146-666: Rubeus Hagrid ( / ˈ h æ ɡ r ɪ d / ) is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling . He was introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) as a half-giant who is the gamekeeper and groundskeeper at the wizarding school Hogwarts . He is a member of the Order of the Phoenix and eventually becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor. Hagrid
292-617: A Time-Turner to save Buckbeak from execution. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), it is revealed that Hagrid is a half-giant. His mother was the giantess Fridwulfa, and his father was a human wizard. Hagrid's parentage is exposed in the Daily Prophet newspaper by the tabloid journalist Rita Skeeter , who portrays Hagrid as dangerous and incompetent. Hagrid is deeply affected by her article and attempts to resign from his position, but Dumbledore will not accept his resignation. During
438-776: A dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic , and subjugate all wizards and Muggles (non-magical people). The series was originally published in English by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom and Scholastic Press in the United States. A series of many genres, including fantasy , drama , coming-of-age fiction , and the British school story (which includes elements of mystery , thriller , adventure , horror , and romance ),
584-571: A dementor . Hagrid makes an appearance in the theme park attraction Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando , Japan and Hollywood . A new rollercoaster, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure , opened at Universal Orlando 's Islands of Adventure theme park on 13 June 2019, replacing the Dragon Challenge dual roller coasters and
730-455: A luck potion . Believing he has actually taken the potion, Ron performs well and Gryffindor wins the match. During the ensuing celebration, Ron kisses Lavender Brown . Hermione becomes jealous and begins to ignore Ron, who gradually becomes dissatisfied with his relationship with Lavender. In March, Ron eats chocolates containing a love potion. Horace Slughorn administers an antidote, then kindly offers Ron some mead. Unbeknownst to Slughorn,
876-452: A "secondary secondary world, made up of intelligently patchworked derivative motifs from all sorts of children's literature ... written for people whose imaginative lives are confined to TV cartoons, and the exaggerated (more exciting, not threatening) mirror-worlds of soaps, reality TV and celebrity gossip." Michael Rosen , a novelist and poet, held the opinion that the books were not suited for children, as they would be unable to grasp
1022-415: A Christian moral fable in the psychomachia tradition, in which stand-ins for good and evil fight for supremacy over a person's soul. Children's literature critic Joy Farmer sees parallels between Harry and Jesus Christ . Comparing Rowling with Lewis, she argues that "magic is both authors' way of talking about spiritual reality". According to Maria Nikolajeva , Christian imagery is particularly strong in
1168-541: A God-like character, the divine, trusted leader of the series, guiding the long-suffering hero along his quest. In the seventh novel, Harry speaks with and questions the deceased Dumbledore much like a person of faith would talk to and question God. Harry Potter 's overarching theme is death. In the first book, when Harry looks into the Mirror of Erised, he feels both joy and "a terrible sadness" at seeing his desire: his parents, alive and with him. Confronting their loss
1314-408: A bygone Britain", and he speaks of "a pedestrian, ungrammatical prose style". Ursula K. Le Guin said, "I have no great opinion of it [...] it seemed a lively kid's fantasy crossed with a ' school novel ,' good fare for its age group, but stylistically ordinary, imaginatively derivative, and ethically rather mean-spirited." By contrast, author Fay Weldon , while admitting that the series is "not what
1460-598: A dangerous, life-sized chess game. At the last dinner of the school year, the Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore rewards Ron's chess skill by giving him fifty House points, which helps Gryffindor win the House Cup. Ron returns in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998). During the summer after his first year at Hogwarts, Ron writes to Harry several times. He receives no answer because his letters are intercepted by Dobby
1606-461: A decade in which we have followed the publication of the liveliest, funniest, scariest and most moving children's stories ever written." Charles Taylor of Salon.com , who is primarily a movie critic, took issue with Byatt's criticisms in particular. While he conceded that she may have "a valid cultural point—a teeny one—about the impulses that drive us to reassuring pop trash and away from the troubling complexities of art", he rejected her claims that
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#17328586659561752-409: A fairly serious and dark tone throughout, though they do contain some notable instances of tragicomedy and black humour. In many respects, they are also examples of the bildungsroman , or coming of age novel, and contain elements of mystery , adventure, horror , thriller , and romance . The books are also, in the words of Stephen King , "shrewd mystery tales", and each book is constructed in
1898-484: A full recovery. Ron returns as Quidditch Keeper in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005). However, he performs poorly at Quidditch after learning that Hermione may have kissed Krum. He becomes upset when he observes his younger sister Ginny kissing a boy, and Ginny reacts by pointing out that Ron has never been kissed. To bolster Ron's confidence for an upcoming Quidditch match, Harry pretends to give him
