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|location=[[Azkaban|Azkaban Prison]]
 
|location=[[Azkaban|Azkaban Prison]]
 
|date=[[1982]], [[1993]], [[1996]], [[1997]]
 
|date=[[1982]], [[1993]], [[1996]], [[1997]]
|participants=*[[Crouch family]]
+
|participants=
*[[Sirius Black]]
+
* [[Crouch family]]
*[[Dementor]]s
+
* [[Sirius Black]]
*Various [[Death Eaters]]
+
* [[Dementor]]s
 
* Various [[Death Eaters]]
 
|description=Prisoners escaping from Azkaban
 
|description=Prisoners escaping from Azkaban
 
|first=''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''
 
|first=''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''
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|cause=
 
|cause=
 
}}
 
}}
Despite generally being considered inescapable, '''[[Azkaban]]''' prison has seen at least four escapes, two of them mass-breakouts aided by [[Dementor]]s.
+
Despite generally being considered inescapable, [[Azkaban]] prison has seen at least four '''escapes''', two of the mass-breakouts aided by [[Dementor]]s.
  +
 
==Breakouts==
 
==Breakouts==
  +
From when Azkaban was first used, by the insistence of [[Minister for Magic]] [[Damocles Rowle]], as a wizarding prison, no breakouts have occurred for nearly 300 years due to the Dementors depriving their prisoners of their magical capabilities and sanity.
  +
 
===1982===
 
===1982===
 
The [[1982]] Azkaban escape occurred shortly after [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr]], [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange|Rodolphus]], and [[Rabastan Lestrange]] were sentenced to life imprisonment for the [[Cruciatus Curse|torture]] and permanent incapacitation of the [[Auror]]s [[Frank Longbottom|Frank]] and [[Alice Longbottom]]. At the trial, [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.]], Barty’s father, was one of the judges. Barty begged his father to set him free, but Crouch Sr. felt betrayed by his son and thought he deserved to be punished and imprisoned. He gave his son a life term in Azkaban.
 
The [[1982]] Azkaban escape occurred shortly after [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr]], [[Bellatrix Lestrange|Bellatrix]], [[Rodolphus Lestrange|Rodolphus]], and [[Rabastan Lestrange]] were sentenced to life imprisonment for the [[Cruciatus Curse|torture]] and permanent incapacitation of the [[Auror]]s [[Frank Longbottom|Frank]] and [[Alice Longbottom]]. At the trial, [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.]], Barty’s father, was one of the judges. Barty begged his father to set him free, but Crouch Sr. felt betrayed by his son and thought he deserved to be punished and imprisoned. He gave his son a life term in Azkaban.
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However, Barty’s [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.'s mother|mother]], already dying at the time, persuaded her husband to use [[Polyjuice Potion]] to switch her for their son, in case any of the prisoners were watching through their cells. The Dementors, being blind, could not tell the difference. They only recognised a healthy person and a dying person (Barty Sr. and his wife) entering the fortress, and a healthy person and a dying person (Barty Sr. and his son) leaving. Mrs. Crouch, disguised as Barty, died a few days later and was buried outside the fortress still bearing her son's appearance.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''</ref>
 
However, Barty’s [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.'s mother|mother]], already dying at the time, persuaded her husband to use [[Polyjuice Potion]] to switch her for their son, in case any of the prisoners were watching through their cells. The Dementors, being blind, could not tell the difference. They only recognised a healthy person and a dying person (Barty Sr. and his wife) entering the fortress, and a healthy person and a dying person (Barty Sr. and his son) leaving. Mrs. Crouch, disguised as Barty, died a few days later and was buried outside the fortress still bearing her son's appearance.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''</ref>
   
This was the first known escape in the history of Azkaban, though it was not known to the public until thirteen years later.
+
This was the first known escape in the history of Azkaban, though it was not known to the public until thirteen years later. Once his escape was exposed and he was recaptured, he suffered the [[Dementor's Kiss]] which [[Cornelius Fudge]] deemed a worthy punishment.
   
 
===1993===
 
===1993===
[[File:1993Escape DailyProphet.jpg|thumb|left|230px|The ''[[Daily Prophet]]'' reporting [[Sirius Black]]'s escape.]]
 
