They leave a week before Harry's birthday and stay until the week before the end of the holidays. They are gone the last week of July and the first three weeks of August. (PA1)
July 27 [Jo Rowling]'s first daughter, [Jessica Isabel Rowling], is born
circa July 30 Sirius Black escapes from [Azkaban]He escapes by changing into his dog form and swimming back to the mainland. Very likely the escape happened within a day or two of Harry's birthday, since it shows up on the morning news on the 31st. Siriussaw the photo of the Weasleys during that previous week, on a copy of the [Daily Prophet] Fudge had finished reading. This particular photo had appeared a week before Harry's birthday, which would be on the 24th. Fudge wouldn't be carrying a paper more than a day old, so Black would have proabably seen the picture on that actual day. Given reasonable time for all this to occur, it works out logically that he worried frantically about what to do to protect Harry for several days, was heard moaning "He's at Hogwarts" in his sleep as he agonized over the situation, then finally escaped on the 29th or 30th. (PA1)
July 31 Harry's 13th birthday; [Aunt Marge] comes for a visit with the [Dursleys]"[Aunt Marge] coming for a week-long visit - it was the worst birthday present the [Dursleys] had ever given him, including that pair of [Uncle Vernon]'s old socks." (PA2)
August [Quality Quidditch Supplies] displays the new [Firebolt] [broomstick] (PA4)
August 7 On the last day of [Aunt Marge]'s visit, Harry blows her up and runs awayThe [Knight Bus] picks him up in Magnolia Crescent and drops him off at the [Leaky Cauldron]. (PA2)
after August 7 Harry stays at the [Leaky Cauldron] and spends his days in [Diagon Alley]He does his homework out in the open, eats free ice creams, picks up his [books], and repeatedly stops by [Quality Quidditch Supplies] to admire the [Firebolt]. (PA4)
August 31 Harry meets Hermione and Ron in [Diagon Alley]They are all staying at the [Leaky Cauldron]. Hermione buys Crookshanks. That night, Harry overhears Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in conversation - and learns that Sirius Black is
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