book review harry potter and the goblet of fire

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2000

Review by Nadine (070207) Rating (9/10) Review by Nigel (011101) Rating (8/10) Review by Chrissi (310501) Rating (8/10)

The story begins on an uplifting note. Harry is invited to attend the biggest sporting event in the magical world: The Quidditch World Cup. Everything is very jolly and exciting for a while, until events take a sinister turn. The evil elements of magical society are beginning to crawl out of the woodwork, setting the scene for the darkest plot yet in the series.

When Harry returns to school, it is to find that someone unknown has put his name forward for a series of dangerous trials known as the Triwizard Tournament. The tasks he has to face as a result are not intended for novices, but the selection process is a magically binding contract, so he can't back out. Clearly he is either the victim of a very nasty practical joke, or someone wants him dead.

The three tasks are arguably the most challenging experiences Harry has ever had to deal with, but his greatest trial is yet to come...

It's utterly action packed, with a multitude of new characters and possibly the most intriguing mystery in the series so far: Who entered Harry into the tournament? There are so many possible candidates that I don't think I could ever have guessed, even if I hadn't been too absorbed in the intricate plot to waste time thinking about it. Could it be Ludo Bagman of the Department of Magical Games and Sports - an ex-Quidditch player with a secret? Or was it Bartemius Crouch, a solidly upstanding official with a deep loathing for dark wizards and a tragic family history? Or is it someone we've already met in the earlier books? Good luck to anyone trying to figure it out.

The creeping sense of menace that gradually increased during the first three books is all pervading in this instalment. The opening scene shows us first hand what Harry's evil adversary - Lord Voldemort - is capable of, and it isn't pretty. Until now the enemy has been a hidden threat, waiting in the sidelines to plunge Harry and the rest of the magical community into peril. From the very beginning of Goblet of Fire it is apparent that this peril is not far off, and it makes for a doom-laden atmosphere.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to, but I really don't recommend reading this book without having read the first three. The cleverness of the outcome hinges on details that are introduced earlier in the series, and a knowledge of spells, potions and artefacts from the first three books is essential if the ending is to make any sense. It is clever, though. Frightening, too. I'd think twice about reading this one to a young child at bedtime.

It's every bit as exciting and entertaining as the first three books, but over twice as long and vastly more complex. Book four requires a more committed reader than its predecessors, but the ending is a more than sufficient reward. As a devoted fan of the series I was bound to like it anyway, and anyone who enjoyed the first three will need no encouragement from me to pick it up.

But since I'm here... if you have read and enjoyed books one to three, then read on. You won't be disappointed. Nadine (7th February 2007)

It starts in much the same way as the others, Harry is staying with the Dursleys for the summer and isn't being treated very nicely. Dudley has got even bigger and is now on a diet, meaning everyone else is as well.

Ron, however, is his saviour as usual, getting tickets for the Quidditch World Cup, which is being held in England. Mr. Weasley arranges for the Dursleys Fire Place to be connected to the Floo network for a day, the only problem being it's sealed up... with hilarious consequences.

Once at the World Cup things start to go wrong and the main story develops with a Dark Mask, the symbol of Voldemort's followers, being projected into the night sky signifying his return.

Once back at Hogwarts things heat up and Harry is thrown into the Triwizard Tournament, where death is a distinct possibility. What ensues is a race against time as Harry and his friends piece together the various Triwizard Tournament riddles and tests while trying to find out what really is behind all the strange goings on.

This is another well written and gripping story from Ms Rowling. Again the characters seem to have grown up a little more with a new year at Hogwarts. With the longer book length there is also more 'time' spent developing the story, although at over 600 pages it may have been a little too long for the subject matter.

The other notable difference between this novel and the previous ones is the darker side to the later part of the book and with a fairly nasty development at the end it had more in common with a horror story than a children's novel. However, this goes hand in hand with the ageing of the characters and the story, as with life, pulls no punches.

I for one will be queuing for book five the day it's published. Nigel (1st November 2001)

Once back at school, a special announcement is made, that the three schools of magic are to compete for the Goblet of Fire, and each school is to have a champion. Sadly, only students of a certain age are eligible, and Harry is not old enough, so he cannot enter, but the mystery deepens when Harry is named in spite of not being old enough and when another Hogwarts champion has already been named!

The first thing I noticed on reading this is that it is really quite a large book to read, totalling over six hundred pages. It must be a testament to the enjoyment of reading the Harry Potter stories that a child would read this, or a testament to the long suffering endured by parents who are brave enough to read this to their children. It would take months to get through at bedtime.

Harry is growing up. As a champion, he has to attend a school dance, and he agonises over who to ask and how to ask them. It is nice that Harry has not been abandoned at thirteen years old, and that his author has been brave enough to let him grow up. Although will we all be quite so interested in Harry when he is thirty-eight years old, I do not think so. (Although time will tell, I am sure...)

Note about the Harry Potter books I have been careful not to give away too much of the story, because even the cover jackets are very light on details. It would be a shame to spoil the story by doing this. They do it on the blurb for most adult books, and it annoys me, so I have not done it here. Chrissi (31st May 2001)

That Love Podcast

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling

By joao nsita.

Dive into the deep end of the wizarding world with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth installment in the globally beloved Harry Potter series. As I revisited this epic saga, I was once again captivated by Rowling's ability to expand her magical universe in ways that are as thrilling as they are imaginative. This review aims to dissect the magic woven into every page of this outstanding novel, which is not only a pivotal turning point in Harry’s journey but also a masterpiece of storytelling that challenges the boundaries of fantasy.

The Heart of the Story

In Goblet of Fire, Harry faces his fourth year at Hogwarts with the usual mix of anticipation and dread. The book kicks off with an electrifying start at the Quidditch World Cup, broadening our view of a world where magic knows no borders. However, the fun and games sharply veer into darkness with the resurgence of Voldemort’s sinister forces, marking this as the book where the series takes a somber turn.

The introduction of the Triwizard Tournament, a magical competition involving three schools, sets the stage for both international camaraderie and rivalry. Yet, it's not just about the dazzling spectacle of the tournament; the events are cleverly interwoven with the overarching narrative of Voldemort's chilling return to power. Rowling crafts a complex plot where every element, from the selection of the champions by the Goblet of Fire to the breathtaking tasks they undertake, serves a dual purpose: to entertain and to advance a much darker storyline.

Character Development at Its Finest

Rowling’s character development reaches new heights in this volume. Harry, now fourteen, grapples with more than just deadly dragons and underwater rescues; he navigates the turbulent waters of adolescence. Ron and Hermione, his steadfast companions, are also given richer backstories and emotional depth, making their dynamics more realistic and relatable.

New characters like Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Cedric Diggory are introduced, bringing with them new cultures and challenges that enhance the complexity of Rowling’s world. Each character is meticulously crafted, with their motivations and backgrounds adding layers to the narrative tapestry.

The Evolution of Magic and Morality

"Goblet of Fire" explores themes of honor, loyalty, and the corrupting influence of power with a mature finesse. The moral questions posed are intricate, making the readers question right from wrong along with the characters. The portrayal of institutions like the Ministry of Magic, which fails to acknowledge the looming threat of Voldemort, mirrors real-world denial and bureaucracy, making the story resonate with a sense of urgency and realism.

The magical elements are as innovative as they are enchanting. From the Dark Mark to the Pensieve, Rowling expands her magical lexicon while ensuring that each new introduction serves the plot and enriches the lore of the wizarding world.

A Literary Triumph

The narrative style of "Goblet of Fire" maintains Rowling’s signature blend of humor, suspense, and emotional depth. The prose is both accessible and richly descriptive, making each scene vivid and compelling. Rowling manages to balance the pacing beautifully, intertwining character moments with high-stakes action without ever losing the reader’s interest.

The Impact of Goblet of Fire

This book does more than advance the central narrative of Harry Potter; it challenges the characters and the readers to consider the cost of standing up for what is right. The climactic resurrection of Voldemort is a turning point for the series, setting the tone for the darker and more complex tales that follow.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rowling not only expands her universe but also deepens it, crafting a story that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. It’s a pivotal book that marks the end of innocence for Harry and the beginning of his fight against a darkness that mirrors the complexities of the real world.