 
{{quote|He's at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]].|[[Sirius Black]] muttering in his sleep|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
 
{{quote|He's at [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]].|[[Sirius Black]] muttering in his sleep|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban}}
   
 
[[File:1993Escape DailyProphet.jpg|thumb|left|230px|The ''[[Daily Prophet]]'' reporting [[Sirius Black]]'s escape.]]
In [[1993]], [[Sirius Black]] escaped from [[Azkaban]] after seeing [[Peter Pettigrew|Scabbers]] in a [[Daily Prophet]] [[Daily Prophet articles#MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE|article]], of the paper [[Cornelius Fudge]] gave him, in [[July]] [[1993]], recognising him as his traitorous former friend [[Peter Pettigrew]]. By [[1 August]], Black took advantage of his extreme weight loss to slip through his cell door in his [[Animagus]] dog form while the Dementors were bringing in his food and swam across the North Sea to find Pettigrew.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''</ref> Black was able to maintain his sanity due to his knowledge of his innocence, a non-happy thought that the Dementors could not take. It was only this that allowed him to maintain his powers to transform, and what made the escape possible.
+
In [[1993]], [[Sirius Black]] escaped from [[Azkaban]] after seeing [[Peter Pettigrew|Scabbers]] in a [[Daily Prophet]] [[Daily Prophet articles#MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE|article]], of the paper [[Cornelius Fudge]] gave him, in [[July]] [[1993]], recognising him as his traitorous former friend [[Peter Pettigrew]]. By [[1 August]], Black took advantage of his extreme weight loss to slip through his cell door in his [[Animagus]] dog form (which was unregistered, thus the Ministry did not take preparations against) while the Dementors were bringing in his food and swam across the North Sea to find Pettigrew.<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''</ref>Black was able to maintain his sanity due to his knowledge of his innocence, a non-happy thought that the Dementors could not take. It was only this that allowed him to maintain his powers to transform, and what made the escape possible.
[[File:Sirius_Black_tower.jpg|thumb|right|310px|[[Sirius Black]] locked in a jail cell.]]
 
   
This escape was the only known unaided escape, and officially the first one in Azkaban history (until Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape was revealed).
+
This escape was the only known unaided escape, and officially the first one in Azkaban history (until Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape was revealed). Black was facing the Dementor's Kiss as punishment should he ever be recaptured, though he ultimately eluded the Ministry, and his name was cleared shortly after his death at the hands of [[Bellatrix Lestrange]] in the Department of Mysteries, in the year of 1996.
   
 
===1996 mass breakout===
 
===1996 mass breakout===
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[[File:Daily Prophet Azkaban Breakout.jpg|thumb|225px|right|The Daily Prophet announces the 1996 Azkaban escape.]]
 
[[File:Daily Prophet Azkaban Breakout.jpg|thumb|225px|right|The Daily Prophet announces the 1996 Azkaban escape.]]
In January [[1996]], a mass breakout from [[Azkaban]] set ten long-imprisoned [[Death Eaters]] loose. [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] had little trouble arranging this, as many of the [[Dementor]]s were happy to oblige his dark whims. The ''[[Daily Prophet]]'', probably with encouragement from the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], reported that the escaped criminal [[Sirius Black]] must be responsible for the incident. Most of the escapees, as well as a few other Death Eaters, would be returned to prison after the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]].<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''</ref>
+
In January [[1996]], a mass breakout from [[Azkaban]] set ten long-imprisoned [[Death Eaters]] loose. [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] had little trouble arranging this, as many of the [[Dementor]]s were happy to oblige his dark whims. The ''[[Daily Prophet]]'', probably with encouragement from the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], reported that the escaped criminal [[Sirius Black]] must be responsible for the incident. These ten were considered to be some of the most dangerous and highly guarded convicts due to their crimes being legendary. Most of the escapees, as well as a few other Death Eaters, would be returned to prison after the [[Battle of the Department of Mysteries]].<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''</ref>
   
 
====Known escapees====
 
====Known escapees====
*[[Antonin Dolohov]]
+
* [[Antonin Dolohov]]
*[[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
+
* [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]
*[[Barty Crouch, Jr]]
+
* [[Rabastan Lestrange]]
*[[Rabastan Lestrange]]
+
* [[Rodolphus Lestrange]]
 
* [[Mulciber (Marauder-era)|Mulciber]]
*[[Rodolphus Lestrange]]
 
  +
* [[Augustus Rookwood]]
*[[Mulciber (Marauder-era)|Mulciber]]
 
*[[Augustus Rookwood]]
+
* [[Travers]]
  +
* Three other Death Eaters
*[[Travers]]
 
*Three other Death Eaters
 
   
 
===1997 mass breakout===
 
===1997 mass breakout===
 
{{Quote|[[Rufus Scrimgeour|Scrimgeour]] doesn’t want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban's seen a mass breakout.|[[Arthur Weasley]] to [[Harry Potter]] shortly after the [[Battle of the Seven Potters|flight from Little Whinging]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
   
