A timely finish

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter 21

Shame on Cornelius Fudge for looking for the politically expedient way out of this Sirius Black public relations nightmare. Just send him back to Azkaban no questions asked? How did he get this Minister of Magic job anyway?

Dumbledore, however, always knows what's really going on and is a man with a plan. The time travel rescue operation - a move that could have cost the headmaster his job - was some of the best sleight of hand you could imagine.

I said I wouldn't guess who Harry saw across the lake, but I did figure he thought he saw his dad. But I also figured that wasn't who he saw. I didn't realize it until he did. You would think after seeing the "Back to The Future" series more than once and various other shows and movies that incorporate time travel that I would have figured it out. I'm very disappointed in myself.

The time travel thing is one of the best sequences of the series so far. No wonder Hermione was so tired during the school year living 24-plus hours a day. Jack Bauer could have used that hourglass, then he wouldn't have always been "running out of time."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Chapter 22

Snape for once is right, but he can't prove it. I would say poor guy, but he's really getting on my nerves.

He jumps to conclusions, yells at everyone and is always late to the party. And what's with this calling the students by their last names? Snape isn't the only one who does it. They're kids. Call them by their first names.

As prescient as Dumbledore always is, I'm sure that his telling Harry that the day will come whem he will be glad he saved Pettigrew's life will come true.

Harry's letter from Black and an owl for Ron was a nice spirit lifter at the end. Overall, not a happy ending, but something to hope for.

The climax to this story was a lot to digest, but it was a rewarding finish to a book that at times moved a bit slow. But apparently there is purpose in everything that happens at Hogwarts.

Now it's time to drink from "The Goblet of Fire."