Flight of the Fat Lady (PA)

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Snape brews a potion for Lupin for his monthly transofrmations.

Flight of the Fat Lady is the eighth chapter of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Classes

Defence Against the Dark Arts has quickly become the favourite class of most Hogwarts students, with the exception of Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins. The boy complains that Remus dresses like the Malfoys' old house-elf, but no one else seems to mind.

After boggarts, the class studies Red Caps, nasty goblin-like creatures that lurk in places where blood has been shed, hoping to strike occasional wanderers. Their next subject was kappas, creepy water-dwellers that resembled monkeys with scales and webbed hands for strangling those who intrude on their ponds.

Not all classes, however, are this enjoyable. Potions is of course the worst, and Severus Snape's foul mood as of late does not help matters. The story of Neville's boggart (PA7) has been repeated all around the school, and the professor seems increasingly more hostile towards both Remus and Neville.

Divination is no walk in the park, either. Harry is having a harder time ignoring Sybill Trelawney's bulging, moistened eyes every time she sees him. He has decided that he does not like her, an attitude unlike that of several of his classmates, especially Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. The two girls have recently taken the annoying habits of spending lunch hours in the North Tower, of returning with superior looks on their faces, and of treating Harry as though he was on the verge of dying.

Care of Magical Creatures is a bore. Alarmed by the outcome of his action-packed first class (PA6), Hagrid decides to have his students examining flobberworms for classes on end. It is their duty to feed the dull creatures shredded lettuce.

Quidditch season starts

The Quidditch season is about to begin. Captain Oliver Wood, now in his seventh year, calls the team for a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss new tactics. His voice betrays his desperation as he reminds the team that Gryffindor hasn't won the Quidditch Cup in seven years (PA12), and this is his last chance to try to obtain it.

Their team, he continues, is the best: three superb Chasers (Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell), two unbeatable Beaters (Fred and George Weasley), and Harry Potter, a Seeker who has never failed to win a match. There is also Wood, of course, who is not a bad Keeper himself.

The seven players start training three evenings a week, despite the bad weather.

Hogsmeade

One night, Harry returns from practice, tired but satisfied, to find the entire Gryffindor common room in an excited buzz. The first Hogsmeade weekend of the term has been announced October 31. Fred mentions that he has to go to Zonko's; he's almost out of Stink Pellets.

Harry's good mood vanishes at once. Hermione tries to comfort him by pointing out that Sirius Black will undoubtedly be caught soon. Ron adds that Black is not an idiot: he would not try to do anything in a village so close to Hogwarts. The Weasley recommends that Harry ask Minerva McGonagall if he can go this time.

Harry agrees to do so. Crookshanks leaps on Hermione's lap, chewing on a large, dead spider; Ron is disgusted, and asks her to keep her cat away from his bag, where Scabbers is asleep.

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