Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling which has also spawned films, video games and Potter-themed merchandise. The books chronicle the adventures of the eponymous adolescent wizard Harry Potter, together with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his best friends from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The central story arc concerns Harry's struggle against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents in his quest to conquer the Wizarding world, after which he seeks to subjugate the Muggle (non-magical population) world to his rule.
Since the release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997, which was retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide.[2] As of June 2008, the book series has sold more than 400 million copies,[3] has been translated into 67 languages[4] and the last four books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.[5][6][7]The seventh and last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released on July 21, 2007.[8] Publishers announced a record-breaking 12 million copies for the first print run in the United States alone.[9]
The success of the novels has made Rowling the highest-earning novelist in history.[10] English language versions of the books are published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic Press in the United States, Allen & Unwin in Australia, and Raincoast Books in Canada. Thus far, the first five books have been made into a series of motion pictures by Warner Bros. The sixth, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is scheduled for release on July 17, 2009.[11] The series also originated much tie-in merchandise, making the Harry Potter brand worth £7 billion ($15 billion).[12]
Books
Harry Potter, the protagonist of the series, is an orphan, born into the Wizarding world, a land of magic and mythical creatures. However, when still a baby he witnesses his parents' murder by Lord Voldemort, a fascist Dark wizard with an ideology of racial purity. For reasons not immediately revealed, Voldemort's attempt to kill Harry rebounds onto him, seemingly killing him. Harry survives, but is left with a lightning-shaped mark on his forehead as a memento of the attack. As a result, Harry becomes a living legend in the wizard world. However, at the orders of his patron, the wizard Albus Dumbledore, Harry is placed in the home of his Muggle (non-wizard) relatives, and raised in our realm, completely ignorant of his true heritage. The series proper begins on Harry's eleventh birthday, when the half-giant Rubeus Hagrid reveals his history and introduces him to the wizard world.
Each book chronicles one year in Harry's life, which is mostly spent at Hogwarts, a boarding school for young wizards. There, he learns to use magic and brew potions. Eventually Harry learns that Lord Voldemort is still alive and plotting his return to power. Harry also learns to overcome many magical, social, and emotional hurdles as he struggles through his adolescence. He must also confront the corrupt and oblivious government of the Wizarding world, the Ministry of Magic.
Main article: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The first book of the series highlights Harry's first year at Hogwarts and introduces most of the main characters, as well as many locations used throughout the rest of the series. Harry gains his two closest friends; Ron Weasley, a kind hearted member of an ancient wizarding family, and Hermione Granger, an obsessively bookish witch of non-magical parentage. The plot includes the first steps Harry takes into the magical world, and concludes with his second confrontation with Voldemort, who in his quest for immortality, yearns to gain the power of the Philosopher's Stone.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Main article: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
In Harry's second year at Hogwarts, Voldemort attempts to reincarnate himself through the memories he stored within a diary. Also in this book, Harry realises his ability to speak Parseltongue, the rare language of snakes that is often equated with the dark arts. The novel delves into the history of Hogwarts and a legend revolving around the "Chamber of Secrets", the underground lair of an ancient evil. The book has an important thematic connection with the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Main article: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban tells of Harry's third year of magical education, during which the characters of Remus Lupin, a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher with a dark secret and close ties to Harry's family, and Sirius Black, a convicted murderer believed to be on a quest to murder Harry, are introduced. The novel also introduces the dementors, dark creatures with the power to devour a human soul that the Ministry mistakenly believes it can control. It is the only book in the series which does not feature Voldemort.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Main article: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
In Harry's fourth year, he unwillingly participates in the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous magical contest between Hogwarts and two other European wizard schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. The plot centres on Harry's attempt to unravel the mystery of who has forced him to compete in the tournament, and why. The point at which the mystery is unravelled also marks the series' shift from foreboding and uncertainty into open conflict. The novel ends with the resurgence of Voldemort and the death of a student.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Main article: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
In the fifth book, Harry Potter must confront the newly-resurfaced Voldemort, as well as the rest of magical world who refuse to believe that this is true, including the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry appoints Dolores Umbridge as the new director of Hogwarts, and she transforms the school into a quasi-dictatorial regime. Luna Lovegood, an airy young witch with a tendency to believe in oddball conspiracy theories, is introduced. Moreover, it reveals an important prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort, and finally, recounts the murder of Sirius Black.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Main article: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
In this sixth book, Harry stumbles upon an old potions textbook filled with annotations and recommendations signed by a mysterious writer with the pseudonym of the Half-Blood Prince. He also participates in private tutoring sessions with Albus Dumbledore, who shows him various memories concerning the early life of Voldemort. These sessions reveal that Voldemort's soul is splintered into a series of horcruxes; evil enchanted items hidden in various locations. At the end of the book, Professor Severus Snape, whose loyalty was questioned throughout the series, murders Dumbledore and flees the school.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Main article: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
This book starts directly after the death of Dumbledore, after which Voldemort completes his ascension to power and acquires control of the Ministry of Magic. Harry and his friends decide not to attend their final year at Hogwarts in order to search for the remaining Horcruxes. The book also reveals details about Dumbledore's past, as well as Snape's true intentions. The battle of Hogwarts inevitably occurs, featuring members of the Order of the Phoenix, students and teachers from Hogwarts, Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and various magical creatures. After the deaths of many people and creatures, Voldemort is slain by Harry, and the Wizarding world returns to how it was before Voldemort corrupted the community.[13]
