Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter 22 Summary
Owl Post Again
Chapter 22 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, titled “Owl Post Again”, is the final chapter of the book and deals with the aftermath of Sirius Black’s rescue.
Return to the Hospital Wing
Harry and Hermione rush to get back to the hospital wing, as their past selves get ready for their adventure.
Dumbledore meets them outside the ward with a smile, and Harry breathlessly informs him of their success. He beams, and after making sure that their past selves have left, locks them inside the ward.
Madam Pomfrey comes striding out of her office a moment later. She seems to be in a bad mood now, and hands them each a large piece of chocolate.
Harry and Hermione can both barely swallow their chocolates out of anxiety. It is relieved, a few moments later a distant roar of fury echoes through the castle. It is Snape, who has just heard about Sirius Black’s escape.
Snape bursts into the room, screaming in fury, and demands an explanation. His face twists in rage and his robes billow as he strides toward Harry and Hermione. Fudge tries to reason with him, saying that they had been locked inside all this while, but Snape pays little attention to him.
Both Madam Pomfrey and Fudge try to calm Snape down, but it is no use. He screams at the students until Dumbledore asks him to quiet down. He reasons that the door had been locked from the outside, and had the students gotten out of bed, Madam Pomfrey would have surely noticed. Unable to argue this, Snape whirls around and leaves.
Fudge, thoroughly shocked at Snape’s behavior, calls him unbalanced and warns Dumbledore to keep an eye on him. However, he has more pressing matters to deal with right now.
Fudge shudders to think what the Daily Prophet would have to say about Black’s escape and expresses his horror at the behavior of the Dementors. The fact that they tried to kiss an innocent teenager is truly scary. He promises to have them shipped back to Azkaban by the night, and with that, he leaves.
Soon, Ron gains consciousness, and Hermione fills him up on everything that has happened.
An Unfortunate Farewell
The trio leaves the Hospital Wing the next day, and finds the castle deserted since most of the students are off visiting Hogsmeade. Neither Hermione nor Ron wish to go, so they accompany Harry and talk about the previous night’s events. They are roaming the grounds, when a sweaty Hagrid greets them with a smile.
Hagrid tells them of Buckbeak’s escape, and the trio tries to act surprised. He also tells them that Snape revealed Lupin’s secret to the students, which comes as a genuine shock to them. Lupin resigned first thing in the morning, and was packing his bags now.
The trio rushes to his office to meet him. They are heartbroken, but Lupin consoles them. He hands Harry his invisibility cloak and the Marauder’s map, saying he will need them in the future.
A few moments later Professor Dumbledore enters Lupin’s office. He is not surprised to see the trio there. He informs Lupin that his carriage is at the gate, and Lupin takes his leave.
Seeing Harry sad, Dumbledore offers a few words of comfort. Harry tells Dumbledore about Trelawney’s prediction, but he doesn’t think too much of it. Dumbledore praises Harry for his actions, which leaves him feeling a bit better.
A Message from Sirius
The end of term is almost here. There are many theories about Sirius and Buckbeak, but none of them come close to the truth. The news about Lupin’s resignation also spreads, and Harry’s class seems to be just as sad as him.
Exam results are announced on the last day, and surprisingly the trio passes in every subject; even Potions. Gryffindor had won the house championship, meaning the Great Hall was decorated Scarlet and Gold. The feast is wonderful as usual, and Harry forgets all his worries for a brief amount of time.
The next morning, students file onto the Hogwarts Express. Hermione informs Harry and Ron that she has decided to drop Muggle Studies as a subject. Without Divination and Muggle Studies, she can have a normal routine, owing to which she returned her Time Turner.
As the train goes on, Harry finds an owl outside his window. He lets it in and picks up the letter it is carrying. It is a message from Sirius, confirming his safety and informing Harry that Buckbeak and him are in hiding. He also confirms that it was he who sent Harry the Firebolt.
Sirius had also sent him a signed consent form for Hogsmeade, which meant Harry could now visit the village with his friends. Moreover, since Ron had lost his rat, Sirius gifted him an owl; the same one that had brought Harry the letter.
The trio deboards the train at King’s Cross station. Vernon greets Harry with a sour face and a snarky remark about the letter in his hands. Harry gleefully informs him that the letter is from his godfather, who happens to be a murderer on the run.
The final chapter of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ends with Harry leaving the station with a terrified Vernon. Perhaps this summer would be far more tolerable than the last one. Or would it?
