Lies and Deceit Quotes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph or Chapter.Section.Paragraph (depends on whether or not the chapter had sections - some did not)

Quote #10

"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady.

Black stared up at him out of those sunken eyes.

I don't deny it," he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Harry repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know." (17.104-107)

This idea of the "whole story" is really significant. As Harry learns in this book, there aren't just truths and lies, but mixtures of the two. The "whole story" about Sirius is a really complicated thing and, for the angry Harry, it's almost easier to just get the slightly simpler version. The details in this passage are worth noting too – the body language and tones of voice tell us a lot of Sirius's and Harry's respective states of mind here.

Quote #11

"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too – he's a werewolf!"

There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid." (17.143-4)

Though Hermione was rocking her Jack McCoy impersonation during her Q&A sessions with Black and Lupin, she gets a bit over-the-top here. Truths in this novel often do double-duty as bombshells, and the revelation about Lupin being a werewolf is no exception. We love how Lupin maintains his calm and droll demeanor in spite of all the drama.

Quote #12

Lupin's face hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. "All this year, I have ben battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me [...] and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me." (18.52)

Lupin delivers a rocking mini-soliloquy here, in which he gives us great insight into his character, and into the difficulty of confessing a wrong to someone we trust and admire.