[CLOSED] The Harry Potter Book Club! - Your Notes for Chapters 1, 2, 3 & 4 of the Prisoner of Azkaban!

Hermione thanks Harry for a book he got her for Christmas in OotP (don't have it in front of me to look up the title) so that might be the one you're thinking of, and there are at least a few other instances of Harry getting them Christmas or birthday gifts (he gets Ron a Chudley Cannons hat for Christmas in book 4 and new keeper's gloves for his birthday in book 6 to name the ones I can remember). And it becomes something of a plot point in book 4 after he gets them the omnioculars and Ron pays him back in leprechaun gold.

Q

FYI Stan is indeed cockney (or at least, from London). Ernie also has a London accent, but a more old-school one appropriate to his age. Hagrid is indeed from the west country (Devon/Cornwall/Somerset area). He was actually inspired by a real person the Rowling met. He was a huge scary-looking biker-gang type that was actually really soft and loveable (hence hagrid arriving on a motorbike)

Garry (Not Jerry)

I don't have a problem with your first point, however 2) I agree that the Weasleys wouldn't accept Harry's money but "They cannot afford a replacement owl"? Didn't the Weasleys recently win 200 galleons? Couldn't they have put some of that aside for a new owl, or do they just enjoy torturing poor Errol? And an owl can't be expensive enough to drain their whole budget since less than three books ago Arthur bought Percy an owl. (This does raise the question of why didn't they use Hermes for the package delivery, but at least there you can argue that Hermes is a screech owl, which are pretty small, so he might not be able to carry the heavy package.) 3) Wouldn't Arthur have to know how the artifact worked originally to be able to disenchant it? Then the whole learning about muggles thing: It's not like Arthur has to walk up to a random muggle and ask his questions. Are there really no muggle-born wizards/witches working at the Ministry? Arthur knows many people from many different departments but never made friends with someone who's muggle-born? Or made friends with someone whose wife or husband was a muggle/muggle-born? Heck, even some half-blood wizards would still have one muggle parent! Also, don't the Weasleys have an accountant cousin? Also, I know her blood status is a bit unclear, but if Penelope is muggle-born, Percy's currently dating a muggle-born girl whom he apparently writes letters constantly. Can't one of those letters include a post-script of "Hey, Penny, dad wants to know how to operate a telephone"? The point that I'm trying to make is that Arthur is very lazy when it comes to his muggle interest. If he was actually as passionate about the issue as he claims, he would have multiple avenues to find out more about muggles without even leaving the wizarding world. And if he was really as interested as he claims, why wouldn't he leave to go check out the muggle world? It's not like he can't go where he wants since he can apparate. Especially since he spends all his free time tinkering in the shed anyway. Couldn't he take a break from that to go actually learn about muggles through observation?

Sara

I like your questions and observation 4 especially, but I think the other three points are not really thought through: 1) Harry was never attacked while Dumbledore was there, only when he was gone (to London in the first book, released of duty by governors in second) and Harry was actively putting himself into danger. So their argument still stands. 2) Harry notes to himself on several occasions that the Weasleys would never accept any substantial gift from him (a 13 year old kid). They want to get by on their own account and not be thought of as leeching off of a kid. And they likely cannot afford a replacement owl. 3) It's his job to handle enchanted muggle artifacts, which don't necessarily work anymore in the normal muggle sense. He is very curious about muggles and likes to investigate their stuff, but never got anyone to explain it all to him (which admittedly is partly his fault, but imagine someone came to you asking about rubber ducks or plugs. How many people would actually explain stuff vs scoff and leave, thinking him either an idiot or a clown)