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J.K. Rowling’s "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is a monumental achievement in the series. It serves as a bridge from the lighter, more whimsical beginnings to a darker and more mature conclusion. This book is a feast for the imagination and a testament to Rowling’s unmatched skill as a storyteller. Whether you’re revisiting the series or experiencing it for the first time, "Goblet of Fire" is an essential read that promises to leave you enchanted, reflective, and, most importantly, hungry for more.

• Children's / YA Book Recommendation

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Book review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• April 13, 2020
• Fleur Morrison
• Book Reviews

Just like everyone else who has ever read one of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books, I am hooked. After reading four books in the series, I can say with confidence that there are no weak spots, no plotting errors, no word out of place in these remarkable books.

Once again, Rowling offers a fantastical feast, grounded in all of the things that readers love. The Goblet of Fire offers action, mystery and romance.

There is a challenge when Harry Potter is selected to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, in which students from different schools from around the world compete.

There is an ominous sense of dread when the Dark Mark appears during the Quidditch World Cup, frightening the gathered wizards and witches and suggesting that Voldemort might be gaining some strength.

There are suggestions of romantic tension between Hogwarts students and those from international schools, especially as they pair off to attend a ball to celebrate the Triwizard Tournament.

And of course, there is a mighty and mysterious enemy in Voldemort who provides an enduring threat to Harry and his friends.

Throughout the books, there is also the comfort and stability of the friendship between Harry, Hermione and Ron, and the sense of an overarching godlike figure, protecting students and teachers at Hogwarts, offered by Dumbledore, and to a lesser degree, Hagrid.

I was a bit worried when I started The Goblet of Fire that the book was so long – would this book aimed at children manage to entertain me through so many pages?

I shouldn’t have worried. I enjoyed the introduction of new characters through the students and teachers from visiting schools, and there were lots of fascinating magical gadgets with Rowling’s usual witty playfulness with language, including the ‘pensieve’, which cleared minds and enabled users to see their memories with greater clarity.

And as usual, the fight of good against evil is intoxicating, with Harry Potter once again coming face to face with his nemesis.

I’ll have to keep this short as now I really want to get started on the next instalment of Harry Potter.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is available at Booktopia  (Australia) and The Book Depository (US and UK).

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

By j.k. rowling.

'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' is the fourth book in the famous Harry Potter series written by J K Rowling. It is the longest of the first four Harry Potter books.

Article written by Mohandas Alva

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

‘ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ‘ by J. K. Rowling picks up after Harry and Hermione help Sirius and Buckbeak escape. Harry is back in Privet Drive and has a dream that is very different from any other he has ever had because his scar starts hurting, and he immediately wakes up. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to Hogwarts, they find out that Hogwarts is supposed to host the Triwizard Tournament, which becomes very exciting news throughout the castle. A lot of new obstacles begin to present themselves over time, and Harry, with the help of Hermione and Ron, must figure out a way to face them and overcome them.

‘ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ‘ is known for how well Rowling’s vision of the magical world outside Hogwarts unfolds in this book. The Quidditch World Cup and, later, the Triwizard tournament work really well in establishing the nature of the magical community beyond what has been seen in the first three books.

‘Spoiler-Free’ Summary of  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

‘ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire ‘ starts with Harry’s dream of Voldemort killing someone in a house. He is surprised and wakes up with his scar hurting. He eventually visits the Weasleys, and they all together go to see the Quidditch World Cup. There, at night, after the event, a group of Death Eaters (followers of Lord Voldemort ) harass some muggles and create a riot, and eventually, somebody conjures the Dark Mark (Lord Voldemort’s sign). Eventually, things get back to normal, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave for Hogwarts. There, they are surprised to find out that the Triwizard Tournament is going to be held in Hogwarts.

Guests from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute of Magic arrive at Hogwarts, including Viktor Krum, the seeker of the Bulgarian Quidditch team. The trophy for the Triwizard Tournament is revealed, and it is decided that students below the age of seventeen are not allowed in the competition. Despite a lot of opposition to this, things go smoothly until the day the names of the champions of each school are selected.

After Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons, Viktor Krum from Durmstrang, and Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts are selected by the Goblet of Fire to represent their respective schools for the tournament, and the Goblet suddenly throws out a fourth name – that of Harry Potter. Everybody is extremely surprised, including Harry himself, and it is eventually decided that Harry will have to take part in the tournament. Harry is left to figure out how to face these new challenges as the plot thickens.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Summary

Spoiler Alert: Important details of the novel are revealed below

After the events of the Quidditch World Cup and Harry’s accidental selection into the Triwizard Tournament, Harry is left with very little support when Ron suspects that Harry must have deliberately put his name in the Goblet of Fire. They eventually stop talking to each other, and despite Hermione’s frantic attempts to make them talk again, very little happens.

During a press conference for the champions, Harry meets Rita Skeeter, a reporter who ends up writing a lot of false details and exaggerated facts about Harry in the newspaper. Eventually, as the day for the first task approaches closer, Harry is tipped off by Mad Eye Moody to visit Hagrid, who shows him that the first task is facing a dragon. Harry, out of courtesy, also informs Cedric about the task.

Harry faces the dragon on the day of the first task and eventually uses his broomstick to fly around and get the golden egg which contains the clue for the second task. Harry completes the task the fastest and is in the lead. Ron eventually realizes his mistake, and they both start talking to each other again. The clue turns out to be a song by the merpeople about the details of the second task, something Cedric assists Harry with.

The second task happens to be saving one of the champions’ close ones who are kept captive at the bottom. Harry uses Neville’s advice and swallows gillyweed, which allows him to breathe underwater. He sees four people kept captive – Ron, Hermione, Cho, and Fleur’s little sister. He tries to save all of them because he is concerned about all of them, and in the end, he ends up saving both Ron and Gabrielle, Fleur’s little sister.

As the third task approaches closer, Harry happens to encounter Dumbledore’s Pensieve in his office and sees a lot of important details from Dumbledore’s past memories, which they discuss later. Barty Crouch, the man in charge of the Triwizard Tournament, is found dead on the Hogwarts grounds, and this raises a lot of suspicions. Amidst all this, the final task of the Triwizard Championship, solving a large maze, takes place, and eventually, Harry and Cedric Diggory are the only two people left when the maze starts caving in on itself. They see the Triwizard Championship trophy and decide to take it together.

But instead of just being able to pick up the trophy, they are transported to a strange graveyard. Harry suddenly remembers it from his dream, and his scar starts hurting. Voldemort and Wormtail appear and kill Cedric, and eventually, Voldemort is restored to his original form.

Voldemort summons his old death eaters and forces Harry, to duel with him. When Harry finally duels with him, he is saved by the Priori Incantatem , a situation where the wands with twin cores don’t fight each other. He sees the imprints of his mother, father, Cedric, and all the other people that Voldemort killed.

They protect him, and he is eventually able to escape the graveyard. It is later found out that the Mad-Eye Moody who has been residing in Hogwarts is actually an impostor and that it is actually Barty Crouch Jr, a death eater and son of Barty Crouch. The year ends with the sad turmoil of losing Cedric Diggory and the return of Lord Voldemort, something that many people do not believe yet.

Who killed Barty Crouch?

Barty Crouch Jr, his son who escaped the Azkaban prison with the help of his father, killed Barty Crouch. Barty Crouch Jr is a death eater and was on a mission to send Harry Potter directly to Lord Voldemort. So, when his father found out that it was him in disguise as Mad-Eye Moody, he couldn’t risk the possibility of the mission being compromised.

Who tortured Neville’s parents?

Neville’s parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom, were exceptional aurors . They were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse by Barty Crouch Jr and three other death eaters, out of whom the former was the only one who secretly escaped Azkaban after being sentenced.

How old is Harry Potter during the Goblet of Fire?

Harry Potter is a fourteen-year-old boy when the events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire take place. He is forced to enter the Triwizard championship and compete with contenders who are all at least three years older than him.

Harry Potter Quiz

Summon your wit and wisdom—our Harry Potter Trivia Quiz awaits you! Do you have the knowledge to claim the title of Master Witch or Wizard? Take the challenge now!

