Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapters 6–9

by J.K. Rowling
As he begins his third year at Hogwarts, Harry learns that the notorious Sirius Black has escaped from prison — and might be after Harry. Learn these words from the third novel in J.K. Rowling's wildly popular fantasy series.

Here are links to our other lists for the book: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–9, Chapters 10–13, Chapters 14–17, Chapters 18–22

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. perish
    pass from physical life
    “Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!”
  2. stout
    having rugged physical strength
    “Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!” yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.
  3. spectral
    resembling or characteristic of a phantom
    “The Grim, my dear, the Grim!” cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn’t understood. “The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen—the worst omen—of death!”
  4. offhand
    with little or no preparation or forethought
    “Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?”
    “Yeah, that’s right,” said Harry offhandedly.
  5. revenge
    action taken in return for an injury or offense
    “Maybe you’d rather not risk your neck,” he said. “Want to leave it to the dementors, do you? But if it was me, I’d want revenge. I’d hunt him down myself.”
  6. practical
    concerned with actual use
    A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their old teacher had brought a cageful of pixies to class and set them loose.
  7. assume
    take on a certain form, attribute, or aspect
    So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.
  8. repel
    force or drive back
    The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.
  9. deliberately
    with intention; in an intentional manner
    Professor Lupin had deliberately stopped him from tackling the boggart. Why? Was it because he’d seen Harry collapse on the train, and thought he wasn’t up to much?
  10. lurk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    After boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblinlike creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost.
  11. stifling
    characterized by oppressive heat and humidity
    Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawney’s stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney’s enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him.
  12. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    “CATCH THAT CAT!” Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.
  13. resolve
    reach a decision
    Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case.
  14. vigorous
    characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
    “But—Professor, my aunt and uncle—you know, they’re Muggles, they don’t really understand about—about Hogwarts forms and stuff,” Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. “If you said I could go—”
  15. endure
    put up with something or somebody unpleasant
    Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione; Hermione assumed an “all-for-the-best” expression that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade.
  16. accompany
    go or travel along with
    He accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn’t be going.
  17. cope
    come to terms with
    He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog he’d seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to. He didn’t want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn’t cope with a boggart.
  18. materialize
    come into being; become reality
    “But I didn’t think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic.”
  19. suggest
    imply as a possibility
    “That suggests that what you fear most of all is—fear. Very wise, Harry.”
  20. viciously
    in a brutal manner
    The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.
  21. temper
    a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
    “He got very angry when she wouldn’t let him in, you see.” Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. “Nasty temper he’s got, that Sirius Black.”
  22. thorough
    performed comprehensively and completely
    “The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle,” Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall.
  23. disturbance
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    “I’m afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately,” he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important.
  24. anxious
    causing or fraught with or showing nervousness
    “Do you think Black’s still in the castle?” Hermione whispered anxiously.
  25. distressed
    afflicted with or marked by anxious uneasiness or trouble
    Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She’s still very distressed, but once she’s calmed down, I’ll have Mr. Filch restore her.
  26. linger
    be about
    I didn’t really expect Black to linger.
  27. theory
    a belief that can guide behavior
    The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who’d listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.
  28. pompous
    puffed up with vanity
    He was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him, and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother’s orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog.
  29. somber
    serious and gloomy in character
    To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Harry thought someone must have died.
  30. serious
    causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
    “There’s no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter,” she said in a very serious voice. “I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black—”
  31. exposed
    with no protection or shield
    Well, in that case, Potter, you’ll understand why I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it’s very exposed, Potter—
  32. distinguish
    mark as different
    “Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?” said Snape.
  33. tirade
    a speech of violent denunciation
    Harry and Hermione left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.
  34. determination
    firmness of purpose
    Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction.
  35. distract
    disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried
    He turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and Harry saw something that distracted him completely—the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats.
Created on Fri Aug 04 11:15:08 EDT 2017 (updated Tue Aug 01 14:40:47 EDT 2023)

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