends with Harry being happy for the first time ever that it's his birthday. Yay-ouch?
Chapter Two: Aunt Marge's Big Mistake
(Because she blows up. See what JKR did there? See it? See it?)
Everyone ignores Harry as he comes down for breakfast. The reporter on television is talking about Sirius, saying that he's "armed." I love how we get the hint that some muggle authorities know of the wizarding world. Vernon says there's "no need to tell us he's no good," because his hair looks bad. *Facepalm* The news report then starts talking about something else, which annoys
Vernon. I have to admit this annoys me too.
News Reporter: In a Baltimore K-Mart, two costumed clowns got into a fight with circus props over who was the real Bonzo. In other news, the sky is still blue-
Me: WAIT!!!!
Peetunia peers out her window, as if to spot him in the beans or the flowers. This is meant to be a comic moment, but a while ago my friend Linda and I actually came to the realization that knowing JKR, Sirius probably really was in the garden somewhere. Think about it.
Vernon has to go because he's picking up Aunt Marge. This horrifies Harry; she's Vernon's sister, has mean bulldogs she breeds herself, and has whacked Harry and given the kid dog biscuits. What the hell happened in Vernon and Marge's childhood? What did their parents do to them that it was okay to keep a kid in a cupboard and feed him pet food?
Harry is told that he has to be civil, and cannot tell Marge about his "abnormality." He's also to pretend he goes to a school for criminal children. Snape would like that. Filch too, actually.
Harry asks Vernon to sign his permission slip, which of course Vernon doesn't want to do. He coolly points out that he could "let something slip", which is some Sirius Blackmail, Harry. Vernon threatens to beat Harry up if he does, but Harry just points out it won't make Aunt Marge forget. Harry promises to act normal as long as Vernon signs the permission slip. Vernon says he'll only do it if Harry behaves. Read: Shuts up.
Harry tells Hedwig she has to go with Errol to the Weasleys. Hedwig stares at Harry reproachfully, because unlike my cat when I talk to her, she understood every word Harry just said. Harry watches the owls fly symbolically out of his window as he is forced to return to his repressing life.
Aunt Marge roars for "Dudders", her "neffy-poo." I talk to my cat like that. I don't talk to human toddlers like that, much less eleven year olds. Harry and I both know
Dudley is miserable, but apparently Aunt Marge pays him? "Dudley had a crisp twenty-pound note in his fat fist."
In HBP Dumbledore points out that Dudley has been mistreated, and I think this is actually one example. He is being smothered by someone who pays him to put up with it, and someone is paying him to pretend he wants over the top affection. What has Dudley learned from this? That human value comes in money? That's actually incredibly sad and disturbing.
Aunt Marge has only brought one dog, Ripper, which is drooling on Petunia's "clean floor." She asks where the other dogs; some Colonel Fubster is managing them. Ripper growls when Harry sits, and Aunt Marge is offended by Harry saying "yes" to her. She goes on to tell him that she would've put him in an orphanage, and asks if he gets the cane at St. Brutus's. (Another traitor reference. Interesting.)
Life with Aunt Marge is even more miserable, and keeps saying things about his family.
"It's one of the basic rules of breeding," she said. "You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup-"
It's obvious she's never been married, because otherwise she'd known you don't tell a guy his Mum is a bitch.
Harry regresses to involuntary wandless magic (or maybe it's the Voldie inside him), and Aunt Marge's wineglass explodes. She figures it's just because she 'squeezed it too hard," and she "did the same thing at Colonel Fubster's the other day."
Harry tries to calm himself down, because he knows underage magic could get him expelled. Except he didn't do it with his wand. He just... did it. Which brings to mind a question - why aren't bad things always happening, if wizards can lose control that easily? Is it because Harry hasn't been able to use regular magic, so he regressed? Is he still learning to control it? Or is it the Horcrux? Something doesn't make sense about that setup.
