is the fictional wizard prison in the ''
Harry Potter '' series of books by
J. K. Rowling . Wizards who violate the laws of the
British wizarding community are sent here (it is not clear whether there are other prisons for wizards in other countries, but this is probably so). By the start of the series, Azkaban is guarded by the foul
Dementor s working under the British
Ministry Of Magic . Generally, only very severe crimes are punished with a term in Azkaban. Many of the prisoners were supporters of
Lord Voldemort .
According to ''
Half-Blood Prince '', Azkaban is located "somewhere north of the
North Sea ," which may place it somewhere around the
Shetland Islands . Azkaban is probably not found on Muggle maps, as wizard land is often made hidden or Unplottable (therefore keeping it secret from Muggles and even sometimes from other wizards) and as a wizard prison, Azkaban would probably be especially secretive.
Azkaban has a justifiably horrible reputation. Its remote location is more of a precaution than a safety measure— the mass presence of dementors renders the inmates incapable of happiness and forces them to relive their worst memories, as they become gradually helpless and very often severely insane. According to Sirius Black, many inmates simply stop eating and eventually die of starvation. As dementors are extremely difficult even to injure—the only spell effective against them is the
Patronus Charm , which only repels them—Azkaban was long considered escape-proof.
Performing any of the
Unforgivable Curses (the
Imperius Curse , the
Cruciatus Curse , or
Avada Kedavra (the Killing Curse) ) on a human is punishable by an automatic life sentence at Azkaban. Other crimes which merit imprisonment here include assaulting the Ministry (for example, the
Death Eater s detained in ''
Order Of The Phoenix '') and impersonating an
Inferius .
Azkaban has not played a direct part in the series, but lurks in the shadows. In ''
Chamber Of Secrets '',
Hagrid is placed under temporary imprisonment there, an experience so traumatic that he refuses to talk about it after being released.
Sirius Black becomes the first wizard known to escape (''
Prisoner Of Azkaban ''), although it is later discovered that
Barty Crouch Jr. escaped with the help of his parents while Sirius was still imprisoned (''
Goblet Of Fire '').
Albus Dumbledore once declared in front of the then Minister for Magic,
Cornelius Fudge , that he could easily break out of Azkaban. However, this remark should be seen in the light of who made it - Dumbledore was probably the most powerful European wizard alive, and the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever feared. What is impossible for most wizards would usually be easy for him.
At the present moment Azkaban has been severely compromised;
Professor Dumbledore has always been vocal in declaring that it was a mistake to guard Voldemort's greatest supporters with those creatures who have the most to gain if Voldemort returned to power. In ''
Order Of The Phoenix '' he's proven right as the Dementors leave their posts at Azkaban and join ranks with Voldemort. The prison is still in use, but greatly weakened by the revolt of its wardens. Presumably
Aurors are the only ones who stand between the convicts and their freedom.
Prisons are often put on islands because escape is made more difficult. It has been often suggested that Azkaban is based on
Alcatraz Island in
San Francisco , as one of the most famous island prisons. Similarities include:
- The names are similar
- They are both located on an Island
- Both were believed escape-proof, until it was proved otherwise (though it is still believed that no one has escaped from Alcatraz and lived)
- Both are/were for high offenders, such as those who have committed Murder
Phonetically, the name Azkaban might be a conflation of
Alcatraz and Baskerville.
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban contains echoes of
Conan Doyle 's
The Hound Of The Baskervilles . Both feature escaped convicts (Sirius and Selden) and sinister hounds supposedly portending death.
J.K. Rowling 's hound is named "the Grim";
Conan Doyle 's marshy location is "Grimpen Mire".
The place may also be inspired partially by
Angband , the fortress of
Morgoth found in the works of
J.R.R. Tolkien , as well as
Devil's Island , the horrendous French prison. (Alcatraz has been called "America's Devil's Island".)
