harry potter book report

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

J. k. rowling, everything you need for every book you read..

Ten-year-old Harry Potter has, thus far, led a miserable life. He lives with his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon , because his parents died when he was very young. While they spoil their own son, Dudley , they frequently punish Harry, especially when odd things happen around him that he is unable to explain. One day, hordes of letters begin to arrive in the mail for Harry, but Vernon intercepts them.

On Harry’s eleventh birthday on July 31, an enormous wizard named Hagrid appears and explains to Harry that he is a wizard, too. Harry’s parents, Lily and James , were wizards who sacrificed themselves to save him from a supremely evil wizard named Voldemort . When Voldemort tried to kill baby Harry, however, he was inexplicably unable to—he only left a lightning bolt-shaped scar on Harry’s forehead. Thus, Harry is famous all over the wizarding world as “the boy who lived.” Hagrid then delivers one of the letters, which invites Harry to Hogwarts, a school for witchcraft and wizardry.

The next day, Hagrid takes Harry to Gringotts, the wizarding bank, where Harry’s parents have left him a small fortune. Hagrid also shiftily retrieves a small package from a different vault, though he won’t tell Harry what it is because it is secret business for Hogwarts. Harry then buys his school supplies (robes, cauldrons, spellbooks, and a wand) but starts to worry that he doesn’t know anything about magic. Hagrid assures him that he’ll learn quickly.

A month later, Harry takes the train to Hogwarts. He quickly befriends a boy named Ron Weasley , who is also a first year, on the train. Harry also meets a boy named Draco Malfoy , whom Harry immediately dislikes for his arrogance and cruelty. They also meet Hermione Granger , a precocious girl whom they peg as a know-it-all. When they arrive at the Hogwarts Castle, the students are immediately sorted into four Houses based on personality by a “sorting hat.” Harry is relieved not to be sorted into Slytherin, which was Voldemort’s House and is known to prize ambition (and into which Draco is sorted). Instead, he is sorted into Gryffindor, a House that is known best for bravery, along with Ron and Hermione.

Harry begins his classes, learning subjects like transfiguration, charms, herbology, defense against the dark arts and astronomy. When he has his first Potions lesson, however, the teacher, Professor Snape , takes an instant dislike to him, though Harry is not sure why.

Harry and the Gryffindors go on their first flying lesson the next week, along with the Slytherins, and though he flies when he is not supposed to, Professor McGonagall (Head of Gryffindor House) sees his innate talent and recruits him for the Gryffindor Quidditch team (a wizarding sport played on brooms).

That night, Malfoy challenges Harry to a wizard’s duel at midnight in the trophy room, and Harry and Ron sneak out that evening despite Hermione’s protests. They are almost caught, and they duck into a forbidden third-floor corridor in order to avoid being found. They realize, however, why the corridor is off-limits: it has a giant three-headed dog inside, which is guarding a trapdoor.

On Halloween, Ron comments on how annoying Hermione is and how she has no friends, which Hermione overhears. She spends the day crying in the girl’s bathroom. That night, the Halloween festivities are interrupted when the defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Quirrell , announces in a panic that there’s a troll in the dungeon. Instead of going back to their dorms, Harry and Ron seek out Hermione to warn her about the troll (also noting on their way that Snape is suspiciously heading in a different direction from the other teachers). Harry and Ron then encounter the troll in the bathroom where Hermione has been taking refuge all day, and Ron is able to knock it out. When the teachers discover what they have done, Hermione lies to keep them out of trouble, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione become friends. Harry later discovers that Snape had in fact tried to get past the three-headed dog during this event, and concludes that he must be trying to steal whatever the dog is guarding.

In November, Harry plays his first Quidditch match. The game starts well for Gryffindor, until Harry’s broom starts to try to buck him off. Hermione realizes that Snape, who is sitting in the stands with the other spectators, is jinxing Harry’s broom. She sets Snape’s cloak on fire, breaking his concentration, and Harry is able to win the match for Gryffindor.

Hagrid accidentally admits to the three friends that the dog is guarding something that has to do with a man named Nicolas Flamel . The kids pick up on this clue, and try to look up Flamel in the library. However, they don’t know where to look, and as the holidays approach, they are still unsuccessful in finding out who he might be.

Hermione goes home for the holidays, but Harry and Ron remain (Ron’s parents are visiting his brother Charlie in Romania). Harry and Ron spend their days playing wizard’s chess (the same as Muggle chess, except the pieces are alive). On Christmas, Harry receives presents for the first time, including a handmade flute from Hagrid. One present is an Invisibility Cloak , a rare and valuable object that makes the wearer invisible. Harry doesn’t know who it’s from: the note that came with it merely says the cloak had belonged to James, and that the person who ended up with the cloak after James’ death wanted to return it to Harry. That night, Harry sneaks into the Restricted Section of the library to see if he can find a book with information on Flamel. But as soon as he picks up a book, it starts screaming, and so he runs down the corridor and into an unused classroom, hoping to avoid the school’s nasty caretaker, Filch .

While hiding in the classroom, Harry notices a large mirror— the Mirror of Erised . When Harry looks into it, it shows Lily and James behind him. He grows consumed by what he sees, returning to the Mirror the next night with Ron, and a third night alone despite Ron’s warnings that Harry is obsessing over it. On the third night, the Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore , confronts Harry about the mirror, and explains that it shows the deepest desires of a person’s heart. He tells Harry that the mirror will be moved the next day, and warns him not to go looking for it, as people have wasted their lives sitting in front of it, driven insane by what they see in the reflection.

With a fortuitous clue from a collectible wizard card, Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that Flamel is the only known maker of the Sorcerer’s Stone , which can turn metal into gold and produces the Elixir of Life, which makes the drinker immortal. Meanwhile, Harry grows increasingly suspicious of Snape, who he believes wants to steal the Stone, and also tries to get more info from Hagrid about Fluffy. When Harry visits Hagrid, Hagrid is illegally hatching a dragon that he won from a stranger in a card game. Harry worries that Hagrid will get in trouble for keeping this dragon, and so he and Hermione use the Invisibility Cloak to sneak out of bed and drop Norbert off with friends of Ron’s brother Charlie, who works with dragons. After successfully bringing Norbert to safety, Harry and Hermione are caught trying to return to Gryffindor. They lose 150 points for Gryffindor for being out of bed after hours, and receive detention.

Their detention is served in the Forbidden Forest, where they are looking for something that has killed a unicorn. In the Forest, Harry sees a cloaked figure drinking the blood of a unicorn. The figure menacingly starts to come after Harry, but a centaur named Firenze steps in, saving Harry from the figure. Once Harry is safe, Firenze explains that the figure was Voldemort, and that he was drinking the blood of the unicorn because unicorn blood will keep a person on the brink of death alive.