1) What potion is known as "Liquid Luck"?

2) What was the last Horcrux to be destroyed?

3) Who teaches Herbology at Hogwarts?

4) What specific type of dragon does Harry face during the Triwizard Tournament?

5) In the "Order of the Phoenix," who is NOT a member of the original Order of the Phoenix shown in the old photograph that Moody shows Harry?

6) What creature is Aragog?

7) What is the name of the book Hermione gives to Harry before his first ever Quidditch match?

8) Who originally owned the Elder Wand before Dumbledore won it?

9) Which creature can transform into a person's worst fear?

10) Who was the Peverell brother that owned the invisibility cloak?

11) In which Harry Potter book does Harry first speak Parseltongue?

12) What does the Mirror of Erised show?

13) What is the name of the goblin who helps Harry, Ron, and Hermione break into Gringotts?

14) What form does Hermione Granger's Patronus take?

15) What does the incantation "Obliviate" do?

16) Which character is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange in the Battle of Hogwarts?

17) Which spell is used to open the Marauder's Map?

18) Which object is NOT one of the Deathly Hallows?

19) Which potion did Hermione brew in her second year that allowed her, Ron, and Harry to assume the identities of Slytherins?

20) What is the effect of the Cheering Charm?

21) What is the core ingredient of the wand owned by Harry Potter?

22) What is the name of the goblin-made object that is supposed to bring its owner prosperity, but also brings them into conflict with goblins?

23) What is Dumbledore's full name?

24) What are the dying words of Severus Snape in both the book and the film "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"?

25) What is the name of the train that takes students to Hogwarts?

26) What is the name of Harry Potter's pet owl?

27) What animal represents Hufflepuff house?

28) Who is the Half-Blood Prince?

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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.

About the Book

The Harry Potter section of Book Analysis analyzes and explorers the Harry Potter series. The characters, names, terminology, and all related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros ©. The content on Book Analysis was created by Harry Potter fans, with the aim of providing a thorough in-depth analysis and commentary to complement and provide an additional perspective to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

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Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

96 pages • 3 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

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Chapters 1-7

Chapters 8-12

Chapters 13-17

Chapters 18-22

Chapters 23-26

Chapters 27-31

Chapters 32-37

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Summary and Study Guide

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth installment of the seven-book series by J.K. Rowling. Although the Harry Potter series has been marked by widespread commercial success, The Goblet of Fire is the only novel in the series to receive the prestigious Hugo Award for science fiction and fantasy. In the fourth novel of the beloved children’s book series, Harry Potter returns for his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As strange things begin to happen in the Wizarding world, Harry faces an unknown enemy hiding at Hogwarts. Harry is entered into a dangerous tournament against his will, and if he wants to survive the year, he will have to learn more magic than ever before, keep his eyes open to any signs of evil lurking in his midst, and rely on the support of his friends. Like its predecessors, The Goblet of Fire addresses friendship, good versus evil, coming of age, courage, identity, grief, and the importance of teamwork. The Goblet of Fire also tackles new topics of international cooperation, jealousy, the loss of childhood innocence, and the rise of evil. The version used for this guide is the ebook of the Arthur A. Levine imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Plot Summary

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One night over summer vacation, 14-year-old wizard Harry Potter awakes from an unusual dream with his scar hurting. The next day, Harry is invited to attend the Quidditch World Cup—a major sporting event for witches and wizards for a game played on flying brooms—with his friends, but on the night of the World Cup, pandemonium breaks loose, and the sign of the evil Lord Voldemort appears in the sky. Harry and his friends return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin the new school year, and the headmaster Dumbledore announces the reinstatement of the Triwizard Tournament , a multi-school competition that brings the students of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang together for one year. Each of the three schools will be represented by one champion, chosen by the Goblet of Fire. The Triwizard Tournament will include three dangerous tasks meant to challenge the oldest and most advanced students of 17 years or older, but when Harry is unexpectedly chosen as a fourth champion, he is forced to compete.

Harry successfully completes the first two tasks through a combination of skill, luck, and a lot of help from friends and teachers. He battles a dragon during the first task by utilizing his flying skills, and in the second task, he uses gillyweed to help him breathe underwater when he journeys down into the lake at Hogwarts. As the competition wears on, Harry forms unsteady alliances with the other champions: Krum from the Dark Arts-centered Durmstrang, Fleur from the sophisticated and snobbish Beauxbatons, and Cedric Diggory , the other Hogwarts champion, who is from Hufflepuff House. The champions compete against one another but develop mutual respect as the competition wears on.

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Amid the drama and danger of the Triwizard Tournament, strange incidents occur all over the Wizarding world. A Ministry of Magic witch, Bertha Jorkins, disappeared and hasn’t been seen since the summer. The famed Dark wizard catcher Mad-Eye Moody has come out of retirement to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Mr. Barty Crouch, a Ministry of Magic official with a tight-fisted approach to law and order, has not been seen in public for months, and he suddenly turns up at Hogwarts disheveled and confused, only to disappear without a trace. And for the Death Eaters—those who followed Voldemort before his downfall 13 years ago—signs begin to appear that their old master is getting stronger.

During the third task, Harry and the other champions must maneuver through a giant maze and reach the Triwizard Cup to win the tournament. However, when Harry and Cedric reach the cup at the same time and decide to share the victory, the cup unexpectedly transports them to a strange graveyard, where Cedric is killed by Voldemort’s servant Wormtail. Harry’s blood is forcibly taken and used to revive Voldemort, who takes a human form for the first time in 13 years. Voldemort summons his Death Eaters to watch as he tries to eliminate Harry once again and end the ridiculous rumors that a mere child could defeat such a great and powerful wizard as himself. However, despite Voldemort’s efforts, Harry escapes and returns to Hogwarts with Cedric’s body.

After the third task, only those close to Harry believe his story about what happened in the graveyard. The man Harry thought was Professor Moody turns out to be an imposter: a Death Eater sent by Lord Voldemort to steal Moody’s identity and make sure Harry Potter wound up in the graveyard for the rebirth ritual. This imposter, who also put Harry’s name in the Goblet of Fire, is none other than the son of Mr. Crouch, the Ministry of Magic official, and Crouch’s son confesses to kidnapping the real Moody, casting Voldemort’s mark into the sky, and killing his father to return to Voldemort’s service after 13 years of waiting.

As Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts comes to a dramatic conclusion, Harry and his friends are left wondering about the fate of the Wizarding world. The future is uncertain, and in the aftermath of the graveyard, Cedric’s death, and Voldemort’s return to power, Harry learns that he will have to rely on his friends now more than ever to get through the dark times ahead.

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Harry potter and the goblet of fire: 10 mistakes jk rowling made in the book.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book in the series , releasing on bookshelves around the world back in July 2000. It was the darkest entry in the franchise to date, with the Boy Who Lived having to contend with competing in the Triwizard Tournament , strange ongoings at Hogwarts, and the return of Lord Voldemort over the course of the year. Harry manages to make it out alive - just about - but Cedric Diggory is tragically killed along the way.

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Obviously, JK Rowling's books are modern-day masterpieces, but even they contain the odd few mistakes here or there. So we'll now take a look at the errors in the Goblet of Fire novel.

 The Sirius Timeline

The narration in the Goblet of Fire talks about the events of the previous school year, which unfold in the Prisoner of Azkaban book. There, it's claimed that Harry only found out that Sirius Black was his godfather two months previously. Yet this is another major error.

Harry actually discovers the truth about Sirius, who is on the run after breaking out of Azkaban, during a trip to Hogwarts around Christmastime. Therefore, it's actually eight months since the Boy Who Lived found out that he was related to the world's most-wanted wizard. It would have been far more accurate if they'd said it was two months since Harry had discovered his godfather's innocence , with it happening before Remus Lupin transforms into a werewolf and messes everything up.

Harry's Letter To Sirius

While Harry isn't able to talk to Sirius in person, he is able to exchange letters with the former Azkaban convict. In one that he writes at the beginning of the fourth book, he details a huge strop his cousin Dudley had - one that resulted in the brat throwing his PlayStation out of the window.

