Harry Potter Books in Order: How to read J.K. Rowling’s series?

I am sure that most of have read or at least heard of Harry Potter series. It’s natural that you would want to read the Harry Potter series in order so that you can enjoy and understand the story and the timeline.

Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels written by J. K. Rowling. This book series chronicles the lives of Harry Potter, a young wizard, and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The series is immensely popular and have received positive commercial and critical responses from around the world.

All of the books in the series have collectively sold over 500 million copies. Because of its mass appeal, the series was also adapted into an extremely popular film series.

If you’re interested in Harry Potter, I bet you would also like fantasy novel series, The Lord of the Rings.

J.K. Rowling’s Biography

Joanne Rowling also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling is a British author and philanthropist who received widespread acclaim for writing one the Harry Potter series.

Before working as a full-time writer, J. K. Rowling worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International. She famously came up with the idea for the Harry Potter book series while on a delayed train from Manchester to London.

Rowling has received many accolades for her work and even received an OBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for her services to literature and philanthropy.

She has used the wealth and fame she accrued from the sales of the Harry Potter books for supporting at-risk women and children. She has also made several donations to support multiple sclerosis research and to Comic Relief.

Aside from the Harry Potter series, she has also written multiple crime fiction novels under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

Who is Harry Potter?

The Harry Potter book series follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who is famous for surviving an attack by the dangerous dark wizard Lord Voldemort when he was a baby. He is the only child of James and Lily Potter and was raised by his mother’s sister, Petunia, and her husband, Vernon Dudley.

For the first 11 years of his life, Harry Potter is unaware of his wizarding roots and leads a monotonous life with the Dudleys and their son. On his 11^th birthday, he receives a letter that invites him to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, Harry Potter becomes best friends with fellow wizards Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

The book series follows Harry Potter and his time at Hogwarts under the tutelage of headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Unbeknownst to Harry, Voldemort, who was once considered dead, is planning to return to power with the help of his followers, the Death Eaters. Harry and the wizards on his side must work together to defeat Lord Voldemort and save the wizarding world.

Harry Potter Books in Order

The first novel in the Harry Potter book series and J.K. Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in 1997. The series concluded with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007.

1) Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first novel in the Harry Potter book series. This book follows Harry Potter, an 11-year-old boy who discovers his wizarding roots for the first time when he receives a letter of acceptance to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In his first year at the wizarding school, Harry Potter becomes best friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and has to deal with the attempted comeback of Lord Voldemort.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone has sold 120 million copies since its release in 1997, making it the third best-selling novel of all time, and was adapted into a feature-length movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001.

2) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second novel in J. K. Rowling’s fantasy series. Released in 1998, Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets follows Harry Potter’s second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the start of the book, Harry is visited by Dobby the house elf who tries to stop Harry from going back to Hogwarts.

Harry doesn’t heed Dobby’s advice and is implicated in a series of deadly attacks on students and professors throughout the year until Harry, Hermione, and Ron are able to uncover the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets and find the person behind the attacks.

This book was lauded for commenting on themes such as racism through the treatment of non-human magical creatures. In 2002, it was adapted into a feature-length movie of the same name.

3) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The third book in the series is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This book was released in 1999 and was adapted into a feature-length movie in 2004.

This book follows Harry’s third year at Hogwarts and the escape of Sirius Black, one of Lord Voldemort’s oldest allies, from the wizard prison Azkaban.

It was the fastest-selling British Book at the time of its release with more than 68,000 copies sold in the UK within 3 days of its release.

4) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the 4th book in the best-selling series, was released in the year 2000 and adapted into a film in 2005. This book follows Harry’s 4th year at Hogwarts, which is hosting the Triwizard Tournament.

Although only 1 student from each of the three participating schools can enter the competition, Harry Potter is forced to compete as well after someone mysteriously enters his name.

Not only is Harry younger and less experienced than the rest of his competitors but all of his friends have turned against him too. Harry is also paralyzed by dreams which makes him suspect that the dark lord is close to regaining his powers. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was praised for its humour, plot, and dealing with themes of bigotry.

5) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in the series. It was published in 2003 and was adapted into a feature-length film in 2007. The series follows Harry Potter in his fifth year at Hogwarts after the return of Lord Voldemort.

The Ministry of Magic and most of the wizarding world don’t believe in Lord Voldemort’s return since Harry is the only person, other than the Death Eaters, who saw him return.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron are also informed about the existence of a secret society, known as the Order of the Phoenix, who believes in Harry’s claims and is actively trying to come up with a plan to defeat Voldemort and his followers.