Lukas

Okay, SO excited for you to have started these longer and more mature books that have more details and so much more that you have no way of knowing as just a movie watcher. Three questions: 1. What was the most surprising thing from the first four chapters for you? 2. What character are you most excited to hopefully get more information about and more scenes with going into this book? 3. What is your impression of Sirius as a character after reading about his "crimes" and his laughing reaction to getting caught that we are told about by Stan and Ern when knowing what ACTUALLY happened? A few of MY observations about these chapters: 1. HOW are people still using the "as long as Albus Dumbledore is there nothing bad can happen to Harry" line when Harry has now been attacked at the end of two out of two years at Hogwarts??? Come on Molly! Makes me laugh every time. 2. Stop flying Errol Weasley family, it is just abusive at this point and one of these days it will kill the poor owl! Especially looking at you Ron! Also looking at you Harry Potter - want to use all that money to buy them a new owl that won't die if used ??? No??? Okay then. 3. HOW does Arthur Weasley NOT know how to use a telephone??? His JOB is Muggle relations, he is a supposed Muggle EXPERT whose job requires a LOT of contact with Muggles, yet he never seems to actually know ANYTHING about Muggle things 😂 4. My favorite Hedwig theory is that the reason Harry keeps getting shitty gifts from the Dursleys is that Hedwig flies to collect a gift from them every year, just as she went to Hermione to get the birthday gift in these chapters, and that the Dursley's just send shitty things because she won't leave without a gift of some kind. She is such a sweet and loyal pet, and Harry doesn't appreciate her nearly enough 😍 Sorry it got so long, but there is just so much to ask and point out.

sarah4hp

I think there is a moment in one of the books where Hermione thanks Harry for a present, but I can't remember either the gift or the book I believe it's from. I know, that's probably not helpful, but that's all I've got. XD

electroshock therapy

Yay Azkaban finally! Poor Harry though, having to spend a week with Marge instead of just a day no wonder he snapped, it’s better that in the book Harry is doing an essay and is very worried about doing magic because of the warning last year. Instead of how in the movie they had him straight up practicing the lumos spell under his covers… I guess it’s because it looks cooler. It doesn’t add much story wise but I would have loved to see Ron calling the Dursley’s in the movies and shouting down the phone. Their faces would be glorious. I forgot how many clues they give about scabbers from the beginning… it’s interesting reading it knowing the story. This is a small thing after hearing about Hermione’s birthday, I could be wrong but I don’t think we ever in the series hear of Harry buying Ron and Hermione birthday or Christmas presents and it’s always Hermione and Ron buying Harry, he’s the richest and gets the most free stuff as well lol. I guess it’s because it’s not an important plot point but I assume Harry must buy them gifts as well even if it’s not mentioned.

Loveinthehat

I feel like there is so much in these first chapters that it is easy to miss some of the details that get important later on. Especially the things we hear about Black like him repeating in his sleep: "He is at Hogwarts". Also we can already experience the shift from children books to a more mature feeling. This can also be seen in the characters themselves like in Harry who is able to stand his ground in front of Vernon to try to get the allowance to visit Hogsmeade. On a side note i found the development of Percy extremely interesting. He is the only one of the Weasleys that really shows a growing ambition and love for law and order, contrary to the rather chaotic but kind hearted rest of his family. Percy becoming Head boy pushes him further away from the things that the rest of his family care about. Keep that in mind because it gets more important in the later books to understand Percys motives. As always thanks for your interesting and profound thoughts on these books and greetings from Germany.

Fiur

The foreshadowing in the first 2 chapters is brilliantly written. You discover a lot when you know the rest of the book and re read it. That being said I really wish Harry's time in Diagon Alley was shown in the movie. Would be nice to see Harry happy outside of Hogwarts just like his first visit to the Borrow.

Raider Max

I would be totally OK with that :) The more episodes the merrier.

Hawwah

just FYI 2 chapters at a time would take 99 episodes and if he's averaging around 1 a month that's going to take 8.25 years. Although he's already done book 1 and 2 so starting from now it will take 6.8 years

Garry (Not Jerry)

I don't think you meant to leave this as a main comment?

