How to Complete Harry Potter Books in Order ~ All 20!

Have you read the Harry Potter series?

If not, you might be wondering what is the order of the Harry Potter books? And, do you have to read the Harry Potter books in order? Or maybe, can I get a list of the Harry Potter books in order? In this post, I’ll address all of those questions and much more!

Why Read the Harry Potter Books in order

The fact of the matter is that reading the Harry Potter books in order is important!

The books follow the life of young Harry Potter from 11 years old through 18 years old. Each book is a complete school year, so the order of the Harry Potter books is pretty important. It could get very confusing if you don’t know the storyline.

Harry Potter and my family

Harry Potter has been part of my family’s story since before my kids were born. They grew up on Harry Potter, and Harry Potter has been part of our family vacations over the years.

We have been reading our way through all the Harry Potter books in order and checking them off our Bucket List

Harry Potter Books in Order

There are 7 Books in the original Harry Potter series. And, as I mentioned earlier, reading the Harry Potter books in order is important. Along with this list of Harry Potter books, I also have a list of Harry Potter additional books you will want to take a look at.

You might be wondering what is the order of the Harry Potter books? The most important book, in my opinion, is Harry Potter’s first book.

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

This first book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, welcomes you into the magical world that JK Rowling created.

Growing up with his aunt, uncle, and cousin who barely tolerates him, Harry is surprised on this eleventh birthday to learn that he’s different and special.

Harry learns that he is a wizard and that an incredible adventure is about to begin!

2. Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets

Continuing the Harry Potter books in order, the next up is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which starts Harry’s second year at Hogwarts. If he can make it there…

Harry Potter’s summer has included the worst birthday ever, doomy warnings from a house-elf called Dobby, and a daring rescue from the Dursleys by his friend Ron Weasley in a magical flying car!

Back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his second year, Harry hears strange whispers echo through empty corridors – and then the attacks start. Students are found as though turned to stone…

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The next on our list of Harry Potter books is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The summer is long a grueling for Harry, having to stay with the Dursleys all summer. But when Aunt Marge shows up, Harry can’t stand it anymore.

After running away, Harry is picked up by the Knight Bus and another extraordinary year begins.

This one includes an escaped mass murderer on the loose, the followers of Lord Voldemort start ramping things up a bit, and new classes are added to Harry’s school schedule!

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The fourth book in the Harry Potter book order is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

This is an exciting year in the wizarding community. The World Quidditch Cup is being held and the Weasley’s have invited Harry to join them. And, at school, the exciting and dangerous Triwizard Tournament is being held at Hogwarts.

But, someone is out to get Harry hurt, or worse. His name winds up in the tournament and so he will face death-defying tasks, dragons, and Dark wizards.

But with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through – alive!

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

While continuing our way through the Harry Potter books in order, the next up is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Dark times have come to Hogwarts. After the Dementors’ attack on his cousin Dudley, Harry Potter knows that Voldemort will stop at nothing to find him.

There are many who deny the Dark Lord’s return, but Harry is not alone: a secret order gathers at Grimmauld Place to fight against the Dark forces.

Harry must allow Professor Snape to teach him how to protect himself from Voldemort’s savage assaults on his mind. But they are growing stronger by the day and Harry is running out of time…

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The sixth on the list of Harry Potter books is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

When Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive one summer night to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shriveled, but he does not reveal why.

Secrets and suspicion are spreading through the wizarding world, and Hogwarts itself is not safe.

Harry will need powerful magic and true friends as he explores Voldemort’s darkest secrets, and Dumbledore prepares him to face his destiny…

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

When reading the Harry Potter books in order, the final book of the original series is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is a huge book (which is why it took 2 movies to make it), but it wraps up the series nicely!

As he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and takes to the skies, leaving Privet Drive for the last time, Harry Potter knows that Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters are not far behind.

The protective charm that has kept Harry safe until now is broken, but he cannot keep hiding. The Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything Harry loves and to stop him Harry will have to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes.