2044-435: A given book could only start after it had been released in English, leading to a lag of several months before the translations were available. This led to more and more copies of the English editions being sold to impatient fans in non-English speaking countries; for example, such was the clamour to read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix that its English language edition became the first English-language book ever to top
2190-487: A letter of acceptance to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . Harry learns that his parents, Lily and James Potter , also had magical powers and were murdered by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort when Harry was a baby. When Voldemort attempted to kill Harry, his curse rebounded, seemingly killing Voldemort, and Harry survived with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. The event made Harry famous among
2336-428: A loving but poor family. Many of his possessions are hand-me-downs . Harry is famous but would prefer to avoid the spotlight; Ron, in comparison, is often perceived as a mere lackey and sometimes becomes jealous of the recognition Harry receives. Overshadowed by his many siblings and the fame and achievements of his friends, Ron's inferiority complex and need to prove himself are the main thrusts of his character arc. As
2482-405: A more gender-neutral pen name in order to appeal to the male members of this age group, fearing that they would not be interested in reading a novel they knew to be written by a woman. She elected to use J. K. Rowling (Joanne Kathleen Rowling), using her grandmother's name as her second name because she has no middle name . Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury,
2628-497: A romantic bond in the series and eventually have children, Rowling confessed in a 2014 interview that she wrote the relationship as "a form of wish fulfilment". She said the characters are fundamentally incompatible in some ways, but that their relationship might function with "a bit of counselling". Ron is introduced in the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997). He and his family encounter Harry Potter at King's Cross station and help him find
2774-480: A secret group to continue the teachings. Harry has recurring dreams of a dark corridor in the Ministry of Magic, eventually dreaming that Sirius is being tortured there. He races to the Ministry with his friends, but it is a trap, planted in his head by Voldemort. The group are attacked by Death Eaters and saved by the Order of the Phoenix, but Sirius is killed in the battle. A duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort convinces
2920-446: A separate best-seller list for children's literature in 2000, just before the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . By 24 June 2000, Rowling's novels had been on the list for 79 straight weeks; the first three novels were each on the hardcover best-seller list. On 12 April 2007, Barnes & Noble declared that Deathly Hallows had broken its pre-order record, with more than 500,000 copies pre-ordered through its site. For
3066-576: A sketch called "Louis Potter and the Philosopher's Scone", in which he was portrayed by Robbie Coltrane himself. Hagrid is also parodied in Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan , a story released by Comic Relief in 2003, and he was played by Ronnie Corbett . Hagrid also appears in the parody stage production Harry Potter and the Obnoxious Voice , interacting with Draco Malfoy and
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#17328586659563212-538: A somewhat anime-influenced style. The popularity of the Harry Potter series has translated into substantial financial success for Rowling, her publishers, and other Harry Potter related license holders. This success has made Rowling the first and thus far only billionaire author. The books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide and have also given rise to the popular film adaptations produced by Warner Bros. Pictures , all of which have been highly successful in their own right . The total revenue from
3358-476: A story about good vs. evil, its moral divisions are not absolute. First impressions of characters are often misleading. Harry assumes in the first book that Quirrell is on the side of good because he opposes Snape, who appears to be malicious; in reality, Quirrell is an agent of Voldemort, while Snape is loyal to Dumbledore. This pattern later recurs with Moody and Snape. In Rowling's world, good and evil are choices rather than inherent attributes: second chances and
3504-440: A stunt performer in longer shots due to his large size to emphasise Hagrid's height. Bayfield also appeared as a young Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets . English actor Greg Draven portrayed Hagrid as an acting double in rollercoaster Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure pre-show. Draven's performance was required due to Coltrane's poor health at the time of filming. In Philosopher's Stone , Hagrid
3650-477: Is "quite immature". She said the events of Half-Blood Prince help the character to "grow up emotionally" and "make himself worthy of Hermione". In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), Ron and his friends use Polyjuice Potion to impersonate employees of the Ministry of Magic. They then infiltrate the Ministry and retrieve a Horcrux in the possession of Dolores Umbridge. Fearing the locket containing
3796-543: Is actually the Death Eater Peter Pettigrew . As Ron returns to Hogwarts with Harry, Hermione, Sirius and Remus Lupin , Pettigrew knocks Ron unconscious and escapes. Ron is forced to remain in the hospital wing of Hogwarts while Harry and Hermione travel back in time to rescue Sirius and the hippogriff Buckbeak. The Weasleys invite Harry and Hermione to the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and
