CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 3: The Knight Bus

[dzturtleshell]

No: HPFGUIDX 189450

Thanks for the questions!

1. What did you first think after reading about Harry's latest bout of underage magic? Did you also think that he would be expelled or that Ministry wizards would come to arrest him or at least to break his wand in half?

dzturtleshell: I originally expected something similar to OoTP, I figured Harry would be expelled and the expulsion would be overturned (before term started) after an intervention by DD. 
Personally, I didn't think the magic was too big of a deal, not much different than the disappearing glass at the zoo or the spontaneous hair growth before he knew he was a wizard. 

2. Realizing that both Ron and Hermione were abroad, where was the first place that you thought Harry would go?

dzturtleshell: I expected him to go to Hagrid. I didn't know how he'd get there, but Harry's resourceful, he'd find a way. 

3. Harry senses something/someone watching him, he sees the outline of "something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes," Who/what did you first think of upon reading this?

dzturtleshell: Something out of the Monster Book of Monsters ;)

4. We know that Harry's location is relatively unknown, so much that even DE's/Voldemort couldn't swoop down on him during DH, even though "they know the general area of the house,"- yet, Ron and the twins were able to rescue him in CoS and now Sirius in his Animagus form was also able to locate him . How do you think they know where to find Harry at all?

dzturtleshell: I always wondered how Ron found Harry's house in CoS. But, I assume Hagrid told Sirius where he was taking Harry when Hagrid borrowed Sirius's bike on that fateful night 12 years ago. (Meaning before Hagrid learned that Sirius was the traitor, of course)

5. There must be hundreds of wizards all over Britain that would've stuck out their wand arm, without needing transportation. How do you think the Knight bus distinguishes those that would be needing their services?

dzturtleshell: As someone else mentioned, I figure it's something like hailing a cab. Like a definitive motion of the arm being thrust outward... Also, Harry had a need for transportation in the back of his mind. The magic of the Bus might be able to sense that?

6. Harry is almost run over by the bus, yet we know that it dodges cars and scatters mailboxes. Do you think Harry would have really been run over?

dzturtleshell: No, all of those cars and mailboxes it dodges are also pretty close calls. It always seems like it will hit everything, but it does manage to miss (with a decidely narrow margin of error). 

7. We are introduced to Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the Knight bus. Harry places him at around eighteen or nineteen years old. We should've seen him at Hogwarts in Harry's first year. What do you think of his magical education?

dzturtleshell: I figured he couldn't afford Hogwarts. We later learned that Tom Riddle had a scholarship, but Tom Riddle was very bright. Maybe Stan didn't qualify. 

Or... Did we ever actually see Stan do any magic? Maybe he's a squib that works within the magical world, like Filch. 

8. It says in the newspaper that "Black" (eventually we know it was that rat Pettigrew) murdered thirteen people with one curse. What spell do you think he used? Do you think the Killing Curse was involved, or that Pettigrew would be powerful enough to cast a similar curse?

dzturtleshell: Even after we learned about AK, I assumed that something that would kill 13/12 people all at once would be some sort of explosion. Why couldn't a spell cause a gas pipe to explode (the cover story the Ministry used)?

Also, was it a curse that only affected Muggles? It didn't actually kill any wizards after all. How could Pettigrew be sure that his curse wouldn't kill Sirius?

9. Although we know from CoS that Azkaban inspires fear even to brave people (a.k.a Hagrid), this is the first time the guards are mentioned. What was your first idea of what/who they would be?

dzturtleshell: Again, something from the Monster Book of Monsters.

10. Harry steps down to London and is greeted by none other than Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic. Why do you think such an important political figure came to fetch Harry?

dzturtleshell: Well we had already learned that Voldy's biggest supporter was on the loose and considering the title of the book was the Prisoner of Azkaban, it made sense to me that Black would be going after Harry. If I were Minister of Magic, I wouldn't want to be the one in charge when the most feared man alive broke out of prison AND killed the Boy Who Lived. I'd think Harry's safety was pretty important to Fudge right about now and expected there were some undercover guards (Aurors once we learned the term in GoF) hidden on Diagon Alley during Harry's stay there. 

11. Fudge explains that Aunt Marge has been restored to normal and that the Dursleys are prepared to take him in next holidays, no matter how angry they were. Do you think that Fudge knows about Harry's blood protection in Privet Drive ?

dzturtleshell: Doubtful. DD was pretty quiet about that one. And even if DD did share it with Fudge, I doubt Fudge could comprehend it. Fudge probably assumed they were like a normal family that actually liked Harry when he wasn't blowing up mean spinster aunts (and probably assumed the threat of Sirius Black would be resolved by next summer) 

12. Harry is relieved from any punishment for blowing up his Aunt, and doesn't even get expelled for using underage magic. Fudge even looks uncomfortable and deliberately makes excuses to not explain his actions. What was your first reaction to this?

dzturtleshell: It was strange. I didn't understand, but it's only the third chapter. It was one of the things I was looking forward to learning about as I read on!

13. On a different note, with the knowledge of the series, do you think Dementor's can get angry?

dzturtleshell: Sure. Something that feeds on emotion would be pretty full of emotion, wouldn't it?

~ dzturtleshell :)