It's book 3, and things are finally starting to become a bit more dark. And "Prisoner of Azkaban" is the first (though hopefully not the last) reread that is actually BETTER than I remember it.

It's fun to see the plot maturing alongside the characters, and there's a lot to grip us here. We have Harry confronted with the memory of his parents' deaths when he interacts with the dementors, a recurrence that has much more depth in the book as we see Harry wrestling with the fact that he *wants* to hear them again as painful as it is. We get the trial and planned execution of the innocent Buckbeak, and our hatred for Draco (and the Malfoys in general) takes on more weight than him just being annoying.

And we are introduced to some of the best characters and most moving histories of the series. Here we meet Sirius and Lupin—who else—and relearning their backstories was such a treat given, once again, how much has to be cut from the films. I know I'm not the only one calling for some more canon material about the marauders, but come on. We need more.

Similarly to "Chamber of Secrets," I really marveled at the intricacy of the plot and especially the late twists and revelations in this book. The climax in the Shrieking Shack is so masterful, and on the strength of that scene alone I was reminded why so many people rate this as their favorite installment. And again I'll say: it's nuts just how much plot exists in this book, and how many moments are setting us up for the future.

Knowing how much more is to come and how much of it I've forgotten, I'm even more excited to continue if that's possible. ONWARD.