We continue now with the questions I have to answer for class.

Question: One of the continual themes in the books is how appearances can be deceiving – how does Prisoner of Azkaban address that theme and does it provide an easy answer?

The book certainly does not provide an “easy answer” for the question of deceiving appearances. There are several ways in which it demonstrates how complicated the matter might be. Three come to mind in particular – Professor Trelawney, Sirius Black, and the Crookshanks/Scabbers debacle.

Trelawney, the Divination professor, is clearly a quack and a fraud. Hermione spots it right away, and her constant predictions of Harry’s death, along with her exceedingly odd mannerisms tell us over and over
again that she’s just plain weird, and her predictions are not to be trusted. Yet even so, this strange woman is capable of uttering a prophecy that comes true at the end of the book. (426) Even a quack can get it right once in a while, and no one is to be dismissed, just because of their odd appearance and manner.

Sirius Black is described in quite chilling ways. He is clearly being set up as the second most powerful dark wizard, able to do incredible damage with a single spell. He’s the only one to ever escape Azkaban. He is clearly very cunning, able to sneak into Hogwarts unnoticed (chapter eight). And even worse for Harry in particular, it seems quite clear that everyone is convinced he betrayed his parents to Voldemort. (206) In a surprise twist that Rowling is so good at, Sirius is Harry’s godfather and cares for him deeply. Sirisu’ appearance was quite deceiving.

When first we meet Crookshanks, he’s a cranky old cat whom no one except Hermione likes, and he attacks Scabbers, Ron’s pathetic and apparently sick rat. (60-61) Throughout the book, the feud continues, Scabbers
apparently the poor, weak victim, and Crookshanks the oppressive offender. Of course, the rat turns out to be Peter Pettigrew, the “servant of Lord Voldemort.” (chapter 20) And even Crookshanks turns out to be not an evil cat, but “friends with that dog,” Sirius. (336)

Clearly, these situations do not provide “easy” answers to the question. All three turned out to be exactly the opposite to their appearance. Rowling’s lesson seems to be clear: Don’t discount anyone based on
appearances.

[Lupin is obviously another example, but I write about him in answer to another question. Stay tuned.]

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