Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or her swag? Yeah, scholar Joseph Campbell noticed first—in 1949. He wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces, in which he outlined the 17 stages of a mythological hero's journey.

About half a century later, Christopher Vogler condensed those stages down to 12 in an attempt to show Hollywood how every story ever written should—and, uh, does—follow Campbell's pattern. We're working with those 12 stages, so take a look. (P.S. Want more? We have an entire Online Course devoted to the hero's journey.)

Ordinary World

Harry Potter's ordinary world is a terrible one. At least he's no longer in a cupboard under the stairs, but he's still subject to the whims of his abusive uncle Vernon and the repulsive Dursley clan. Things don't stay ordinary for Harry Potter for long, of course. He soon inflates his aunt like a balloon and flees to Hogwarts.

Call To Adventure

The plot in Prisoner of Azkaban is less an adventure and more like, "Harry, try not to get killed, okay?" The more Harry learns about Sirius Black, the more he realizes their fates are intertwined. He'll encounter him sooner or later, and he needs to be prepared.

Refusal Of The Call

Harry isn't the type to refuse anything, even though he solemnly swears to Mr. Weasley that he's definitely up to good:

HARRY: Mr. Weasley, why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?

Yeah, we don't believe that for a second.

Meeting The Mentor

Harry meets Professor Lupin aboard the Hogwarts Express. Not only does he save Harry from a Dementor, but he also gives him a chocolate. That's a mentor we all wish we had. Plus, they're in England, so it's probably Cadbury: a.k.a. the good stuff.

Crossing The Threshold

In Hogsmeade, Harry learns that Sirius is his godfather and that he betrayed his parents, leading to their death. It's at this point where Harry realizes that he must find Sirius and avenge his parents. He wouldn't be out of place in a Tarantino revenge fantasy.

Tests, Allies, Enemies

To find Sirius, Harry uses the Marauder's Map. This shows him Peter Pettigrew, whom Harry believes to be another of Sirius's victims. You know the saying the enemy of your enemy is your friend? Well, Pettigrew might be an ally if he's another person who Sirius betrayed.

Approach To The Inmost Cave

This is less an approach to the inmost cave, and more like, "Ron just got dragged kicking and screaming into the inmost cave" stage of the Hero's Journey. Harry must follow Ron into the Shrieking Shack to confront Sirius, whom he still believes to be one of Voldemort's right-hand men. (How many right hands does ol' Voldy have?)

Ordeal

After learning Sirius's true identity, all heck breaks loose under the shade of the Whomping Willow tree, which is taking a nap or something. Lupin turns into a werewolf. Dementors almost eat Harry. And Sirius is recaptured.

The only way to fix it is for Hermione to use the Time Turner and set things right.

Reward (Seizing The Sword)

Thanks to Hermione and her magical hourglass, Harry's able to save Sirius. As nice as it is to have a new family member he can trust, Sirius isn't the real reward here. The true reward is Harry's newfound strength and confidence.

He faces his fear and conjures a massive Patronus that scares away the Dementors. And the Patronus looks like Harry's father's. It's here where Harry accepts that he'll never be able to bring back his father. But he now knows he can become a young man who his father would be proud to call his son.

The Road Back

The road back is through the sky, as Harry and Hermione ride Buckbeak back to Hogwarts to rescue Sirius from his tower cell.

Resurrection

The prisoner of Azkaban has his identity restored as Sirius Black, part-time dog and full-time godfather to Harry Potter. Also resurrected is Harry's hope at having a somewhat normal life, as he knows he has a new family member who loves him.

Return With The Elixir

Sirius must flee, which is a bit of an emotional setback for Harry, who hoped he'd get to live with Sirius. But if he feels rejected by his godfather, it's only for a moment. Sirius soon delivers a Firebolt broomstick (the fastest in the world) which is his way of showing Harry that he will support him however he can.