However, given that this happens in August 1994, PlayStations weren't even out at this point. They hit the shelves in America in December of that year before hitting the European market in 1995. Unless Dudley had a time-turner and went into the future to obtain one, this just isn't possible. Plus, if he did, he'd likely have seized a future version of the model instead.

Mrs. Weasley's Cooking

Mrs. Weasley pours a creamy sauce from her wand at The Burrow while cooking dinner for her family and Harry before the start of the Quidditch World Cup. It’s a neat little trick, one that would certainly come in handy in the real world.

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However, in the magical world, this shouldn’t be possible. This breaks Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, which states that food cannot be created by magic. A potential reason for this is that Molly merely summoned the source via her wand but, in order for this to happen, she’d have surely used a Summoning Charm instead.

Mr. Weasley At Privet Drive

Mr. Weasley travels to Number 4 Privet Drive with Ron, Fred and George in tow. There, they collect Harry to take him away for the Quidditch World Cup, with the family having obtained tickets for the final. Yet Rowling’s novel contains a mistake surrounding their return to The Burrow.

After collecting Harry, Mr. Weasley puts a pinch of Floo Powder into the fire for everyone to head back to the Burrow. After that, each Weasley (and Harry) simply steps into the green flames and heads off. However, in the Chamber of Secrets , when going to Diagon Alley, each person is shown to take a pinch of Floo powder - so when leaving the Durselys', this would mean that each person should have a pinch on them, not just Arthur.

Hermione’s Error

Hermione stops Ron from talking about Sirius in front of Ginny Weasley who, at this point, has no idea Harry’s godfather is innocent. At this point, it’s stated that the only people who know of his true nature are Harry, Ron, Hermione and Albus Dumbledore. Yet this is something of an oversight.

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Remus Lupin also knew, but his name isn’t included. It’s also stated that Ron played a role in Sirius’ escape when he was, in fact, hospitalized with a broken leg. It was only after they returned to the hospital wing that Ron was aware of Harry and Hermione’s act of heroism.

Apparition Chat

Before the Weasleys and Harry set off to go to the World Cup, a conversation takes place involving the majority of the family, with Bill, Charlie and Percy the only people not involved. This is because they're apparating, something Mrs. Weasley explains isn't possible for them because they need to take a test - with Arthur then explaining it in further detail.

Yet this is a mistake because they could merely have used Side-Along Apparition instead. Albus Dumbledore does this in the Half-Blood Prince and, in the Deathly Hallows book, families are told to use this method in order to escape Death Eaters should they come calling. Sure, you need a test to apparate yourself, but Arthur could have helped them out - which would have made their journey far speedier, given there would be no walks to a Portkey involved.

Harry And The Imperius Curse

On the third day of term, Harry has a rather peculiar  Defence Against the Dark Arts  lesson. It involves the Gryffindor student having the Imperius Curse performed on him by Barty Crouch Jr., who is, of course, posing as Alastor Moody. Not just once, either, but four whole times.

In the book, when Voldemort puts the Imperius Curse on the Boy Who Lived, the book says "for the third time in his life." However, he’s already had it placed on him five times by this point - with the majority of them being done by Moody/Crouch in front of other students and the other by the Dark Lord himself. Therefore, it would have been better if Rowling had actually made it clear that he meant on a third separate occasion, instead of implying it was the third time in total.

The Class Notice

Hogwarts students are enthralled when Albus Dumbledore announces that their magical counterparts from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be heading to the castle to participate in the Triwizard Tournament. The movie shows the pupils from France and Eastern Europe turning up for the start of year feast in the Great Hall . However, things are different in the source material.

Dumbledore sends out a notice saying classes will end half an hour early on Friday, October 30. But this was actually a Friday in 1994, meaning Rowling got her days of the week mixed up. Of course, it's a trivial detail - but still an inconsistency, regardless.

The Second Task

For the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, participants are forced to dive into Hogwarts Lake to retrieve a loved one. Harry uses Gillyweed given to him by Dobby the House Elf (not Neville Longbottom), while both Fleur Delacour and Cedric Diggory opt to use the Bubble-Head charm. Viktor Krum, on the other hand, opts to transform himself partly into a shark.

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Yet many fans have a problem with this. The book Quidditch Through the Ages clearly states that if you transform into an animal, you lose all human thought - and actually become like the very creature you've turned into. This means Viktor should have chomped Hermione to pieces, but that would have probably been far too dark to show.

Priori Incantatem

In the graveyard of Little Hangleton, Harry and Voldemort's wands connect - which Albus Dumbledore later reveals to be Priori Incantatem. The Dark Lord's dead victims emerge from his wand in the Goblet of Fire movie, with Cedric, James and Lily Potter and Frank Bryce coming out to give Harry some much-needed encouragement. However, in the movie, there should have been an extra victim - and extra spell.

Bertha’s ghostly spirit appears from the Dark Lord's wand, as well, in the book, and that's where the error lies. Considering Voldemort proceeded to make Nagini a Horcrux after her death, there should have been a ghostly specter of that spell being performed in the fourth book. He had also used magic to break a memory charm placed on her by Barty Crouch Jr., yet the echoes of this spell are absent, as well.

NEXT:  10 Times Harry Potter Should Have Asked For Help (And Nearly Died Instead)

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Learn about this topic in these articles:.

…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), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).

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Every harry potter movie in order.

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The Harry Potter franchise has captured imaginations for decades now, and will likely continue to do ... [+] so.

Harry Potter Books

Harry potter movies in order of release, harry potter movies in chronological order, the fantastic beasts movies, new harry potter movies.

Ever since the first Harry Potter film apparated into theaters back in 2001, the hidden sights and wonders of the Wizarding World have captured imaginations at a scale few other franchises have ever dreamt of seeing. And it’s not hard to see why this film and book series is so popular. The story features lovable characters who are challenged through mysteries that intrigue us at every turn across settings so lovingly rebuilt from the novels that inspired them.

So, maybe you’re looking to step back into the warm nostalgia of watching these films in your youth. Or perhaps you’re new to the franchise and are now wondering which of the many films come before the other. So below, let’s explore the story of the famous boy who lived by stepping through the Harry Potter movies in order.

The eight Harry Potter films are adapted from seven Harry Potter fantasy novels. The first of these, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , hit bookshelves in 1997. From there, each sequel followed one-to-three years after, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows finishing the story by 2007.

While some fans decry the differences between the books and films, the movies do largely remain faithful to their source material. All seven books are written by author J.K. Rowling who, largely due to the success of Harry Potter, is frequently listed among the highest paid authors in the world . However, more recently, her public comments regarding the transgender community have raised controversy and concern, with some fans struggling with the implications of all this on their love for the Harry Potter franchise. Apart from the Wizarding World though, Rowling also writes other works, including her crime fiction series Cormoran Strike , which she publishes under the name Robert Galbraith.

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’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)

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Unlike with some film franchises, the Harry Potter films progress through time linearly. In other words, the chronological and release orders here are the same. However, as the films do not come with numbered titles letting you know which comes after which, below we’ll list out, in further detail, how to watch them in order.

All eight movies are currently streaming on both Max and Peacock.

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone internationally) (2001)

The new, young cast of Harry Potter poses for a photo in 2000.

The first film is directed by Chris Columbus (of Home Alone fame) and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Harry Melling, Richard Harris, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Hart and Alan Rickman. The film captured the imaginations of children and families from the start and remains a favorite today, holding an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes .

The grand story begins when Harry Potter, an unassuming orphan living with his abusive aunt and uncle, learns from the friendly Hagrid that not only is he a wizard, but also that time has come to begin his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, overseen by Headmaster Dumbledore. But then Harry also learns that he, as an infant, defeated Voldemort when the evil wizard’s curse rebounded back onto him and thereby ended his reign. But now, as Harry befriends students Ron and Hermione, the trio grow suspicious that one of their professors seeks to steal the sorcerer’s stone in order to bring Voldemort back to power. And so, the friends investigate to try and thwart a dark end.

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

The trio encounter mysterious attacks at Hogwarts this year, carried out by a hidden enemy.

