Release date: September 1998

Residing in England with the Dursley family — his aunt, uncle and cousin — 11-year-old Harry Potter is treated more like a servant than a relative. Accustomed to doing the household chores and sleeping in a cupboard under the stairs, the orphan is surprised to learn he is something of a celebrity in the magical world for thwarting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. A large, friendly man named Hagrid shares that news with Harry when he tells the boy he's been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Attending the foreign academy, Harry discovers his knack for magic, forges lasting friendships and learns the truth about how his parents died.

Book 2: "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Release date: June 1999

Book 3: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

Release date: September 1999

A few weeks into his summer, Harry finds the Dursleys so unbearable he boards the Knight Bus and heads for the Leaky Cauldron in London. He learns that Sirius Black, a wizard accused of killing 13 people, has escaped from the maximum-security wizard prison, Azkaban. Rumors that Black is after Harry spread throughout the wizarding community, and guards called Dementors are sent to protect Hogwarts. Every time Harry is near a Dementor, though, he hears terrifying screams and faints as a result. With help from his friends, Ron and Hermione, Harry discovers the truth about Black as well as a secret his father kept when he was a student at Hogwarts many years earlier.

Book 4: "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

Release date: July 2000