With this knowledge, Harry then starts to worry that Snape is going to steal the Stone for Voldemort in order to give him immortality. A thought strikes him: it’s odd that someone happened along with an illegal dragon egg, which Hagrid desperately wanted. Harry questions Hagrid, who reveals that he informed the hooded stranger with the dragon that the key to taking care of any creature is knowing how to calm it down. With Fluffy, for example, all one has to do is play music, which puts him to sleep.

Hearing this, Harry is convinced that the stranger was either Snape or Voldemort. And after Dumbledore is called away on urgent business, Harry is certain that Snape will try to steal the Stone that night and aims to get it first. Ron and Hermione prepare to go with him, while a nervous boy named Neville tries unsuccessfully to prevent them from leaving the dormitory and getting in more trouble. Harry, Ron, and Hermione then work together to overcome the spells and enchantments guarding the Stone.

Harry ultimately makes it to the final room alone. There, Harry discovers Quirrell is actually the one who had been doing Voldemort’s bidding, not Snape. Voldemort has been hiding underneath Quirrell’s turban, only a face on the back of the man’s head. Harry is able to acquire the Stone by looking into the Mirror of Erised. His reflection places the Stone in Harry’s pocket. Quirrell tries to take the stone, but is inexplicably burned when he touches Harry. Harry tries to hold on to Quirrell in order to prevent him from getting the Stone, but the pain mounts in his scar, and he faints.

Harry wakes in the hospital, where Dumbledore explains why Quirrell was unable to touch him: the love that Lily showed in sacrificing herself for Harry gave him a magical protection from Quirrell and Voldemort. Dumbledore also reveals that he intends to destroy the Stone to prevent anyone from using it for evil.

At the end of the year feast, Dumbledore awards Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Neville 160 points collectively for their bravery, earning Gryffindor the House Cup . At the end of the year, Harry returns to the Dursley’s home, but is happy knowing that he now has friends and people who love him—and that the Dursleys don’t know he’s not allowed to do magic at home.

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Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone: harry potter, book 1, common sense media reviewers.

Magical start of the fantastic boy-wizard series.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Author borrows many magical creatures, people, and

Friendship and bravery are more important than boo

Main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione, models o

There's a little diversity at Hogwarts. Lee Jordan

Kids are in peril often, but it's mostly at the ha

One instance of "damn" and a "Good Lord."

Hagrid mentions having way too much to drink one n

Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series about an orphan boy who begins his studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The novel respects kids' intelligence and motivates them to tackle its greater length and complexity…

Educational Value

Author borrows many magical creatures, people, and concepts from other fantasy traditions and puts her own spin on them: Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel and their Sorcerer's (or Philosopher's) Stone, wands and potions, unicorns, goblins, centaurs, dragons, giants, trolls, and more.

Positive Messages

Friendship and bravery are more important than books and cleverness. There are many kinds of bravery, and it's even braver to stand up to your friends than to your enemies.

Positive Role Models

Main characters Harry, Ron, and Hermione, models of dedicated friends, are rewarded for their bravery. They are usually punished for rule-breaking but also get away with quite a bit, especially when Harry gets his hands on an invisibility cloak. Harry always means well, though, and just like the sorting hat says, he has a "thirst to prove himself." Dumbledore (Hogwarts' eccentric headmaster) is a wonderful mentor to Harry, showing up with sage advice at just the right times.

Diverse Representations

There's a little diversity at Hogwarts. Lee Jordan is described as having dreadlocks, and the Patil twins are sorted into the Gryffindor house. Some diverse family structures are described: Harry lives with his aunt and uncle and Neville with his grandmother. Harry and Ron bond over growing up with second-hand clothes and wishing they had more money; Ron's insecurity over being from a poorer family comes up a lot. Women have prominent roles at Hogwarts: Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout are both heads of houses. There are two girls on the Gryffindor quidditch team. There's only one larger-sized character who isn't a bad guy, and that's Hagrid. Lots of negative language around the size of Dudley and his father and Malfoy's Slytherin friends Crabbe and Goyle.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Kids are in peril often, but it's mostly at the hands of fantasy creatures. A three-headed dog threatens Harry and friends. Harry and Draco see a dead and bloody unicorn and are chased by a hooded figure in the Forbidden Forest. Harry and friends fight a troll and knock it unconscious, are nearly crushed by a constricting plant and pummeled by a life-size chess board. Some minor injuries: a dragon bite that swells up and a broken wrist after a fall off a broom. Some bullying and a fistfight. One minor character dies. Mostly friendly ghosts roam the halls; the ghost Nearly Headless Nick shows how he got the name. Talk of Harry's childhood with his Muggle family, how his cousin bullied and hit him and his aunt and uncle neglected him. Harry's uncle points a gun at Hagrid. Flashback to the (bloodless) deaths of Harry's parents and much discussion about how they died and the one who killed them.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Hagrid mentions having way too much to drink one night and giving away a dangerous secret. At another time Hagrid carries and drinks from a flask, and at Christmas dinner he drinks heavily and kisses Professor McGonagall on the cheek. Vernon Dursley is served brandy after a trying day. Witches drink sherry, and someone smokes a long pipe at a wizard bar. Baby dragons drink a mixture of brandy and chicken blood.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first book in J.K. Rowling' s Harry Potter series about an orphan boy who begins his studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The novel respects kids' intelligence and motivates them to tackle its greater length and complexity, play imaginative games, and try to solve its logic puzzles. Book 1 is the lightest in the series, but it still has some scary stuff for sensitive readers: a three-headed dog, an attacking troll, a violent life-size chess board, a hooded figure over a dead and bleeding unicorn, as well as a discussion of how Harry's parents died years ago and how he was raised by an aunt and uncle who neglected him. Some adult wizards drink, especially Hagrid, who drinks to excess more than once. There's little diversity at Hogwarts beyond a few students of color, but women have prominent roles at the school, and the smartest kid in class is Hermione, a girl. The 2015 lavishly illustrated, larger-format edition features a new cover (different from the original U.S. cover pictured here) and more than 100 full-color illustrations by Jim Kay ( A Monster Calls ) that depict shimmering ghosts amid breathtaking scenes of Hogwarts, character portraits, and pages from magical textbooks. Parents who want to learn more about the series (and spin-off movies and games) can read our Harry Potter Age-by-Age Guide .