This book also introduced Professor Dolores Umbridge, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, who successfully overthrows Dumbledore as headmaster and uses torture as a method to discipline young children.

6) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the penultimate book in the Harry Potter series. It was published in 2005 and was adapted into a feature-length film of the same name in 2009. This book follows Harry, Hermione, and Ron in their sixth year at Hogwarts.

Half-Blood Prince has a much darker tone than its predecessors as it deals with heavy themes such as trust, redemption, and death. In this book, Harry, Ron, and Hermione with Dumbledore’s help figure out the mystery behind Voldemort’s immortality, while at the same time, another Hogwarts student is trying to kill Dumbledore.

7) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The last book in the Harry Potter series is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows which was published in 2007 and turned into two movies that were released in 2010 and 2011.

This novel follows Harry, Hermione, a Ron as they look for Horcruxes and the final confrontation between the death eaters and the wizards supporting Harry Potter.

8) Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play written by Jack Thorne based on a story by J. K. Rowling which is set 19 years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This play follows Albus Severus Potter, the younger son of Harry Potter, who is about to attend Hogwarts. The play was well-received by critics.

Complementary Harry Potter Books

1) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a guidebook published by J. K. Rowling in 2001 under the pen name of a fictitious character, Newt Scamander.

The guidebook describes magical creatures and their abilities. The reader is made to think that this book was owned by Harry himself because handwritten notes by Harry, Hermione, and Ron feature extensively throughout this illustrated book.

The Book was in collaboration with Comic Relief and over 80% of the revenue and profit it generated went toward helping vulnerable children around the world.

2) Quidditch Through the Ages

Quidditch Through the Ages was published in 2001 by J. K. Rowling under another fictitious pseudonym, Kennilworthy Whisp. Like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages is meant to actually exist in the wizarding world and is part of the curriculum in Hogwarts. And like Fantastic Beats, the sales and profits of Quidditch Through the Ages were directed towards helping vulnerable children around the world.

3) The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard was originally published as a limited edition of only seven copies in 2007. The money earned through the sale of the handwritten and illustrated limited edition was donated to ‘The Children’s Voice’ charity campaign. The book, which contains 5 bedtime stories for children in the wizarding world, was published for the general public in 2008. Its profits went to Children’s High-Level Group.

Pottermore eBooks

1) Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide is an e-book published on Pottermore (the official Harry Potter website) in 2016 by J. K. Rowling. This guide includes information about Hogwarts, Platform 9 3/4, and the Sorting Hat. In this eBook, J. K. Rowling also gives us a peek into her writing process and inspiration for Hogwarts.

2) Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics, and Pesky Poltergeists

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics, and Pesky Poltergeists is an eBook published by J. K. Rowling on Pottermore. It was published in 2016 and provides the reader with further information about Dolores Umbridge, Azkaban, Horace Slughorn, Peeves, the Ministry of Magic, and Quirinius Quirrell.

3) Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship, and Dangerous Hobbies is an eBook that was published in 2016 on the Pottermore website by J. K. Rowling.

In this book, diehard Potter fans get more information about the lives of Professor Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Silvanus Kettleburn, and Sybill Trelawney. This book also provided the readers with further insight into the history of the wizarding world, along with J. K. Rowling’s writing regrets.

4) A Journey Through Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts

A Journey Through Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts is a non-fiction short-form eBook that examines the colourful characters and curious incidents of the real history of magic and how they relate to the Hogwarts lesson subjects of Charms and Defence against the Dark Arts.

5) A Journey Through Potions and Herbology

A Journey Through Potions and Herbology is a non-fiction short-form eBook that is adapted and inspired by the audiobook Harry Potter: A History of Magic. This book aims at examining the curious incidents and colourful characters of the real history of magic and how they relate to Hogwarts’ subjects of Potions and Herbology.

6) A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy

A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy takes a look at the subject of Divination in the real world and in the wizarding world. It also examines the history of Astronomy and the special place it holds in the wizarding world as it is a source of inspiration and identity for many wizards.

7) A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures

A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures is a non-fiction eBook published by Pottermore Publishing that tends to examine folkloric creatures like giants, dragons, merpeople, and other magical creatures that play a key role in Harry Potter’s journey.

It also discusses curious incidences of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the Hogwarts lesson subjects of Care of Magical Creatures.

Fantastic Beasts Film Screenplays

1) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them- Original Screenplay is the first instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series. It serves both as a spin-off and sequel to the Harry Potter film series. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them tells the story of Newt Scamander, a young magizoologist, and his adventures with American wizards in New York City.

2) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It follows the story of Newt Scamander and a young Albus Dumbledore as they attempt to take down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.

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