Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is in my humble opinion the best book of the series, and not only because it introduces us to Sirius Black, possibly my biggest literary crush (and of course to Remus, who I’d like to keep in my pocket) but because it’s full of emotion and humour and suspense. Love love love.
I’d read the first two books of the series around the time of the release of Prisoner of Azkaban, and whilst I devoured both of those it was this book that really stole my heart. I fell in love, and I fell hard: with Harry (who I fell out of love with in the following books!), with know-it-all Hermione, with not-quite-as-dazzling-as-his-siblings Ron, with chocolate sharing-dark secret Lupin and most of all, oh, most of all with Sirius Black. I loved the Maurauder’s back story – how I loved it – and the start of the back story surrounding Snape, I loved the way it made me question things I’d never even considered in books 1 and 2 – darling old man Albus Dumbledore is not – and how it’s a little bit darker than it’s predecessors and now, over a decade later, it still remains my favourite of the series.
Why do I love it? Because of Ron’s attempt to use a telephone; because of Remus on the Hogwarts Express; because of the Boggart in the wardrobe; because of the Marauders Map, hell, because of the Marauders generally; because of Sirius; because of THAT scene in the Shrieking Shack. Sirius Sirius Remus Sirius. Prisoner of Azkaban has well rounded, well developed characters, a storyline that doesn’t lose it’s focus, no Voldemort (a fact you appreciate more after reading the later books) and a climax that STILL makes me forget to breathe. It definitely marks the start of my intense love for the series.