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (61)
• Kids say (375)

Based on 61 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, Harry Potter is left on his aunt and uncle's doorstep as a baby after his parents are killed. For 10 years he's forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs while his bullying cousin, Dudley, is spoiled rotten. The summer before the start of secondary school, a letter arrives with his name on it, no stamp, and a mysterious seal. Uncle Vernon snatches it away before he can open it, but it doesn't matter. More and more letters arrive and the family is eventually chased down to a rocky island by a large hairy man named Hagrid. Thanks to Hagrid, Harry finally gets to open his letter: an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And, surprise! "You're a wizard, Harry." It turns out that Harry is one of the most famous wizards ever, called the Boy Who Lived after he survived an attack from the evil Lord Voldemort. Not only did Harry survive the attack that killed his parents, but somehow baby Harry also managed to defeat Voldemort in the process. So that's how he got that lightning-bolt scar on his forehead.

Is It Any Good?

There are two kinds of magic in this phenomenal boy-wizard tale, the literal spell kind and the spell cast by a thrilling world for young (and old) fantasy readers to explore. While Harry Potter and his new friends Ron and Hermione get their first lessons in potion making and how to make a feather fly ("swish and flick!"), readers are getting lessons in delightful ideas like owls delivering the post, secret train platforms, pictures and staircases that move, sports played on broomsticks, and even odd-flavored jelly beans. Readers will want to grab their owl, cat, or toad (how can you choose just one?!) and hop on the train to Hogwarts immediately.

But it's not all fun with flying broomsticks. Harry Potter isn't called the Boy Who Lived for nothing. He's an orphan because an evil wizard killed his parents and wanted to kill him, and that evil still lurks at the school. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione uncover a plot to steal the Sorcerer's Stone of the title, more and more school rules must be broken (and some serious house points must be lost) to figure out who the enemy at school really is. Readers will enjoy the twists, danger, and kid wizard heroics that drive the final action.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about when kids knew they were ready to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone . Did you feel pressured to read it when your friends did? Were any parts too scary for you? How did you handle it?

Kids just getting into the series will find a whole world of Harry Potter available to them, from Chocolate Frogs for sale at the grocery store to theme parks. A die-hard Potter fan can spend a lot of money in their lifetime on merchandise and experiences. Do you think this is worth your money? Are there other ways you can celebrate books you love without raiding your piggie bank?

This series has been commended for getting so many kids to love reading. Which books made you start to love reading? Or are you still looking for them?

Book Details

• Author : J. K. Rowling
• Illustrator : Mary Grandpre
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Scholastic Inc.
• Publication date : September 1, 1998
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
• Number of pages : 309
• Awards : ALA Best and Notable Books , Common Sense Media Award
• Last updated : March 3, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Blog – Posted on Tuesday, May 28

All the harry potter books in order: your j.k. rowling reading list.

Of all the zeitgeist-defining fiction to come out of the past twenty years, perhaps none has been more universally beloved than the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. An incredibly imagined fantasy bildungsroman , it follows the eponymous boy wizard as he attends the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and contends with his destiny to fight the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Fortunately, he always has clever, loyal friends Ron and Hermione by his side — plus the invaluable mentorship of eccentric but wise Hogwarts headmaster, Dumbledore.

As fellow Potterheads will know, it’s virtually impossible to rank these books from best to worst, since each one is brilliant in its own way. That’s why we’ve decided to simply present all the Harry Potter books in order of chronology/publication, hitting the highlights for longtime fans to happily reminisce… and to help budding fans get a taste of the series’ genuine magic .

Here’s a quick catalog of the series, so that you know what you’re in for:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997)

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)

8. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016)

And then the accompanying “Hogwarts library” texts:

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
• Quidditch Through the Ages (2016)
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard (2016)

As well as Rowling's "Pottermore Presents" series and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplays:

• Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (2016)
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (2016)
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroisim, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (2016)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: the Original Screenplay (2016)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald — The Original Screenplay (2018)

Without further ado, let's dive in!

Psst — ever wonder what career you'd have in the wizarding world? Take our Potterhead-proofed quiz below to find out!

Which career would you have in the wizarding world?

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The main Harry Potter books in order

1. harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone.

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , the book that started it all (understatement of the century), Harry Potter discovers his true identity in the wee hours of his eleventh birthday: he is a wizard, famous in the magical world for having vanquished the evil Lord Voldemort when he was only a baby. This revelation, delivered by a gruff, hairy giant named Hagrid, sets Harry on a fantastical (if also often frightening) journey of a lifetime.

He meets bosom buddies Ron and Hermione aboard the Hogwarts Express, and is soon sorted with them into Gryffindor: the house of the intrepid and brave. However, Harry also makes plenty of enemies at Hogwarts, most notably the arrogant Draco Malfoy and the nasty potions master, Snape (both affiliated with Slytherin house). And from battling a troll on Halloween to his first exhilarating Quidditch match — not to mention the novel’s climax , in which Harry goes up against Voldemort for the second time in his young life — there’s never a dull moment in the first year of his new adventure.

Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone , as it’s titled outside of the US) also perfectly balances exciting action with touching emotion, as Harry finds a true family in Ron and Hermione after years of misery with the Dursleys. Indeed, the book’s small, moving moments — such as Harry being floored by a gift from Ron’s mother, or Hermione’s tearful declaration at the end about “books and cleverness” — are just as magical as the spells themselves.

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , Harry and friends return to Hogwarts with a bang — the bang of a flying Ford Anglia as it crashes into the Whomping Willow, that is. After being spotted by Muggles and narrowly avoiding expulsion, you’d think that the rest of Harry’s second year would be smooth sailing in comparison… right?

Wrong. When the school caretaker’s cat is found petrified (essentially paralyzed and comatose, but technically still alive) along with a bone-chilling message that “the Chamber of Secrets has been opened,” fear and suspicions start to arise — and of course, only worsen when students start getting petrified too. Nobody can figure out who the culprit is, only that he refers to himself as “the Heir” and seems to be on the warpath.

But as our young heroes know well by now, if you want a mystery solved right, you have to do it yourself. Which they do — through a combination of Polyjuice potion brewing, mysterious flashbacks provided by a sentient journal, and a truly horrific excursion to see a giant spider called Aragog. The book culminates in a visit to the titular chamber, which lies underneath Hogwarts and contains yet another deadly threat that Harry must face.

But of course, this being an early Potter book, it’s not all din and danger. Comic relief comes in the form of moronic, egocentric professor Gilderoy Lockhart, and toilet ghost Moaning Myrtle — who, in true Rowling fashion, ends up being key to the central plot twist of the story.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The third book in the series introduces Sirius Black, a deranged mass murderer who’s just escaped from the wizard prison of Azkaban. As a result, swarms of Dementors — dark, faceless beings that “suck the soul” out of their victims and serve as the guards of Azkaban — infiltrate Hogwarts to patrol for Black, who’s supposedly after Harry next. To make matters worse, our normally steadfast hero has a bad reaction to the Dementors, which cause him to faint on a train and even lose a critical Quidditch match.

