BookPath

Harry Potter Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997; titled Philosopher's Stone outside the US). Read the seven novels in order: each book covers one school year and the plot builds directly on the last.

The complete reading order for the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Below you'll find the authoritative guide on how to read the books in order, including publication dates and chronological timeline placements.

Where to start

Start with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997; titled Philosopher's Stone outside the US). Read the seven novels in order: each book covers one school year and the plot builds directly on the last.

  • •Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard are short in-world companion books; read them any time after the main series (Beedle the Bard pairs best with Deathly Hallows).
  • •Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a stage play script set 19 years after Deathly Hallows, written with John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Read it last, if at all.

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order11 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Pub: 1997

Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'. HARRY POTTER has never even heard of Hogwarts when the LETTERS start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in GREEN INK on yellowish parchment with a PURPLE SEAL, they are swiftly confiscated by his GRISLY aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called RUBEUS HAGRID bursts in with some ASTONISHING news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!

2

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Pub: 1998

Plot details hidden until you finish "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone".

Throughout the summer holidays after his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter has been receiving sinister warnings from a house-elf called Dobby. Now, back at school to start his second year, Harry hears unintelligible whispers echoing through the corridors. Before long the attacks begin: students are found as if turned to stone. Dobby’s predictions seem to be coming true. [Source][1]

3

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Pub: 1999

Plot details hidden until you finish "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets".

For Harry Potter, it’s the start of another far-from-ordinary year at Hogwarts when the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and comes to an abrupt halt in front of him. It turns out that Sirius Black, mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, has escaped – and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry’s tea leaves. And perhaps most frightening of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds with their soul-sucking kiss – in search of fresh victims. ([source][1])

4

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Pub: 2000

Plot details hidden until you finish "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".

The fourth book in the Harry Potter franchise sees Harry returning for his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with his friends, Ron and Hermione . There is an upcoming tournament between the three major schools of magic, with one participant selected from each school by the Goblet of Fire. When Harry's name is drawn, even though he is not eligible and is a fourth player, he must compete in the dangerous contest.

5

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Pub: 2003

Plot details hidden until you finish "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire".

After the Dementors’ attack on his cousin Dudley, Harry knows he is about to become Voldemort’s next target. Although many are denying the Dark Lord’s return, Harry is not alone, and a secret order is gathering at Grimmauld Place to fight against the Dark forces. Meanwhile, Voldemort’s savage assaults on Harry’s mind are growing stronger every day. He must allow Professor Snape to teach him to protect himself before he runs out of time. (source)

6

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Pub: 2005

Plot details hidden until you finish "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

One summer night, when Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shriveled, but he will not reveal why. Rumours and suspicion spread through the wizarding world – it feels as if even Hogwarts itself might be under threat. Harry is convinced that Malfoy bears the Dark Mark: could there be a Death Eater amongst them? He will need powerful magic and true friends as, with the help of Dumbledore, he investigates Voldemort’s darkest secrets. ([source][2]) Preceded by: [Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix][1] Followed by: [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows][3]

7

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Pub: 2007

Plot details hidden until you finish "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".

Harry Potter is leaving Privet Drive for the last time. But as he climbs into the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike and they take to the skies, he knows Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters will not be far behind. The protective charm that has kept him safe until now is broken. But the Dark Lord is breathing fear into everything he loves. And he knows he can’t keep hiding. To stop Voldemort, Harry knows he must find the remaining Horcruxes and destroy them. He will have to face his enemy in one final battle. (source)

8

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Pub: 2001Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

The book 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find' is a copy of Harry Potter's textbook that was written by Newt Scamander, a magizoologist and fictional character from Series. The book has the same name as previously mentioned in the first novel of Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

9

Quidditch Through the Ages

Pub: 2001Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

A history of the sport Quidditch, answering such questions such as where the Golden Snitch came from, or why the Wigtown Wanterers have meat cleavers on their robes.

10

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Pub: 2008Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "Quidditch Through the Ages".

A collection fairy tales for young wizards and witches, with each story followed by observations on Wizarding history, personal reminiscences, and information on the story's key elements by Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Wizard and the Hopping Pot -- Fountain of Fair Fortune -- Warlock's Hairy Heart -- Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump -- Tale of the Three Brothers.

11

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Pub: 2016Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Tales of Beedle the Bard".

The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later. Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne, a new play by Jack Thorne, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London's West End on July 30, 2016. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

Prefer Listening?

Best if you commute

Get the professional narration of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" free with an Audible trial.

Try Audible →

Own the Physical Copy

Best value option

Add "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" to your library in print or Kindle.

View on Amazon →

Frequently Asked Questions

What order should I read Harry Potter in?

Start with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997; titled Philosopher's Stone outside the US). Read the seven novels in order: each book covers one school year and the plot builds directly on the last.

How many books are in Harry Potter?

7 main books, published 1997–2007, plus 4 side stories.

Can I read Harry Potter out of order?

It's best not to. The books build on each other, so reading out of order spoils earlier twists.

Which books in Harry Potter are prequels, novellas or side stories?

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (spin-off), "Quidditch Through the Ages" (spin-off), "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" (spin-off), "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child". Each is placed in the reading order below.

Has Harry Potter been adapted for TV or film?

Eight Warner Bros. films (2001–2011) adapt the seven novels, with Deathly Hallows split in two. An HBO series adapting the books, one season per novel, begins in 2027.