 
Some time before 27 July, [[1997]], there was another mass breakout of [[Death Eaters]] from Azkaban, including all the escapees from the 1996 breakout who were re-imprisoned after the Ministry break-in, as well as others who had been imprisoned since. It was not reported to the public by the Ministry of Magic, due to their misguided attempt to keep the community under a false pretense of peace. Many of the escapees participated in the meeting at [[Malfoy Manor]] that summer, in the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]], the [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic]], and eventually the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref>
{{quote|[[Rufus Scrimgeour|Scrimgeour]] doesn’t want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban's seen a mass breakout.|[[Arthur Weasley]] to [[Harry Potter]] shortly after the [[Battle of the Seven Potters|flight from Little Whinging]]|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}
 
 
Some time before 27 July, [[1997]], there was another mass breakout of [[Death Eaters]] from Azkaban, including all the escapees from the 1996 breakout who were re-imprisoned after the Ministry break-in, as well as others who had been imprisoned since. It was not reported to the public by the Ministry of Magic. Many of the escapees participated in the meeting at [[Malfoy Manor]] that summer, in the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]], the [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic]], and eventually the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].<ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''</ref>
 
   
 
====Known escapees====
 
====Known escapees====
*[[Avery (Marauder-era)|Avery]]
+
* [[Avery (Marauder-era)|Avery]]
*[[Crabbe]]
+
* [[Crabbe]]
*[[Antonin Dolohov]]
+
* [[Antonin Dolohov]]
*[[Jugson]]
+
* [[Jugson]]
*[[Rabastan Lestrange]]
+
* [[Rabastan Lestrange]]
*[[Rodolphus Lestrange]]
+
* [[Rodolphus Lestrange]]
*[[Walden Macnair]]
+
* [[Walden Macnair]]
*[[Lucius Malfoy]]
+
* [[Lucius Malfoy]]
*[[Mulciber (Marauder-era)|Mulciber]]
+
* [[Mulciber (Marauder-era)|Mulciber]]
*[[Nott]]
+
* [[Nott]]
*[[Augustus Rookwood]]
+
* [[Augustus Rookwood]]
*[[Stanley Shunpike|Stan Shunpike]]<ref name="DH5">''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows|Deathly Hallows]]'', Chapter 5</ref>
+
* [[Stanley Shunpike|Stan Shunpike]]
*[[Travers]] {{Comment|Possibly}}
+
* [[Travers]]
*[[Goyle]] {{Comment|Possibly}}
+
* [[Goyle]]
  +
* [[Yaxley]]
  +
  +
==Behind the scenes==
  +
* Prior to the repeated mass breakouts, the apparent punishment for escaping Azkaban (a feat that all would consider impossible to begin with) is the [[Dementor's Kiss]], as it was noted that Sirius was to suffer it should he be recaptured. Barty Crouch Jr. indeed suffered such a fate, though it was mostly a result of Cornelius Fudge's lack of control over the Dementor he took as security escort.
  +
* [[Albus Dumbledore]] claimed, when Fudge attempted to arrest him, that he could easily break out of Azkaban if he desired, though he considered it a waste of time; that he would much rather resist arrest than being sent there only to escape.
  +
* In the [[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)|second video game adaption]] of ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' [[Molly Weasley]] mentions [[Bellatrix Lestrange]]'s last escape, ''You will regret the day you escaped from Azkaban'', as one of the randomly spoken lines in their [[Duel between Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange|duel]].
  +
* To date, Sirius Black is the only individual known to escape Azkaban without any outside help.
   
 
==Appearances==
 
==Appearances==
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' {{1st mention}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' {{1st mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]'' {{Mention}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]'' {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]'' {{Mention}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)]]'' {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{Flashback}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]'' {{Flashback}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)]]'' {{Flashback}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)]]'' {{Flashback}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' {{Mention}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'' {{Mention}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)]]'' {{1st}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]'' {{Photograph}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)]]'' {{Photograph}}
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' {{Mention}}
+
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
* ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)]]'' {{Mention}}
  +
*[[Harry Potter: The Character Vault]] (mentioned only)
   
 
==Notes and references==
 
==Notes and references==
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[[Category:Azkaban escapees| ]]
 
[[Category:Azkaban escapees| ]]
 
[[Category:Events]]
 
[[Category:Events]]
  +
[[Category:Plot to murder Peter Pettigrew]]
  +
[[Category:Second Wizarding War]]

Revision as of 12:11, 3 March 2016

Despite generally being considered inescapable, Azkaban prison has seen at least four escapes, two of the mass-breakouts aided by Dementors.

Breakouts

From when Azkaban was first used, by the insistence of Minister for Magic Damocles Rowle, as a wizarding prison, no breakouts have occurred for nearly 300 years due to the Dementors depriving their prisoners of their magical capabilities and sanity.