Again, though, it’s not all doom and gloom. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also features Professor Remus Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and a school friend of Harry’s late father. Lupin and Harry quickly forge a father-son-like relationship themselves, and Lupin teaches Harry the Patronus Charm (powered by one’s happiest memories) to protect himself from Dementors.

Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione are squabbling even more than usual over their respective pets, Crookshanks the cat and Scabbers the rat. But what seems like a lighthearted subplot turns out to be a major factor in one of the biggest twists of the series , revealed in the last few chapters… and which naturally involves Black and Lupin as well. Oh, and hippogriffs and time traveling, in case that wasn’t enough to sell you on it.

Besides the sheer brilliance of plotting in this book, Rowling also presents some interesting commentary with the Dementors, which symbolize depression and force Harry to grapple with his past trauma. Indeed, though Goblet of Fire is widely identified as the “transition point” into the darker themes of the series’ latter half, Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely where those themes begin to take root.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

There’s quite a bit to unpack in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , so we’ll dive right in: after attending an eventful Quidditch World Cup with Hermione and the Weasley family, Harry returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year of school. It’s bound to be an exciting one, as Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament, in which students from three major wizarding academies will compete. However, only students aged seventeen or older are eligible for the competition, which means Harry is safe for once… or so he thinks, until the ceremonial Goblet of Fire selects him as the fourth Triwizard Champion for no discernible reason.

What follows is a nonstop sequence of thrills, landmarked by the challenges of the tournament — in which the contestants must tackle menacing dragons, malevolent mermaids , and a maze full of potentially fatal tricks and traps. But even between the challenges themselves is plenty of riveting drama, especially with Rita Skeeter (a slimy reporter trying defame Harry and friends), Mad-Eye Moody (the kids’ new D.A.D.A. teacher), and Hermione’s most recent social justice cause (rights for house elves, naturally). And as anyone who’s read it will know, the GoF finale is unprecedented in terms of dark, difficult material, signaling a definitive shift for the series in a more mature direction.

Indeed, for all those wondering whether Rowling could change gears from the relatively lighthearted adventures of the previous three books into a darker and even more elaborate fantasy-thriller, this book proved her undeniably capable. But once again, GoF is not devoid of laughs and simple charm. The Yule Ball is a hilarious glimpse into the all-too-familiar teenage angst of dating and school dances, and the subplot with Ron being jealous of Harry’s constant spotlight is particularly well done. Yes, even in all the grandeur, Rowling never loses sight of what’s true to life — Goblet of Fire demonstrates this most aptly.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix gets political in big way: despite Voldemort’s revival at the end of GoF , the Ministry of Magic continues to deny all rumors and refuse to take action, worried that they’ll upset the public. This means the real adults have to take a leaf out of Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s book and start fighting him themselves, through an underground vigilante group called the Order of the Phoenix.

But the Order can’t do much about Dolores Umbridge, the newly instated and highly sadistic Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, who perpetuates the Ministry’s lies about Voldemort. When Harry openly defies her in class, she retaliates by giving him chronic detention — during which he must write lines with a “blood quill” that carves the words into the back of his hand. Despite this torment, he and the rest of the class do not acquiesce to Umbridge, and establish a secret defense organization for themselves called “Dumbledore’s Army.”

On top of all that, Harry keeps having frequent, harrowing visions of Voldemort when he’s asleep, and must take Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape to prevent them. This is a different kind of torture, with Snape forcing entry into Harry’s private memories at every lesson and relishing the opportunity to cause him pain. Of course, Snape’s own twisted motivations are revealed when Harry gains access to his memories — one of which is a bitter altercation with Harry’s father.

Even the most diehard HP fan will admit that Order of the Phoenix is a hard one to get through. From watching Harry suffer in such a myriad of ways, to that devastating climax in which he loses one of the few people he’s come to love and trust, OotP is no walk in the park. Yet it’s this strife and despair that makes it such an authentic, powerful narrative — and, trite as it sounds, Harry’s pain ultimately makes him stronger and more determined to defeat Voldemort than ever.

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Things take a turn for the expository in this penultimate installment, which sees Harry learn all about Voldemort’s family and “origin story,” so to speak. Dumbledore gives Harry these lessons to prepare him for a grand future battle with Voldemort, presumably in the vein of keeping his enemies closer. What Harry doesn’t know is that Dumbledore is planning something even bigger — a plan that he, Harry, becomes more inexorably entangled in with each passing day.

At the same time, Harry suspects Malfoy (always a nefarious character) to be colluding with Voldemort, and begins obsessively tracking him on the Marauder’s Map. But each new lead just seems to be a wrong turn, and Harry grows increasingly frustrated with the lack of evidence when he knows that Malfoy is guilty. His only good luck, funnily enough, is in potions class. After receiving a secondhand textbook filled with tips and tricks from the mysterious “Half-Blood Prince,” Harry shines under the tutelage of their new potions professor Slughorn. Hermione, meanwhile, is jealous of Harry’s newfound academic success, and attempts to uncover the Prince’s identity to prove he’s crooked.

Speaking of petty drama, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince also gives the fun, silly sixteen-year-old stuff its due. Ron and Hermione’s chemistry amps up to eleven, with constant bickering over their respective romances. (Ron memorably snogs Lavender Brown with such gusto that it “looks like he’s eating her face.”) Meanwhile Harry’s falling for Ginny, Ron’s sister, and battling his inner demons about whether to ask her out. All this falls to the wayside after yet another epic finale, but it’s another nice reminder of how human and relatable the characters are .

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

To be fair, the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows aren’t as quotidianly miserable as the events of OotP — at least we know the characters are suffering for a greater purpose. But that doesn’t stop this from being, as you might expect, the darkest book in the series. From the corrupting influence of a locket that causes Ron to abandon his friends, to the tragic prophecy that Harry uncovers through more of Snape’s past memories, this book truly tests the reader’s tolerance for beloved characters in distress. (Don’t even get us started on the Battle of Hogwarts bloodbath .)

But Deathly Hallows is also a masterpiece, wrapping up thousands of pages’ worth of deeply intricate story plotting, character development, and booming thematic resonance in a satisfying manner. Indeed, J.K. Rowling has said she wrote the last pages of Deathly Hallows before Sorcerer’s Stone was even completed — evidence of just how carefully the series was planned.

8. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

While not part of the original seven-book series, Cursed Child and the accompanying stage play have become a generally accepted addition to the Harry Potter canon. This 336-page text picks up where the Deathly Hallows epilogue left off, with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Malfoy sending their unfortunately named kids off to Hogwarts — Harry’s son Albus and Malfoy’s son Scorpius serve as our protagonists this time around. Upon arrival at Hogwarts, the boys are both sorted into Slytherin and forge an unlikely friendship, which naturally causes tension between Albus and Harry over the next few years.

After a fight with his father, Albus overhears Cedric Diggory’s father Amos asking Harry to use a more powerful version of a Time Turner (which features prominently in PoA ) to go back in time and rescue his son. When Harry refuses, Albus enlists Scorpius to help him save Cedric, with the aid of Diggory’s niece Delphi. However, as anyone who’s seen Back to the Future can attest, messing with timelines is never a good idea… especially in the wizarding world. Things are further complicated by the fact that Delphi is not who she says she is, and may have sinister ulterior motives when it comes to rewriting history.

Between the multiple timelines and various versions of the same characters, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child can definitely be a bit confusing at times — and its somewhat far-fetched plot twists and questionable consistency with Rowling’s established world have led some Potter fans to decry it. But at the end of the day, it’s still another piece of the magical puzzle that we’ve all enjoyed putting together so much: this once-in-a-lifetime literary experience that transcends culture and generations.

The “Hogwarts library” texts

Fantastic beasts and where to find them.

Can't get enough of the fantastical creatures that fill Harry Potter 's pages? You're in luck. As detailed by J.K. Rowling (who writes as famed Magizoologist Newt Scamander), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the definitive compendium to the magical beasts that roam the wizarding world. You'll find some familiar companions — such as the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail — but you'll also discover many, many new creatures to befriend. This is the text that inspired the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie trilogy, so if you're looking to catch up on the source, this is where to start!

Quidditch Through the Ages

Or maybe it's J.K. Rowling's smash-hit sport, Quidditch, that tickles your fancy. Today, Quidditch is an actual sport played at over 100 colleges in the United States — such is the strength of the grip that it's exerted on our public imagination. But if you're interested in the academic side of Quidditch, Rowling's got you covered with Quidditch Through the Ages , which will tell you all that you ever wanted to know about the history and rules behind Quidditch.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of five fairy wizarding tales, told by, well, Beedle the Bard! Professor Dumbledore bequeathed these age-old tales to Hermione Granger, and they (particularly "The Tale of Three Brothers") turned out to be instrumental in helping Harry Potter crack the clues given to him in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now it's your chance to read them for yourself. Though the stories in this book all have a magical twist, the themes at their cores still resonate with what we associate with fairy tales: friendship, the everlasting strength of love, and the magic that each one of us possesses.

Even more Wizarding World extras 🎁

Hogwarts: an incomplete and unreliable guide.

Sourced from the short reads on Pottermore.com and gathered into one book for easy reading, Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide gives you all of the background information that you might want to know about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly. Ever been curious about what the Hufflepuff common room looks like (it was never described in the books themselves)? Did you ever wonder about the origins of Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters? Here's the book that will provide all of the answers.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists

Not everything about Hogwarts and the Wizarding World is bright and shiny — indeed, the series has birthed some of most memorable villains in literature, from Dolores Umbridge to Lord Voldemort himself. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Potergeists (also collected from JK Rowling's writings on Pottermore.com) delves deeper into this darker side of Harry's universe: in particular, it'll walk you through the politics of wizards and the backstories of Hogwart's villains, like Profess Umbridge.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies

Now let's go to the flip side and read about some of the most heroic figures who stand tall in the Wizarding World! In Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroisim, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies , we get the pleasure of revisiting our favorite professors (especially Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin) and discovering their backstories.

The Fantastic Beasts screenplays

Unless you've been living under a rock this entire time, you've probably heard of the two new Wizarding World movies that have hit Hollywood in the past few years. Led by actor Eddie Redmayne and an all-star ensemble cast, the Fantastic Beasts films tell the story of Newt Scamander, Albus Dumbledore, and the dark battle against Gellert Grindelward in the blackened days before Lord Voldemort entered the scene.

Of course, you can choose to simply watch the continuation of the Wizarding World on-screen — but reading the screenplays of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: the Original Screenplay and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald — The Original Screenplay  will undoubtedly give you that extra level of depth and insight into the characters.

So what's the recommended reading order (versus the chronological reading order)?

Fortunately, Harry Potter isn't one of those series like Star Wars has a sprawling number of canon novels, film novelizations, reference books, and comics to read. Instead, it's a finite universe — which makes catching up on it much easier. We recommend reading the main series chronologically so that you can see Harry and his friends grow up. Then — if you're still thirsting for more of the Wizarding World — you can see where your interests most strongly lie (whether it's in magizoology or Quidditch, for instance), and start again there.

If you still haven’t read Harry Potter , just know that it’s never too late to start — and even for those who have, you’re never too old to go back and relive the magic. ⚡

Can't get enough? Check out our list of the 20 best books like Harry Potter , or 60 best fantasy books for kids ! (Naturally, HP makes the list.)

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• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2

In this sequel to HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, we find Harry spending the summer vacation with his awful relatives, the Dursleys, following his first year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Dursleys are so fearful of Harry's growing magic talents that they lock his school books and wand away in a closet and even lock Harry in his tiny bedroom. Harry worries he'll never get back to Hogwarts and his friends, until he's rescued by his best buddy, Ron Weasley, who arrives in a flying car to take Harry away. 

The second year at Hogwarts should be smoother sailing, right? Not so. First, Harry receives a strange warning from a house elf named Dobby. Then, when he arrives at Hogwarts Harry must face a vain new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and his old enemies, Malfoy and Snape. And, even more troublesome this year, some evil force is turning Muggle-born students (those born to humans, without magical blood, including Harry's pal Hermione) to stone. Who could be doing such a thing? 

While Harry and Ron try to unravel the mystery of petrification, they discover information about the Chamber of Secrets, a hidden room in Hogwarts that is rumored to be home to a horrible monster. Old legends, clues, and research eventually lead Harry and Ron to the Chamber of Secrets for a showdown with evil like they've never seen before. And Harry must triumph over the Dark forces in order to save Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister (now a first year at Hogwarts), who has been taken over by a nasty wizard. See if he succeeds in this rollicking, spine-tingling adventure. You're sure to love all the fast-moving action, magic and fun in every chapter. 

Reviewed by Shannon Maughan on August 15, 2000

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2 by J. K. Rowling

• Publication Date: June 26, 2018
• Genres: Fantasy
• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
• ISBN-10: 1338299158
• ISBN-13: 9781338299151

14 Hidden Messages in the Harry Potter Books You Never Noticed

The house colors represent the elements.

