Harry Potter Books in Order: Complete Guide (2 Ways to Read)

I was slow to join the Harry Potter bandwagon. It was 2016 when I read the first book, but now rereading and watching the Harry Potter movies has become a yearly tradition in my family. If you’re like me, and are late to the party, you might be looking for a list of Harry Potter books in order.

Fewer franchises have taken the world by storm like Harry Potter. Yet despite its place as a household name and its widespread fame, new readers are finding their way to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World every day.

A close friend of mine who is a huge YA Fantasy fan has yet to read these books. Maybe eventually I’ll get her to take the plunge.

Jump to:

Harry Potter Books in Order of Publication
Harry Potter Books in Chronological Order
Harry Potter Beyond the Books
What is Harry Potter About?
Harry Potter Books FAQ

Harry Potter Books in Order of Publication

Where do you start, and what’s the best way to read the Harry Potter books in order? There are a lot of books under the Wizarding World umbrella, so to make this easier, I’m breaking them into the main Harry Potter books, the Fantastic Beasts screenplays, and the official supplementary books.

For most readers, the best place to start is with the main Harry Potter novels in publication order. That’s the core story. After that, you can move into the Fantastic Beasts screenplays and the supplemental books if you want more worldbuilding, background lore, and extra context.

Main Harry Potter Books

For the main Harry Potter books, reading them in the order they were published is the recommended way to go.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (1997)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Official Playscript (2016)

Fantastic Beasts Screenplays (Optional)

These are screenplays, not novels, and they’re separate from the main Harry Potter reading experience. They’re optional, but they’re official Wizarding World material.

Official Supplementary Books (Optional)

Everything below is supplementary. Think of these as companion books and extras that expand the Wizarding World rather than direct continuations of Harry Potter’s story.

Read them whenever you want, but at minimum, I’d wait until after Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Another good approach is to read them when they first become relevant in the main series.

The Hogwarts Library Collection

These are in-universe style companion books, not new Harry Potter adventures.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2001)
Quidditch through the Ages (2001)
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (2008)
The Hogwarts Library 3-Book Collection (2012)

Pottermore Presents

These are short supplementary eBooks that expand on characters, Hogwarts lore, and the wider wizarding world.

A History of Magic

These titles are more reference-style companion works tied to the British Library exhibition and related releases.

A Journey Through Charms & Defense Against the Dark Arts (2019)
A Journey Through Potions and Herbology (2019)
A Journey Through Divination and Astronomy (2019)
A Journey Through Care of Magical Creatures (2019)
Hogwarts: A History of Magic Collection (2018)

There are also plenty of official Harry Potter special editions and collector books out there, including illustrated editions, MinaLima and other interactive editions, Hogwarts House editions, anniversary editions, boxed sets, and pop-up or display books.

They’re all optional and don’t change the reading order, so I’m not listing every variant on this page because this guide is focused on the best order to read the Harry Potter books and official supplementary titles.

Harry Potter Books in Chronological Order

There is another way to read the Harry Potter books in order, and that’s by in-universe chronology.

I wouldn’t recommend this reading method for newcomers. This is mostly for longtime fans who already know the main story and want to try a different reading experience.

This version keeps things simple and focused on the major story path. I’m not including every supplementary book here, since those are optional and don’t fit neatly into a strict chronological read.

Harry Potter Beyond the Books

The Harry Potter books have expanded far beyond the page, with movies, television, stage productions, video games, and even theme parks, all helping shape how fans experience the Wizarding World. Some adaptations stay close to the books, while others tell new stories in the same universe.

For many fans, the books are still the foundation, but the screen and game versions are a big part of what made Harry Potter a global phenomenon. If you’re reading the series for the first time, these adaptations can be a fun companion, but they’re best treated as separate experiences rather than replacements for the books.

Movies

The original Harry Potter film series adapted the seven main books across eight movies, and for many readers, those films are just as iconic as the books themselves. They introduced a generation of fans to Hogwarts and remain the version of the story most people picture first, even when longtime readers disagree with some of the changes.

The Wizarding World also expanded into the Fantastic Beasts movies, which explore an earlier era of the same universe. And while it isn’t a movie, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is another major adaptation in the franchise, telling a later story through a stage play rather than a novel.