3942-499: Is also the Keeper of Keys and Grounds: the former, according to Rowling, means "that he will let you in and out of Hogwarts." Part of his job includes leading the first years across the lake in boats, upon their initial arrival at Hogwarts. When discussing the killing off of characters in her books, Rowling said that she always knew she was "working towards the point where Hagrid carried Harry out alive – but supposedly dead – out of
4088-564: Is central to Harry's character arc and manifests in different ways through the series, such as in his struggles with Dementors . Other characters in Harry's life die; he even faces his own death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . The series has an existential perspective—Harry must grow mature enough to accept death. In Harry's world, death is not binary but mutable, a state that exists in degrees. Unlike Voldemort, who evades death by separating and hiding his soul in seven parts, Harry's soul
4234-410: Is described as being twice as tall as the average man and nearly five times as wide (later novels call him three times as wide). In the film version of Philosopher's Stone , his height is 8 feet 6 inches (2.59 metres). Hagrid has a friendly, softhearted personality and is easily driven to tears. He is very loyal to his peers, especially Dumbledore, to whom he refers as the greatest wizard in
4380-814: Is in production at HBO . The success of the books and films has allowed the Harry Potter franchise to expand with numerous derivative works, a travelling exhibition that premiered in Chicago in 2009, a studio tour in London that opened in 2012, a digital platform on which J. K. Rowling updates the series with new information and insight, and a trilogy of spin-off films premiering in November 2016 with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them , among many other developments. Themed attractions, collectively known as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter , have been built at several Universal Destinations & Experiences amusement parks around
4526-532: Is introduced in the opening chapter of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997). Following the murder of James and Lily Potter by Lord Voldemort , Albus Dumbledore entrusts Hagrid with the infant Harry Potter , who survived Voldemort's attack. Ten years later, Hagrid brings the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts Wizarding Bank to Hogwarts , where it is guarded by an enormous three-headed dog named Fluffy. Dumbledore also gives Hagrid
Rubeus Hagrid - Misplaced Pages Continue
4672-435: Is later reinstated as a professor. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer Care of Magical Creatures students in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005). Hagrid is both angry and disappointed, but he realises that it is not because they do not like him. When Aragog dies, Hagrid gives the spider a proper funeral. Afterwards, Hagrid and Professor Horace Slughorn drink large quantities of Firewhisky , which allows Harry
4818-610: Is portrayed by Robbie Coltrane in all eight Harry Potter films. Rubeus Hagrid was one of the first characters Rowling created. In a 1999 interview, she explained that the name "Hagrid" is an Old English word. She said it means "you'd had a bad night" and she explained that Hagrid "has a lot of bad nights" due to his heavy drinking. In Latin, "Rubeus" means "red", and was chosen because Rowling conceived of Hagrid as an "earthy, warm and physical man". The character of Hagrid and conversations between him, Harry Potter , Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in his hut are expository through
4964-478: Is resurrected, faces Voldemort and kills him. An epilogue titled "Nineteen Years Later" describes the lives of the surviving characters and the impact of Voldemort's death. Harry and Ginny are married with three children , and Ron and Hermione are married with two children . The novels fall into the genre of fantasy literature , and qualify as a type of fantasy called " urban fantasy ", "contemporary fantasy", or " low fantasy ". They are mainly dramas, and maintain
5110-412: Is revealed to be alive, Hagrid participates in the second part of the battle. He injures Walden Macnair , the executioner who nearly executed Buckbeak. In the epilogue of Deathly Hallows , set nineteen years after Voldemort's death, Hagrid is still at Hogwarts. He invites Harry's son Albus Severus Potter to his hut for tea. According to Rowling, Hagrid acts as a guardian and guide for Harry throughout
5256-562: Is the final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , in which Harry and his friends spend most of their time away from Hogwarts, and only return there to face Voldemort at the dénouement . The Harry Potter stories feature imagery and motifs drawn from Arthurian myth and fairytales . Harry's ability to draw the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat resembles the Arthurian sword in
5402-449: Is themed around Hagrid and his love for magical creatures. Harry Potter Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling . The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard , Harry Potter , and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley , all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort ,
5548-456: Is whole, nourished by friendship and love. Love distinguishes Harry and Voldemort. Harry is a hero because he loves others, even willing to accept death to save them; Voldemort is a villain because he does not. Harry carries the protection of his mother's sacrifice in his blood; Voldemort, who wants Harry's blood and the protection it carries, does not understand that love vanquishes death. Rowling has spoken about thematising death and loss in
