Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

«Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban» — the third book in the Harry Potter series by British author J.K. Rowling.

Before the school year begins, Harry learns about the escape from Azkaban prison of the dangerous criminal Sirius Black, who is believed to be hunting him. Hogwarts is guarded by Dementors — the grim guardians of Azkaban, who evoke particularly heavy memories for Harry. Against a backdrop of fear and rumors, Harry learns the Patronus charm to defend himself against these creatures.

Gradually, it becomes clear that the truth about Sirius Black is far from the official version. Together with Ron and Hermione, Harry uncovers the betrayal of Peter Pettigrew and learns that Sirius is his godfather and innocent of the crimes attributed to him. With the help of a time-turner, the friends manage to save Sirius and the hippogriff Buckbeak, but Black is forced to go into hiding.

The novel becomes more mature in tone: it addresses themes of betrayal, memory, fear, and trust, and the wizarding world is revealed to be deeper and more complex than before.