On the final night, Aunt Marge has a brandy when she's already drunk. Aunt Marge continues to insult Harry, and goes on about bad blood and how Lily must have been a bad egg, which is nothing short of a quick save since Lily was Petunia's sister. Vernon says that James didn't work, and as Aunt Marge is based on Margaret Thatcher, this gets her set on another rant. Harry tells her to shove it, and they begin to argue back and forth.
And then it happens: Aunt Marge blows up into a balloon, literally flying around the room.
This a very powerful moment for Harry: Previously he's had help getting away from the Dursleys. He's older now, and has to do it on his own this time. There is no Hagrid or Ford Anglia to get him out of this one. He's well on his way to fighting alone.
Next time -
FFP: Who let the dogs out?
The book takes place in 1993. I read it in 1999. December, to be exact. I was fourteen and in 8th grade.
I had read the first two(!) books that summer, because nobody would shut up about it.I finally gave in, and realized I was dealing with something special. Still, the books were cute to me; they were still written for a younger audience, and it was obvious to me.
Then there was PoA, where Harry's aunt calls his dead mother a bitch and he has memories of his parents being murdered. Not the darkest thing a book has ever done, but still, it's more real than an evil snake (that apparently can go a thousand years without food) petrifying people. No, Dementors don't really exist, but triggers do, and Dementors make you remember things you don't want to think about, maybe didn't even know you remembered. That's very, VERY real. Knowing this, I really looked at the HP books a different way.
Then fandom came along, and I loved PoA more because it had "MWPP" (Moony Wormtail Padfoot and Prongs), more specifically Remus and Sirius. I had a huge fangirl crush on Remus, and while I always thought Sirius was a bit screwed up and wasn't remotely surprised by OoTP, I liked his character too. I loved the story of MWPP altogether, of course - it was just so tragic, this group of best friends torn apart by war. One of them a misunderstood werewolf, the other a misunderstood criminals. I was also going through my slightly emo phase, so that helped. I thought most Sarah McLachlan songs fit the Marauders' hardship.
But as time has passed, and the books have come and gone, I've realized I may have loved what PoA became to me, became to fandom, more than the actual book. Meanwhile, we learned in later books that fandom's initial perception of the Marauders wasn't necessarily correct. Nor did we necessarily get the point. Or did we?
That's partly why I want to re-read PoA. I want to read it now that I've taken a bit of a step back from the MWPP aspect of fandom - I still dabble, and I still love the books, but although I've re-read PoA before, it was always with fandom lenses. In other words, skipping most of the trio parts (except anything with the slightest hint of Ron/Hermione) and going straight for the MWPP goodness. What I really want to do now is look at how the book set up the rest of the series, as well as the story itself. From an unbiased, less fangirly POV.
However, I will warn you - I used a Time Turner and went back to 2002. A fangirl might have come back with me. You have been warned.
Chapter 1: Owl Post
In this chapter, we learn that Harry was "highly unusual" because he hated the summer and was doing his homework. He hates summer because he's back with his abusive family, but he also hates it because he can't do his homework (since the Dursleys forbid it), and has a lot. Although I'm glad he's upholding such a great example, I'm willing to bet most of his classmates just do at least some of it on the train back. He's reading about witch burnings, which were apparently "completely pointless" because they would just use flame freezing charms. (We do later learn that they had other methods, but either JKR hadn't decided that or Harry's teachers are being fair by not making him write about every single form of witch torture.)
I find it interesting that from the start, we're presented with the idea of fooling authority. Harry is doing his assignment in the dark so his aunt and uncle don't catch him. His assignment is on a witch, Wendelin the Weird, who tricked authority into thinking they'd successfully killed her but had evaded them. The idea of authority being equally stifling and easy to fool is one of the major themes in this book, and right off bat, we're told - the person in a position of authority you may have only the incentive of power, not justice. At the same time, they can and have been duped.
