Welcome to the world of Harry Potter
Seven books, eight films, one whole magical universe. Explore the characters, houses, spells and places — explained in plain language and backed by sources.
The main characters
All 100 characters
The seven books
Browse the booksBrowse the films
1Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone1997
2Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets1998
3Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban1999
4Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire2000
5Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix2003
6Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince2005
7Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows2007
Discover
A changing selection of creatures, objects and places.
CreaturesBlast-Ended SkrewtHagrid’s fire-spitting crossbreed
CreaturesNifflerTreasure-hunting burrower
CreaturesKappaWater demon with a bowl of water on its head
CreaturesKnarlHedgehog look-alike that takes offence
ObjectsThe Prophecy SphereThe sphere everyone wants
ObjectsThe Mirror of ErisedShows the heart's desire
ObjectsTime-TurnerAn hour-glass for time travel
ObjectsThe Foe-GlassShows approaching enemies
PlacesThe Shrieking ShackHogsmeade's haunted house
PlacesNumber 4, Privet DriveThe Dursleys' suburban house
PlacesKnockturn AlleyThe Dark Arts back-alley
PlacesAzkabanThe wizard prison
Latest
All news- Three Harry Potter lands announced for Warner Bros. World Abu DhabiMiral and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences plan Diagon Alley, Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest at the Abu Dhabi indoor park, on about 63,000 square metres, for completion in 2029.
- Rupert Grint returns as Ron Weasley — on the Broadway stageThe actor who played Ron in all eight films takes the role again in The Cursed Child at New York’s Lyric Theatre, for a 17-week run from February 2027.
- HBO renews its Harry Potter series for a second seasonEven before season one airs, HBO greenlit a second season based on Chamber of Secrets — part of a plan to adapt all seven books across roughly a decade.
Coming up
LEGO Harry Potter Collection for Nintendo Switch 2
Today
Release date: · Status:
HBO series, season 1
70 days to go
Release date: · Status:
Look up, work out, join in
Reference pages with sources, two things to try and material for your class.
- Look upFilming locationsThirteen real places from the films on one map.
- Look upBook vs. FilmWhat the films changed, left out or added, volume by volume.
- Look upIn numbersCopies sold, translations, box office: every figure with its source.
- Look upAnniversariesFixed dates of the series, with the next one counted down.
- Look upNames and etymologyWhere the names come from, and what is only a guess.
- Look upReal-world sourcesAlchemy, folklore and myth behind the wizarding world.
- Look upSpells tableEvery spell in one sortable table.
- Join inWhich house are you?Twelve questions, open scoring, honest mixed results.
- Join inHarry calendarWhere was Harry on your birthday?
- For your class or websiteTeaching materialsFree worksheets for class, library and reading club.
- For your class or websiteEmbed widgetsSpell of the day, house cards and timeline for your own website.
A story that enchanted the world
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels by the British author J. K. Rowling. They chronicle the life of the young wizard Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Its central arc follows Harry's struggle against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who seeks to conquer the magical world and become immortal. Since the first book appeared in 1997, the series has sold more than 600 million copies, been translated into over 80 languages and grown into one of the most successful film and media franchises in history.
7Novels1997–2007
8Feature films2001–2011
600M+Books soldin 80+ languages
$7.7BFilm box officeeight films
On top of this come three Fantastic Beasts films, the stage play The Cursed Child, theme parks, video games and a new television series in production.
