Harry Potter is lucky to reach the age of thirteen, since he has survived the murderous attacks of the feared Dark Lord on more than one occasion. His hopes for a quiet school term concentrating on Quidditch are dashed, though, when a maniacal mass-murderer escapes from Azkaban, pursued by the soul-sucking Dementors who guard the prison. It's assumed that Hogwarts is the safest place for Harry to be. But is it his imagination that is making him feel eyes watching him in the dark, and should he be taking Professor Trelawney's ghoulish prediction seriously?
For me this second instalment in the series is the first big stepping stone into finding out more about Harry's past. I enjoy how again we see the trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) grow into such diverse individuals, the character development is just flawless throughout...
When Harry returns to Hogwarts after blowing up his Aunt Marge, we discover a killer has escaped from Azkaban that we learn to have some relation to Harry. Throughout the book we're led to believe him to be someone who is a threat to Harry's life, but as the plot plans out not all is what it seems.
Down to the trio making investigations of their own round Hogsmeade village under the invisibility cloak, they soon join the dots together and a surprise revelation is revealed.
I think my favourite characters in this book were probably Hermione with her gadget- the time turner enabling her to attend every lesson available to third years, and Professor R.J Lupin who I found to develop into more of an uncle to Harry which must have been such a comfort. Having not known who is parents were personally, Lupin managed to fill in the gaps as to what his parents were like when they were Harry's age. I can't forget the twins Fred and George Weasley, cunning, funny, and handy in providing the Marauder's map that unlocks the knowledge of secrets within Hogwarts.
I felt that this book in a way was a way for the reader to learn too, we discover new spells, potions and other various knowledge of the wizarding world as if we're students at Hogwarts too, and that's what makes this series such a wonderful experience to read!
