“Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one’s body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But of course, existence in such a form . . .”
~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Book

Story Summary:
In the story, we are introduced to Harry Potter, an orphan who lives with his cruel aunt and uncle and their spoiled son. Harry has been living with the Dursleys since he was a baby, after his parents were killed by the evil wizard, Voldemort. Harry is an ordinary boy, or so he thinks, until his eleventh birthday when he discovers that he is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, Harry meets his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and the three of them embark on a series of adventures.

At Hogwarts, Harry learns that he is famous in the wizarding world for surviving Voldemort's attack and that Voldemort is still alive and looking for a way to return to power. Voldemort is after the Philosopher's Stone, an object that grants immortality and unlimited wealth. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that the stone is hidden at Hogwarts and vow to protect it.

Together, they encounter various obstacles, a three-headed dog, a deadly plant, and a life-threatening game of chess. In the end, they reach the Philosopher's Stone and find Voldemort, who has possessed their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell. In a battle to save the Stone and Hogwarts, Harry discovers that he has a special power that Voldemort does not possess - the power of love. Harry, Ron, and Hermione manage to defeat Voldemort and save the Stone, with help from the wise Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. As the school year ends, Harry and his friends look forward to returning to Hogwarts the next year, ready for more adventures.

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Interesting Facts:
The Philosopher's Stone is known as the Sorcerer's Stone in the American version of the book because certain folks though Americans wouldn't understand "Philosopher". The book was J.K. Rowling's debut novel, and the start of the immensely popular Harry Potter franchise. The book has been translated into over 80 languages and has sold over 120 million copies worldwide. The book was adapted into a successful film.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Book

Story Summary:
After Harry Potter spends another summer with the Dursleys, he receives a visit from a House-Elf named Dobby, who warns him not to return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite Dobby's efforts to keep Harry away from Hogwarts, Harry makes it back to school with the help of his friend Ron Weasley and his brothers Fred and George. On their way to Hogwarts, Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express and instead fly Ron's father's enchanted Ford Anglia car to Hogwarts.

At Hogwarts, Harry hears a sinister voice that no one else can hear, and strange things start happening at the school. Students are being petrified, and the school is in danger of being closed. Harry discovers that the voice he hears is coming from the Chamber of Secrets, and he sets out to find the Chamber and stop the culprit.

With the help of Ron and Hermione, Harry discovers that the Chamber of Secrets was built by Salazar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts, and that the monster within the Chamber is a Basilisk, a giant serpent that can kill with a single glance. Harry learns that the monster is being controlled by someone who wants to rid the school of Muggle-borns, and Harry sets out to find the culprit. They discover the culprit is none other than Tom Riddle, a former student at Hogwarts who was once a friend of Hagrid's. Tom Riddle is actually Lord Voldemort, and he has been possessing one of the teachers at Hogwarts in order to control the Basilisk. Harry battles the Basilisk and destroys it with the help of Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, and he defeats Tom Riddle by destroying the diary that contains his memories and powers.

In the end, Harry learns that even though Voldemort has been defeated, he will never truly be gone, and that he will have to face him again someday. Harry and his friends return to their families for the summer, looking forward to another year at Hogwarts.

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Interesting Facts:
J.K. Rowling revealed in interviews that she regretted killing off the character of Colin Creevey, a Hogwarts student who was killed by the Basilisk.

Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban Book

Story Summary:
In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry is now thirteen years old and is returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his third year. He learns that Sirius Black, a notorious mass murderer and supporter of Lord Voldemort, has escaped from the wizarding prison of Azkaban and is believed to be on the loose. As the school year begins, Harry discovers that Dementors, soul-sucking creatures that guard Azkaban, are now patrolling the Hogwarts grounds. He experiences a severe reaction to their presence due to his past traumas, causing him to faint.

In his Divination class, Harry is warned of a coming danger and told to beware of a black dog, which he later sees on the Hogwarts grounds. He also begins to have recurring dreams about a large, black dog and the death of his parents. Harry, Ron, and Hermione also discover that Hagrid has acquired a new pet, a Hippogriff named Buckbeak. After an incident involving Draco Malfoy, Buckbeak is put on trial and sentenced to be executed. In a desperate attempt to save Buckbeak, Hermione uses a Time-Turner to travel back in time with Harry to rescue him.

As the school year progresses, Harry learns that Sirius Black is actually his godfather and that he was framed for the murder of Harry's parents by Peter Pettigrew, who is actually alive and disguised as Ron's rat, Scabbers. Harry and Hermione use the Time-Turner to travel back in time once more and witness the events leading up to the murder of Harry's parents, ultimately leading to the capture of Pettigrew and the exoneration of Sirius.

In the climax of the book, Harry, Ron, and Hermione confront Sirius and Pettigrew, but they are interrupted by the arrival of a Dementor. Harry's Patronus charm successfully repels the Dementor, revealing that he is the only one in the group who can perform this advanced magic. Pettigrew escapes and Sirius is forced to flee, as he is still a wanted criminal. In the end, Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts for the remainder of the school year, and Hermione returns the Time-Turner to Professor McGonagall. Harry also receives a Firebolt broomstick from Sirius, with whom he plans to keep in touch.

