A Magical Turn: Why Harry's Third Year at Hogwarts Was a Game-Changer

Hello to all Harry Potter fans out there!

I'd already become completely immersed in the story of the young wizard by the time I got my hands on the third installment of the series. I was a bit older when I finally got around to reading the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, by the time the third book came out. In fact, three books had already been released and the fourth was on its way. As a result, I didn't have any breaks between reading the second and third books - my parents gave them to me as a gift, so I dove right in.

As soon as I finished the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I grabbed the next one, which was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry Potter reviews

Book details Let me tell you a bit about the edition I have.

My book was published by ROSMEN in 2007 (interesting to note that the second book was also released that year, but earlier). The translation was done by M. D. Litvinova. If I'm being honest, the changes in translation between the second and third books were a bit jarring at first, but by the time I got to the third book, I'd already gotten used to Dolohov and Buckbeak, and the other quirks of this translation. They'd become almost like family to me.

The book has 22 chapters, which take up 512 pages.

Harry Potter book If you're not a die-hard Potterhead, or if you're reading the series for the first time, the chapter titles might seem like just a bunch of random words, but for us fans, it's immediately clear what's going on. The third book from 'ROSMEN' publisher comes in a hardcover with a matte finish, just like the second one. While it's not as flashy as the glossy cover of the first book, it's definitely more practical - I've found myself wiping down the glossy cover all the time to get rid of fingerprints and smudges. The matte finish might not be as eye-catching, but it's a lot easier to live with.

The cover design is in the same style as the previous books, with Harry Potter taking center stage on the front cover. In this installment, he's sitting on some kind of winged creature that's part horse, part eagle - I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to be, but it looks pretty cool.

At the top of the cover, the title of the series is emblazoned in shiny letters and a distinctive font that's easy to recognize. Below that, there's a smaller, less prominent tab with the title of this particular book.

Harry Potter On the back, we get a logical continuation of the main illustration - if you open the book up, you'll get a complete picture. Unfortunately, the back cover is pretty unremarkable, just some rocks and a tree. However, there is a brief teaser on the back that gives you a hint of what's to come in the book. PotterThe description of the book gives you a pretty general idea and teases you more than it reveals the plot. You get a sense that something mysterious and exciting is waiting for you, but you don't quite know what.I was reading the third book in a large font, and it's super comfortable – my eyes didn't get tired, and the text didn't blur. Each chapter starts on a new page, just like in the previous parts. My edition is without illustrations.

Plot and charactersIn the third part of the saga, we start seeing how magic becomes more serious, and the characters take more deliberate steps towards growing up. Compared to The Secret Garden, I thought the storytelling itself had become more mature, and the main characters' problems were deeper, with more emotions and more experiences.

Later on, when I re-read the book for the hundredth time as an adult, I got the impression that the main characters in the second part were still pretty much kids – yes, they were caught up in all these scary adventures, but they were still kids. In the third part, the trio seems to grow up suddenly, their magic becomes more complex, and their actions more thoughtful.

Let's start with Harry Potter – the main hero of the entire saga. He's the kid who's got an enormous responsibility on his shoulders, not just for himself but for the entire wizarding world. In this book, he's grown up a lot. Instead of making impulsive decisions and trying to prove himself at all costs, Harry starts analyzing each situation more carefully. Plus, he humbly accepts the consequences of his actions, even when they're not always fair. I'm still fuming about what happens to Harry even before the start of his third year at Hogwarts - every time I read it, I get angry all over again. He risks his life to protect his evil cousin from magic that's still unknown to him, all in the non-magical world! Can you believe it? Instead of gratitude, he gets a letter of happiness about breaking the rules (you can't use magic outside of Hogwarts until you're of age) and the question of expulsion from Hogwarts comes up!

I'm hooked on this unfairness every time I read it, just like the first time.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanRon Weasley - Harry's best friend - has changed too in the third part of the saga. He still keeps his humor going, making jokes and witty remarks, but he's also learning to overcome his fears (even his biggest fear - spiders) and finally understands that true friendship isn't just about having fun together, but also about supporting each other in tough situations, helping each other out, and being willing to take risks for your friends.

I've gotta say, Ron's humor really adds to the story. He's just this down-to-earth, no-frills guy.

But Hermione's character really starts to come alive in this part. In the first two books, I thought she was just a good, loyal friend, but also kind of stuffy and uptight. She was always studying, even in her free time, and always had her nose buried in a textbook. But Joanne Rowling does a great job of showing how Hermione's thirst for knowledge makes her an invaluable ally to Harry and Ron. At her age, she's got skills and knowledge that far surpass theirs, and it's because of her that they're able to overcome so many obstacles.

