Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The central story arc concerns Harry's struggle against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry's parents in his quest to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate non-magical people (Muggles). Several successful derivative films, video games and other themed merchandise have been based upon the series.

Since the 1997 release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, which was retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States, the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. As of June 2008, the book series has sold more than 400 million copies and has been translated into 67 languages, and the last four books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.

English-language versions of the books are published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic Press in the United States, Allen & Unwin in Australia, and Raincoast Books in Canada. Thus far, the first six books have been made into a series of motion pictures by Warner Bros., with the sixth, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', released on 15 July 2009. The series also originated much tie-in merchandise, making the Harry Potter brand worth £15 billion. The seventh book will be made into two movies released six months apart.

Joanne "Jo" Murray, OBE Caine heads birthday honours list. BBC News. 17 June 2000. Accessed 25 October 2000. (née Rowling; born 31 July 1965),JK Rowling Biography. Scholastic.com. Accessed 20 October 2007. better known under the pen name J. K. Rowling (, ), is a British author best known as the creator of the Harry Potter fantasy series, the idea for which was conceived whilst on a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990. The Potter books have gained worldwide attention, won multiple awards, sold more than 400 million copies, and been the basis for a popular series of films.

Aside from writing the Potter novels, Rowling is perhaps equally famous for her "rags to riches" life story, in which she progressed from living on welfare to multi-millionaire status within five years. The 2008 Sunday Times Rich List estimated Rowling's fortune at £560 million ($798 million), ranking her as the twelfth richest woman in Britain.Sunday Times Rich List - Joanne Rowling; [http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/rich_list_search/?l=8 Women's Rich List - Joanne Rowling]. The Sunday Times. 27 April 2008. Accessed 20 May 2008. Forbes ranked Rowling as the forty-eighth most powerful celebrity of 2007,#48 J.K. Rowling. Forbes Magazine. 14 June 2007. Accessed 20 October 2007. and Time magazine named her as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year, noting the social, moral, and political inspiration she has given her fandom.Person of the Year 2007 Runners-Up: J.K. Rowling. Time Magazine. 23 December 2007. Accessed 23 December 2007. She has become a notable philanthropist, supporting such charities as Comic Relief, One Parent Families, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain, and the Children's High Level Group.

Harry James Potter is the titular character and the protagonist of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. The books cover seven years in the life of the lonely orphan who, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is a wizard. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to learn magic. Under the guidance of the kind headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Harry discovers that he is already famous throughout the wizarding world, and that his fate is tied with that of Lord Voldemort, the universally feared Dark wizard who killed Harry's father and mother.

Ronald Bilius "Ron" Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. He is one of the central characters in the books. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone'' (1997) as the best friend of the protagonist Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. He is a member of the Weasley family, a pure blood family, who reside in "The Burrow" outside Ottery St. Catchpole. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of the Gryffindor house. Ron is present in most of the action throughout the series due to his friendship with Harry.

In the films, he is portrayed by Rupert Grint.

Hermione Jean Granger () is a fictional character and one of the three main protagonists (the other two being Harry Potter and Ron Weasley) in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. She initially appears in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone'', as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. As the series progresses, she becomes close friends with Harry Potter and often uses her quick wit and encyclopaedic knowledge to help him. Rowling has stated that Hermione resembles her at a younger age, with her insecurity and fear of failure.