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Interesting Facts:
J.K. Rowling has stated that "Prisoner of Azkaban" is her favorite book in the Harry Potter series, and the character Sirius Black was originally named "Gary" in early drafts of the book.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Book

Story Summary:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire features major developments and darker themes. The Triwizard Tournament serves as a backdrop for the story, but it is the ongoing rise of Lord Voldemort that drives the narrative forward. The story opens with Harry dreaming of Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, and he is haunted by this throughout the story. The Triwizard Tournament is held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, featuring three wizarding schools: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. Harry is unexpectedly chosen as the fourth champion despite being underage, leading to widespread suspicion that he entered himself using dark magic.

Harry navigates the challenges of the tournament, and grapples with the complicated emotions of adolescence, including his feelings for Cho Chang and the breakdown of his friendship with Ron. The book also features the return of several characters, including Sirius Black, who helps Harry throughout the story.

During the final task of the Triwizard Tournament, when Harry and Cedric Diggory are transported to a graveyard, where Voldemort and his followers are waiting. Cedric is killed, and Voldemort is restored to his physical form using Harry's blood. Harry manages to escape with Cedric's body and returns to Hogwarts, where he is reunited with Sirius.

One of the most significant events of the book is the revelation that Barty Crouch Jr. was disguised as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Mad-Eye Moody, and was responsible for manipulating the tournament to ensure Harry's victory.

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Interesting Facts:
The Triwizard Tournament was a concept created specifically for the book, as the author J.K. Rowling wanted to explore other wizarding schools.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Book

Story Summary:
Harry is now fifteen years old and is feeling isolated and frustrated as he spends yet another summer with the Dursleys. After using magic to save himself and his cousin from Dementors, he is expelled from Hogwarts, but then is rescued by a group of wizards and taken to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, which is a secret society formed by Albus Dumbledore to fight against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Harry is reunited with his friends Ron and Hermione, as well as other familiar characters like Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and new characters like Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

As the school year starts, Harry discovers that the Ministry of Magic is denying that Voldemort has returned and is instead trying to discredit him and Dumbledore. They appoint a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge, who is a cruel and strict bureaucrat. She refuses to teach practical Defense Against Dark Magic and forces the students to only learn theory. Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to start their own secret defense group, Dumbledore's Army, and teach their fellow students how to protect themselves against the Dark Arts.

Meanwhile, Voldemort is trying to retrieve a prophecy from the Ministry of Magic that contains a prediction about Harry and his fate, and he sends his Death Eaters to steal it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione overhear the plot and rush to the Ministry of Magic to stop them. They are ambushed by Death Eaters, and a battle breaks out, during which Sirius Black is killed by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.

In the end, Dumbledore takes the blame for the incident at the Ministry, and Harry and his friends are cleared of all charges. Harry finally learns the prophecy and realizes that he is destined to fight Voldemort, and that either he must kill Voldemort or be killed by him.

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Interesting Facts:

The Order of Phoenix is the longest book in the Harry Potter series, with over 250,000 words, and J.K. Rowling has said that the character of Dolores Umbridge is based on a real person she dislikes.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Story Summary:
The story begins with Harry, Ron, and Hermione planning to embark on a journey to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, objects containing fragments of Voldemort's soul. They are left with the daunting task of figuring out the locations of the Horcruxes, which are scattered throughout the wizarding world.

Throughout their journey, they discover that the Deathly Hallows, three legendary objects that provide immense power to their wielder, may also help them defeat Voldemort. These Hallows consist of the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility.

Meanwhile, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been taken over by the Death Eaters, led by Snape, who is now the headmaster. Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their search for the Horcruxes, facing numerous obstacles and dangers, including attacks by the Death Eaters and near-death experiences.

After locating and destroying several Horcruxes, they learn that Voldemort has discovered the Elder Wand, which he believes will make him invincible. The trio decides to infiltrate Gringotts Wizarding Bank to retrieve another Horcrux, and they succeed with the help of a former bank employee, Griphook.

They finally return to Hogwarts, where the final battle between good and evil takes place. Many notable characters, including Fred Weasley, Lupin, and Tonks, perish in the fighting. Harry confronts Voldemort, and in the end, Voldemort is defeated once and for all, with Harry ultimately destroying him using his own wand.

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Interesting Facts:
J.K. Rowling has stated that the epilogue, which takes place 19 years after the main events of the book, was written before the rest of the book. The book won numerous awards, including the 2008 Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award and the 2008 British Book Award for Children's Book of the Year.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Story Summary:
The story begins with Harry, Ron, and Hermione planning to embark on a journey to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, objects containing fragments of Voldemort's soul. They are left with the daunting task of figuring out the locations of the Horcruxes, which are scattered throughout the world. Along their journey, they discover that the Deathly Hallows, three legendary objects that provide immense power to their wielder, may also help them defeat Voldemort. These Hallows consist of the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility.

Meanwhile, the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has been taken over by the Death Eaters, led by Snape, who is now the headmaster. Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue their search for the Horcruxes, facing numerous obstacles and dangers, including attacks by the Death Eaters and near-death experiences.

After locating and destroying several Horcruxes, they learn that Voldemort has discovered the Elder Wand, which he believes will make him invincible. The trio decides to infiltrate Gringotts Wizarding Bank to retrieve another Horcrux, and they succeed with the help of a former bank employee, Griphook.

They finally return to Hogwarts, where the final battle between good and evil takes place. Many notable characters, including Fred Weasley, Lupin, and Tonks, perish in the fighting. Harry confronts Voldemort, and in the end, Voldemort is defeated once and for all, with Harry ultimately destroying him using his own wand.

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Interesting Facts:
J.K. Rowling has said that this book was the hardest to write, because of the amount of exposition and backstory that needed to be included.