If it weren't for Hermione, Harry and Ron would be in a world of trouble. And it's not just her brains that make her a valuable friend - she's also a compass that guides them, pushes them in the right direction, and warns them when they're getting in over their heads.

Harry PotterI've gotta say, this part of the series really brings in some new characters that stick with you for the rest of the story. Professor Lupin's one of them, and he's teaching the kids Defense Against the Dark Arts. He's got a real knack for showing them how to actually fight against the bad stuff, and he teaches 'em some serious protective spells that could save their lives if things go south. The thing is, he's always disappearing from school, saying he's sick, and Harry and his friends start to wonder if he's telling the truth. Let's just say it's a real shocker when they find out what's really going on - it was a total surprise to me too!

Another key new character is Peter Pettigrew. What a total slimeball. He's all about being afraid and doing whatever it takes to survive. He's super slick and can talk his way out of just about any situation. He's got no problem betraying his friends or doing whatever it takes to save his own skin. I mean, he was right there with Harry, Ron, and Hermione for years, and nobody suspected a thing! And then he turns out to be the one who betrayed them and lied to their faces. I was really impressed with Harry's level head and willingness to give him a chance to make things right - it was a tough decision, but he handled it with class.

One of the most pivotal moments in this part of the story is the introduction of Sirius Black. He's been locked away in Azkaban Prison for years, serving time for a crime he committed. But Black manages to pull off the impossible and escape from a place where no one has ever escaped before. This news sends shockwaves throughout the wizarding community, and a massive manhunt is launched to capture the fugitive. Predictably, Black ends up right next to Hogwarts, and he's on the hunt for Harry - which is also no surprise. He gets close to Harry without being detected, and it's only when you look back that you realize just how long he's been watching him. Sirius is being actively hunted by Dumbledore and even the Ministry of Magic, but Harry's got a bit of a reckless streak. When he finds out that this notorious criminal is after him, he doesn't try to hide; instead, he challenges Black to find him. But the real reason why Sirius is after Harry blows everything wide open, turning everything Harry thought he knew on its head.

Harry Potter at its bestI was on the edge of my seat every time I read this book, even though I knew the ending and every twist and turn. The tension builds up from the very first page, and it's hard to put the book down. The story is full of mysterious and deadly Dementors that suck the joy out of people's lives, the unique and colorful Patronus charms, unexpected plot twists, and secrets that are slowly revealed. It all adds up to a thrilling atmosphere that keeps you guessing.

I have to say, the moment when Hermione loses her temper and gets into a heated argument with Malfoy is just so unexpected and hilarious that I found myself laughing out loud, just like Ron and Harry did.

It's all thanks to Hermione's determination to learn everything, and that's how they end up with the Time-Turner. It's a pretty serious piece of magic, but Hermione handles it like a pro and, with Harry's help, they manage to save two innocent lives. If they hadn't had the Time-Turner, things would have played out very differently.

By the way, J.K. Rowling herself admitted that the idea of the Time-Turner was a bit ridiculous, and I have to agree. With the ability to travel through time, each of the characters could have gone back and prevented many of the tragic events that unfolded. In particular, Harry's story could have been avoided altogether - Dumbledore and the other powerful wizards could have gone back in time and saved Harry's parents. But that didn't happen, and the Time-Turner was never even mentioned in the previous books. So, yeah, it's a pretty strange plot twist.

I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but the plot of the book is expertly twisted, and there are plenty of surprises along the way. Just when you think you know what's going on, things take a dramatic turn, and after I finished reading the book for the first time, I was left with a lasting impression. I found myself thinking, 'How could I have been so blind? How could I not have seen it coming?'

And that's a testament to J.K. Rowling's writing - it's engaging, suspenseful, and incredibly well-written.

My ImpressionsI was thoroughly impressed with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Harry PotterI'm not going to say this book is the most epic, that it's some game-changer between the first two and the rest of the series. Nope, for me, there aren't any clear boundaries. And I don't have a favorite book in the series - I love them all equally.

But what I can say for sure is that from this part on, the main characters start to change. They grow up, the author starts to delve deeper into each character, their emotions, their experiences, their feelings. The friendships become warmer, their bond stronger. They become a real team where each one complements the others.

I really love the book Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - just like the first two, I'd definitely recommend it for a read. While I was writing this review, I got the urge to re-read the whole series for the hundredth time. Especially around the time I'm writing this - December, getting close to my birthday and New Year's - it's the most magical time to dive back into the world of magic and wonder.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time, it was happiness_inside. Follow me on this site - I write about a lot of things!