I n Harry Potter’s magical world, nothing is as it seemsand that goes for the books themselves. Master storyteller J.K. Rowling wove in all kinds of mysterious meanings, surreptitious signs, and cloaked clues that, when deciphered, illuminate the themes of the story.

For example, everyone knows that students are sorted into the four houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry based on their personalitiesbut did you know the house colors have a deeper meaning? “The four Hogwarts houses have a loose association with the four elements, and their colors were chosen accordingly,” Rowling wrote on the official Pottermore site. “Gryffindor (red and gold) is connected to fire; Slytherin (green and silver) to water; Hufflepuff (yellow and black, representing wheat and soil) to earth; and Ravenclaw (blue and bronze; sky and eagle feathers) to air.” For each book’s 20th anniversary, new U.K. editions are being released in all the house colors and crests, with special house-specific content inside. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (the U.K. name for the first book in the series) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ‘ house editions are out now and available on Amazon; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban releases this month.

Harry has two contrasting father figures

Colors also come into play with orphaned Harry’s father figures in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone : Rubeus (or “red”) Hagrid and Albus (or “white”) Dumbledore. Rowling points out that red and white are complementary colors in the mystical science of alchemy, and represent different stages of spiritual transformation. “Where my two characters were concerned, I named them for the alchemical colors to convey their opposing but complementary natures: Red meaning passion (or emotion), white for asceticism; Hagrid being the earthy, warm, and physical man, lord of the forest; Dumbledore the spiritual theoretician, brilliant, idealized, and somewhat detached,” she wrote on Pottermore . “Each is a necessary counterpoint to the other as Harry seeks father figures in his new world.”

Names reveal whoor whatpeople really are

Several of Rowling’s characters’ names have hidden meaningsand in many cases, if you know what they are, you can uncover the plot. For example, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , beloved teacher Remus Lupin is discovered to be a werewolf, and Harry’s godfather Sirius Black is revealed to transform into a dog. Remus’s name refers to the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, two brothers who were raised by wolves; and Lupin comes from the Latin word “lupinus,” meaning “wolfish.” Sirius , on the other hand, is the name of the “dog star” in astronomy, part of the Canis (i.e., canine) Major constellation. Check out more surprising Harry Potter details you may have missed the first time you read the books .

Lupin’s condition is a metaphor for HIV

Speaking of Lupin, Rowling revealed a deeper layer to his werewolf disease and the secrecy surrounding it. “Remus Lupin’s affliction was a conscious reference to blood-borne diseases such as the HIV infection, with the attendant stigma,” Rowling wrote on Pottermore . “The potion Snape brews him is akin to the antiretroviral that will keep him from developing the ‘full-blown’ version of his illness.” Unfortunately, the discrimination Lupin unfairly faces when his condition is made public is the reason he has to leave Hogwarts. “The sense of ‘apartness’ that the management of a chronic condition can impose on its sufferers was an important part of Lupin’s character,” Rowling wrote. In the Prisoner of Azkaban movie , the filmmakers wanted to present Lupin’s condition as an illness, so he appears pallid, unwell, and sad.

Names also reveal the characters’ true natures

Some characters’ names give readers clues to their hidden motivations and feelings. J.K. Rowling is proficient in French, and that shows in her naming of Draco Malfoy and Voldemort . In French, mal foi means “bad faith,” fitting for a character whose family follows the evil wizard He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Voldemort’s name comes from the French vol de mort , or “flight of death,” which makes sense as he fears dying and does everything in his power to gain immortality. Of course, as Chamber of Secrets reveals, “I am Lord Voldemort” is also an anagram of the Dark Lord’s original name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. Rowling assured fans she had no “anti-French feelings” in naming Voldemort. “I needed a name that evokes both power and exoticism,” she said while receiving the French Legion of Honor. (Fun fact: In accordance with French pronunciation, Rowling revealed the last “t” in Voldemort is silent, meaning we’ve been saying it wrong all these years.)

Hedwig symbolizes the comforts of childhood

Although Rowling herself hasn’t elaborated on the meaning behind Harry’s pet owl, the Catholic St. Hedwig had seven children and took care of orphans. Who does this sound like? Harry’s best friend Ron’s mother, Mrs. Weasley, mother of seven who sheltered Harry whenever he needed somewhere to go, sure fits the bill. Hedwig the owl likewise cared for Harry: In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , he said she was “the only friend he had at number four, Privet Drive [his Muggle relatives’ home].” And perhaps that’s why fans were so saddened when she was killed in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . “The loss of Hedwig represented a loss of innocence and security,” Rowling said . “Voldemort killing her marked the end of childhood.”

Dementors personify depression

The soul-stealing dementors, creatures that suck hope and happiness out of anyone they’re near, first appear in Prisoner of Azkaban . According to Rowling, they’re a physical manifestation of what it’s like to experience depression. “It’s so difficult to describe [depression] to someone who’s never been there, because it’s not sadness,” Rowling said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey . “I know sadness. Sadness is to cry and to feel. But it’s that cold absence of feelingthat really hollowed-out feeling. That’s what dementors are.” For Harry, dementors also cause him to relive the trauma of his mother’s death at the hands of Voldemort: When dementors are near, he hears her screams. If you just need to read something silly, check out these Harry Potter jokes .

Harry bears a resemblance to another “chosen one”

A sword with magical powers that only can be summoned by a special someonenope, we’re not talking about the legendary King Arthur’s Excalibur, but the sword of Gryffindor. If Harry’s sword bears resemblance to Excalibur, though, does that mean Harry is King Arthur ? Arthur, after all, was also an orphan from humble beginnings who was chosen to possess a powerful sword and become a leader. (Not to mention Dumbledore could be Arthur’s wizard mentor, Merlin, and Hogwarts could be Camelot.) “Gryffindor’s sword owes something to the legend of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, which in some legends must be drawn from a stone by the rightful king,” Rowling said on Pottermore . “The idea of fitness to carry the sword is echoed in the sword of Gryffindor’s return to worthy members of its true owner’s house.” Rowling included another intentional throwback to the Arthurian legend. “There is a further allusion to Excalibur emerging from the lake when Harry must dive into a frozen forest pool to retrieve the sword in Deathly Hallows ,” she says. “In other versions of the legend, Excalibur was given to Arthur by the Lady of the Lake, and was returned to the lake when he died.”

