Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter Fourteen Summary & Analysis

The next day, Harry sees teachers putting security measures in place. McGonagall fires Sir Cadogan and the Fat Lady returns with security trolls to guard her. Harry notices that the statue of the witch that leads to Hogsmeade remains unguarded, but Ron insists that Sirius Black can't be getting in through Honeydukes. Ron becomes a celebrity overnight, though he doesn't understand why Black ran instead of murdering the entire dormitory. Neville is disgraced and McGonagall forbids anyone to give him the passwords. He also receives a Howler from his grandmother one morning.

As Harry watches Neville run away with the Howler, Hedwig nips him so he'll take her letter. It's from Hagrid inviting him and Ron to come for tea in the evening. Ron is excited to get to tell Hagrid about his heroism, but Hagrid is uninterested. In Hagrid's cabin, they notice Buckbeak on the bed with Hagrid's awful brown suit, all ready for Buckbeak's hearing in front of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. Harry feels guilty; he forgot about the trial.

Hagrid looks uncharacteristically serious as he says that they need to talk about Hermione. He says that she's been visiting him often to help with Buckbeak's case, though she often cries because she has so much on her plate and Ron is ignoring her. Hagrid says that he thought Harry and Ron would value friendship more than objects. Ron angrily says that he'd speak to Hermione if she got rid of Crookshanks, and then the conversation turns to Quidditch.

When Harry and Ron return to the castle, they see that a Hogsmeade trip is scheduled for next weekend. Harry quietly says that the passage isn't blocked up yet, but Hermione appears behind them and threatens to tell McGonagall about the Marauder's Map if he goes to Hogsmeade again. Ron tells Hermione to leave it alone and Hermione leaves when Crookshanks jumps into her lap. Harry agrees to go with the Invisibility Cloak.

Harry goes to breakfast with everyone else on Saturday morning, the Invisibility Cloak and the map in his pockets. After everyone else leaves, he heads for the third floor and checks the map by the witch statue. He sees Neville coming and can't get himself through the passage before Neville appears. Neville invites Harry to play a game and work on their essays for Lupin, but Snape interrupts. His eyes flick to the witch statue as he sends both boys back to Gryffindor Tower. Harry ditches Neville at the portrait hole and then races back to the witch statue and climbs in.

In Hogsmeade, Harry finds Ron. They decide to visit the Shrieking Shack, one of the most severely haunted buildings in Britain. Suddenly, they hear voices and see Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle approaching. Malfoy is talking about Buckbeak's hearing and when he sees Ron, he teases him that the Shrieking Shack would be more luxurious than the Weasleys' house. Harry sneaks behind Malfoy and throws mud at him. Ron, laughing, remarks on how haunted the Shrieking Shack is. Harry throws more mud at Crabbe and Goyle and Crabbe runs at Harry. Harry sticks out his leg to trip Crabbe, but Crabbe's foot tugs the cloak off of Harry's face. Malfoy screams and runs.

Harry races back to Honeydukes and hopes that nobody will believe Malfoy. He decides to leave the cloak in the tunnel and just as he closes up the passage, Snape appears. Harry guiltily sticks his muddy hands in his pockets and follows Snape to his office. Snape tells Harry that Malfoy saw him in Hogsmeade. Harry tries not to blink and suggests that Malfoy was hallucinating, but Snape won't have it and Harry is forced to admit that nobody can confirm that he was in Gryffindor Tower.

Snape says that even though everyone is trying to keep him safe, Harry doesn't care about consequences. He says that Harry is just like James and that James didn't care about rules either. Harry snaps, tells Snape to shut up, and says that Dumbledore shared that his dad saved Snape's life. Snape asks if Harry knows the details. Harry doesn't, so Snape says that James and his friends played a joke on him that could've killed him; James was saving himself from punishment by "saving" Snape.

Snape asks Harry to empty his pockets. Harry pulls out his shopping bag from Zonko's and the Marauder's Map. He tells Snape that Ron gave him the Zonko's items as Snape picks up the parchment and starts to throw it in the fire. When Harry jumps, Snape hits the map with his wand and tells it to reveal its secrets. Words appear on the map, all insulting Snape's appearance. Snape summons Lupin through the fireplace and Lupin climbs out. He inspects the map and says it likely came from Zonko’s, but Snape says it must have come from "the manufacturers." Lupin asks Harry if he knows Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, or Prongs, and Harry truthfully says he doesn't. Ron bursts in, out of breath, and says he gave Harry the Zonko's products a while ago.

Lupin cheerfully takes back the map and tells Harry and Ron to follow him. In the entrance hall, Lupin says he knows that the parchment is a map and is aghast that Harry didn't turn it in. Harry asks why Snape thinks he got it from the manufacturers. Lupin hesitantly explains that they would've found it entertaining to lure Harry out of school and admits that he's met them. He says that he won't cover for Harry again and says that Harry is doing a poor job of repaying Lily and James's sacrifice. Harry feels awful. As Harry and Ron reach the corridor for the portrait hole, they see Hermione coming towards them. Ron meanly asks if she told on them, but she shakily says that Hagrid lost and Buckbeak will be executed.