Director Chris Columbus returns for the immediate sequel in a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Toby Jones, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs and Kenneth Branagh. The film was praised as a strong sequel that kept the magic going, and sits above its predecessor at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes .

In this tonally darker entry, the events begin when the house elf Dobby warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts. But when Harry does anyway, a series of mysterious attacks unfold on a handful of the castle’s inhabitants, along with a message that the rumored Chamber of Secrets, said to house a deadly beast within the school, had been re-opened by a secret enemy. So, the trio get to work again to solve this mystery, concocting potions, stepping into a magical memory and ultimately coming face to face with a sliver of Voldemort himself.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Director Alfonso Cuarón steps into the franchise to give it his definitive style, an aesthetic that ... [+] inspired much of the films to come.

Then, celebrated auteur Alfonso Cuarón came on board to direct the series’ third entry in a film starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall. It is the second highest rated film in the series on Rotten Tomatoes with a 90% score .

When Harry returns this time to Hogwarts, he learns that the criminal Sirius Black, who helped Voldemort murder Harry’s parents years ago, has escaped prison and is now coming to kill Harry. Meanwhile Professor Lupin, an old friend of Harry’s father, joins the school and helps Harry learn some powerful magic. Ultimately all parties collide at the Shrieking Shack where Harry and his allies come face to face with a foe they never could have expected. And then they resort to a solution that sends them hurling back in time.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

The Tri-Wizard Tournament brings challenging new dangers into Harry's life.

Director Mike Newell steps in to lead the show this time for Harry’s fourth adventure, with stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, David Tennant, Robert Pattinson, Katie Leung, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon and Brendan Gleeson. The film was met well by audiences and critics alike and sits at an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes .

This year, Professor Dumbledore proudly announces that Hogwarts will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament, a competition between representatives of three wizarding schools in various magical tasks. However when Harry, to his bewilderment, is somehow chosen as the fourth competitor, all know that something untoward is going on. While the students of the three schools clumsily interact through the dramas of teenage life, the new professor Alastor Moody coaches Harry through the competition. However, the final task then transports Harry to somewhere unexpected, and then leads him to battle a powerful old foe.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

The war for the Wizarding World begins in secret now during Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts.

David Yates comes on board to direct Harry’s fifth adventure in the Wizarding World. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, Evanna Lynch, Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter. The film was again critically well received, currently holding a 78% on Rotten Tomatoes .

In the fifth film Harry learns that, despite his witnessing Voldemort’s return, the Ministry of Magic is downplaying his claims. So the secret Order of the Phoenix, populated by several trusted adults in Harry’s life, convenes to respond. Meanwhile, the Ministry appoints Dolores Umbridge to Hogwarts, who quickly takes control of the school and suppresses Harry and Dumbledore. So, in response, the students form Dumbledore’s Army, led by Harry, to prepare against Voldemort. But then, a dark vision in Harry’s mind leads him to bring the Army and the Order to the Department of Mysteries, where both teams face the enemies they find there.

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

This entry sees Malfoy secretly carrying out some dark task.

David Yates returns for the sixth entry in a film starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Bonnie Wright, Alan Rickman, Jessie Cave and Tom Felton. The film was very well received and sits at an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes . Notably, this entry was also the most expensive in the franchise.

During Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts, as Voldemort’s hold over the Wizarding World grows stronger, Harry becomes suspicious of his rival Malfoy as he appears to be aiming for some twisted goal. Later, Harry finds an old Potions textbook with scribbled notes from a mysterious “Half-Blood Prince” which helps him excel in class. During all this, though, Dumbledore also enlists Harry in convincing the new Potions professor, Slughorn, to reveal the contents of a disquieting conversation he once had with a young Voldemort. But then, unexpected enemies arrive before Harry and Dumbledore both, and this time there appears no way out alive.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)

The close to the story begins in part one of the seventh book's adaptation.

David Yates returns to direct the first part of a two-part finale. The movie stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Toby Jones. The film was met well and holds a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes . However, that is the lowest score in the series.

When our heroes receive news that Voldemort has overtaken the Ministry, and when Death Eaters attack Ron’s brother’s wedding, Harry, Ron and Hermione barely escape. They then, having learned of the magical horcruxes which keep Voldemort powerful, set out on a mission to find and destroy them. During this, they also learn about the Deathly Hallows, powerful objects that make one the master of death, including the Elder Wand which Voldemort is desperately seeking. Throughout this journey the trio face and evade many threats, while Voldemort remains looming above them.

8. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)

The epic fantasy tale comes to its conclusion.

And David Yates returns to direct as we close out the series. This final movie stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton and Matthew Lewis. The film also generally has the best reviews of the franchise, boasting an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes .

Picking up immediately after the events of the prior film, the story here sees the trio continue their search for horcruxes, ultimately leading them back into a Hogwarts now largely controlled by Voldemort’s loyalists. However, as the trio successfully face more of the horcruxes in the castle, Voldemort’s army, as well as the villain himself, rush the grounds to thwart them. But then, Harry receives a memory from someone he thought was an enemy, one that reveals the truth behind many things. All these events then lead to a final confrontation for the fate of the Wizarding World.

The Fantastic Beasts film tell us the story of Newt Scamander, his animals, and another dark wizard ... [+] of the past.

The above eight films make up the official Harry Potter series. However, as fans know, Warner Brothers and J.K. Rowling then went on to release a few more films which, while they don’t have book equivalents in the same way, are intended to share a universe with the other eight movies.

These are known as the Fantastic Beasts films, set about seventy years before young Harry Potter arrived at Hogwarts. These newer movies center protagonist Newt Scamander, a magizoologist expert in all things involving magical creatures. The three entries in this film series, by order of both release and chronology, are below.

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
• Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)

However, if you’d like to watch all eight Harry Potter films and the three Fantastic Beasts films together in chronological order, we will need to take one small step away from the release timeline. That is, to watch all eleven films in order, you’d just need to begin with the three Fantastic Beasts movies, and then start the Harry Potter films from the top right after. This order, while deviating from the release timeline, accurately allows you to walk through the history of the Wizarding World.

Are there any confirmed, upcoming Harry Potter films that will let us step back into this Wizarding World? Unfortunately, at present the answer to that is no. The Fantastic Beasts films were indeed at one point said to be aiming for a five film arc, but this appears to no longer be the plan .

For now, we’ll have to wait for news of new films in this franchise. However, there are some upcoming projects once we move away from the world of film.

Harry Potter Max TV Show

Warner Brothers has confirmed they are developing a Harry Potter TV series on Max, aiming for a 2026 premiere . The series is planned to release over a 10 year period, and Succession writer Francesca Gardiner is reportedly in the lead for handling the show’s creative direction. There is presently no confirmed casting, but we know J.K. Rowling will serve as executive producer.

With much more run time available, the series is promising to offer greater accuracy to the books and more details from them that the movies were not able to include. But we should also note that, because this is being described as a complete reboot retelling Harry Potter’s story from day one and bringing in a new cast, this series would not share a canon or universe with the films mentioned above. That means, while this show may be exciting for fans of the franchise, it would not belong in any chronological watch order with the currently released films.

Hogwarts Legacy Video Game

The "Hogwarts Legacy" video game has quickly become an international sensation.

Then there is the video game Hogwarts Legacy , which takes place in the 1800s. The game released in 2023, became the best selling game of the year and has earned its place among the best selling games of all time. So, it has quickly become a must-experience project for fans of the Wizarding World.

However, despite its accuracy to the extant lore, the game also does not appear to officially share a canon with the books, movies, or the upcoming TV show. This would mean, as with the upcoming TV series, the game would not belong in any order with the currently existing films.

However, given the project’s immense success, a sequel is now rumored to be on the way, one that would likely share a canon with the first game.

