Harry Potter Series Review

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The first installment in the ever-popular wizard series captivated readers by the end of chapter one. The clever and original story broadened the minds of young readers everywhere while stealing adults' hearts at the same time. The three main characters in these books are Harry Potter (duh!), Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. They are all wizards who now attend Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. The trio stand alongside Harry as he faces a three-headed dog, a troll, a giant fighting chess set, and Harry's worst enemy: Lord Voldemort. An exciting way to start the series if I don't say so myself.
  
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The second novel in the series brings an added messenger in the form of Dobby (the house-elf) who desperately tries to help Harry in every wrong way possible. Harry, Ron, Hermione have to fight to stop a monster from "cleansing" the school of muggle (non-magical folk) born children. Who turns out to be the final culprit behind all of the madness? Why...Lord Voldemort, of course!
  
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Rowling stepped up the reading level a bit in this book. Harry finds that he has living family somewhere in the world of wizarding. Perfect, right? Not when that family is a murderer that has escaped from the wizarding prison, Azkaban, set out to find and kill Harry...or is he? Ron and Hermione have to struggle to help keep Harry safe.
  
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: This is personally my favorite book in the entire series. The trouble starts at the Quidditch World Cup when Voldemort's followers agitate the calmness surrounding the massive sporting event. Harry returns to Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione to find that the Triwizard Tournament will take place once again. Someone enters Harry into the tournament illegally. Harry faces dragons, merpeople, dancing, and an unmeasurable amount of magical creatures. He once again comes face to face with Voldemort. Nothing will ever be the same again.
  
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: Harry returns to Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione to welcome a new teacher. The only trouble is that she is from the Ministry of Magic who are adamantly refusing the Lord Voldemort has returned once again. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a few added friends face Voldemort and his followers again to fight over a prophecy made about Harry and Voldemort. A terrible loss has to be faced on Harry's part.
  
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Harry comes to Hogwarts again with an extra class this year. He gets to take a trip down memory lane with Dumbledore to better learn about Voldemort's past. A betrayal and another death come Harry's way again in this novel.
  
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on the final journey to kill Voldemort once and for all. There are losses (some I deeply regret reading about) and some astonishing new discoveries. A great battle takes place at Hogwarts and only one winner comes out in the end. Harry or Voldemort? I'm not going to tell you...read and find out for yourself!
  

These books will forever go down in history as classics. Someday, our grandchildren's grandchildren will be forced to read these in school just like kids today are forced to read books like To Kill A Mockingbird, Romeo and Juliet, Moby Dick, and The Scarlet Letter. But you have to think that not all of those books were bad...