First Time Readers

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Ch 11-15

Episode Summary

You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you’ll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no … anything. But you can always listen to this pod to make things better. So join Jon, Jenn, Danny, and Kristen as they talk over chapters 11-15 of the Prisoner of Azkaban. They talk over some theories about what will happen, impressions of the characters, and we just learned what our Patronus forms are too, so it's super fun over here.

Episode Notes

Chapter 11 - The Firebolt

• He stopped on a picture of his parents’ wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. And there…that must be him. Their best man…Harry had never given him a thought before.
• A hatred such as he had never known before was coursing through Harry like poison. 

Q1 - How do you feel after letting it stew, that Harry is the godson of Sirius Black?

• Harry looked at them. They didn’t seem to understand at all. “D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me?' Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive. 'I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her —”

Q2 - What would you say to Harry in this moment?

• “Hey, Harry —” Ron gave a great whoop of laughter, “Malfoy! Wait till he sees you on this! He’ll be sick as a pig! This is an international-standard broom, this is!”

Q3 - Do you think Sneakoscopes can gauge animal mischief?

Q4 - Why are Ron and Hermione staying for Christmas holidays?

• “Certainly I knew, Minerva,” she said quietly. “But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous.” “That explains a great deal,” said Professor McGonagall tartly.

Q5 - Who sent Harry the firebolt?

Chapter 12 - The Patronus

• Harry knew Hermione had meant well, but that didn’t stop him being angry with her.

PREDICTION #11 - Short lifelines for Harry’s palm.

Q1 - Why is Lupin always sick?

• “The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very thing that the Dementor feeds upon — hope, happiness, the desire to survive — but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can’t hurt it.”

Q2 - Which memory would you pick to cast your Patronus?

• “I heard my dad,” Harry mumbled. “That’s the first time I’ve heard him — he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it…”
• “Professor Lupin?” he said. “If you knew my dad, you must’ve known Sirius Black as well.” Lupin turned very quickly. “What gives you that idea?” he said sharply. “Nothing — I mean, I just knew they were friends at Hogwarts, too…” Lupin's face relaxed. “Yes, I knew him,” he said shortly. “Or I thought I did.”

Q3 - Do you think Lupin and Sirius Black are working together in any way?

• “They clamp their jaws upon the mouth of the victim and — suck out his soul.” Harry accidentally spat out a bit of butterbeer. “What — they kill —?” “Oh, no,” said Lupin. “Much worse than that. You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you’ll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no … anything. There is no chance of recovery. You’ll just — exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever…lost.”

Q4 - What are your thoughts on the Dementor’s kiss?

• Harry sat stunned for a moment at the idea of someone having their soul sucked out through their mouth. But then he thought of Black. “He deserves it,” he said suddenly. “You think so?” said Lupin lightly. “Do you really think anyone deserves that?”

Q5 - Do you think anyone deserves the Dementor’s kiss?

DRINK FOR SCABBERS!

Q6 - Do you think Hermione was right to tattle about the broom?

Chapter 13 - Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw

• “He bit Goyle for us once!” Ron said miserably. “Remember, Harry?” “Yeah, that’s true,” said Harry. “His finest hour,” said Fred.

Q1 - Would you like to play Quidditch?

Q2 - How incompetent is Madam Hooch?

• She smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and he felt a slight jolt in the region of his stomach that he didn’t think had anything to do with nerves.

Q3 - How would you coach quidditch to make sure your team won? Are there any kind of Moneyball situations with Quidditch?

Q4 - Who’s side do you take in the friendship battle: Ron or Hermione?

Q5 - Do you think Harry’s dream meant anything?

• “Professor, I woke up and Sirius Black was standing over me, holding a knife!” Professor McGonagall stared at him. “Don’t be ridiculous, Weasley.”

Q6 - How is Sirius Black getting in the castle so easily?

Chapter 14 - Snape’s Grudge

Q1 - What should the procedure be after Sirius Black has been caught sneaking into Hogwarts again?

Q2 - Why hadn’t Sirius killed Ron and then gone to Harry?

• “But I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two’d value yer friend more’n broomsticks or rats. Tha’s all.”
• Ron had to hold onto the fence to keep himself standing, he was laughing so hard.

Q3 - What is the hardest you have ever laughed?

• “So, everyone from the Minister of Magic downwards has been trying to keep famous Harry Potter safe from Sirius Black. But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself. Let the ordinary people worry about his safety! Famous Harry Potter goes where he wants to, with no thought for the consequences.”

Q4 - Does Snape have a point about Harry here?

• “I told you to shut up about my dad!” Harry yelled. “I know the truth, all right? He saved your life! Dumbledore told me! You wouldn’t even be here if it weren't for my dad!” Snape's sallow skin had gone the color of sour milk. “And did the Headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father saved my life?” he whispered. “Or did he consider the details too unpleasant for precious Potter’s delicate ears?”

Q5 - What do you think of Snape and James Potter?

Q6 - Who do you think made the Marauders Map?

• Your parents gave their lives to keep you alive, Harry. A poor way to repay them — by gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks.”

Chapter 15 - The Quidditch Final

• “There’ll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can’t see any hope…nothing will have changed.” “Yeah it will,” said Ron fiercely. “You won’t have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I’ll help.” Hermione flung her arms around Ron’s neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Finally, Hermione drew away.

Q1 - Do you think Ron and Hermione or Harry and Hermione are a better couple?

• Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first — SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy around the face with all the strength she could muster.

Q2 - How do we like aggressive Hermione?

• “Fine!” she repeated swinging the bag over her shoulder and almost knocking Ron off his chair, “I give up! I’m leaving!” And to the whole class’s amazement, Hermione strode over to the trapdoor, kicked it open, and climbed down the ladder out of sight.

PREDICTION - ONE WILL LEAVE THE NUMBER FOREVER!

Q3 - What do you think is the deal with Crookshanks and the grim?

• The Gryffindor crowd were screaming themselves hoarse — Gryffindor were sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the snitch now, the cup was theirs.

Q4 - How bad of a seeker is Malfoy?

Q5 - Do you guys like quidditch now?