Bottom Line

The eight Harry Potter films released across a decade as a whole generation grew up along with the young wizard. Many viewers began watching as children and delighted in seeing Harry grow older and wiser each year in the face of greater and greater challenges, an experience that should feel familiar to most. For that reason, and for the magical imagination so lovingly on display, the Harry Potter world has become a warm place of retreat for many. And so the films are waiting to be experienced, in the order above, whenever you wish to step back in.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, Book 4) (4) Paperback – June 26, 2018

• Book 4 of 7 Harry Potter
• Print length 768 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 3 - 6
• Lexile measure 880L
• Dimensions 5.2 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches
• Publisher Arthur A. Levine Books
• Publication date June 26, 2018
• ISBN-10 1338299174
• ISBN-13 978-1338299175
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J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular Harry Potter books. After the idea for Harry Potter came to her on a delayed train journey in 1990, she plotted out and started writing the series of seven books and the first was published as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the UK in 1997. The series took another ten years to complete, concluding in 2007 with the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows .

To accompany the series, J.K. Rowling wrote three short companion volumes for charity, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , in aid of Comic Relief and Lumos, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard , in aid of Lumos. She also collaborated on the writing of a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , which was published as a script book.

Her other books for children include the fairy tale The Ickabog and The Christmas Pig , which were published in 2020 and 2021 respectively and have also been bestsellers. She is also the author of books for adults, including a bestselling crime fiction series.

J.K. Rowling has received many awards and honors for her writing. She also supports a number of causes through her charitable trust Volant and is the founder of the children’s charity Lumos.

To find out more about J.K. Rowling visit jkrowlingstories.com.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arthur A. Levine Books; 20th Anniversary ed. edition (June 26, 2018)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 768 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1338299174
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1338299175
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8+ years, from customers
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 880L
• Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 6
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 1.5 x 7.8 inches
• #1,775 in Children's Friendship Books
• #2,255 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books
• #2,960 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)

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Is This Harry Potter Book Entertaining as an adult?

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About the author

J.k. rowling.

J.K. Rowling is the author of the enduringly popular, era-defining Harry Potter book series, as well as several stand-alone novels for adults and children, and a bestselling crime fiction series written under the pen name Robert Galbraith.

The Harry Potter books have now sold over 600 million copies worldwide, been translated into 85 languages and made into eight blockbuster films. They continue to be discovered and loved by new generations of readers.

Alongside the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling also wrote three short companion volumes for charity: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in aid of Comic Relief, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in aid of her international children’s charity, Lumos. The companion books and original series are all available as audiobooks.

In 2016, J.K. Rowling collaborated with playwright Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany to continue Harry’s story in a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which opened in London, and is now thrilling audiences on four continents. The script book was published to mark the plays opening in 2016 and instantly topped the bestseller lists.

In the same year, she made her debut as a screenwriter with the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Inspired by the original companion volume, it was the first in a series of new adventures featuring wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander. The second, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was released in 2018 and the third, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was released in 2022.

The screenplays were published to coincide with each film’s release: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - The Original Screenplay (2016), Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - The Original Screenplay (2018) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - The Complete Screenplay (2022).

Fans of Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter can find out more at www.wizardingworld.com.

J.K. Rowling’s fairy tale for younger children, The Ickabog, was serialised for free online for children during the Covid-19 pandemic in the summer of 2020 and is now published as a book illustrated by children, with her royalties going to her charitable trust, Volant, to benefit charities helping alleviate social deprivation and assist vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

Her latest children’s novel The Christmas Pig, published in 2021, is a standalone adventure story about a boy’s love for his most treasured thing and how far he will go to find it.

J.K. Rowling also writes novels for adults. The Casual Vacancy was published in 2012 and adapted for television in 2015. Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, she is the author of the highly acclaimed ‘Strike’ crime series, featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott. The first of these, The Cuckoo’s Calling, was published to critical acclaim in 2013, at first without its author’s true identity being known. The Silkworm followed in 2014, Career of Evil in 2015, Lethal White in 2018, Troubled Blood in 2020 and The Ink Black Heart in 2022. The series has also been adapted for television by the BBC and HBO.

J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard Commencement speech was published in 2015 as an illustrated book, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination, sold in aid of Lumos and university-wide financial aid at Harvard.

As well as receiving an OBE and Companion of Honour for services to children’s literature, J.K. Rowling has received many other awards and honours, including France’s Legion d’Honneur, Spain’s Prince of Asturias Award and Denmark’s Hans Christian Andersen Award.

J.K. Rowling supports a number of causes through her charitable trust, Volant. She is also the founder and president of Lumos, an international children’s charity fighting for every child’s right to a family by transforming care systems around the world.

www.jkrowling.com

Image: Photography Debra Hurford Brown © J.K. Rowling

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Customers find the book fantastic for all ages. They also say it's worth the price and too good to miss. Readers describe the pacing as fast. They describe the plot as intricate and understated. They praise the writing quality as brilliant and excellent. They mention the imagination as unusually clever. They find the readability very entertaining. Customers also love the character development and say the story holds up just as strongly.

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Customers find the story intricate, understated, and marvelous. They also say the book includes a lot of detail and does not disappoint in the action-packed sequences. Readers also appreciate the themes about good vs. evil, friendship, loyalty, and heroism.

"...Did feel the book was a little drawn out but the storyline was a winner . Just w hen I thought I had the bad guys figured out I found I was wrong...." Read more

"...Great character development, great new characters introduced, lots of groundwork laid for the second half of the series and especially for the next..." Read more

"...I adore magic. I love Hogwarts. I love the classes they take . All the food they get to eat. The different spells they are casting. How they dress...." Read more

"I loved this book so much because it is so good planning and amazing excitement it is and so well worth reading because it is a story for all ages..." Read more

Customers find the book fun, imaginative, and captivating. They also say it makes them laugh, cry, angry, and shocked. Readers also mention that the drunk winky scene is top tier.

"... Very entertaining !" Read more

"...There is a tournament. And it is the most fun and horrifying to read about. Loved every moment of it. The trials are awesome. And awful...." Read more

"This was such a fun read ! It was more thrilling and exciting with unsuspecting twists than previous books. It's also darker and more emotional...." Read more

"... It is truly an enjoyable (and easy) read...." Read more

Customers find the writing quality brilliant, easy to listen to, and flawless. They also mention that the characters are beautiful and the reader does an excellent job of changing his voice. Overall, customers describe the books as amazing.

"...It is truly an enjoyable (and easy) read ...." Read more

"Could not read fast enough to find out what would happen next. Well written as always . Can’t wait to start the next book." Read more

"I like the English language at my level. Well written and smooth. Not easy to find any other books of this quality" Read more

"...J.K. Rowling never writes a dull moment and continues to baffle readers as they try and discover just who Mad-Eye Moody really is, what happened to..." Read more

Customers appreciate the elf representation in the book. They also say the friendship, loyalty, and heroism are timeless and have wide appeal. Readers say the story holds up just as strongly as it did when it first debuted. They mention the characters are lightly and deftly handled.

" Enjoyed the new characters . Did feel the book was a little drawn out but the storyline was a winner...." Read more

"...Great character development, great new characters introduced , lots of groundwork laid for the second half of the series and especially for the next..." Read more

"...I loved the fake one. How rude. But yeah, bunch of amazing new characters in this book. And old ones too. I enjoyed them all...." Read more

"...It's also darker and more emotional. I loved seeing the character growth and the friendships deepen. The characters really come to life...." Read more

Customers find the book worth it for the price, saying it's too good to miss. They also say the trials are awesome, satisfying, and won't bore them.

"...Loved every moment of it. The trials are awesome . And awful. And so much fun too. The ball was stunning. Sort of...." Read more

"...unrelated subplots into a whole that is cohesive, uncontrived, and satisfying - though leaving the reader wanting much more...." Read more

"...It is definitely worth the read ." Read more

"...There is no waste with this one ." Read more

Customers find the book fantastic, great for the entire family, and essential reading. They also say the tone is perfectly toned for both adult and child.

"...excitement it is and so well worth reading because it is a story for all ages and people I hope J.K Rowling writes an another book after Harry..." Read more

"...the book is very good, and while technically a kid's book, can be enjoyed by kids , teens, and adults...." Read more

"Harry potter books are a great read for young and older alike . If you enjoy magical and mythical things these story's are for you...." Read more

"... Good for all ages ! I say that because I have no children and enjoyed the whole series." Read more

Customers find the book unusually clever, amazing, and interesting. They also say the author does a great job capturing many themes and demonstrating polished technical skill.