5694-612: The Naughtiest Girl series, and Frank Richards's Billy Bunter novels: the Harry Potter books are predominantly set in Hogwarts , a fictional British boarding school for wizards, where the curriculum includes the use of magic . In this sense they are "in a direct line of descent from Thomas Hughes 's Tom Brown's School Days and other Victorian and Edwardian novels of British public school life", though they are, as many note, more contemporary, grittier, darker, and more mature than
5840-533: The Dark Arts . When Hermione is attacked and Ron's younger sister, Ginny Weasley , abducted, Harry and Ron uncover the chamber's secrets and enter it. Harry discovers that Ginny was possessed by an old diary, inside which the memory of Tom Marvolo Riddle , Voldemort's younger self, resides. On Voldemort's behalf, Ginny opened the chamber and unleashed the basilisk , an ancient monster that kills or petrifies those who make direct or indirect eye contact, respectively. With
5986-513: The Death Eaters , and Harry manages to escape after a duel with Voldemort. Upon returning to Hogwarts, it is revealed that a Death Eater, Barty Crouch, Jr , in disguise as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody , engineered Harry's entry into the tournament, secretly helped him, and had him teleported to Voldemort. In the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of
Rubeus Hagrid - Misplaced Pages Continue
6132-609: The Forest of Dean is an influence on Rowling's work, and Hagrid is the only character that is "directly drawn from the Forest of Dean". According to Goring, Hagrid's "dropped word-endings are a Chepstow speciality." She also claims that Hagrid is physically "modeled on the Welsh chapter of Hells Angels who'd swoop down on the town and hog the bar, 'huge mountains of leather and hair". In Alistair McGowan 's Big Impression show, Hagrid appeared in
6278-492: The Harry Potter novels to his son and was already a fan of them. Rowling discussed Hagrid's past and future with Coltrane to help him prepare for the role. She commended him for his ability to portray both the loveable and comic side of Hagrid and the "toughness underneath". Coltrane said that being part of the Harry Potter franchise is "a fantastic thing". Former English rugby union player Martin Bayfield portrayed Hagrid as
6424-469: The Hogwarts Express . Once aboard the train, Ron and Harry meet Hermione Granger , whom they initially dislike. At Hogwarts , all three students are assigned to Gryffindor House. After Ron and Harry save Hermione from a troll , they develop a friendship with her. When the trio seeks the Philosopher's Stone , Ron uses his skill at Wizard's Chess to allow Harry and Hermione to proceed safely through
6570-441: The Sorting Hat as the first of many in which Harry is shaped by the choices he makes. Ron Weasley Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling . He is introduced in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a first-year student on his way to the wizarding school Hogwarts . During the school year, Ron befriends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger . Being
6716-470: The Sword of Gryffindor from an icy pool and rescues him from drowning. Harry forgives Ron for leaving and insists that he use the sword to destroy the locket. The trio are captured by Snatchers but are rescued by the house-elf Dobby, who dies during the escape. Eventually, the trio returns to Hogwarts, hoping to find the last unknown Horcrux shown in Harry's vision. Having lost the Sword of Gryffindor to Griphook
6862-517: The house-elf . Ron becomes so concerned that he and his brothers Fred and George fly to Harry's house in their father's enchanted car . Harry spends the next month at the Weasleys' home . When Harry and Ron are unable to board the train to Hogwarts, they take the flying car instead. Ron receives a Howler from his mother, who berates him for taking the car. Later in the novel, Ron and Harry use Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as they infiltrate
7008-498: The potions professor, Severus Snape , who displays a dislike for him; and the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Quirinus Quirrell . Quirrell turns out to be allied with Voldemort, who is still alive as a weak spirit. The first book concludes with Harry's confrontation with Voldemort, who, in his quest to regain a body, yearns to possess the Philosopher's Stone , a substance that bestows everlasting life. Harry Potter and
7154-538: The summer term , near or just after final exams , when events escalate far beyond in-school squabbles and struggles, and Harry must confront either Voldemort or one of his followers, the Death Eaters , with the stakes a matter of life and death—a point underlined, as the series progresses, by characters being killed in each of the final four books. In the aftermath, he learns important lessons through exposition and discussions with head teacher and mentor Albus Dumbledore . The only exception to this school-centred setting
7300-520: The 10.8 million initial print copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sold in the first 24 hours. The final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows became the fastest selling book in history, moving 11 million units in the first twenty-four hours of release. The book sold 2.7 million copies in the UK and 8.3 million in the US. The series has also gathered adult fans, leading to
7446-551: The 3rd century AD. The second volume has also been translated into Latin. Some of the translators hired to work on the books were well-known authors before their work on Harry Potter , such as Viktor Golyshev , who oversaw the Russian translation of the series' fifth book. The Turkish translation of books two to seven was undertaken by Sevin Okyay , a popular literary critic and cultural commentator. For reasons of secrecy, translation on
