Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Chapter 9 Summary

Chapter Nine:  Grim Defeat

Dumbledore searches Hogwarts both to get information from the Fat Lady and to be sure it is clear of Sirius Black. In order to ensure their safety, the students sleep in the main hall all together, and for days the gossip is all about how Sirius both entered and escaped. Snape replaces Lupin temporarily in Defense Against the Dark Arts class and requires all students to study werewolves extensively. Again, Lupin is described as feeling ill, and the students begin to wonder about this strange reoccurrence. The big Quidditch match approaches and the weather is the worst that the school has ever seen: stormy skies and pelting rain. The Quidditch match is held anyway, of course. Harry, destined to be the Gryffindor seeker (the member of the team who has to find the golden snitch and capture it), has a terrible time trying to find the little gold ball until Hermione appears and puts a spell on his glasses that allows them to repel water. Despite the horrible weather, the Gryffindors do well until Harry is ambushed by a horrible group of dementors high above the pitch, ignoring Dumbledore’s requirement to stay off the grounds. Harry Potter faints again as a result of the dementors’ cold chill of sadness. Harry hears his Mother’s screaming voice before her death before falling off his broom. Dumbledore manages to slow Harry’s descent with a spell so that Harry doesn’t plummet to his death. Harry is saved, but wakes up in the hospital wing to some absolutely horrible news: the Gryffindors lost and Harry’s broom is smashed to bits.