Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Chapter 12 Summary

Chapter Twelve:  The Patronus

Harry and Ron continue to be angry with Hermione about the confiscation of Harry’s broom.  Ron even stoops to throwing loud insults at her across the common room. Meanwhile, Professor Lupin begins giving Harry lessons on how to repel dementors. Lupin hopes to teach Harry some highly advanced magic called the patronus charm that will allow him to conjure up a Patronus: a unique guardian that acts as a shield of light against the darkness of the dementors. Harry tries to focus on the happy memory of his first broomstick ride as he says the incantation (“Expecto patronum”), but is immediately overtaken by the boggart posing as a dementor in Lupin’s trunk. Harry tries a few more times (eventually admitting a silvery wisp from the end of his wand) before Lupin puts a stop to the whole process, excited that Harry seems to be making progress. January dawns dark and dreary in that Hermione’s class load is taking a toll, Harry’s Firebolt is still in the hands of McGonagall, the three friends are still avidly fighting, and Harry hasn’t been able to produce a true Patronus yet. It does not help things when Harry learns from Lupin that the dementors’ ultimate weapon is called the “dementor’s kiss”: the expulsion of a person’s soul out through the mouth. Harry cheers up when McGonagall returns the Firebolt, but Ron is in a panic about the blood on his sheets, the loss of his rat, and the three ginger-colored cat hairs left as evidence.