Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter 4 Summary.
Chapter 4 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban titled “The Leaky Cauldron” deals with Harry enjoying his newfound freedom while staying at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, Hermione’s new pet, and a.
Harry’s Freedom
Harry is relishing his independence in Diagon Alley. For the first time in his life, he can wake up when he wants and explore the world of magic. He indulges in treats like sundaes at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, where Fortescue assists him with his schoolwork and treats him to free sundaes every half an hour.
Despite his promise to Fudge- to not leave Diagon Alley, Harry feels sufficiently free and independent. He sticks to the magical shops and has no intentions to return to the muggle world.
He withdraws some money from Gringotts and has to practice great restraint to avoid reckless spending.
It is hard, but he tells himself that he has 4 more years of Hogwarts left and he certainly cannot go to the Dursleys for money.
As he browses different stores, he spots an advertisement for the Firebolt displayed in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies.
It is marketed as the fastest and highest quality broom on the planet and has a price-on-request sign. Although tempted, Harry restrains himself from purchasing it, knowing that it’s far beyond his budget.
Next, Harry goes to purchase his schoolbooks from Flourish and Blotts. He sees a large cage, housing hundreds of The Monster Book of Monsters. The book is infamous for its aggressive nature and attacks anyone within reach. This trait makes it a nuisance for both the shopkeeper and students who come to purchase it. Thankfully for the shopkeeper, Hagrid had already gifted him a copy of it.
In the shop, Harry notices a book about death omens. The cover page features a large black dog, which deeply disturbs him, as it resembles the creature he saw before boarding the Knight Bus.
Reunion with Ron and Hermione
On the last day of the holidays, Ron and Hermione arrive at Diagon Alley. They meet Harry at Florean Fortescue’s, and sit down to catch up. The trio discusses Harry’s accident with his aunt, and Harry wonders why he wasn’t punished. The topic then shifts to Hermione, who has opted to take every possible lesson and therefore has the biggest bag of books.
She changes the subject by announcing that she is interested in purchasing a new pet. Harry points out that she could visit the Magical Creature store nearby and check out some options.
Ron says that he wants to get Scabbers a check-up too, since Egypt didn’t agree with him, so they all make their way to the pet store.
Inside, Ron takes Scabbers to the counter to have him checked out. The witch at the counter asks him a few questions about Scabbers’ powers, but Ron tells her that he is either a garden rat, or is yet to exhibit any powers. The witch finds this fact strange because garden rats usually have a lifespan of three years.
Suddenly, a large and orange cat named Crookshanks jumps on Ron’s head. Before he can understand what is happening, the cat chases Scabbers out of Ron’s hands. Scabbers runs outside, and it takes Ron a while to find him.
A few minutes later, Hermione emerges out of the shop with the same cat, and reveals that she decided to purchase it instead of an owl. This upsets Ron, since Crookshanks is visibly hostile towards Scabbers. However, he is helpless since she has already bought him. The trio then makes its way back to the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry and Hermione join the Weasley family for dinner. Mr Weasley tells Harry how the entire Ministry of Magic is working hard to catch Sirius Black but has had no luck so far.
The twins continuously tease Percy for being pompous about becoming the new Head Boy. Mr. Weasley mentions that the Ministry of Magic is providing cars to transport them to King’s Cross Station the next day. It is a precaution that seems unnecessary to the children but is indicative of heightened security measures.
An Important Conversation
Later that night, Harry accidentally overhears an argument between Mr. and Mrs. Weasley while passing by their room. From what he can overhear, Mr Weasley wishes to tell Harry something, but Mrs Weasley is highly against it.
As he continues to listen, Harry realizes that they are discussing the real reason behind the Ministry’s unusual level of protection. Allegedly, Sirius Black is after Harry and wants him dead.
They show concern and discuss whether Harry will be safe with such a dangerous killer on the loose. Molly suggests that Dumbledore should be able to protect him, but Arthur is still not convinced. He also reveals that Dumbledore has reluctantly agreed to let the Azkaban guards patrol the school for any signs of Black, even though he is not fond of them. Their discussion ends soon, and Harry rushes back to his room before anybody can find him there.
The chapter ends with Harry processing the new piece of information he just received. He now understands why Fudge made him promise to stay in Diagon Alley, and why the Ministry sent cars to pick them up.
