Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter 9 Summary
Grim Defeat
Chapter 9 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, titled “Grim Defeat,” deals with the aftermath of Sirius Black’s break-in at Hogwarts and the highly anticipated Quidditch match.
Aftermath of Black’s attack
Professor Dumbledore instructs all Gryffindors to go to the Great Hall. Soon, students from all other houses join them there. He informs them that for their own safety, they will all be sleeping in the Great Hall.
With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore conjures purple sleeping bags for everyone. He puts Percy the Head Boy in charge of maintaining order and instructs the Prefects to guard the entrances.
The second Dumbledore leaves, the hall starts buzzing with excited murmurs. There are theories, such as he apparated or disguised himself, but Hermione debunks them all.
The castle has enchantments that protect it from Apparation. Further, no disguise could possibly fool the Dementors. He couldn’t have flown in either, since the castle grounds are well-watched.
Percy tells the students to stop talking and go to sleep, and all the candles go out. Throughout the night, teachers take turns checking on the students to ensure their security. Around three in the morning, Dumbledore returns to the Great Hall. He tells Percy that they have found a new guardian for the Gryffindor Tower, so he can take the students back tomorrow.
Snape arrives and shares his theory that someone inside Hogwarts helped Black. Dumbledore denies this suggestion, affirming his trust in everyone at the castle. When Percy asks if the Dementors would help with the search, Dumbledore firmly states that no Dementor will enter the castle as long as he is the Headmaster.
Increased Safety Measures
The next morning, wild theories start circulating among the students. Some suggest that Black can turn into a shrub or fly invisibly. Sir Cadogan, an eccentric knight, has replaced the Fat Lady as the Gryffindor common room guardian. He changed passwords at least twice a day and challenged anyone who would listen to a duel. It was extremely frustrating for the students, but none of the other portraits wanted the job, and Sir Cadogan had been the only portrait brave enough to volunteer.
Harry has other problems to worry about though. He has become the center of attention as teachers and Percy accompany him everywhere. Professor McGonagall calls him to her office and tries to explain the situation to him, but to her surprise Harry already knows it all, having overheard the conversation between Mr and Mrs Weasley.
McGonagall suggests he stops going to Quidditch practices for his safety. Harry protests in outrage, citing the upcoming match. McGonagall considers for a second and reluctantly allows him to practice, but only under Madam Hooch’s watchful eye.
In the Quidditch field, there are more problems. Oliver Wood announces that Slytherin has backed out of their match, claiming Malfoy is still injured. Instead, Gryffindor will play Hufflepuff. This news concerns the team because they have prepared for Slytherin’s specific tactics. Hufflepuff also has a new Captain and an excellent Seeker, Cedric Diggory, whose presence troubles Oliver.
Wood becomes increasingly stressed as he drills Harry on new strategies, highlighting Cedric Diggory’s skills. The team tries to reassure Wood, but his focus on winning makes everyone tense. As the game nears, Oliver starts to visit Harry in between classes to offer him tips. The third time it happens, Harry realizes he is ten minutes late to his next lesson and runs off.
Defence Against the Dark Arts with Snape?
Harry arrives late to Defense Against the Dark Arts. He blurts an apology to Lupin, but Lupin isn’t there. Snape is taking the lesson instead of him.
Snape takes ten points from Gryffindor for Harry’s late arrival. He explains that he would be taking over for a couple of lessons, because Lupin is ill.
He criticizes Lupin’s organizational skills, saying he has left no record of the lessons. Hermione tries to tell him about what they have studied so far, but he shuts her off.
Snape tells the class that even first-years can deal with the creatures they have met so far. The students try to side with Lupin, but again, Snape tells them off.
He then assigns a lesson on werewolves, despite the topic being weeks ahead of schedule. He asks if the class knows the difference between real wolves and werewolves, and nobody but Hermione knows the answer. Snape, however, ignores her and insults the class for not knowing the answer.
When Hermione protests, Snape calls her an insufferable know-it-all and takes 5 points from Gryffindor. The class goes silent with hate.
Nobody speaks out for the rest of the class, and Snape assigns them a two-parchment-long essay on how to recognize and kill Werewolves.
The Quidditch Match
The next day, Harry wakes up to Peeves blowing hard in his ear. Harry shoos him away and realizes that it is still dark outside. He tries to go back to sleep, but can’t. He gives up hope of getting any more sleep, gets dressed, and goes down to the common room. He stays there in front of the fire until it is time for breakfast, getting up a few times to stop Crookshanks from sneaking up to Scabbers in the boys’ Dormitory.
Harry meets the rest of the team at breakfast. The weather is horrendous, with relentless rains, strong winds, and near-zero visibility. Oliver is worried, but the rest of the team comforts him as they head out to the field.
The Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch match takes place under treacherous conditions. The weather is horrendous, with relentless rain, strong winds, and low visibility.
The match begins, and Harry is soaked within minutes. He struggles as his Nimbus Two Thousand swerves against the wind, and his glasses become practically useless due to water smearing on the lenses.
Wood calls for a timeout, and Hermione rushes to help Harry. She casts the Impervius charm on Harry’s glasses, making them repel water. This spell improves Harry’s vision, and she earns Oliver’s gratitude.
Now that Harry can see better, he is full of determination. However, as lightning strikes a couple of times, Harry sees the silhouette of a large black dog at the topmost row of the seats. This throws him off guard, but he is brought back by Oliver, who is screaming for him to look back.
Cedric had spotted the snitch and was speeding towards it.
The Great Fall
Panicking, Harry goes after him, but something weird happens. The stadium goes colder than ever, and over a hundred Dementors sweep onto the field. He hears a woman screaming for help as his chest goes cold, and then a shrill laughter as he falls into the icy mist.
Harry regains consciousness in the hospital wing. He is surrounded by his teammates, covered in mud from head to toe. When he finally sits up, Fred, George, and the team explain everything that happened.
After the Dementors flooded the field, Harry fell from his broom about fifty feet onto the ground. Right then, Cedric caught the Snitch, securing Hufflepuff’s victory. Cedric wanted a rematch, but even Wood admitted that Hufflepuff won fair and square.
After a while, Madam Pomfrey comes in to check on Harry and tells the others to give him space. The team leaves, and only Ron And Hermione stay back.
Hermione tells him that Dumbledore was furious about the Dementor’s invasion. He slowed down Harry’s fall at the last second, drove the Dementors away with a silver spell, and then brought Harry to the Hospital Wing on a stretcher.
Trying to digest all this information, Harry asks if anyone brought back his Nimbus 2000, to which he receives some devastating news. Apparently, after Harry fell off, his broom hit the Whomping Willow, and got beaten up into a dozen little pieces.
The chapter ends on a somber note, with Hermione laying the pieces of his broom on the bed beside him.