"...Hermione is amazing. So kind and clever and just perfect. I wish more people in these books would love her, hmph. And Ron. Sigh. I do adore him...." Read more

"...most seemingly unrelated subplots into a whole that is cohesive, uncontrived , and satisfying - though leaving the reader wanting much more...." Read more

"...Rowling has a knack for writing with an engaging magical simplicity , but the climax of this book has nothing childlike about it...." Read more

"...traits that describe Harry are brave, courageous, kind, helpful, smart , friendly, and a troublemaker...." Read more

Customers like the pacing of the book. They mention that it's fast paced, and the plot moves fairly slowly throughout the book, but continues to flow nicely. They also say that the book makes their heart beat faster and faster.

"...the previous three Harry books, "The Goblet of Fire" is well paced and tautly structured...." Read more

"...Pacing: The novel is well-paced , with moments of suspense and excitement balanced by quieter, character-driven scenes...." Read more

"...While the book is long, about 750 pages, it still reads fairly quickly like the other novels do...." Read more

"...The concensus from our boys (ages 8 and 11) is that while it starts a bit slowly , once it took off, it held their interest. They loved it...." Read more

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Roma khanna to exit universal international studios after six months in post.

• J.K. Rowling Blasts “Gender Taliban” David Tennant After ‘Harry Potter’ Actor Said “Whinging” Trans Critics Are On “Wrong Side Of History”

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Jake Kanter

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J.K. Rowling is embroiled in a fresh row with another Harry Potter actor over transgender rights.

Following exchanges of fire with Daniel Radcliffe and others, Rowling has blasted David Tennant after the Goblet of Fire star voiced strident views on those who speak out against trans rights.

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During an appearance at the British LGBT Awards over the weekend, he called on British equalities minister Kemi Badenoch to “shut up” after she advocated for banning trans women from entering women’s toilets and sports teams.

Earlier in the week, Rowling branded people like Tennant the “gender Taliban.” In posts on X (once Twitter) on Friday, she expanded her comments to address Tennant’s “wrong side of history” quote.

Rowling wrote: “This man is talking about rape survivors who want female-only care, the nurses currently suing their health trust for making them change in front of a man, girls and women losing sporting opportunities to males and female prisoners incarcerated with convicted sex offenders.”

This man is talking about rape survivors who want female-only care, the nurses currently suing their health trust for making them change in front of a man, girls and women losing sporting opportunities to males and female prisoners incarcerated with convicted sex offenders. pic.twitter.com/6C7yNC4TCt — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 28, 2024

She added: “For a man who’s supposedly a model of compassion and tolerance, he sure does want a lot of people to cease to exist.”

Tennant is best known for playing Doctor Who , but appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Bartemius Crouch Junior.

Rowling renewed her disagreement with Radcliffe earlier this year following the publication of the Cass review into gender identity services for young people in Britain. The report concluded that there was “remarkably weak” evidence for giving young people transition treatments, such as puberty blockers.

On X, Rowling said : “Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.”

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Harry Potter TV show — everything we know about HBO television reboot

Harry Potter TV show brings the boy wizard to HBO

The doors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are set to reopen in a new Harry Potter TV show that will bring the magical adventures of the Boy Who Lived the small screen. HBO’s television reboot of the beloved children’s series is officially in the works. 

After much speculation, a Harry Potter TV show was confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery in spring 2023. Initially set to be a Max Original , it’s now moved over to HBO proper. The initial announcement noted that it would be a “faithful adaptation” of the original novels by British author J.K. Rowling and that the controversial writer was on board as a producer. 

Otherwise, details were thin on the ground, aside from a brief teaser trailer that featured zero seconds of footage and did little beyond confirming the project was in development. Fortunately, in recent months a few details have now trickled out. However, we’re still without some crucial info like who will play Harry, Ron and Hermione. 

Nevertheless, if you can't wait to revisit Hogwarts and once again experience Harry’s journey from an orphan living in a cupboard under the stairs to a fully grown wizard on a mission to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort, here’s everything we know about the Harry Potter TV show. 

Harry Potter TV show potential release date

Devoted Harry Potter fans will no doubt want this small-screen version of the beloved books to arrive at a speed that would make a Firebolt broomstick blush, but unfortunately, making a TV show of this scale is a slow-moving process, and Harry Potter won’t make his HBO debut in 2024. Don’t even expect to meet the new Potter and pals next year either. 

During an earnings call in February of this year, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav indicated that the Harry Potter TV show isn’t expected to premiere until 2026. Exactly when in 2026 viewers can expect to be dining in the Great Hall and sleeping in the Gryffindor common room is a mystery. The wait is already more torturous than listening to the Fat Lady sing so let’s hope for an early 2026 date. 

Harry Potter TV show cast 

To cut a long story short, we have no confirmed cast members for the Harry Potter TV show. 

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Naturally, fans have spent the last 12 months (and counting) posting all manner of dream castings that range from the surprisingly inspired (Jonathan Pryce as Albus Dumbledore) to the ludicrously ill-judged (Anya Taylor-Joy as Luna Lovegood). As for the so-called Golden Trio, Harry, Ron and Hermine will likely be played by unknown child actors. 

Of course, there’s been much speculation about whether the cast of the ever-popular Harry Potter movies will return (potentially in new roles or just in a cameo appearance), but don’t bet on it. For starters, the show’s creative team almost certainly wants to create a new spin on the franchise that can exist separately from the movies, and the original actors have long since aged out of their roles. 

When asked by E! News if he’d want to return to the Potterverse, Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry in all eight movies released between 2001 and 2011, the British actor said, “I don't think so. I think they very wisely want to [have] a clean break. And I don't know if it would work to have us do anything in it." Though he noted he would be watching the TV show. 

Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom, offered a similar response telling People , “It’s not something I’m looking at or want to do” but he diplomatically left the door just a little bit ajar also stating that he “would not turn [his] nose up at.” 

Harry Potter TV show creators and crew

While we’re without any details on the cast, we’ve got some information on who’s working on the Harry Potter TV show behind the scenes. It’s been confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter that Francesca Gardiner will serve as showrunner and writer. 

Meanwhile, Mark Mylod will direct multiple episodes and is on board as a producer. Mylod and Gardiner have previously worked together on HBO’s “Succession” and both won Emmy awards for their contributions to the critically acclaimed drama Gardiner’s other credits include “His Dark Materials” and “Killing Eve”, while Mylod has directed episodes of “Games of Thrones”, “The Last of Us" season 2 and helmed the well-received thriller movie “The Menu." 

The news that the show will be led by Gardiner, and at least partially shepherded from the director's chair by Mylod, seemingly puts to bed the idea that longtime Potter director David Yates will return. Yates directed the final four Potter movies and all three installments in the largely lackluster “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” movie franchise. 

Harry Potter TV show plot

There are no prizes for guessing the plot of the Harry Potter TV show; it’ll adapt the best-selling novels. This means starting with 1997’s "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" (released as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" in the U.S.) and presumably culminating in a final season that covers "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

David Zaslav has confirmed that the plan is to adapt a book per season for a total of seven seasons. This is particularly exciting for Potter fans who felt the movie version had to cut too much stuff to shrink some of the larger books ("Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is almost 900 pages) into two-hour movies. The movies are notorious for cutting plot points, and the lack of Quidditch coverage was an outrage. 

The Harry Potter TV show will presumably have the extra time needed to cover fan-fan-favorite events omitted from the films like Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday Party in "Philosopher’s Stone" and Hermione creating S.P.E.W. (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) in "Goblet of Fire."

Harry Potter TV show outlook

There’s a degree of reasonable skepticism about the Harry Potter TV show. In fact, one TG staffer labeled it “the worst idea ever” when it was announced. The enduring popularity of the movies makes another adaptation feel somewhat redundant, and the Harry Potter IP has been tainted by Rowling’s transphobic comments . 

However, as enjoyable as the movies remain to this day, there’s no denying that an awful lot of the source material was cut to squeeze each novel into a two-hour movie. A long-form TV show could be the perfect medium to tell these beloved fantasy stories in more detail and include all the plots and character arcs that never made the final theatrical cut. 