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#17328586659567592-563: The Basilisk is unleashed again and Hagrid, seemingly guilty once more, is sent to the wizard prison Azkaban . Before being arrested, Hagrid tells Harry and Ron to follow spiders into the Forbidden Forest so they can meet Aragog and discover the truth about the monster. After Harry defeats the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid is freed from prison. Hagrid becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts in Harry Potter and
7738-401: The Chamber of Secrets describes Harry's second year at Hogwarts. Students are attacked and petrified by an unknown creature; wizards of Muggle parentage are the primary targets. The attacks appear related to the mythical Chamber of Secrets and resemble attacks fifty years earlier. Harry discovers an ability to speak the snake language Parseltongue , which he learns is rare and associated with
7884-531: The Deathly Hallows , Rowling makes the book's Christian imagery more explicit, quoting both Matthew 6:21 and 1 Corinthians 15:26 ( King James Version ) when Harry visits his parents' graves . Hermione Granger teaches Harry Potter that the meaning of these verses from the Christian Bible are "living beyond death. Living after death", which Rowling states "epitomize the whole series". Rowling also exhibits Christian values in developing Albus Dumbledore as
8030-565: The Goblet of Fire (2000). Ron is in awe when he sees his favourite Quidditch player, Viktor Krum . He is even more excited when Krum comes to Hogwarts to participate in the Triwizard Tournament . At Christmas time, Ron attends the Yule Ball with Padma Patil . He becomes very upset when he sees that Hermione's date to the Ball is Krum, and the two have a heated argument. In the second task of
8176-572: The Goblet of Fire ), Hogwarts hosts the Triwizard Tournament , a contest between Hogwarts and the schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Harry is unwillingly entered into the contest, becoming Hogwarts' second participant after Cedric Diggory , an unusual occurrence that causes his friends to distance themselves from him. Harry claims the Triwizard Cup with Cedric, but he is teleported to a graveyard where Pettigrew kills Cedric, then resurrects Voldemort using Harry's blood. Voldemort convenes his supporters,
8322-534: The Horcrux might be lost or stolen, Harry requests that someone wear it at all times. Wearing the locket has a profound effect on Ron, who lashes out at Harry and Hermione and abandons them. Ron immediately regrets his decision to leave, but is captured by Snatchers and cannot return. Eventually he reunites with his companions with the help of the Deluminator he inherited from Dumbledore. He finds Harry attempting to recover
8468-480: The Order of the Phoenix , many of the stunning spells thrown at him by Ministry officials simply bounce off him. Also, being half-giant gives Hagrid some level of superhuman strength, which allowed him to bend the barrel of a shotgun with one hand. Being a half-giant, he is less vulnerable to jinxes and spells than full-humans. In Order of the Phoenix , when Umbridge and some other wizards come to remove him from Hogwarts he fights back. They try to jinx and stun him, but
8614-477: The Order of the Phoenix, the books began to receive strong criticism from a number of literary scholars. Yale professor, literary scholar, and critic Harold Bloom raised criticisms of the books' literary merits, saying, "Rowling's mind is so governed by clichés and dead metaphors that she has no other style of writing." A. S. Byatt authored an op-ed article in The New York Times calling Rowling's universe
8760-509: The Philosopher's Stone, they soothe Fluffy to sleep with a flute which Hagrid carved for Harry. When the dragon egg hatches, the three friends assist Hagrid by helping to remove the baby dragon Norbert, who is taken to a dragon sanctuary in Romania. Hagrid returns in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998). The novel reveals that Hagrid was a student at Hogwarts at the same time as Tom Riddle,
8906-506: The Phoenix , the Ministry of Magic refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned. Dumbledore re-activates the Order of the Phoenix , a secret society to counter Voldemort; meanwhile, the Ministry tightens control of Hogwarts by appointing Dolores Umbridge as High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, and she gradually increases her powers. When Umbridge bans practical teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts, Harry, Ron and Hermione form " Dumbledore's Army ",
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#17328586659569052-701: The Potter stories are inspired by a 14th-century French Arthurian romance, Claris et Laris , writing of the "startling" similarities between the adventures of Potter and the knight Claris. Arden and Lorenz noted that Rowling graduated from the University of Exeter in 1986 with a degree in French literature and spent a year living in France afterwards. Like C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia , Harry Potter also contains Christian symbolism and allegory . The series has been viewed as
9198-631: The Prisoner of Azkaban (1999), Ron's pet rat Scabbers goes missing. Ron, Harry and Hermione eventually discover him hiding in Hagrid 's hut. When Scabbers runs off again, Ron chases him to the Whomping Willow, where he is snatched by a large black dog and dragged into a tunnel. Ron and his friends follow the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. The dog turns out to be Sirius Black , who explains that Scabbers
