The Prisoner of
Azkaban introduces us to both Professor Lupin and Sirius Black, two
seemingly polar opposites who prove to have a huge effect on Harry’s life.
First we have Professor Lupin. For Harry, Lupin is a breath
of fresh air in the world of teachers. Professor Lupin takes a real and genuine
interest in Harry, which is something Harry really needs. It is with Lupin’s
encouragement and help that Harry is eventually able to fight off the
Dementors, which send him spiraling into the darkest and saddest places of his
mind. The tragedies in Harry’s life makes the dementors have a much larger
impact on him, and so the help from Lupin becomes invaluable. Without Lupin’s
lessons, Harry, Hermoine and Sirius would have been kissed by the dementors,
ending their lives in the worst possible way.
Professor Lupin also gives Harry insight into his parents’
lives. He is a link to them, having been one of James’ best friends. But in
addition to this link to Harry’s parents, I think Professor Lupin really gives
Harry someone he can rely on at a point in his life where it seems that
everyone is trying to protect him and keep him in the dark about a multitude of
aspects, namely the scandal involving Sirius Black and Harry’s parents.
Nearly all of the adults in Harry’s life are trying to protect
him from the dark truth of his and his parents’ past. They are doing what they
believe is in Harry’s best interest, but their good intentions aside, it still
rubs Harry the wrong way. While they are trying to protect him, he feels that
these details of the Potter family history should be shared with him, that he
doesn’t deserve to be in the dark, even if the truth is painful and ugly.
Lupin, to me at least, is an exception to this. While he doesn’t delve deeply
into his relationship with Harry’s parents, he is open and honest with him.
Lupin has faith in Harry, that he can do the advanced magic required to produce
a Patronus Charm and diligently works with him because he has so much faith in
Harry.
I think Lupin is also such an important figure to Harry
because he is also an outcast. Although we don’t find out until nearly the End of PoA, Lupin is a werewolf; this aspect
of him is very relatable to Harry. Before he began at Hogwarts, Harry was an
outcast among his family, and by extension, thanks to his portly cousin Dudley,
an outcast at school as well. But even at Hogwarts, Harry isn’t an “outcast” per
say, but because he is “The boy who lived” he is still set apart from many
other people. I think Harry can relate to Lupin because they are both unlike
almost everyone else. Although they aren’t similar in and of themselves, their
unique character traits (being a werewolf and being the boy who lived) bring
them together.
Sirius Black, for a majority of the book, represents the
evil of the world. He represents Voldemort’s power and hatred, as well as
betrayal and heartlessness. It isn’t
until the end of the book that he transforms from being one of the most evil
people imaginable, and when he does, he really takes a 180 degree turn. He
becomes a character of unparalleled sympathy, at least for me. Innocent and
framed for so many murders, Sirius becomes a symbol of an unjust system
(Azkaban). Like Lupin, Sirius is a link to Harry’s parents, having been James’
best friend since their school days. For a few brief moments, Sirius represents
salvation for Harry. He is going to save him from the Dursleys. Over the course
of the book, Sirius represents many things; first it he is evil incarnate. Then
he represents betrayal and the death of Harry’s parents, until he is redeemed
and represents salvation and hope for the future for Harry.
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