Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Black's been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'He's at Hogwarts . . . he's at Hogwarts.' Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead."

[Click here to see my review of book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]

Now in his third year at Hogwarts, we rejoin Harry in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in the midst of his summer vacation. He is still living with the Dursleys and very unhappy about it when his Aunt Marge goes too far in insulting Harry's deceased father and ends up being blown up like a balloon from the force of Harry's anger.

Panicking over his accidental used of magic outside of school (which is strictly prohibited), he runs out of the house and soon catches a fleeting glimpse of a large, black dog just before leaving for the Leaky Cauldron.

As the school year begins, Harry continues to catch fleeting glimpses of what he soon finds out may be a Grimm, a death omen. Nearly every time he has seen this apparition, he seems to have a near death experience. And now his Divination teacher is even predicting his death.

To make matters worse, Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. Black was placed in the high-security wizard prison twelve years ago for the murder of thirteen Muggles and one wizard not long after the defeat of Voldemort. The clues all point to his return to Hogwarts where he intends to finish the job he started so many years ago: He's coming to kill Harry Potter.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my second favorite book in the entire series, topped only by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. J.K. Rowling never falters in her masterful storytelling. Her magic with words is equal in strength to the magic in the story, it draws you in from the first page to the last.

Walking along with Harry as he discovers more about his parents and more about himself is always a treat and this book is so riveting that you simply have to find out what happens next. Rowling brings back the characters you've already fallen in love with, only to make you love them even more and introduce even more wonderful people you won't soon forget.

This book was absolutely wonderful and I so enjoyed rereading it. I suggest it to anyone who wants a magical story, great characters, and a journey that will last with you long after you've finished the series itself.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

[Click here to see my reviews of book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, book 5:Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.]

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"
"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "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!"