Bathrooms are another kind of “room of requirement”

Rowling hasn’t revealed exactly why this is, but bathrooms are really, really important to the Harry Potter books. Nearly everyone has a major scene taking place in the “loo,” as the British call it: the troll fight in Sorcerer’s Stone ; the home of ghost Moaning Myrtle and the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets ; Harry solving a Triwizard Tournament clue in a bathtub in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ; Harry’s wand battle with Draco in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince . Plus, one of the first hints of the hidden Room of Requirement , which changes to fit the seeker’s needs, is Dumbledore mentioning coming across a room full of chamber pots when he had to go the bathroom in Goblet of Fire . Perhaps this potty preoccupation exists because, before bathrooms, wizards apparently went wherever they pleased, cleaning it up with a flick of the wand. “Hogwarts didn’t always have bathrooms,” revealed Pottermore in a tweet that caused a fan frenzy. “Before adopting Muggle plumbing methods in the eighteenth century, witches and wizards simply relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence.”

Snape’s first words to Harry were about his mother

As Pottermore explains, the Harry Potter books often employ floriography, or conveying meaning through flowers, a pastime popular with the Victorians. So, the first words cold Professor Snape says to Harry in Sorcerer’s Stone ”What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”aren’t just a way to humiliate Harry by asking him about a potion he hasn’t learned yet. Asphodel is a type of lily and means “my regrets follow you to the grave”; wormwood is also associated with regret and bitterness. Snape, who was in love with Harry’s mother, Lily, is telling Harry he bitterly regrets her death. (By the way, the answer to the question is the Draught of Living Death, which Professor Slughorn’s class attempts to make in Half-Blood Prince .) Dive deeper into Snape’s first words to Harry here .

Seven is the most powerful number

In numerology, numbers have mystical meaning, as they do in Harry Potter . Lucky number seven, for example, pops up everywhere : seven Potter books, seven children in the Weasley family, seven players on a Quidditch team, seven years at Hogwarts, seven Horcruxes containing pieces of Voldemort’s soul, and more. In Hogwarts lore, a 13th-century witch named Bridget Wenlock was the first to discover the magical properties of seven. Another number that pops up often? The trinity, or number three: three Deathly Hallows, three unforgivable curses, the three-headed dog, three tasks and three schools in the Triwizard Tournament, and the core trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Wizards like Starbucks?

The books aren’t the only places secret messages turn up. Look closely in the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film , and you’ll see what looks like a Starbucks logo in the Black family tapestry at Sirius’s former home and current Order of the Phoenix safe house, 12 Grimmauld Place. (Check it out on the bottom left side of the tapestry in this photo on Pottermore.) Could the filmmakers be paying homage to the coffee shops where J.K. Rowling wrote the early books? In truth, Rowling favored Edinburgh’s The Elephant House, not Starbucks, as the spot to craft her tales. Perhaps the tapestry’s creators at graphic design firm MinaLima were just really in need of caffeine.

There’s a secret Daily Prophet character

The cheeky artists at MinaLima didn’t stop there: There’s subliminal advertising for a wizard perfume called Divine Magic in the Half-Blood Prince and Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movies. But perhaps the designers’ boldest move is the creation of a whole new character who appears in the Daily Prophet and New York Ghost newspapers throughout the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies: a mischievous criminal called the Ginger Witch . Could this be a long-lost relative of the red-haired Weasley clan? According to MinaLima’s Eduardo Lima , she’s based on a friend of theirs named Debbie.

Mirrors are the window to the soul

Even in the Muggle world, mirrors seem enchanted, but they take on an even greater significance in the wizarding world, reflecting crucial truths about the characters. First in Sorcerer’s Stone , Harry becomes entranced by the image of himself with his parents in the Mirror of Erised (“desire” spelled backward). But the lesson the mirror represents, Rowling says , is that “life can pass you by while you are clinging on to a wish that can never be.” In Goblet of Fire , Harry comes across a Foe-Glass, which reveals your enemies. Then in Order of the Phoenix , Sirius gives Harry a two-way mirror for them to communicateonly to meet his own death soon after. But even after Harry shatters the mirror in frustration, he sees an eye staring back at him in a shard: Harry later discovers it’s Aberforth, Dumbledore’s brother, who helps him to safety using the mirror in Deathly Hallows . If you picked up on these meanings already, try our Harry Potter quiz that only diehard fans can ace .

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The post 14 Hidden Messages in the Harry Potter Books You Never Noticed appeared first on Reader's Digest .

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Cool Code II - Harry Potter

Using conan doyle's 'dancing men' code, shown on each slide, can you work out the names of characters in the harry potter novels spelled by the symbols shown at the bottom of each please see game note for more info..

• There are only 18 letters of the alphabet represented: F J K Q U W X Z are not included, as they were not used in the messages left in the Sherlock Holmes story, 'The Adventure of the Dancing Men'. I have omitted the the pictograms with flags (which Holmes deduced to be the ends of words). I shall use spaces, as needed, for future quizzes.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

By j.k. rowling.

'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' is the third installment in the Harry Potter book series written by J K Rowling. It is known for establishing a significant shift in storytelling, from a cheerful tone to a darker, more gritty one.

About the Book

Article written by Mohandas Alva

M.A. Degree in English Literature from Manipal University, India.

‘ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ‘ by J. K. Rowling is considered one of the most well-written Harry Potter books of all time. The events of this book start with the holidays after Harry’s second year in Hogwarts. Harry is very dejected about Aunt Marge’s visit to the Dursleys’ because she is always very rude and means to him. But eventually faced with a lot of new challenges, Harry is forced to abruptly leave the Dursleys’ house, which is when he realizes who the notorious escaped criminal Sirius Black is. From there, the story just moves in strange new directions , and Harry, Ron, and Hermione are left to figure out how to solve the mysteries that keep coming.

‘Spoiler-free’ Summary of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

‘ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ‘ begins when Harry is amidst his vacations after his second year at Hogwarts. Harry is not happy that he has to entertain when she visits the Dursleys but has no choice and complies as Uncle Vernon promises to sign his form to go to Hogsmeade only if he is on his best behavior around Aunt Marge.

Meanwhile, in the news, Harry hears about a notorious mass murderer by the name of Sirius Black, who has escaped prison. When Aunt Marge arrives, she is very mean to Harry and insults and ridicules his parents. This makes Harry angry, and he involuntarily ends up using magic to bloat up Aunt Marge like a balloon. He storms out of the Dursleys into the night.

