Owl Post Again
chapter twenty-two of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry and Hermione just make it back to the hospital wing, where they are soon joined by Dumbledore, Fudge, and an irate Snape, bemoaning Black’s escape. The next day Lupin resigns, and Harry talks with him and with Dumbledore about all that’s happened; finally the year ends, and Harry receives a memorable letter from Sirius while on the Hogwarts Express home.
“We did it!” said Harry breathlessly. “Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak….
(by Tealin Raintree)
Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.
(by gerre)
“OUT WITH IT, POTTER!” he bellowed. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”
(by Laurence Peguy)
Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore.
(by Heather Campbell)
He hesitated, then held out the Marauder’s Map too. “I am no longer your teacher, so I don’t feel guilty about giving you back this as well.”
(by Tealin Raintree)
“It made all the difference in the world, Harry. You helped uncover the truth. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate.”
(by Helene Sirois)
“What do’you reckon?” Ron asked the cat. “Definitely an owl?”
(by robin edwards)
Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into King’s Cross station…. [it] looked like a much better summer than the last.
(by Wacca)
about the chapter
I generally consider the Harry Potter movies to be a different entity entirely from the books – so much is different about them, and I often just end up getting confused when I watch or think about them too much. But there is one moment in the movies that I have often wished was in the books as well: Dumbledore’s comment when Harry and Hermione arrive back at the hospital wing. They announce, “We did it!” to which he replies, “Did what? Good night!” It captures Dumbledore’s personality so wonderfully. And to be fair, it’s not just me – Rowling has also said that this comment was “just perfect.”
Something You May Not Have Noticed
We’ll find out early in the next book that Percy Weasley got twelve N.E.W.T.s this spring – that is, one for every class Hogwarts offers. If his schedule was as full as Hermione’s originally was, surely he’d have needed to be using a time-turner as well. I wonder if they ever ran into each other in a random Hogwarts broom closet? Regardless, it’s interesting that he seemed to manage it so easily, whereas Hermione was so overwhelmed she couldn’t manage the schedule.
Hermione’s schedule is also interesting that, by simply dropping Muggle Studies (the class for which she pretty much knows everything already anyway), she’ll go from a schedule so insane she couldn’t keep up with it all to a completely normal, sane routine. Perhaps she learned a few things about organizing her life this year, in addition to her many studies.
Life at Hogwarts
I can’t help but wonder what the next private conversation between Dumbledore and Snape was like: what Snape asked about, and what Dumbledore told him. Dumbledore’s comment to him – “Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once” – seems goading to me, and in some ways almost a hint that Harry was involved. Whether Snape knows of Hermione’s time-turner specifically or not (and I’m inclined to think he does), he certainly knows they exist and that they are sometimes given to students in her situation, as Hagrid will later mention them in passing as well. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Dumbledore’s office….
Hermione also dropped Divination along with Muggle Studies, which still as you point out isn’t that many. With regards to Percy, he doesn’t have Harry Potter as a best friend to eat up all his homework time with adventures as well, so that might make things just a tad easier to manage. :)
Tallnerdygirl said this on July 15, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Another part that I love about this book is when Harry finds out about the Marauders – the connection between the Map, Lupin, Black and James, the Patronus… I really missed that last conversation between Harry and Lupin in the movie.
Kim said this on July 16, 2009 at 6:42 am
I had the same thought about Percy not having much of a life outside of homework, whereas Hermoine not only has her many adventures with Harry & Ron, but she’s always looking up additional things in the library that are completely unrelated to her classes, from Nicholas Flamel to Basilisks to legal means to help save Buckbeak, etc etc. Being friends with Harry gives here as much homework, if not more, than any of her other classes.
Jamie said this on July 16, 2009 at 9:28 am
Tallnerdygirl/Jamie: Very good point about Percy being better equipped to handle things than Hermione thanks to her, er, “extracurriculars.” On the other hand, she’s still going insane as of the end of PA (when she’s already dropped Divination), and then the next year everything’s normal even though the only extra class she’s dropped is Muggle Studies – which she already was an expert in anyway – and even though her fourth year she spends a lot more time helping Harry than she does during her third. So I still imagine she picks up a few organization skills in there somewhere.
John Kearns said this on July 16, 2009 at 4:33 pm
‘Oh, to be a fly on the wall in Dumbledore’s office…’
I sympathize.
Hayley said this on July 16, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Although, perhaps Muggle Studies wasn’t – or wouldn’t be – a total breeze for Hermione. I’m quoting from memory here, but at one point she’s looking over diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects and such. A lot of the more complicated things Muggles pull off, like, say, elevators (and trains? Some Muggle-born might be behind the Hogwarts Express!) would need basic physics, right? And if Muggle Studies covers engineering, for example, they’d need a certain amount of math abilities. And I wonder if they cover Muggle history or literature?
