In the Harry Potter books, Azkaban embodies an exaggerated image of a cruel and isolated place, shrouded in darkness and mystery. Rowling also adds a powerful creative flair with the introduction of Dementors - soulless, evil beings who serve as Azkaban's guards and feed on the prisoner's soul.
However, while it does bring that "cool factor," many fans will agree that Azkaban is not the most realistically conceptualized prison. Here are some of the biggest logical inconsistencies and unanswered questions surrounding this horrid place.
Isn't Azkaban a too severe punishment for every crime in the wizarding world?
Why is Azkaban the only punishment imposed upon those who have committed crimes? Being locked up in a Harry Potter equivalent of a remote insane asylum with terrifying beings sucking your soul on a daily basis for a petty crime seems a bit harsh, don't you think? Other punishments for crimes in the wizarding world include wand-snapping and expulsion from wizarding schools, forced to live a life as a squib (wizard incapable of magic), which is a horrible punishment in itself.
But there seems to be no middle ground for people who have only committed minor crimes. The conditions are nothing an ordinary person could survive for long, and having such a dire prison serve as the"official" criminal institution for everyone in the wizarding world is far from realistic.
What do the prisoners of Azkaban eat?
We know what the Dementors eat, but what about the Azkaban inmates? The fact is that the island that houses this terrifying prison tower is so isolated that it wasn't even discovered until a few centuries ago. It seems like an unlikely place to house a kitchen, and even if it did have a kitchen, who would cook for Azkaban prison? Dementors?
In fact, in chapter 5 of The Prisoner of Azkaban book, it's stated that Dementors brought food to Sirius Black. But no explanation was given on how the food was procured and prepared, and the sole idea of Dementors (otherworldly evil beings who feed on humans and obey none) would obey their prey (the Ministry) and cater to Azkaban inmates seems a bit ridiculous.
Do underage wizards go to Azkaban?
A fair question. It seems that Rowling never clarified what happens to underage wizards who commit crimes so heinous, such as using the unforgivable curses, that they should merit life imprisonment in Azkaban.
In the books, we see Harry afraid of being sent to Azkaban for using underage wizardry on multiple occasions, yet this never happened. But surely, an underage mass murderer like Tom Riddle should be punished with something greater than expulsion? We'll never know.
Why didn't the Dementors leave Azkaban sooner?
We don't know whether Dementors were created by the island's original inhabitant, the evil wizard Ekrizdis, but we do know that they continued to inhabit the island after his death and before it was discovered by the Ministry of Magic. So, why did they stick around after his death, with no human victims to feed on?
At first, it was logical to assume that Dementors were unable to leave Azkaban island until the Ministry of Magic discovered them there. The sole reason why the Ministry decided to employ them as guards to the Azkaban prison was in fear of their reprisal. Does this mean that if the Ministry would have destroyed Azkaban, the Dementors would have easily ventured out into the world and retaliate? If so, why the heck didn't the Dementors leave sooner?
Why would the ministry trust Dementors to guard Azkaban prison?
We all know Dementors are foul and inhuman creatures that feed on the suffering and anguish of men. They care not for material possessions and fear no death, as they can not die. Why, then, would the Ministry of Magic trust these creatures to stay on Azkaban island and not venture out into the world to feed on humans?
Sure, it's mentioned in the book that wizards have a way of communicating with the Dementors. However, we really can't do much to stop them from going out in search of the "American Dream," and Dementors don't exactly seem like the trustworthy type.
Can house-elves be imprisoned in Azkaban?
House Elves are loyal and tame creatures with a unique set of magical abilities that allow them to cast powerful spells without the use of wands, such as apparating. They are also intelligent and human-like, so their crimes could technically warrant Azkaban prison time. Especially considering the fact that they use no wands so the wand-snapping punishment is out of the question.
If they indeed can be imprisoned in Azkaban, they'd be able to escape with relative ease, as the only thing that keeps prisoners in Azkaban are the Dementors and their lack of wand ...so that would not make any sense.
Powerful wizards can't be imprisoned in Azkaban
This ties in well with the previous point. On one occasion, Dumbledore is quoted as saying he'd be able to easily escape Azkaban if he'd ever find himself there, presumably with the use of wandless magic, similarly to House Elves. And we all know that imprisoning you-know-who also wouldn't work as he was emotionless and able to win over Dementors to his side with ease.
However, these two are not the only exceptions to the rule. Any skilled animagus would also have no problem escaping. Anyone come to mind? Yeah, Sirius Black. In the third book, Sirius explains to Harry how he escaped by turning into his animagus form and slipping through the prison bars. And considering the most powerful wizards can also be the most dangerous, Azkaban's not a very good prison, then, is it?
How can every wizarding criminal fit in Azkaban?
As you may know, Azkaban was not always a prison. It's a structure conceived by the mind of a deranged dark wizard called Ekrizdis as a place where he would torture lost sailors. With that in mind, how does this one building become the "official" prison for criminals and mentally deranged people of the entire British magical population?
It seems a bit cramped, doesn't it? Provided, we were never given a size description of this place, aside from the book covers which depicted a minuscule Azkaban. Not to mention how impractical it is as a location.
Why did Sirius Black wait 12 years to escape Azkaban?
Throughout the books, Rowling's made a point of emphasizing the horrible conditions the prisoners of Azkaban are subjected to. The reasoning these prisoners have been sucked dry of hope and happiness, and remain empty shells unable to leave. However, as we know, Sirius was NOT hopeless. He knew full well that his godson was alive and that he's in Hogwarts. And even if he had no motivation to leave, if it were as easy as shifting into Padfoot and slipping through the bars, he could have done it ages ago.
Why, then, didn't he use his animagus form earlier to get out of this wretched place and live a normal life? The fact that it was Scabber's (Peter Pettigrew's) picture in the newspaper that finally snapped him out is plain ridiculous, to say the least. The best explanation? He needed to wait 12 years so he could lose enough weight to fit through those prison bars!
Why didn't the Ministry drive away the Dementors from Azkaban Sooner?
Azkaban has been a subject of debates and controversy for its cruel and inhumane conditions ever since it was first instituted as a prison. However, it was the threat of the Dementor's retribution that constantly kept the Ministry in inaction. Until the last book, that is.
It took the Second Wizarding War and countless deaths for the Ministry of Magic to finally realize that Dementors may not be the best choice of a prison guard and that it's time to eradicate them. Really? Why, then, didn't they muster up the courage to do that sooner?