Ron has tried to contact Harry, but did so by screaming, as he didn't know how to use a phone. Apparently Ron never caught onto the fact that mentioning Hogwarts was a bad idea, either. Ron... has Harry never ever mentioned how much his aunt and uncle hate magic? Harry got in trouble and never heard from Ron after that, probably because Vernon hollered at the kid and scarred him for life.
Harry reflects on his shitty life, which has moments of brilliance, and rehashes the past two books for us. This almost makes me think of The Baby-Sitter's Club or Sweet Valley High...
Voldemort and Harry were as different as night and day, but connected by the fact that Voldemort killed Harry's parents, but couldn't kill Harry. He gave him a scar. Hermione and Ron were also a different as night and day; Ron was fun but poor, his clothes long and oversized. Hermione was smart but bossy, and had bushy hair...
Hedwig the Owl was heading towards his window with what we'd learn were two Weasley owls and a Hogwarts owl. They bring letters, news clippings, cards and a gift from Hagrid (I'll get to that, but if you don't remember you should still be worried). We learn that the Daily Prophet covered the money Arthur won and how they used it to go to Egypt. There is a picture of them, and Ron conveniently has his "rat" on his shoulder. This Is Important. Ron has also added a letter, apologizing for the phone call. He's happy because he's also going to get a new wand.
We get an explanation as to why Ron didn't have one, and I realized I remembered it all wrong. I thought Ron's damaged was the result of cursing Draco after calling Hermione a mudblood, but it was the Ford Anglia crashing into the Whomping Willow. (Which we are reminded of here, conveniently enough.) Ron's wand being defunct was why he ended up barfing slugs. See, there are things I don't remember or only half remember! This is fun. If scary how quickly I was able to jump to the "right" canon moment. I really didn't have a life in high school.
Ron has also send a "sneakscope", which I'd half remembered; it's supposed to warn you about untrustworthy people. "Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard
tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup."
I have to admit, I don't quite buy this sneakscope, even though I know it tries to reveal who Scabbers is and stuff later. (Or I think it does. We'll find out.) But couldn't James have just held it in front of people he thought might be spying on him? "Remus mate, what's new? Okay, you're good - I mean, gotta go. Peter, nice to see - YOU!")
FFP: OH MY GOD THAT TRAITOR! But I bet he had his reasons. TRAITOR!
Hermione has written that she was in France, and learned a lot of local history. This is why I loved Hermione so much, before I realized she was kind of a batshit brat. I still think she's the hero of nerdy girls everywhere. Nerdy scary girls. Also see: Willow Rosenberg.
Much to Harry's surprise, Hermione got him a a broomstick kit. Don't worry Harry, two books from now you'll get the annoyingly patronizing "educational" book you were expecting. Harry thinks about his precious Nimbus Two Thousand. Just wait 'till you get your Firebolt.
Hagrid's present is a book that bites - "The Monster Book of Monsters." Hagrid. Fire breathing dragons in a wooden house? Giant spiders? Bad idea, but okay, you're doofy. But books that actually hurt children? Uhhh... I can see why fandom doesn't like you. (I still do. For some reason.)
McGonagall has sent Harry a permission slip for Hogsmeade, which of course never gets signed.
The chapter ends with Harry being happy for the first time ever that it's his birthday. Yay-ouch?
Chapter Two: Aunt Marge's Big Mistake
(Because she blows up. See what JKR did there? See it? See it?)
Everyone ignores Harry as he comes down for breakfast. The reporter on television is talking about Sirius, saying that he's "armed." I love how we get the hint that some muggle authorities know of the wizarding world. Vernon says there's "no need to tell us he's no good," because his hair looks bad. *Facepalm* The news report then starts talking about something else, which annoys
Vernon. I have to admit this annoys me too.
News Reporter: In a Baltimore K-Mart, two costumed clowns got into a fight with circus props over who was the real Bonzo. In other news, the sky is still blue-
Me: WAIT!!!!