Garry (Not Jerry)

The accents is an interesting one as well, because they are actually implied by the way the dialogue is written. I assume this is why veggie assumed that Fry was doing an "impression" of Hagrid from the movie (they both used the same accent). Although Fry does take some liberties. Tonks - when she appears - is given a strong Yorkshire accent - although "wotcher" is a London expression, so I'm not sure why he goes for that. He gives Scottish accents to some of the Scottish-sounding names (Mcmillan, Macnair) although not Mcgonagall...I guess it's easy enough giving accents to side-characters, but he didn't want to commit to doing it for such a main character? Btw I could answer your question but I'll let veggie tell it haha

Garry (Not Jerry)

I love the way Fred and George poke fun at Percy in chapter 4, they're just so much more hilarious in the books! I also love how Sirius is mentioned so early on even in the muggle world as an escaped prisoner. So often details are woven into the story so early on you never even notice at first read. As someone who is not from the UK, could you maybe give us a clue of the different dialects Stephen Fry gives certain characters? For example, what kind of dialect does Hagrid have or what about Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the Knight Bus? I find this so interesting. :)

Sandra Duy

I’ve totally accepted the fanon of James being an auror trainee as canon, ngl. Also yeah, as much as I love Alan Rickman as Snape his casting led to one of my biggest pet peeves of the movies (the marauder era characters being too old).

Jacqueline Chaiton

I can already see this is going to be a super long video! Bold of you to review 4 chapters at once, since from now on the books really start to differ from the movies. Or, to be more precise, from now on the filmmakers started to leave out a lot of stuff from the books. I actually think you might consider reviewing just 2 chapters per video. Beginning with PoA, not only do the books get longer, darker and more mature, they also get much more controversial. And most of the controversial stuff was left out of the movies as well.   The Dursleys did their best to denigrate Harry's parents, but Uncle Vernon actually told Marge the truth one time. James Potter was indeed unemployed. However, he didn't live off government money (he inherited so much gold from his parents that he didn't have to work), wasn't a drunk and obviously didn't die in a car crash. Interesting fact: in a lot of fanfiction James works as an auror. It's such a common trope that many fans actually think this was the case in the books as well. But no - he wasn't even old enough to be a qualified auror. Remember,the Potters died at the tender age of 21. The timeline is something the movies really screwed up. With Professor Snape, too. He's 33/34 in this book, while his actor was almost 60. I love the part when Harry just hangs out in Diagon Alley. Not much is happening, but all the descriptions and details make the wizarding world feel so real. And I love the talking mirror!

Hawwah

While rereading these chapters I noticed again how clever Harry actually is. I mean when he left the Dursley’s he made a whole plan about how he would escape the ministry and live as an outcast (which was completely left out of the movie). Then he noticed immediately that something was off when Fudge was the one waiting for him at the leaky cauldron and when he didn’t get any punishment for blowing up his aunt. He ultimately put all the peaces together after overhearing the Weasley parents talking about Sirius (who is btw my favourite character from the books). Also I love the fact that Harry asked the Minister of Magic to sign his Hogsmeade form. 😄 Only four chapters in and we already have a lot of amazing things left out in the movie that i really enjoyed, like Harry getting presents from his friends, more information about the Monster book of Monsters, the early mention of the grimm (on the cover oft a divination book) and Scabbers/Pettigrew looking ill.

Tämi

The movie is directed by Alfonso Cuaron of Y Tu Mama Tambien fame. I think he could resist starting the movie with a visual pun of having a teenage boy "play with his wand" after hours.

Frederique Gillespie

Spoiler! Don't mention things he didn't read yet!

so excited! can't wait for the later chapters!

Dara Jeeling

First of, a little rant - Why the f*** is Harry using magic at the Dursleys in the first scene from the movie? I mean even without the details from the book, just with the knowledge from the movies, this wouldn't make sense?! I never got why they changed that. In the Knight Bus Chapter we've met one of my favourite side characters, Stan Shunpike. I think he's absolutely hilarious, how he keeps calling Harry Neville even though he knows who he is. And i love the last chapter, so many little details and the story, how Hermione originally wanted an owl, so she can send mail herself and instead gets crookshanks is awesome. I think you can already kind of see, why most of the people (i think) say, this is where its starting to get really good, because the book takes its time to talk about things that are not necessarily incredibly important for the plot? I think this gives the story a lot more depth. Hope you are doing well Veggie, cant wait to see the [CLOSED] tag on this one!

Jonas (Methanoutput)