It does feel like a missed opportunity to not explore the expanded Wizarding World beyond the adventures of Harry Potter. But considering the declining quality of the spin-off Fantastic Beasts series, perhaps HBO should stick with the familiar rather than step into the unknown.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to watch Harry Potter movies in order
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• Hogwarts Legacy review: A magical experience

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

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RETRO REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Changes the Franchise

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It's important to remember the ongoing controversial statements by the creator of the Harry Potter franchise. CBR supports the hard work of industry professionals on properties fans know and love and the wider world of Harry Potter that fans have adopted as their own. You can find CBR's continuing coverage of Rowling here .

Franchise favorite Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was a game changer. Chris Columbus stayed on as producer while Oscar winner-in-waiting Alfonso Cuarón (Roma) took over. With him came a tonal change that altered this franchise and unleashed dementors forever. Not only that, but he introduced Azkaban’s most infamous inmate Sirius Black, intent on tracking down Harry Potter and delivering a death sentence for crimes against the dark lord.

Beyond the threat of an unstable Azkaban inmate circling Hogwarts, this installment also gives audiences another appointee to the post of defense against the dark arts. Professor Lupin may have been more equipped than his predecessor to tackle this topic, but he conceals an affliction far worse than vanity. Linked to the lunar cycle and an inherent fear of animalistic amnesia, his arrival really opens things up. However, beyond a bloody-thirsty animagus out for revenge, soul-sucking dementors, and a dark arts professor who should avoid moonlight, Azkaban brings more to the table. Having just celebrated its 20th anniversary, now feels like the right time to look back on why this entry is still so popular.

Sirius Black Will Be Gary Oldman’s Legacy

Professor lupin is a truly tragic figure in harry potter.

• The first choice to play Sirius Black was actually British actor Robson Green.
• The name Remus comes from Roman mythology and harks back to its founders, Remus and Romulus, who were both raised by wolves.
• Sirius was named after the dog star, found in the constellation Canis Major and said to be 26 times brighter than the Sun.

There is no denying the importance of Sirius Black to Harry Potter . His introduction and the actor who embodied him have become legendary. Gary Oldman may have won an Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour , but Sirius Black will be his legacy . Painted as an outcast and defined by his thirst for revenge, Black is only glimpsed on posters, spoken about in whispers, and associated with evil at every turn. That his eventual arrival reveals a paternal figure who only wants the best for his godson Harry is ironic.

At the core of this character is something truly tragic. An animagus blessed with an undeniable humility that Oldman revels in, allowing the wider wizarding world to label him a killer rather than admit their mistakes. Imprisoned for murdering Peter Pettigrew and some innocent bystanders, Black gives up 12 years of his life to Azkaban. Compelled to protect Harry from he who must not be named, Sirius escapes with the sole intention of protecting his godson. Although those circumstances are never directly revealed, along with other critical plot points, Sirius is spurred into action by a simple act of forgiveness from Harry.

Remus Lupin also has his own air of tragedy that sees him cast out for being different. A lifelong friendship with Sirius Black, although afforded no backstory, provides Remus with some degree of solace from his plight. Slave to the lunar cycle that sees Lupin transform and literally lose his mind , their bond goes deeper than common ground. Having been bitten at age 5 in revenge for a personal insult against the werewolf community, Lupin is forced to endure physical changes that go beyond adolescent growing pains. Brutal, humiliating, and unpredictable, his condition has resigned him to years of suffering. Punishment for that childhood transgression seems to be an endless cycle of physical changes which he treats like some form of penance. That David Thewlis is able to convey that conflict and bring a degree of selflessness to his performance is impressive. Yet, despite these horrific transformations that consume his every waking hour, this idea of perpetual change is possibly the most important theme addressed in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban .

Alfonso Cuarón Changes Everything

The prisoner of azkaban does more than take things in a different direction.

This Harry Potter Movie Paved the Way for the Rest of the Series

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban delivers a major tonal shift in the movie series, paving the way for a dark turn in Harry Potter's arc.

• Ian McKellen turned down the role of Dumbledore because Richard Harris criticized his acting.
• Cuarón's wife and daughter appear in a portrait during the film.
• He asked Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint to write him essays about their characters during production.

Beyond the sad but essential replacement of Richard Harris for Michael Gambon in the role of Albus Dumbledore, Azkaban is as much about change as transformation. Nowhere is that plainer than among the youngest cast members, who grow up throughout this franchise and incorporate it into their performance. Within Azkaban especially, the differences between Daniel Radcliffe, Tom Felton, and Emma Watson are unavoidable, since adolescence has such a radical impact on them all as actors. This change not only occurs with the cast but is reflected creatively by director Alfonso Cuarón. His decision to adopt a low-key color palette over something more vibrant gives Azkaban a distinctive look that moves away from Chris Columbus on so many levels. Hogwarts becomes an eerie place filled with shadows where the unwary could come unstuck. An overwhelming sense of foreboding makes this school for witchcraft and wizardry feel oppressive, as driving rain or blankets of snow alter its architecture. Cuarón also ensures that audiences are reminded of the dementors at every opportunity, subconsciously influencing the mood and pushing this franchise in an adult direction.

His visions also extend to the story itself, where for the first time it became plain how many characters in Harry Potter are physically or emotionally broken. Bullied, belittled, or weighed down by expectations - each one has their own demons to fight. For Professor Snape, the re-appearance of Lupin in his life conjures up old memories , forcing him to confront an old tormentor and re-live his role as victim. In a masterful moment from Alan Rickman, which is rarely seen again, audiences catch a glimpse of how deep those psychological scars really go.

Outside a focus on personal journeys that subtly change the tone, exterior locations also feel more grounded as moments spent in Hogsmeade reveal a real sense of community. That literal change is also reflected in the introduction of a marauders map, able to transform at a whisper of the words mischief managed. This map is another metaphorical change that alters Harry’s perspective and tips a hat to the book by highlighting Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Without this, Harry would never learn about Peter Pettigrew, overhear Cornelius Fudge, or access the shrieking shack to confront Sirius Black.

Harry Potter Continues Switching Genres

Daniel radcliffe continues to grow into the role.

Why Prisoner of Azkaban Is the Film Where Harry Potter Truly Grows Up

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is much darker than anything that's come before, but bigger ideas make it Harry's coming-of-age film.

• Daniel Radcliffe initially turned down the role of Harry Potter
• His contract from Warner Brothers was only for the first two films.
• He first caught the eye of producers, when Chris Columbus saw him in a BBC adaptation of David Copperfield.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also chops and changes genres, switching between a prison break, a rite of passage melodrama, and an introspective character piece. As the franchise expands and its ambitions become more profound, it is almost impossible to categorize Harry Potter as one thing. At this point, it is fair to say audiences are in the presence of a phenomenon that only continues gaining momentum. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix may already be written, but anticipation for every film was at a fever pitch, and it all started here.

However, this is also the point at which Daniel Radcliffe started showing his mettle. Having faced down 30-foot snakes and battled malicious professors, suddenly those heroics become more character-based. This is when the actor comes out and that boy wizard evolves into a screen actor. The transformation might not be fully complete for another installment, but just as Azkaban marked another turning point in this story, so too does it herald another phase in Radcliffe’s professional growth. Surrounded by legends of the stage and screen for several years, it was inevitable that something transformative would occur.

Sirius Black might have been a paternal figure in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , but there is no doubt Gary Oldman made sure to take care of Radcliffe off-screen too. With some of the finest acting coaches working with him, from now on Harry Potter becomes as interesting for its story as for the evolution of Daniel Radcliffe. Azkaban might be defined by personal tragedy, physical transformation, and adolescent growing pains, but it is also a towering achievement. With a change in director and the replacement of an integral character actor, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban still manages to be one, if not the most impressive entry in this franchise.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.

• The arrival of director Alfonso Cuaron changes things forever
• Gary Oldman makes a life long impression on the franchise as Sirius Black
• Azkaban actively embraces more adult themes.
• Some crucial plot points are missing from the book