1982

The 1982 Azkaban escape occurred shortly after Barty Crouch Jr, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Rabastan Lestrange were sentenced to life imprisonment for the torture and permanent incapacitation of the Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom. At the trial, Bartemius Crouch Sr., Barty’s father, was one of the judges. Barty begged his father to set him free, but Crouch Sr. felt betrayed by his son and thought he deserved to be punished and imprisoned. He gave his son a life term in Azkaban.

However, Barty’s mother, already dying at the time, persuaded her husband to use Polyjuice Potion to switch her for their son, in case any of the prisoners were watching through their cells. The Dementors, being blind, could not tell the difference. They only recognised a healthy person and a dying person (Barty Sr. and his wife) entering the fortress, and a healthy person and a dying person (Barty Sr. and his son) leaving. Mrs. Crouch, disguised as Barty, died a few days later and was buried outside the fortress still bearing her son's appearance.[1]

This was the first known escape in the history of Azkaban, though it was not known to the public until thirteen years later. Once his escape was exposed and he was recaptured, he suffered the Dementor's Kiss which Cornelius Fudge deemed a worthy punishment.

1993

"He's at Hogwarts."
Sirius Black muttering in his sleep[src]
1993Escape DailyProphet

The Daily Prophet reporting Sirius Black's escape.

In 1993, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban after seeing Scabbers in a Daily Prophet article, of the paper Cornelius Fudge gave him, in July 1993, recognising him as his traitorous former friend Peter Pettigrew. By 1 August, Black took advantage of his extreme weight loss to slip through his cell door in his Animagus dog form (which was unregistered, thus the Ministry did not take preparations against) while the Dementors were bringing in his food and swam across the North Sea to find Pettigrew.[2]Black was able to maintain his sanity due to his knowledge of his innocence, a non-happy thought that the Dementors could not take. It was only this that allowed him to maintain his powers to transform, and what made the escape possible.

This escape was the only known unaided escape, and officially the first one in Azkaban history (until Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape was revealed). Black was facing the Dementor's Kiss as punishment should he ever be recaptured, though he ultimately eluded the Ministry, and his name was cleared shortly after his death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries, in the year of 1996.

1996 mass breakout

"We have confirmed that ten high-security prisoners, in the early hours of yesterday evening, did escape. And of course, the Muggle Prime Minister has been alerted to the danger. We strongly suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience in escaping from Azkaban; notorious mass murderer Sirius Black, cousin of the escapee Bellatrix Lestrange."
Cornelius Fudge interview to the Daily Prophet about the Azkaban mass breakout[src]
Daily Prophet Azkaban Breakout

The Daily Prophet announces the 1996 Azkaban escape.

In January 1996, a mass breakout from Azkaban set ten long-imprisoned Death Eaters loose. Lord Voldemort had little trouble arranging this, as many of the Dementors were happy to oblige his dark whims. The Daily Prophet, probably with encouragement from the Ministry of Magic, reported that the escaped criminal Sirius Black must be responsible for the incident. These ten were considered to be some of the most dangerous and highly guarded convicts due to their crimes being legendary. Most of the escapees, as well as a few other Death Eaters, would be returned to prison after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.[3]

Known escapees

1997 mass breakout

"Scrimgeour doesn’t want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban's seen a mass breakout."
Arthur Weasley to Harry Potter shortly after the flight from Little Whinging[src]

Some time before 27 July, 1997, there was another mass breakout of Death Eaters from Azkaban, including all the escapees from the 1996 breakout who were re-imprisoned after the Ministry break-in, as well as others who had been imprisoned since. It was not reported to the public by the Ministry of Magic, due to their misguided attempt to keep the community under a false pretense of peace. Many of the escapees participated in the meeting at Malfoy Manor that summer, in the Battle of the Seven Potters, the Fall of the Ministry of Magic, and eventually the Battle of Hogwarts.[4]

Known escapees

Behind the scenes

  • Prior to the repeated mass breakouts, the apparent punishment for escaping Azkaban (a feat that all would consider impossible to begin with) is the Dementor's Kiss, as it was noted that Sirius was to suffer it should he be recaptured. Barty Crouch Jr. indeed suffered such a fate, though it was mostly a result of Cornelius Fudge's lack of control over the Dementor he took as security escort.
  • Albus Dumbledore claimed, when Fudge attempted to arrest him, that he could easily break out of Azkaban if he desired, though he considered it a waste of time; that he would much rather resist arrest than being sent there only to escape.
  • In the second video game adaption of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Molly Weasley mentions Bellatrix Lestrange's last escape, You will regret the day you escaped from Azkaban, as one of the randomly spoken lines in their duel.
  • To date, Sirius Black is the only individual known to escape Azkaban without any outside help.

Appearances

Notes and references