The magical world of Harry Potter fascinates millions. Many of us grew up alongside this young wizard and continue to be amazed by every new discovery we make about him. In this article, we'll guide you through the Harry Potter universe, exploring its origins, novels, films, and spin-off stories.
History/origin of Harry Potter
This is the story developed by the famous author J.K. Rowling . A saga of fantasy novels that tell the adventures of a young wizard apprentice named Harry Potter . After living his early years until adolescence as a Muggle (a non-magical being), he discovers magic and sets out to study it at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Soon after, he discovers that the evil wizard who murdered his parents, Lord Voldemort, has returned to conquer the world. But he cannot do this without first eliminating Harry, although this is something he will discover throughout the seven books that make up the story of this young wizard.
This is a brief summary of how Potter's adventures will begin, but how did this character originate in the mind of his author? After many years of speculation among fans of the saga, J.K. Rowling clarified the matter on her Twitter account in response to one of her followers:
https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1263375120879554560?s=20
This is the first post of a very interesting thread for true Harry Potter fans. Within this, the writer tells the following:
“ I had been writing almost continuously since I was six, but I had never been so excited about an idea like this before. […] I just sat and thought for four hours (the train had been delayed), and all the details came to me, and this disheveled, black-haired boy who didn’t know he was a magician began to become more and more real to me. ”
Therefore, and although it seems magical and clearly a reference to this event, the idea that years later would become a worldwide success in both books and film came to her while sitting in a train station.
Available books
Going a little deeper into the life of this wizard, it began with the publication of the book "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". This ended up being accompanied by many more both from the main story itself, and from others parallel to it.
The Harry Potter saga
First of all, although if you're even a casual fan you'll already know them, the following list includes all the official books that tell the Harry Potter adventures , along with the year they were published. We've also included a link to Amazon if you're interested in buying any of them.
- Harry potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997).
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998).
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999).
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000).
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003).
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005).
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007).
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016). In this case, it should be noted that the eighth installment of the Harry Potter series is not a novel like the previous ones, but rather refers to the script used in the play about what happened years after the saga concluded between the children of some of the protagonists.
illustrated editions
In addition to the classic novels, there are some versions that could almost be classified as collector's items. We are talking about the illustrated editions, some versions of the Harry Potter books that are a true work of art and that the most fans will be delighted to show off on their shelves. So far there are 5 volumes available, since the latest version available is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, but the remaining three books are expected to hit stores in the coming years.
See offer on Amazon See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonDistributed by Salamandra publishers, this beautiful edition comes in full color thanks to the work of Jim Kay, a British illustrator known for the illustrations he did for the book "A Monster Came to See Me" and who was specially selected by JK Rowling to bring to life to the illustrated editions of Harry Potter.
See offer on Amazon See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonUnfortunately, a long mental illness has forced the artist to put his work aside, since in October 2022 he said goodbye to the fans announcing that he would not illustrate any more Potter books in order to rest. Now the editor is working on a selection process for new illustrators, so future installments will reach the hands of other great artists.
Parallel stories
As we already mentioned a few lines ago, there are additions to the main plot that have been published over the years.
We could start with 3 of the books from the school of magic and wizardry's own library :
- Fantastic beasts and where to find them: a textbook, written by Newt Scamander (fiction), used by Hogwarts students to discover the various magical creatures that inhabit the world. This book is seen in the movie "Harry Potter in The Prisoner of Azkaban."
- Quidditch through the ages: manual that describes the rules and history of quidditch, the most popular sport among wizards. This specimen appears in the movies as a Christmas present from Hermione to Harry.
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard: recounts some popularly known tales among magician children, written in ancient runes. This book will be seen as the inheritance that Albus Dumbledore gave to Hermione Granger. This book contains a fundamental role in the development of the argument.
On the other hand, we have the book "Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide." This book contains a collection of short stories written by J.K. Rowling that will allow us to learn details beyond the Harry Potter stories.
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Finally, by using the Fantastic Beasts book as the prologue to this young wizard's story , J.K. Rowling transformed the original screenplays of the films released so far into "new novels." Remember that this "new saga" is supposedly going to consist of five parts , so we expect three more books like these to be published.
See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonHow to watch the Harry Potter movies
Now it's time to compare the written novel to its big-screen adaptation. In this case, eight films were released as part of the main Harry Potter saga, since "The Deathly Hallows" was divided into two parts. Following this, two more films, the prologue to "Fantastic Beasts," were released . Therefore, we currently have a total of ten films.
In the case of Harry Potter, unlike what could happen in the Marvel or DC universes, there is not much room for doubt in the order to view them. But, if it helps you, we could order them chronologically, according to the events that occurred, or according to their release year.
Chronological order
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018).
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001).
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010).
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011).
release order
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001).
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005).
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010).
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011).
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016).
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018).
Synopsis of the Harry Potter saga in theaters
If you're one of those who likes to learn more details about this magical universe and you haven't seen the complete saga yet, below you'll find the trailer and synopsis of each of the films.