Hermione was only in Muggle schooling until she was eleven, so if Muggle Studies were to get really complex, even *she* might struggle.
I just wonder what / how much Muggle Studies would cover by the end of seventh year.
empirexstate said this on July 19, 2009 at 1:29 pm
at the comment above me: I imagine that Arthur Weasley has taken Muggle studies, considering his job, but when you look at how much he knows about Muggles, I seriously doubt that engeneering would be involved in Muggle Studies.
I think Snape quickly realizes what has happened, but that would be just as frustrating for him, because in the end, his least favorite people (aka: Harry and Sirius) get what they want.
I always wondered with Percy: What if NEWT-classes are only once or twice a week, like in college, instead of High school? Then it would be easier to take more Newts than Owls, and you wouldn’t even need a time-traveler. Though it’s a rule that you have to have taken owls before you can start the NEWT’s, right? hmm… kind of makes my theory impossible..
kim said this on July 20, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Hmmm, I’m also thinking Percy may have done extra subjects outside of regular class times. Like maybe he studied two subjects once a week in the evening. Same as Bill who also got 12 OWLs. But Hermione…being Hermione…would want to do ALL the classes everyday. Percy also got 12 OWLs.
Seán said this on August 17, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I do wonder why Hermione didn’t use her Time Turner to give herself more time to do homework, as well as more lesson time…
Lizzie said this on September 2, 2009 at 9:49 pm
“I wonder if they ever ran into each other in a random Hogwarts broom closet?”
This line sounds like such a delicious intro into a juicy fanfic.
hpboy13 said this on September 12, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I really like that illustration of Dumbledore, to me it really captures the magical aura, so to speak, that I always imagine surrounds him.
I also have a correction. If I am remembering correctly, Lupin wasn’t fired, he resigned after Snape “let slip” that he was a werewolf over breakfast. I don’t see Dumbledore firing him (I assume that he is the one that makes those decisions). Am I correct on that point or is it a movie mix up on my part?
Thanks for the awesome website!
wizardinventor said this on September 14, 2009 at 11:26 pm
wizardinventor – You’re definitely right. Not sure what I was thinking when I wrote that! Anyway it’s fixed not, thanks for pointing it out. :)
John Kearns said this on September 15, 2009 at 12:03 am
Oy, I’m tired. It’s fixed NOW.
John Kearns said this on September 15, 2009 at 12:03 am
On the comment, “Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once,” I believe this was more of a “heads up” from Dumbledore to Snape. Who approved Hermione’s use of the time-turner? The Ministry. And most likely, her teachers all knew about it. They’d have to, as they’d be likely to know what classes she was taking and that the classes overlapped. Therefore Snape would have known of Hermione’s time-turner, but more importantly, so would the Ministry if anyone had thought to investigate the situation. Snape was making such a big argument, right there in front of Fudge, that Harry was involved and Fudge might have actually paid attention to that. I think Dumbledore’s comment was to get Snape’s attention and point out, with the “two places at once” reference, that in fact Hermione’s time turner was in play and that he both knew and approved of it and Snape needed to be quiet NOW before the cat was out of the bag. The telling bit to me is that Snape does stop immediately. He’s angry, but he stops talking about it right away.
wynnleaf said this on September 28, 2009 at 9:07 am
wynnleaf, that’s a brilliant thought that hadn’t occurred to me. But it makes much more sense than my idea – well deduced!
John Kearns said this on September 28, 2009 at 11:23 am
This particular scene is great, Snape losing it… I love when that happens. I also agree with wynnleaf’s comment…
Paula said this on October 28, 2009 at 11:48 am
I wonder if the reason Hermione’s schedule returned to normal by dropping two classes is there are classes in Hogwarts that we don’t know about that Rowling never mentioned such as Sex Ed. or something i mean they are 13 and stuff. Also there cold be other’s like gym or muggle classes such as English or grammar or whatever that just weren’t interesting enough and didn’t get into the book. That would take up some time and then if the classes were only in 3rd year Hermione’s schedule could return to normal. It would also sort of explain why she had 3 classes at once.
Kayla said this on November 28, 2009 at 12:43 am
I agree about that line of Dumbledore’s in the movie; it was great.
And I like robin edwards’ picture of Ron showing Pig to Crookshanks.
Todd said this on April 26, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I just noticed on the last listen-through that Harry talks about the Dursleys attitude toward him “after what he did to Aunt Marge last summer” (general paraphrase).
But didn’t Fudge tell him their memories had all been modified? So how would they know?
Anna said this on July 23, 2010 at 7:29 pm