Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Chapter 20 Summary

Chapter Twenty:  The Dementor’s Kiss

On the way back, Sirius Black reminds Harry that, as his godfather, Harry can choose to live with Sirius if desires. Harry is thrilled at the prospect of spending his life with the confidant of his father, as well as the prospect of leaving the Dursleys. Suddenly everyone realizes that Lupin neglected to take his potion and is likely to become a werewolf at any moment. As Lupin transforms into a werewolf, so does Black transform into the large, shaggy, black dog.  The werewolf and the black dog fight viscously. Peter Pettigrew seizes this moment to grab a wand as a human, transform back into a rat, and escape from his enemies’ grasp. The group separates. As Hermione and Harry rush to the sound of a wounded dog yelp, they realize that Sirius has again transformed into his human self and is surrounded by dementors who are getting ready to perform the “Dementor’s Kiss” and suck out Sirius’ soul through his mouth.  Harry and Hermione try to fight the dementors, but fail to produce strong enough Patronuses to do so. Just as Harry and Hermione fade to blackness in a dead faint from the dementors’ cold chill, the area is filled with a great light. Something circled around them, driving the dementors back. In his stupor, Harry could discern that the figure of light was a magnificent animal with someone very familiar in the shadows welcoming it back, but fails to make out the details as he faints dead away.