9344-410: The Prisoner of Azkaban (1999). He was cleared of wrongdoing after the events of the previous novel, and is now allowed to perform magic. During his first class, he introduces Buckbeak and other hippogriffs to the students. After Draco Malfoy provokes Buckbeak, the hippogriff attacks him. As a result, the Ministry of Magic sentences Buckbeak to death. Near the end of the book, Hermione and Harry use
9490-578: The Slytherin dormitory and attempt to gather information about the Chamber of Secrets. During a journey into the Forbidden Forest , Ron is forced to encounter his worst nightmare: spiders. The giant arachnids nearly devour Ron and Harry, but the enchanted car rescues them. Ron and Harry then enter the Chamber to save Ron's sister Ginny , who was kidnapped. After Harry rescues her, both boys are given awards for their service to Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and
9636-508: The Sword of Gryffindor, with which they destroy the locket. They steal a Horcrux from Gringotts and travel to Hogwarts, culminating in a battle with the Death Eaters. Snape is killed by Voldemort out of paranoia, but he lends Harry his memories before he dies. Harry learns that Snape was always loyal to Dumbledore, and that Harry is himself a Horcrux. Harry surrenders to Voldemort and is killed. The defenders of Hogwarts continue to fight on; Harry
9782-537: The Tournament, Harry must rescue Ron from the depths of the Hogwarts lake. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003), Ron is made a Gryffindor prefect. His brother Percy congratulates him and advises him to become an ally of Dolores Umbridge , the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor appointed by the Ministry of Magic. Ron, however, does not support Umbridge's policy of refusing to teach students practical defensive magic. He, Harry and Hermione form
9928-412: The UK on 8 July 1999 and in the US on 8 September 1999. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published on 8 July 2000 at the same time by Bloomsbury and Scholastic. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the longest book in the series, at 766 pages in the UK version and 870 pages in the US version. It was published worldwide in English on 21 June 2003. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
10074-501: The United States within twenty-four hours of its release. Warner Bros. Pictures adapted the original seven books into an eight-part namesake film series . In 2016, the total value of the Harry Potter franchise was estimated at $ 25 billion, making it one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time . Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play based on a story co-written by Rowling. A television series based on books
10220-462: The Yule Ball, with the result that Ron and Hermione never marry. However, this alternate timeline is eventually erased, and the original timeline is restored. In 2016, Paul Thornley portrayed Ron Weasley in the stage debut of the play at the Palace Theatre in London. For his performance, Thornley was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Play at the 2017 WhatsOnStage Awards . Thornley reprised
10366-587: The actors who portray the central trio, Alfonso Cuarón , who directed the third film in the series, Prisoner of Azkaban , assigned them to write an autobiographical essay about their character, written in the first person, spanning birth to the discovery of the magical world, and including the character's emotional experience. Of Rupert Grint's essay, Cuarón recalls, "Rupert didn't deliver the essay. When I questioned why he didn't do it, he said, 'I'm Ron; Ron wouldn't do it.' So I said, 'Okay, you do understand your character.'" Commenting on Ron's character development in
10512-507: The age of six but I had never been so excited about an idea before. I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who did not know he was a wizard became more and more real to me. Rowling completed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1995 and the manuscript was sent off to several prospective agents . The second agent she tried, Christopher Little , offered to represent her and sent
10658-536: The best-seller list in France. The United States editions were adapted into American English to make them more understandable to a young American audience. For cover art, Bloomsbury chose painted art in a classic style of design, with the first cover a watercolour and pencil drawing by illustrator Thomas Taylor showing Harry boarding the Hogwarts Express, and a title in the font Cochin Bold . The first releases of
10804-553: The book sales is estimated, as of November 2018, to be around $ 7.7 billion. The first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , has sold in excess of 120 million copies, making it one of the bestselling books in history. The films have in turn spawned eight video games and have led to the licensing of more than 400 additional Harry Potter products. The Harry Potter brand has been estimated to be worth as much as $ 25 billion. The great demand for Harry Potter novels motivated The New York Times to create
10950-460: The books (including a very American Hogwarts Express) without depicting people, but later shifted to partial colourisation with a picture of Slytherin's locket on the cover of the final book. International and later editions have been created by a range of designers, including Mary GrandPré for US audiences and Mika Launis in Finland. For a later American release, Kazu Kibuishi created covers in
