Harry Potter Books and Movies

J.K. Rowling's book series based on her character Harry Potter have changed the world of children's publishing since their inception. Popular with adults and kids, these books have grown in escalating popularity since the first release and with the impending release of the final and seventh book, interest is reaching another and new all-time high.

The saga of Harry Potter follows a young English boy, orphaned as a baby and raised by as nasty a bunch of relatives as ever was conceived, who learns he has magical abilities and is part of a second world of magic folk who live alongside the non-magical world, aka Muggles.

Starting at the age of ten, Harry is accepted to and attends Hogwart's, a special school just for Wizarding folk. Each year, after another horrible summer at home, Harry goes back to Hogwart's where he studies how to cast spells, make potions and learns about magical creatures. However, Harry must also face challenges and attacks from the evil Lord Voldemort, the wizard who murdered Harry's parents when he was a baby, and who has been working to return to power throughout Harry's childhood.

In the movie world, we've gotten through Harry's fifth year at school with "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." In the book world, the odyssey has come to an end with HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS.

In the fourth installment, we catch up with Harry as he and his friends are about to attend the World Quidditch Cup, the magic world's biggest sporting event. Sadly the athletic festivities are disrupted by the appearance of the Deatheaters, followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Arriving at school, Harry learns he has a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, auror Alistar Moody, and that Hogwart's is hosting a competition that year, with two other magical schools coming to join in. Although too young to compete in the Tri-Wizard tournament, Harry's name is produced by the Goblet of Fire and he's forced into a competition with older students with skills more developed than his own.

Is this an act of fate, or are there more sinister forces at work?

Back for his third year at Hogwart's, Harry learns some distressing news. Convicted murderer Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison, the magickal world's strongest jail. Not only was Black found guilty of working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, he's the one that everyone says told Voldemort where to find Harry's parents. As if that wasn't enough, Harry soon learns that Sirius was his father's best friend and is his own godfather!

Can Harry get his magickal skills strong enough to confront Black if it comes to that? Harry's new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin seems to think so. And, as if Harry hasn't got enough on his plate already, Draco Malfoy has also become Harry's nemesis on the Quidditch field.

After another nasty summer at home with his relatives, Harry is back at Hogwart's for his second year. Having learn about Quidditch, and the evil Lord Voldemort who murdered his parents last year, Harry has his hands full with school and trying to figure out who is waging a campaign of terror against the students of mixed magical and non-magical heritage.

There are more wonderful adventures in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and more experiences in Magickal Creatures class too. Harry still butts head with Draco Malfoy and continues to spare with Professor Snape while being supported and helped by his mentor Albus Dumbledore.

Interestingly, in the entire rest of the world, this book was called HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSPHER'S STONE. That particular stone is part of the history of Alchemy and is supposedly a magical substance made from gold, and which a man named Flamel was actually purported to be able to create.

In this book, we meet Harry Potter for the first time. When he was a year old, he parents were killed and he's been living in a broom cupboard beneath the stairs with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley for nine years. They are the classically nasty in-laws and treat Harry with utter disrespect.

Depsite all this mistreatment, he's still grown up to be a bright and kind child.

An owl arrives one day, bearing a most curious invitation. Harry has been accpeted to Hogwart's Academy, where boys and girls who have magical talents are schooled. Harry's life will never be the same from this time on.