The final battle must begin – Harry must stand and face his enemy …

Harry Potter Additional Books

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

So, if you’re reading the Harry Potter books in order, this would be the next chronologically. This is the playscript for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the wildly popular show in London! It is set after the Harry Potter series concludes.

Here’s the summary:

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted.

As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

The Hogwart’s Library Collection

From this point on, it’s not as important to read the rest of these Harry Potter extra books in order.

This collection of three books is called the Library Collection. They are each referenced multiple times throughout the Harry Potter book series.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the textbook that the movie of the same name is based on. The movie script is further down this list of Harry Potter books.

This book is the textbook Harry and his classmates used in class at Hogwarts. And while if we wanted to be chronological with the textbooks, it would break up the 7 books in the series. Since I’m not really a fan of that, I’ve chosen to put these Harry Potter books in order by when they came out.

Newt Scamander’s masterpiece has entertained wizarding families through the generations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an indispensable introduction to the magical beasts of the wizarding world.

Scamander’s years of travel and research have created a tome of unparalleled importance.

Some of the beasts will be familiar to readers of the Harry Potter books – the Hippogriff, the Basilisk, the Hungarian Horntail… Others will surprise even the most ardent amateur Magizoologist. Dip in to discover the curious habits of magical beasts across five continents…

Quidditch Through the Ages

Probably the only book in the Hogwarts library that Harry actually read, Quidditch Through the Ages contains all you will ever need to know about the history, the rules – and the breaking of the rules – of the noble sport of Quidditch.

Packed with fascinating facts, this definitive guide by the esteemed Quidditch writer Kennilworthy Whisp charts the game’s history from its early origins in the medieval mists on Queerditch Marsh, through to the modern-day sport loved by so many wizard and Muggle families around the world.

With comprehensive coverage of famous Quidditch teams, the commonest fouls, the development of racing brooms, and much more, this is a must-have sporting bible for all Harry Potter fans, Quidditch lovers and players, whether the weekend amateur or the seasoned Chudley Cannons season-ticket holder.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

While we muggles grow up with the Grimm Brothers’ tales of Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel, children in the wizarding world children grow up learning the Tales of Beedle the Bard.

This book winds up playing a starring role in book seven of the Harry Potter book series. Ron is stunned when neither Harry nor Hermione knew the story of the Three Brothers, also known as the Deathly Hallows tale.

Pottermore Presents series

This series is a fun group of Harry Potter additional books. Unlike some of the other books, this short series doesn’t build in plot development from one to the next. So you don’t need to worry about reading these Harry Potter books in order.

This series of books were released only on e-book from JK Rowling and her Pottermore website.

In these books, Rowling gives behind-the-scenes information on some of our favorite characters, beasts, and our favorite castle!

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (book 1)

Book One in the Pottermore Presents series is Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies.

These stories profile two of the Harry Potter book series’ most courageous and iconic characters: Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin.

J.K. Rowling also gives us a peek behind the closed curtains of Sybill Trelawney’s life, and you’ll encounter the reckless, magical-beast-loving Silvanus Kettleburn along the way.

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (book 2)

The second book in the Pottermore Presents series is Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists.

These stories give us a glimpse into the darker side of the wizarding world.

They reveal the ruthless roots of Professor Umbridge, the lowdown on the Ministers for Magic, the history of the wizarding prison Azkaban and of course Peeves, everyone’s favorite poltergeist.

You will also delve deeper into Horace Slughorn’s early years as Potions master at Hogwarts – and his acquaintance with one Tom Marvolo Riddle.

Hogwarts: An Incomplete & Unreliable Guide (book 3)

The third and final book in the Pottermore Presents series is Hogwarts An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide.

This book takes us on a journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You’ll venture into the Hogwarts grounds, become better acquainted with its more permanent residents, learn more about lessons taught at Hogwarts and discover secrets of the castle . . . all at the turn of a page.

A Journey Through series

As you can already see, there is quite a long list of Harry Potter books. And, we’re just getting started. And, as mentioned earlier, it’s not nearly as important to read these Harry Potter additional books in order.

This Harry Potter book series is based on the exhibit at the British Library about Harry Potter. 

These books dive into the classes at Hogwarts and give behind-the-scenes information about them.

