Despite generally being considered impregnable, Azkaban Prison has seen at least four escapes, two of them mass-breakouts aided by Dementors.
1982
The 1982 Azkaban escape occurred shortly after Bellatrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Rabastan Lestrange were sentenced to life imprisonment for the torture 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, undetected by Dementors. Mrs. Crouch, disguised as Barty, died a few days later and was buried outside the fortress still bearing her son's appearance.[1]
This escape was not known to public until 13 years later.
1993
The Daily Prophet reporting Sirius Black's escape.
- "He's at Hogwarts."
- — Sirius Black muttering in his sleep[src]
In 1993, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban after seeing Scabbers in the Daily Prophet article in July 1993, recognizing him as his traitorous former friend Peter Pettigrew. By August 1, he had escaped though the bars of his cells as his dog Animagus form and swam across the North Sea.[2]
This escape was the only known unaided escape, and officially the first one in Azkaban history (until Barty Crouch Jr.'s escape was revealed).
1996
- "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]
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. 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
- Antonin Dolohov
- Bellatrix Lestrange
- Rabastan Lestrange
- Rodolphus Lestrange
- Mulciber
- Augustus Rookwood
- Travers
1997
- "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 July 27, 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 over Little Whinging, the Ministry take-over, and eventually the Battle of Hogwarts.[4]
Azkaban from a distance.
Known Escapees
- Avery
- Crabbe Sr.
- Antonin Dolohov
- Jugson
- Rabastan Lestrange
- Rodolphus Lestrange
- Walden Macnair
- Lucius Malfoy
- Mulciber
- Nott
- Augustus Rookwood
- Stan Shunpike[5]
- Travers[5]