11096-482: The books comprise "a prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to bigotry " and that they also pass on a message to "question authority and... not assume that the establishment or the press tells you all of the truth". In 1990, Rowling was on a crowded train from Manchester to London when the idea for Harry suddenly "fell into" her head. Rowling gives an account of the experience on her website saying: I had been writing almost continuously since
11242-442: The books have received mixed reviews from critics and literary scholars. As of February 2023 , the books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, making them the best-selling book series in history , available in dozens of languages . The last four books all set records as the fastest-selling books in history, with the final instalment selling roughly 2.7 million copies in the United Kingdom and 8.3 million copies in
11388-473: The books progress, he matures from an insecure boy to a competent young man capable of strategy and leadership. Ron is given his brother Charlie 's old, chipped wand, which is made out of ash and has a unicorn hair sticking out of the end. He holds the wand together with Spellotape after nearly breaking it in half at the start of Chamber of Secrets , but it malfunctions dreadfully after this, backfiring spells, making strange noises, and emitting objects from
11534-416: The books, some more complex than others, and some including political subtexts . Themes such as normality , oppression, survival, and overcoming imposing odds have all been considered as prevalent throughout the series. Similarly, the theme of making one's way through adolescence and "going over one's most harrowing ordeals—and thus coming to terms with them" has also been considered. Rowling has stated that
11680-417: The community of wizards and witches . Harry becomes a student at Hogwarts and is sorted into Gryffindor House . He gains the friendship of Ron Weasley , a member of a large but poor wizarding family, and Hermione Granger , a witch of non-magical, or Muggle , parentage. The trio develop an enmity with the rich pure-blood student Draco Malfoy . Harry encounters the school's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore ;
11826-452: The complex themes. Rosen also stated that "J. K. Rowling is more of an adult writer." The critic Anthony Holden wrote in The Observer on his experience of judging Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for the 1999 Whitbread Awards . His overall view of the series was negative—"the Potter saga was essentially patronising, conservative, highly derivative, dispiritingly nostalgic for
11972-531: The course of the novel, Hagrid develops a romantic interest in Olympe Maxime , the towering headmistress of the French wizarding school Beauxbatons . Hagrid is absent during the first part of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003). He later reveals to Harry, Ron and Hermione that he and Madame Maxime travelled across Europe together on a mission to find giants and convince them to ally themselves with Dumbledore. However, Death Eaters managed to bring
12118-426: The death of his brother Fred, and teams up with Neville to defeat Fenrir Greyback . In the epilogue of Deathly Hallows , which is set nineteen years after Voldemort's death, Ron and Hermione are sending their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley off to her first year at Hogwarts. They also have a younger son named Hugo . In interviews following the release of the novel, Rowling gave differing accounts of Ron's life after
12264-666: The delegation is ambushed by Death Eaters. Hagrid and Harry manage to arrive at the Burrow after being attacked by Voldemort himself. When the Death Eaters take over Hogwarts, Hagrid is driven into hiding in the mountains. Later, during the Battle of Hogwarts , Hagrid is carried off by a swarm of spiders after attempting to protect them. He is later captured by Death Eaters and brought into the Forbidden Forest, where Harry intends to sacrifice himself to Voldemort. Harry seems to die at Voldemort's hand, and Hagrid carries his body back to Hogwarts. When Harry
12410-554: The dementors, he reaches out to Remus Lupin , a new professor who teaches him the Patronus charm . On a windy night, Ron is dragged by a black dog into the Shrieking Shack , a haunted house, and Harry and Hermione follow. The dog is revealed to be Sirius Black. Lupin enters the shack and explains that Sirius was James Potter's best friend; he was framed by another friend of James, Peter Pettigrew , who hides as Ron's pet rat, Scabbers. As
12556-418: The early life of Voldemort in a device called a Pensieve . Harry learns from a drunken Slughorn that he used to teach Tom Riddle, and that Voldemort divided his soul into pieces, creating a series of Horcruxes . Harry and Dumbledore travel to a distant lake to destroy a Horcrux; they succeed, but Dumbledore weakens. On their return, they find Draco Malfoy and Death Eaters attacking the school. The book ends with
12702-524: The events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . In the play, Ron and Hermione send their daughter Rose on the train to Hogwarts. Hermione is now the Minister for Magic , while Ron manages Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with his brother George. In the second act, Harry's son Albus Severus and Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius travel through time, and their actions change Ron and Hermione's relationship during their time at Hogwarts. Ron falls in love with Padma Patil at
12848-404: The events of the series. On one occasion she said Ron and Harry work for the Ministry of Magic as Aurors. In a later interview, she said that Ron works at the joke shop Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with his brother George . Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a play written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany . The plot occurs nineteen years after
