The Harry Potter franchise sees the light-hearted and comedy moments come to the surface once more in Prisoner of Azkaban, and the introduction of a few new characters contributes to this. Whilst it’s not the funniest Harry Potter film out there, it still offers several funny moments for fans to enjoy.
Often considered to be the best movie in the franchise, the third installment follows the story of escaped Azkaban convict, Sirius Black. Although it has its sinister moments like all the movies, there are still many one-liners that leave the audience laughing.
Hermione Points Out The Obvious
"It's On His Suitcase, Ronald"
Hermione Granger was without a doubt one of the most intelligent characters who was always right. She had expert knowledge on countless subjects and was always the person Harry and Ron turned to when they needed help with something.
The trio are on the train to Hogwarts when they end up sitting in a carriage with an unknown man. When Ron asks who they think it is, Hermione confidently replies with his name. Everyone immediately thinks this is down to Hermione’s genius mind, however this time, she simply read his name on a suitcase, much to Ron’s surprise.
Harry Roasts Ron
"Probably A Right Sight Better Than He Normally Does."
After the dementors get into the school grounds during Harry’s quidditch game, he falls off his broomstick. When he ends up in the hospital, several of his friends surround his bed waiting for him to wake up.
Ron claims that Harry looks a bit peaky. That’s when George throws out the idea for Ron to walk off the astronomy tower to see if he looks any better. Harry’s response comes at the perfect moment, and it’s nice to know that he still has his sense of humor even after falling over 100 feet.
Confused Ron Is Always Funny
"How Did You Get There? I Was Talking To You There, And Now You're There."
In the earlier movies, Ron spends a lot of the time in a confused state and this is a prime example of that. When Hermione and Harry use the time turner to go back in time, they start the process in the hospital wing with Ron.
Unable to go with them, Ron had to sit and watch them magically appear through the door when they were originally standing in the middle of the room. It’s no surprise that he was confused and also slightly scared, as shown by the fact he sounded like he could cry at any moment.
Sirius's Casual Conversation During A Serious Situation
"I Was Going For The Rat. Normally I Have A Very Sweet Disposition As A Dog."
When trying to prove his innocence, Sirius Black goes after Ron as a way of getting to Peter Pettigrew. In the process, Sirius accidentally bites Ron’s leg. When he later apologizes for this, he makes it clear that the rat was his aim and it’s unlike him because he’s normally sweet when he’s a dog.
Although being able to turn into a dog was arguably his best life decision, this quote is funny and ironic because there is absolutely nothing sweet about Sirius as a dog in this movie, especially as he almost tore Ron’s leg off. Casually discussing this at a serious moment is even funnier.
The Marauder's Map Disses Snape
"And Request That He Keep His Abnormally Large Nose Out Of Other People’s Business."
When Snape catches Harry with the Marauders Map, he demands that Harry read what it says on the front. Snape is unaware of the contents of the map and also that James Potter and his friends charmed the map to insult him if he ever tried to read it.
Up to this point, Harry and Snape never had a good relationship, however, it’s still brave of him to repeat this to Snape’s face knowing how angry he can get. This adds to the hilarity of the quote and in Harry’s defense, he was only doing what Snape asked.
It's Really Not That Obvious, Hagrid
"Just Stroke The Spine, Of Course. Goodness Me."
Hagrid is one of the most beloved characters in the franchise and this is partly down to his ability to be funny without actually intending to be. In this movie, he becomes the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher and during his first lesson, he tells the students to open their books.
As the magical books are sealed shut, Malfoy asks how to open them. Hagrid states that all they have to do is stroke the spine, like that would be the obvious thing to do.
Ron's Upsetting Nightmare
"Spiders, There’s… There’s Spiders, Spiders. They Wanted Me To Tap Dance, I Don’t Wanna Tap Dance."
Even at the darkest of times, Ron is often the one who provides a comical light. When he has a nightmare, it’s no surprise that it involves spiders. Sadly, for Ron, his fear of spiders was ever-present throughout the movies and one of the funniest moments in the film came from it.
His nightmare is so vivid that he wakes himself up and utters this quote. Harry then reassures him that he can fight those spiders. Clearly, Professor Lupin’s Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson had a long-lasting effect on Ron.
The Knight Bus Is Strange
"Ernie! Little Old Lady, 12 O'clock!"
Although Dre Head only appeared in the movie for a few minutes, he certainly had a lasting effect on the audience. Lenny Henry’s genius cameo of the shrunken head was without a doubt one of the best comical performances of the franchise.
Dre Head had dreadlocks, a memorable Jamaican accent, and was used as an accessory on the Knight Bus. He helps Ernie the driver with obstacles and hazards in the road, and it’s a good job he does because clearly, those little old ladies need protecting.
Ron Is Really Bad At Divination
"So You're Gonna Suffer, But You're Gonna Be Happy About It."
Not many students their Divination lessons seriously and most struggle to keep a straight face when it comes to Professor Trelawney asking them a question. The students are also less than enthusiastic when it comes to putting Divination into practice, especially Ron.
When Ron is forced to read out the meaning of Harry’s tea leaves, he somehow concludes that Harry will suffer but he’ll be happy about it. This clearly doesn’t make sense, but the fact that it’s Ron’s assumption means no one questions it.
Confused Ron Strikes Again
"What The Bloody Hell Was That All About?"
It’s no secret that Ron Weasley is responsible for a large amount of humor in the movies. Unbeknownst to Ron and Harry, Hermione uses her time turner throughout the year that enables her to attend several classes at once.
When Dumbledore gives a mysterious speech about time and how she can use her time turner to potentially save Sirius Black, both Ron and Harry are understandably confused. This quote comes at the perfect moment as it is straight after Dumbledore’s intense monologue and Ron says what everyone was thinking.