See offer on Amazon See offer on Amazon See offer on AmazonHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, Harry Potter is an orphan who, upon reaching his eleventh birthday, discovers he is a wizard and must attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At Hogwarts, he encounters Lord Voldemort for the first time, an evil wizard he will have to fight in this and subsequent adventures. This film is available on Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
In his second year, Harry returns to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he discovers that something evil has escaped from the Chamber of Secrets. The true Heir of Slytherin has returned, and Muggle-borns, the impure, are in mortal danger. If you want to watch this film from the saga, you can do so on Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Harry's third year begins earlier than expected due to a magical mishap at his aunt and uncle's house. The young wizard discovers that the "despicable" murderer Sirius Black is his own godfather and has escaped from prison with the "intention" of killing him. Like the previous films, this one will be available on Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
In this new film, Harry finds himself immersed in the Triwizard Tournament, which this time will be a four-way competition. He must compete against wizards from other schools to win the Goblet of Fire, the tournament cup. But it is not what it seems and hides a dark secret. This film will be available on Netflix and Prime Video.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for his fifth year in a row after the terrible events of the previous year. Harry becomes the center of attention in the wizarding community for claiming that the dark wizard has returned, but almost no one believes him. To fight him, he forms a group of wizards to join "The Order of the Phoenix." Available on Netflix and Prime Video.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Harry must return to Hogwarts for his sixth year to explore Lord Voldemort's past with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, using memories the headmaster has collected over decades. You can watch this film on Netflix and Prime Video.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
In this film, a magical task has fallen upon the main characters of this story: to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes to end Lord Voldemort's reign. In this first part of the final installment of the saga, Harry, Ron, and Hermione will embark on a perilous journey to try and destroy the Dark Lord. As with the previous films, this title will be available on Netflix and Prime Video.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
This time, it's the second part of the final battle in the story of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort. We can't tell you much more about this installment without spoiling anything, but we can say that the young wizard will have to risk everything to destroy his enemy and prevent him from ruling the world. Available on Netflix and Prime Video.
Main characters
Finally, we want to give you a summary of each of the main characters that helped this magical saga take shape.
Harry Potter
Harry James Potter is the main protagonist and who, as you may be thinking, gives the saga its title. He is born on July 31, 1980 in Godric's Hollow, residence of Lily Evans and her husband James Potter. He is considered the only known survivor of the deadly Avada Kedavra curse. Orphaned since his earliest childhood, he discovers his magical powers at the age of eleven and, with these, his entire life changes completely. He will have to face many problems and enemies throughout his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The most characteristic feature of him is the lightning-shaped scar that he has on his forehead. A mark left on him by his terrible enemy Lord Voldemort.
Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley is Harry Potter's best friend and, along with Hermione Granger, another of the protagonists of the saga. Full name Ronald Bilius Weasley, he is the sixth child of Arthur and Molly Weasley: a family of redheads of entirely magical descent who, despite not having a lot of money, have big hearts.
He is terrified of spiders (as those who read *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* will remember), played keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and is a master of wizarding chess.
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger composes along with Harry and Ron the trio of protagonists. She is the daughter of Muggle dentists, she is a very intelligent and studious girl, and she always uses logic for everything.
During his time at Hogwarts he systematically got his friends out of many messes with his notions of documentation and library use. In a school where there was no internet or Wi-Fi signal, Hermione was the closest thing to a Google search engine they could have. Who is Nicolas Flamel? She finds it. How do we sneak into the Slytherin common room? She manages. What creature is petrifying people in the halls? Hermione finds out!
Draco Malfoy
Draco Malfoy is one of Harry Potter's main rivals. His unfortunate name makes us think that it would not have been so bad if they adapted the names of the characters to Spanish (as happened with the translation of the saga into Italian, for example). He is the only child of the marriage of supremacist wizards Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Black. His aunt is the legendary and terrifying Bellatrix Lestrange. He also has Severus Snape as his godfather. The poor boy couldn't get away very well with that family.
He will fight against Harry Potter during all his years at Hogwarts School to end up becoming a Death Eater, that is, a servant of the Dark Lord. When the time comes, he will entrust you with the task of ending another of the protagonists of this story.
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort, the antagonist of the saga, also known as Tom Marbolo Riddle or " He Who Must Not Be Named ," is considered the most powerful dark wizard of all time, even surpassing Grindelwald. He aims to dominate the wizarding world and, to achieve this, he splits his soul into several pieces to become a near-immortal being.
The most widespread theory that explains his sociopathy and megalomania since childhood is that, due to having been conceived under the effects of a love potion with which the sorceress Merope Gaunt had hypnotized the Muggle Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort is not capable of loving. nor feel empathy for other human beings. This would explain his total detachment from other people as he used his abilities to amass an army of dark followers.
Albus Dumbledore
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (trembles, Duchess of Alba) is the headmaster of Hogwarts. He is considered one of the most powerful wizards of all time and possesses the most powerful wand of all. This old man has been running the school of witchcraft and wizardry for decades, as he was already director of Hogwarts when Tom Riddle attended Hogwarts in the 40s.
Although his character wasn't emphasized in the films, it was in the subsequent Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them pentalogy, which explored his relationship with Gellert Grindelwald during his youth. The powerful wizard had a largely platonic relationship with the dark wizard, though several changes were made when Depp was replaced by Mikkelsen.
Newt Scamander
Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, also called "Newt", was a famous magizoologist and author of *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them*, a well-known book in the Harry Potter universe. He is considered the Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente of unicorns and hippogriffs. A lover of magical creatures, he is the main protagonist of this parallel saga.
Gellert Grindelwald
Gellert Grindelwald was a pureblood dark wizard second only to Lord Voldemort. He intends to unite the deathly hallows to become the most powerful magician of his time. It is to 'Fantastic Beasts' what Voldemort is to the 'Harry Potter' saga.
However, despite Johnny Depp playing the role in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, Mads Mikkelsen will replace him in the next installment. How will they handle the change? Will it be well-received by audiences? Only time will tell, once the third film in the saga hits theaters.
These are the fundamental details that you should know about the entire Harry Potter saga, including some "extra" and parallel sagas. We hope that you have enjoyed the magic that these novels give off and that, like us, you are anxiously awaiting new information that we will bring you first-hand to our website as soon as it comes to light.
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