First Time Readers

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Ch 8-10

Episode Summary

This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in the school, and this podcast will bring you back to the first time you read Harry Potter. So join Jon, Jenn, Danny, and Kristen as they talk over chapters 8-10 of the Prisoner of Azkaban. They talk over some theories about what will happen, impressions of the characters, and how good of an ending chapter 8 is!

Episode Notes

Chapter 8 - Flight of the Fat Lady

Q1 - How do you think the Fat Lady feels that she is just known as the Fat Lady?

• “Well, look at it logically,” said Hermione turning to the rest of the group. “I mean, Binky didn’t even die today, did he, Lavender just got the news today —” Lavender wailed loudly, “—and she can’t have been dreading it, because it’s come as a real shock—” “Don’t mind Hermione, Lavender,” said Ron loudly, “she doesn’t think other people’s pets matter very much.”

Q2 - Is Hermione a good pet owner?

Q3 - If you started a magical shop in Hogsmeade, what would it be?

• He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog he’d seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to. He didn’t want Lupin to think he was a coward.

Q4 - What is this potion that Snape gives Lupin?

Q5 - How is fearing fear most wise?

• “He got very angry when she wouldn’t let him in, you see.” Peeves flipped over, and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. “Nasty tempers he’s got, that Sirius Black.”

Q6 - How good is the end of this chapter?!

Chapter 9 - Grim Defeat

Q1 - Should the students be sent home after Sirius Black got in the castle?

• “Have you any theories as to how he got in, Professor?” asked Snape. Harry raised his head very slightly off his arm to free his other ear. “Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next.”

Q2 - How do you think Sirius got in the castle?

• Harry knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team’s prospects.

Q3 - Is it alarming that McGonnagal chooses Madam Hooch to oversee the practices?

• “You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardy over-taxing you — I would expect first-years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss — werewolves.”

Q4 - If you had to fight a werewolf, how do you think you’d defeat it?

• “This is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger,” said Snape coolly. “Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all.”

Q5 - Why is Snape so mean?

• “Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!” “Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside, now…” “Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead—”

Q6 - What is this that Harry heard during the dementor attack?

Q7 - Do you think Harry will be a bad seeker now he doesn’t have a good broom?

Chapter 10 - The Marauder’s Map

• Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. He didn’t argue or complain, but he wouldn’t let her throw away the shattered remains of his Nimbus Two Thousand. He knew he was being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but Harry couldn’t help it; he felt as though he’d lost one of his best friends.

Q1 - Is Harry being extreme by saying he’d lost one of his friends?

• Ron finally cracked, flinging a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor.

Q2 - 50!?

• “The dementors affect you worse than the others because there are horrors in your past that the others don’t have.”...”Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them. Even muggles feel their presence, though they can’t see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory, will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself — soulless and evil. You’ll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that has happened to you, Harry, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of.”

Q3 - What are your thoughts on Dementors and the Azkaban Prison?

• “This little beauty’s taught us more than all the teachers in the school.”

Q4 - Where do you think the map came from?

Q5 - Is Harry irresponsible for going to Hogsmeade?

Q6 - What is apparition?

• “Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here — ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!”

Q7 - Does James and Sirius being best friends make Sirius that much worse for going to the dark side?

• “An immensely complex spell,” he said squeakily, “involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find – unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it.”

Q8 - What do you think about Sirius being Harry’s godfather?

Q9 - What do you think of the Fidelius Charm?

• “You know most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark, there’s no sense in them…but I was shocked at how normal Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You’d have thought he was merely bored…Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him.”

Q10 - What do you think about Peter Pettigrew?

Q11 - How do you feel after hearing this story?