TV Shows

Harry Potter is also getting a new television adaptation, which is being developed as a long-form retelling of the books. The biggest appeal for many readers is simple: a TV series has more room to include characters, subplots, and book details that the movies had to cut for time.

That said, this project is naturally divisive. Some fans are excited to see a more book-faithful adaptation, while others feel the original cast and films are too iconic to replace. Either way, the new series is a major part of the franchise’s future and will likely introduce Harry Potter to a new generation of viewers.

Video Games

Harry Potter has had a long run of video game adaptations and spin-offs, and they vary a lot in style. Some follow the books and movies more directly, while others use the Wizarding World as a setting for brand-new stories.

The biggest recent example is Hogwarts Legacy, an open-world action RPG set in the Wizarding World long before Harry’s time at Hogwarts. The LEGO Harry Potter games are another fan favorite, especially for families, because they retell the story with a lighter tone and a lot of humor. More recently, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions gives players a game built around wizarding-world sports, and there have also been other console, handheld, and mobile titles over the years.

Current TV and game references above were checked against Warner Bros. Discovery’s Harry Potter press materials and official game pages for Hogwarts Legacy, LEGO Harry Potter Collection, and Quidditch Champions.

Theme Parks

One of the biggest reasons Harry Potter feels larger than a book series is that fans can actually step into the Wizarding World at Universal’s theme parks. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter brings locations like Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley to life with rides, shops, food, and details pulled straight from the books and films.

For many fans, visiting Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Orlando Resort is the closest thing to walking into the world of Harry Potter. It’s a very different experience than reading the books, but it taps into the same sense of wonder and has become a major part of how people connect with the franchise.

What is Harry Potter About?

Harry Potter is a fantasy series about a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he’s a wizard and has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What starts as a magical school story quickly becomes something bigger as Harry discovers the truth about his past, the wizarding world, and the dark force that shaped his life before he could even remember it.

At its core, the series blends magic, mystery, and coming-of-age storytelling. Each book follows Harry through a new school year with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, and every year brings new secrets, dangers, and clues that build into a much larger conflict.

Along the way, the books explore friendship, loyalty, courage, grief, prejudice, and the choices people make when power is on the line. The early books have a lighter, more whimsical feel, while the later books grow darker and more emotional as the stakes rise, which is a big part of why the series connects with both younger readers and adults.

Harry Potter Books FAQ

What is the correct order to read the Harry Potter books?

For most readers, the best way to read the Harry Potter books is in publication order, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. That’s the intended reading experience and the best way to follow the characters, mysteries, and long-term story arcs.

How many Harry Potter books are there?

There are 7 main Harry Potter novels in the original series. Some readers also count Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as an optional eighth entry, but it’s a playscript, not a traditional novel.

Is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child the 8th Harry Potter book?

It’s commonly referred to as the “8th story,” but it isn’t the eighth novel in the original series. The Cursed Child is a published playscript and is best treated as an optional follow-up after Deathly Hallows.

Do I need to read Fantastic Beasts to understand Harry Potter?

No, you don’t need to read or watch Fantastic Beasts to understand the main Harry Potter books. The Fantastic Beasts screenplays are separate Wizarding World stories and are optional for readers who want more background on the wider universe.

Why is it called Sorcerer’s Stone in some versions and Philosopher’s Stone in others?

They are the same book. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the original UK title, while Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the US title.

Can I read the Harry Potter books out of order?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The series builds heavily from one book to the next, and reading out of order can spoil major reveals and make character arcs less satisfying.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.

2 thoughts on “Harry Potter Books in Order: Complete Guide (2 Ways to Read)”

ehjkwf says:

May 26, 2021 at 11:19 am

“Fantastic Beasts is first mentioned in The Prisoner of Azkaban” This is not true. you can read Fantastic Beasts mentioned in SS.

1. T.L. Branson says:
  
  May 26, 2021 at 11:21 am
  
  Thanks for that. I’ll get it changed. I was literally pulling the info from another article I read. It’s been awhile since I read the books myself to remember exactly.