Eventually, he finds the ‘Knight Bus,’ a transportation system for stranded witches and wizards. He meets the conductor Stan Shunpike and the driver Ernie, and it is here that he finds out that Sirius Black is, in fact, a wizard and is Voldemort ’s follower. He eventually gets down at the Leaky Cauldron, meets the Minister of Magic himself, and decides to stay there and prepare for his next year at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Summary

Spoiler Alert: Important details of the novel are revealed below

‘ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ‘ begins with Harry’s vacation at Privet Drive, where he awaits his next year at Hogwarts more than anything. He is already bored of staying at Privet Drive and isn’t looking forward to meeting Aunt Marge, who is always rude and insulting. When she arrives, she makes fun of him and deliberately berates his parents. Enraged, he subconsciously uses magic and bloats Aunt Marge like a balloon. He then storms out of the house with his luggage. He finds the Knight Bus and is led into it by Stan Shunpike, its conductor. He then gets down at the Leaky Cauldron, where Cornelius Fudge warns him about Sirius Black and tells him to be to keep an out wherever he goes.

Harry eventually meets Hermione and then Ron and his family, who have just been on a trip to Egypt. There, Mr. Weasley further cautions Harry about Sirius Black and tells him to be careful at Hogwarts. They all go to King’s Cross by Ministry cars, which are eventually found to be kept for Harry’s safety.

They all board the Hogwarts Express and come across a compartment with only a professor named R J Lupin, looking disheveled and fast asleep. After a while, the train suddenly stops, and a black hooded figure with slits for eyes and a mouth enters, and Harry is suddenly reminded of an old memory of his mother screaming during her death, which results in Harry fainting. When he wakes up, Professor Lupin gives him a bar of chocolate and says that these creatures are dementors who are guards at Azkaban and were searching for Sirius Black.

Another school year begins in Hogwarts. They have a lot more classes than their first two years and extra subjects like Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy , and Ancient Runes. Hermione is adamant to take every class despite some of them being offered at simultaneous times.

In the first class of Divination, Professor Trelawney foresees grave danger in Harry’s future due to the Grim , an ominous symbol that resembles a black dog, spotted in Harry’s teacup. In the Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid, Harry is the first student to befriend a Hippogriff , Buckbeak , and sit on it and ride around in the sky. However, Draco Malfoy insults it despite warnings and eventually gets wounded by its claws. He complains to his father about it, and eventually, Hagrid is forced to face an inquiry in the Ministry about this.

In the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, Professor Lupin gets a Boggart , a creature that changes its form based on the deepest fear of who is standing in front of it. The Boggart turns into a lot of different things before. Eventually, Professor Lupin stops the class when it is Harry’s turn to face Boggart. Harry isn’t able to visit Hogsmeade because his uncle didn’t sign the permission forms. He spends some time with Professor Lupin, who tells Harry that he didn’t let Harry face the Boggart because he was scared that it would take the form of Lord Voldemort .

Sirius Black is spotted in Hogwarts castle, and he tears apart the portrait of the Fat Lady to gain access to the Gryffindor dormitory. The students are all made to sleep in the Great Hall as the castle is searched, and nothing is found eventually.

In the first Quidditch match, Harry spots a large black dog during the game and eventually faces a group of Dementors in mid-air. He faints and falls down, only waking up later in the Hospital wing. He realizes that his Nimbus 2000, the Quidditch broomstick, was shattered by the Whomping Willow.

On their second visit to Hogsmeade, George and Fred give Harry a magical map called the Marauders’ Map, which helps Harry secretly go to Hogsmeade. Soon after, strangely, he receives a Firebolt broomstick as a gift for Christmas and is elated. However, Hermione tells Professor McGonagall about its arrival under strange circumstances, and they have an argument resulting in Harry and Ron becoming angry with Hermione.

Harry eventually learns how to fight dementors off with Professor Lupin’s help. Buckbeak the Hippogriff is sentenced to death despite the help that Hermione gave to prepare a strong case for the hearing. Eventually, the three reconcile, become friends again, and the exams come closer.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to see Buckbeak before his death but eventually end up leaving early from Hagrid’s as the executioner, minister, and Professor Dumbledore visit. Eventually, when they are about to leave for the castle, a large black dog appears suddenly and takes Ron by the leg, and drags him into the Shrieking Shack. Harry and Hermione follow in hot pursuit, only to realize that the black dog is Sirius Black. Professor Lupin enters after a while, and it turns out that he and Sirius Black are friends. Hermione is angry and reveals to everybody that Lupin is a werewolf. Eventually, Black and Lupin try explaining to the trio that it was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed Harry’s parents to Voldemort and is in the form of a rat hiding in plain sight. It is found out that Ron’s pet rat Scabbers , is, in fact, Peter in disguise. Professor Snape enters soon and disarms both Lupin and Black. Harry eventually disarms Snape, and he faints.

They then take Peter Pettigrew to the castle but have to stop when Professor Lupin transforms into his werewolf form, as it is a full moon day. Sirius Black transforms into his dog form to protect the trio from the wolf. However, a bunch of dementors swarms around Sirius near the lake. Harry tries to save him but to no avail. Finally, he sees someone else casting a Patronus and driving away from the dementors.

Harry wakes up in the hospital wing. Eventually, Dumbledore comes in and advises Hermione to use her time turner, a time-traveling device she has been using to attend simultaneously scheduled classes. They both go back in time, save Buckbeak from getting killed, take him to the top of the tower where Sirius is held captive, and save the day. It is found in the course of this adventure that it was Harry himself who cast the strong and powerful Patronus to save Sirius from the dementors.

Who gifted the Firebolt to Harry?

It was Sirius Black who gifted the Firebolt to Harry. Sirius realized that Harry’s previous broomstick, the Nimbus 2000, was reduced to dust when it fell over the Whomping Willow. Therefore, Sirius, being Harry’s Godfather, went ahead and bought him a brand new Firebolt.

What is Moony Wormtail Padfoot Prongs?

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are the nicknames of the four friends who together created the Marauders’ Map. Moony is Remus Lupin, the name owing to his being a Werewolf. Wormtail is a reference to Peter Pettigrew’s Animagus form of a rat. Padfoot is a reference to Sirius’ dog form, and Prongs is the name for James Potter’s Stag form.

What is a Time Turner?

A Time Turner is a time-traveling device in the Harry Potter universe. It is usually worn around the neck as a necklace. The Time Turner used by Hermione in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban required rotations to be made for each hour one decides to go back in time. However, in the narrative of this book, it is shown that time turners don’t change the past. They only allow one to go to the past and do anything that matches the continuity of the real world without any time paradoxes.

About Mohandas Alva

Mohandas is very passionate about deciphering the nature of language and its role as a sole medium of storytelling in literature. His interests sometimes digress from literature to philosophy and the sciences but eventually, the art and craft of narrating a significant story never fail to thrill him.

Cite This Page

Alva, Mohandas " Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Summary 🐺 " Book Analysis , https://bookanalysis.com/jk-rowling/harry-potter-and-the-prisoner-of-azkaban/summary/ . Accessed 3 April 2024.

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