Ok folks, how about something completely different. This is the first of a genre-bender series I intend to feature on this blog. This first episode is essentially a consideration of what it would take to rewrite Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as a Western. Now, before you all start saying that it’s impossible because the book takes place in England, pretty far away from the American West (wild or otherwise), consider the fact that there are elements of a Western which are adaptable, even to England.

The book has some key elements and stock characters of a Western:

Horses/riding: Hippogriffs are not horses, but they’re pretty close. 

A train: The Hogwarts Express features in every book except the last.

The Saloon: The Three Broomsticks. This is the first book in which characters go to the local village of Hogsmead.

High Noon Showdown: Occurs after sunset, in an abandoned house, but it is a pretty intense fight even so.

Off Into the Sunset: Off into the full moon instead. 

Guns Shot out of Hands: Expelliarmous!

Dangerous coyote: Professor Lupin.

Rustling/Horse stealing: Harry and Hermione steal a hippogryph. 

The trapper/Frontiersman: Hagrid fits this in some ways. He lives in a hut near the woods. He has a big beard and is somewhat eccentric. 

The Outlaw: Obviously. In the movie, there are even wanted posters. 

The barmaid: Madam Rosmerta

The Sheriff: Minister Fudge

Overeager Hangman/Judge: Mcnair 

Doctoring the plot would yield additional elements which are not present in the book. In general, the isolation of the school and village could be given greater emphasis. Local wildlife, particularly that living in the forest, could be given greater emphasis. Of course, the costume department would need a complete overhaul. Wand holsters wouldn’t be a bad idea. 

Some more specific ideas:

Train battle: Have the dementors swarm the train in epic disorder and have Professor Lupin, the train conductor, the lunch cart woman, and any of the students who can band together to fight them off. 

Barroom Brawl: There is a pub, but never a brawl. Some possible triggers: Sirius Black appears on the scene to get a hold of Peter Pettigrew. Malfoy turns up and insults Ron and Hermione. Ron takes offense, punches Malfoy in the nose...

What do you think? Could it work? What other plot changes would be needed?

Special thanks to a few special tv tropes pages on the Wild West genre.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWildWest
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WesternCharacters