Peetunia peers out her window, as if to spot him in the beans or the flowers. This is meant to be a comic moment, but a while ago my friend Linda and I actually came to the realization that knowing JKR, Sirius probably really was in the garden somewhere. Think about it.
Vernon has to go because he's picking up Aunt Marge. This horrifies Harry; she's Vernon's sister, has mean bulldogs she breeds herself, and has whacked Harry and given the kid dog biscuits. What the hell happened in Vernon and Marge's childhood? What did their parents do to them that it was okay to keep a kid in a cupboard and feed him pet food?
Harry is told that he has to be civil, and cannot tell Marge about his "abnormality." He's also to pretend he goes to a school for criminal children. Snape would like that. Filch too, actually.
Harry asks Vernon to sign his permission slip, which of course Vernon doesn't want to do. He coolly points out that he could "let something slip", which is some Sirius Blackmail, Harry. Vernon threatens to beat Harry up if he does, but Harry just points out it won't make Aunt Marge forget. Harry promises to act normal as long as Vernon signs the permission slip. Vernon says he'll only do it if Harry behaves. Read: Shuts up.
Harry tells Hedwig she has to go with Errol to the Weasleys. Hedwig stares at Harry reproachfully, because unlike my cat when I talk to her, she understood every word Harry just said. Harry watches the owls fly symbolically out of his window as he is forced to return to his repressing life.
Aunt Marge roars for "Dudders", her "neffy-poo." I talk to my cat like that. I don't talk to human toddlers like that, much less eleven year olds. Harry and I both know
Dudley is miserable, but apparently Aunt Marge pays him? "Dudley had a crisp twenty-pound note in his fat fist."
In HBP Dumbledore points out that Dudley has been mistreated, and I think this is actually one example. He is being smothered by someone who pays him to put up with it, and someone is paying him to pretend he wants over the top affection. What has Dudley learned from this? That human value comes in money? That's actually incredibly sad and disturbing.
Aunt Marge has only brought one dog, Ripper, which is drooling on Petunia's "clean floor." She asks where the other dogs; some Colonel Fubster is managing them. Ripper growls when Harry sits, and Aunt Marge is offended by Harry saying "yes" to her. She goes on to tell him that she would've put him in an orphanage, and asks if he gets the cane at St. Brutus's. (Another traitor reference. Interesting.)
Life with Aunt Marge is even more miserable, and keeps saying things about his family.
"It's one of the basic rules of breeding," she said. "You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup-"
It's obvious she's never been married, because otherwise she'd known you don't tell a guy his Mum is a bitch.
Harry regresses to involuntary wandless magic (or maybe it's the Voldie inside him), and Aunt Marge's wineglass explodes. She figures it's just because she 'squeezed it too hard," and she "did the same thing at Colonel Fubster's the other day."
Harry tries to calm himself down, because he knows underage magic could get him expelled. Except he didn't do it with his wand. He just... did it. Which brings to mind a question - why aren't bad things always happening, if wizards can lose control that easily? Is it because Harry hasn't been able to use regular magic, so he regressed? Is he still learning to control it? Or is it the Horcrux? Something doesn't make sense about that setup.
On the final night, Aunt Marge has a brandy when she's already drunk. Aunt Marge continues to insult Harry, and goes on about bad blood and how Lily must have been a bad egg, which is nothing short of a quick save since Lily was Petunia's sister. Vernon says that James didn't work, and as Aunt Marge is based on Margaret Thatcher, this gets her set on another rant. Harry tells her to shove it, and they begin to argue back and forth.
And then it happens: Aunt Marge blows up into a balloon, literally flying around the room.
This a very powerful moment for Harry: Previously he's had help getting away from the Dursleys. He's older now, and has to do it on his own this time. There is no Hagrid or Ford Anglia to get him out of this one. He's well on his way to fighting alone.
Next time -
FFP: Who let the dogs out?