Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter 13 Summary
Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw
Chapter 13 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, titled ‘Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw’, deals with the growing conflict between Ron and Hermione, Harry’s preparation for the Quidditch match, and the shocking aftermath of Gryffindor’s victory.
Ongoing Conflicts
Ron and Hermione’s friendship deteriorates further after the disappearance of Scabbers.
Ron remains furious with Hermione for not taking Crookshanks’ predatory behavior seriously. He accuses her of failing to control her cat and insists that Crookshanks ate Scabbers. Hermione firmly denies it, claiming that there is no proof and that Ron is unfairly prejudiced against her pet. When Harry tries to reason with Hermione, suggesting that Crookshanks might indeed have eaten Scabbers, she lashes out at him too. She accuses Harry of siding with Ron and blames him for always faulting her.
Ron continues to mourn the loss of Scabbers, despite Fred and George’s attempts to cheer him up. They joke that it is better that Scabbers died quickly, given his declining health. They encourage Ron to buy a new pet, but their efforts only frustrate him further.
Concerned for Ron’s well-being, Harry invites him to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team’s final practice before the upcoming match against Ravenclaw. He offers the Firebolt to Ron for a ride, which takes his mind off Scabbers for a bit.
Gryffindor’s Final Quidditch Practice
At the Quidditch pitch, Madam Hooch borrows the Firebolt from Harry for a minute. She praises the broomstick’s superior design and balance, comparing it favorably to older models such as the Silver Arrow.
Wood, eager to begin practice, pulls the team together and announces that Ravenclaw’s Seeker will be Cho Chang. He warns that Cho is talented and could pose a challenge, though her broom, a Comet 260, is no match for Harry’s Firebolt.
During the session, Harry flies the Firebolt for the first time, finding it more responsive than he ever imagined.
The broom feels like an extension of his body, obeying his thoughts and not his hands. He performs breathtaking dives and sharp turns, impressing everyone. Wood releases the Snitch, and Harry has no difficulty catching it.
The team too, inspired by the Firebolt, executes their moves perfectly, leaving Wood without a single complaint—an unusual occurrence that boosts everyone’s confidence.
An Encounter at the Pitch
After practice, Harry allows Ron to take the Firebolt for a spin. Ron, thrilled by the opportunity, flies across the pitch, marveling at the broomstick’s speed and agility. Night falls, and Madam Hooch, who had slept a while ago, wakes up from her nap. She tells them off for not waking her up, and tells them to return to the castle.
The boys make their way back, discussing the Firebolt’s qualities. Suddenly, Harry notices a pair of glowing eyes peering at him from the darkness. For a brief moment, he fears that the eyes belong to the Grim, a spectral dog he has seen several times.
However, upon closer inspection, the glowing eyes turn out to be Crookshanks. Furious at the cat, Ron throws a rock at it, but Crookshanks quickly vanishes into the shadows. Ron’s frustration with Hermione deepens, convinced that she is still allowing her cat to roam freely. Harry says nothing but feels uneasy about the encounter.
Gryffindor Versus Ravenclaw
The next morning, Harry and his teammates head to breakfast with the Firebolt, drawing admiration from students across the Great Hall. Malfoy, trying to undermine Harry’s confidence, taunts him by suggesting that he might need a parachute if Dementors appear. Harry dismisses the insult, focused entirely on the match. At eleven o’clock, the Gryffindor team heads to the Quidditch pitch under clear skies. It is an ideal day for a match, in sharp contrast to the stormy weather during their last game.
As the match begins, Cho Chang marks Harry closely and makes sharp cuts in front of him, demonstrating her skill as a great flyer. Harry, however, quickly loses her and spots the Snitch. He dives towards it, but thanks to a Bludger, is forced to change course and lose sight of it.
A while later, Harry spots the Snitch again, but Cho blocks him off, and he loses sight of it again. Wood yells at him to stop being a gentleman, and Harry gets serious.
For the third time, he sees the Snitch near the Ravenclaw end, and starts speeding towards it. However, something weird happens.
Cho screams, and Harry notices three Dementors entering the pitch. Remembering his lessons with Lupin, Harry casts the Patronus Charm without second thought. A large silver shape erupts from his wand and charges toward the Dementors, but Harry doesn’t wait to look. He continues speeding towards the Snitch and manages to catch it.
Punishment for the Prank
The Gryffindors erupt with cheers. The team hugs him, and everyone congratulates him on the amazing performance.
A voice appreciates Harry’s Patronus from behind. Harry turns to see it is Lupin. When he exclaims that the Dementors didn’t affect him this time, he learns a shocking truth.
The Dementors were actually Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint disguised in black robes. They had intended to scare Harry and sabotage the game. However, their plan backfired and McGonagall caught them in the act. She assigns them all detention, and deducts fifty points from Slytherin, much to the delight of the Gryffindors.
Back in the Gryffindor common room, the students throw a lively celebration that lasts late into the night. Fred and George sneak out to gather supplies from Hogsmeade, returning with butterbeer, sweets, and snacks from Honeydukes. Everyone joins the festivities except Hermione, who sits alone in a corner, immersed in her books.
Harry tries to invite her to join the party but she refuses, feeling unwelcome due to her fight with Ron and citing that she needs to get some work done. Ron loudly declares that if Scabbers hadn’t just been eaten, he would have appreciated the Fudge Flies. It is too much for Hermione, and she runs away in tears.
Sirius Black Strikes Again
The celebration only ends when Professor McGonagall arrives at one in the night, and orders everyone to go to bed.
That night, Harry has a strange dream. He sees himself in a forest, with the Firebolt over his shoulder, following a silver figure. Suddenly, there is a loud scream, and Harry wakes up.
It is Ron. He claims that Sirius Black had entered their room and stood over him with a knife, even slashing at the curtains. The boys race to the common room to report the incident. Professor McGonagall, who was back after hearing the commotion, listens to the story but doesn’t believe it.
To investigate, she approaches Sir Cadogan, the portrait guarding the Gryffindor Tower. It turns out that Sir Cadogan had indeed allowed Black into the tower, after he presented a piece of paper with all of this week’s passwords.
Shaking with Anger, Professor McGonagall demands who wrote all the passwords down and left them lying about. A trembling hand goes up in the air, belonging to Neville Longbottom.
The chapter ends on a tense note. Neville is perhaps about to face grim punishment. Gryffindor is shaken up by the thought that Black had come so close to Harry once again.