A History of Magic: A Journey Through Charms & Defence Against the Dark Arts (Book 1)

The first book in the Harry Potter Journey Through series is A History Of Magic: A Journey Through Charms & Defence Against the Dark Arts.

How to become invisible, to make someone fall in love with you, to transform into another creature: these are all things that people have believed in, yearned for, or feared, throughout history.

Spells and charms have captured the imagination for hundreds of years. Warding off evil is also something that has concerned people throughout history.

From werewolves to all manner of snakes in the wizarding world, you’d learn how to face a number of strange and frightening forces in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes.

This eBook short examines the colorful characters and curious incidents of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the Hogwarts lesson subjects of Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts.

A History of Magic: A Journey Through Potions & Herbology (Book 2)

The second book in the Journey Through series is A History of Magic: A Journey Through Potions and Herbology.

Potions have been made for thousands of years – associated with bubbling pots and mysterious ingredients, they have been brewed to make medicines, drugs, and poisons.

Harry Potter became much better at Potions with a little help from the Half-Blood Prince in the sixth book of the Harry Potter series.

Plants have also been important components of medicines as much as myth-making and magic. A source of danger as well as a means of overcoming obstacles, Herbology was a subject that had a major bearing on Harry’s key decisions and mistakes in the wizarding world.

This eBook short examines the colorful characters and curious incidents of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the Hogwarts lesson subjects of Potions and Herbology.

A History of Magic: A Journey Through Divination & Astronomy (Book 3)

The third book in the Journey Through series is A History of Magic: A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy.

Harry, Ron and Hermione started taking Divination in their third year at Hogwarts. While Hermione didn’t finish the class, Ron and Harry did – even though they thought it was a bunch of bunk.

Gazing in crystal balls, reading tea leaves, studying dreams and trying to predict the future is what Divination is all about at Hogwarts.

Astronomy holds a special place in the wizarding world as a source of inspiration and identity for Harry Potter’s life at Hogwarts, and beyond.

This eBook short examines the colorful characters and curious incidents of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the Hogwarts lesson subjects of Divination and Astronomy.

A History of Magic: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures (Book 4)

The fourth book in the Journey Through series is A History Of Magic: A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures.

Well-known creatures from folklore like giants, dragons and merpeople, and lesser-known beings such as Acromantula and Hippogriffs, all play a key role in Harry Potter’s journey.

We think that truth and myth are easily distinguished today, but magical creatures and the stories around them continue to fascinate us – and they are as central to the Harry Potter book series as Harry, Hermione and Ron.

This eBook short examines the colorful characters and curious incidents of the real history of magic, and how they relate to the Hogwarts lesson subjects of Care of Magical Creatures.

Fantastic Beasts (Screenplay) series

If you wanted to read the Harry Potter books in order chronologically, these would be first on the list. But, since this series isn’t complete yet, I’m going to leave it down here.

This successful and popular movie series is a precursor to the original Harry Potter book series. It explores some of the characters that we know and love in Harry Potter along with some new ones.

We are also introduced to the magical community in the United States.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

The first book, well screenplay, in this new Harry Potter series is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Newt Scamander, Uk Magizoologist and author of the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is coming to New York for a brief stopover.

But, when his magical case is misplaced, some of his fantastic beasts escape, and muggles get involved, his time in America is extended.

Chaos erupts and it spells trouble for everyone! But, it’s not all Newts fault or is it…

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

The second in the Fantastic Beasts series is The Crimes of Grindelwald.

At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander.

But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.

In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead.

Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Fantastic Beasts: 3

There isn’t any information available about this movie yet, except that it is due out in November of 2021! Because of Coronavirus, the movie schedule has been pushed back. There is no new date at the time of publication.

List of Harry Potter Books in Order

As you can see, it is important to read at least some of the Harry Potter books in order! Since you’re watching Harry grow up, it’s important to follow along on the journey in the right chronological order.

If you’re looking for a fun reading challenge for the year, how about working your way through ALL the Harry Potter books in order!

That would be all 20 Harry Potter books for the year! That’s doable!

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