Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a computer and video game that was released in 2004, concurrently with the release of the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, the third in the Harry Potter series. Both the game and the movie were based on J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third novel in the Harry Potter series.

Characters

Playable

• Harry Potter: the main character. The user controls Harry during most of the game, except for the Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration challenges and final exams.
• Hermione Granger: a best friend of Harry's. The user controls Hermione during the Transfiguration challenge and final exam and at assorted other times.
• Ron Weasley: Harry's other best friend. The user controls Ron during the Defence Against the Dark Arts challenge and final exam and also for a short period of time at the very beginning of the game.

Non-playable

• Draco Malfoy: Harry's nemesis. Malfoy is injured by Hagrid's Hippogriff, Buckbeak, in a Care of Magical Creatures class early on in the game and is instrumental in getting the Hippogriff put on trial.
• Albus Dumbledore: the headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore is hardly seen in this game; however, he is the one who informs Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they have completed the game's objectives, along with Professor McGonagall.
• Minerva McGonagall: Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration teacher.
• Remus Lupin: the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Lupin was a good friend of Harry's father, James Potter.
• Rubeus Hagrid: a kindly half-giant who teaches Care of Magical Creatures.
• Filius Flitwick: the Charms teacher.
• Sirius Black: the "Prisoner of Azkaban". Wrongly convicted of the murder of thirteen people and sent to the Wizarding prison, Azkaban, about twelve years before the events of Prisoner of Azkaban take place.

Spells

• Alohomora: unlocks doors. Harry learned Alohomora in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
• Depulso: knocks things over, triggers switches, and stuns Pixies and the Monster Book of Monsters. Harry did not learn this spell in either this game or previous games, but he learned a similar spell, Flipendo, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
• Lumos: triggers a special gargoyle to emit light, revealing secret areas and doors. Harry learned this spell in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in a slightly altered form. In Philosopher's Stone, the spell conjured up platforms of light that Harry could walk on. The same spell, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, revealed hidden objects.
• Carpe Retractum: pulls objects toward the caster, or the caster toward the object. Professor Lupin teaches this spell in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Ron is given the Carpe Retractum challenge and final exam.
• Draconifors: transfigures small statues of Dragons into living Dragons. Professor McGonagall teaches this spell in Transfiguration. Hermione is given the Draconifors/Lapifors challenge and final exam.
• Lapifors: transfigures small statues of rabbits into living rabbits. Professor McGonagall teaches this spell at the same time as Draconifors.
• Expecto Patronum: dispells Dementors. Professor Lupin teaches Harry this spell in a special anti-Dementor lesson.
• Glacius: freezes water and Amazonian salamanders. Professor Flitwick teaches this spell in Charms. Harry is given the Glacius challenge and final exam.

Plot

For a complete synopsis see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter learns that a dangerous man, Sirius Black, has escaped from the Wizarding prison, Azkaban, and is supposedly after Harry. With his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Harry masters the spells necessary to confront Black. However, Black is not all he seems: He was convicted of the murder of thirteen people nearly thirteen years ago, but the real murderer, Peter Pettigrew, is hiding in the guise of Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. Together with Professor Lupin and Black, Harry, Ron, and Hermione unmask Pettigrew, only to have him escape when Professor Lupin turns into a Werewolf. Using Hermione's Time-Turner, Harry and Hermione go back in time and rescue Hagrid's Hippogriff, Buckbeak, and use him to rescue Black.