Pottermore Moments Revisited: We’re Back!

Last year, I started this project of going back to explore Pottermore the way it was designed to be used: as a companion alongside the books. Unfortunately, Muggle life got in the way for a while, and I had to put the project on hold. However, I’m pleased to announce that the series will be returning! Now that the excitement of the beginning of term is over, it’s time to get back to work exploring the chapters!

Now that Pottermore has released moments all the way up through Deathly Hallows, there’s so much more to explore! I’m excited to get back into exploring the site alongside the books. If you want to catch up on the last installments, you can do so here:

Sorcerer’s Stone: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Chamber of Secrets: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Prisoner of Azkaban (through Chapter 12):  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

But for now, let’s continue on to Chapters 13 and 14 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

Chapter 13: Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw

Chapter thoughts: Ron and Hermione are in their biggest fight to date, but Harry has a Quidditch match (and a brand new Firebolt) to occupy his mind. Harry’s new broom leads Gryffindor to a stunning victory against Ravenclaw, but the euphoria of the moment is spoiled by Sirius Black’s sudden appearance at Ron’s bedside that night. Notable moments include the Quidditch match with its whirlwind of excitement and the Gryffindor third year boys begin woken up by Ron’s screams.

Moment 1: Ron Tries Out the Firebolt

Interestingly, the artists chose to depict Ron’s flight on the Firebolt rather than the Quidditch match that dominates this chapter. Perhaps this was to keep readers from becoming bored with the multiple Quidditch scenes in each of these early books (most of which look the same). There’s a few things to collect in this moment, and we get some nice information on what makes the Firebolt such a special broomstick but nothing groundbreaking.

Moment 2: A Rude Awakening

In keeping with the Pottermore idea of not showing characters’ faces in order to let the reader imagine them without interference, the scene we get here is the empty boys’ dormitory, with the back of one figure scuttling down the hall as you enter the moment. Ron’s four poster curtains drop, and there are a few things to collect, but otherwise, it’s a bit of a lackluster moment. There’s an excerpt from the audiobook included but all in all, nothing too exciting.

Chapter 14: Snape’s Grudge

Chapter thoughts: This chapter is the epitome of Harry and Ron’s poorly thought out plans getting them in trouble. After a talk with Hagrid about how the boys’ anger at Hermione is hurting her, they somehow decide it would be a good idea to have Harry sneak into Hogsmeade. While there, Harry gets some payback at Malfoy (one of my favorite adapted scenes in the movie), but it costs him. Snape suspects Harry of illicit activities, and Lupin offers some words of warning. Personally, I feel that Lupin is the only person who could have given Harry that kind of talking to in a way that wasn’t overly painful but also got across the seriousness of the situation. Lupin Love for sure.

Moment 1: Buckbeak’s Appeal

Buckbeak is simply snacking on Hagrid’s bed in a simple scene that brings the hippogriff back to the reader’s attention. The close proximity of Fang makes it seem like the two are buddies (cue an affectionate “awwwwww”). A bit of collecting to do, but mostly the focus is Buckbeak and his rather bloody snack.

Moment 2: The Shrieking Shack

I’ve always liked how Pottermore depicts the Invisibility Cloak; it is, at first glance, invisible of course, but when you pass the cursor over it, there it faintly is! We get the very end of this scene here, with Harry’s head frightening off Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, and the scenery reminds us that the movie got it wrong – it’s not winter at this point! The gorgeous color makes me wish for Scotland in the spring and really encapsulates the beauty and wildness of the Highlands.

Moment 3: A Spare Bit of Parchment

This is a dialogue-heavy scene, so it’s no surprise that there’s not much to do. We’re back in Snape’s office, though, so why not collect some of those handy potion ingredients? And of course, we get to see the hilarious insults the Marauder’s Map throws at Snape. There’s a lot of color hidden in the shadows of this scene, and the layering is a gorgeous effect.

Now that Harry has been reprimanded, it’s time for him to focus on other things, like the upcoming Quidditch final!