12994-450: The final book, Rowling explained that "Ron is the most immature of the three main characters, but in part seven he grows up. He was never strong footed, people see him mostly as Harry's friend; his mother had actually wanted a girl and in the last book he finally has to acknowledge his weaknesses. But it's exactly that which makes Ron a man." Ron proves his bravery and magical ability several times, such as by playing 'real wizard's chess' in
13140-415: The final scenes of the series: Harry dies in self-sacrifice and Voldemort delivers an " ecce homo " speech, after which Harry is resurrected and defeats his enemy. Rowling stated that she did not reveal Harry Potter ' s religious parallels in the beginning because doing so would have "give[n] too much away to fans who might then see the parallels". In the final book of the series, Harry Potter and
13286-434: The first book, entering into the Forbidden Forest with Harry during the second book despite his arachnophobia , producing a full-corporeal Patronus Charm in the fifth book and even, in the seventh book, getting basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets by mimicking Parseltongue without understanding it. Some of Ron's qualities serve as foils to Harry's. Whereas Harry is an orphan with more gold than he needs, Ron comes from
13432-550: The first novel, Ron is described as "tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose". He has the trademark red hair of the Weasleys, and is one of Harry's tallest schoolmates, even outgrowing some of his older brothers. Rowling has stated that Ron has blue eyes. Ron is known for his humour, loyalty, readiness to defend his friends and his love of food. In an interview, Rowling described Ron as very funny but insensitive and immature. As his first exercise with
13578-450: The forest". She said she had planned from very early on that Harry would walk to his death accompanied by the 'ghosts', and that "he would emerge in Hagrid's arms". In her own words, "that's what always kept Hagrid safe". She said "Hagrid would have been a natural to kill in some ways", but that the mental image of this moment – a big fatherly Hagrid carrying the limp Harry in his arms –
13724-485: The form of links to Pottermore, which controlled pricing. All seven Harry Potter novels have been released in unabridged audiobook versions, with Stephen Fry reading the British editions and Jim Dale voicing the series for the American editions. On Audible , the series has been listened, as of November 2022, for over a billion hours. The series has been translated into more than 80 languages, placing Rowling among
13870-486: The formulaic beginning of all seven books. Sameer Rahim of The Daily Telegraph disagreed, saying "It depresses me to see 16- and 17-year-olds reading the series when they could be reading the great novels of childhood such as Oliver Twist or A House for Mr Biswas ." The Washington Post book critic Ron Charles opined in July 2007 that "through no fault of Rowling's", the cultural and marketing "hysteria" marked by
14016-478: The full moon rises, Lupin transforms into a werewolf and bounds away, and the group chase after him. They are surrounded by dementors, but are saved by a figure resembling James who casts a stag Patronus. This is later revealed to be a future version of Harry, who traveled back in time with Hermione using a device called a Time Turner . The duo help Sirius escape on a Hippogriff , while Pettigrew escapes. In Harry's fourth year of school (detailed in Harry Potter and
14162-645: The giants to Voldemort's side. Hagrid was attacked by giants during the mission, and saved by Maxime. During the journey, Maxime became exasperated with Grawp, Hagrid's giant half-brother whom he was attempting to bring with them. Hagrid introduces Grawp to Harry and Hermione, and asks them to supervise him when Hagrid leaves Hogwarts. During the course of the novel, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts Dolores Umbridge supervises classes and seeks an excuse to fire Hagrid. Eventually, Umbridge and other Ministry of Magic officials attempt to arrest him, but he manages to escape. He
14308-572: The goblin, Ron gets an idea to procure more Basilisk fangs and manages to speak enough Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets , where Hermione destroys the Horcrux in Helga Hufflepuff's cup. He begins to worry about the fate of Hogwarts' elves. Upon hearing this, Hermione drops the basilisk fangs she was carrying and kisses him for the first time. He also takes part in the Battle of Hogwarts, witnessing
14454-581: The group Dumebledore's Army, which provides a venue for students to practise defensive spellcasting. Ron also joins the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Keeper and helps Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup. Near the end of the novel, Ron battles Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries alongside Harry, Hermione, Ginny , Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood . He is injured during the fight, but makes
14600-434: The help of Dumbledore's phoenix , Fawkes, and the Sword of Gryffindor , Harry slays the basilisk and destroys the diary. In the third novel, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , Harry learns that he is targeted by Sirius Black , an escaped convict who allegedly assisted in his parents' murder. Dementors , creatures that feed on despair, search for Sirius and guard the school. As Harry struggles with his reaction to
14746-576: The killing of Dumbledore by Professor Snape, the titular Half-Blood Prince. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , the seventh and final novel in the series, Lord Voldemort gains control of the Ministry of Magic. Harry, Ron and Hermione learn about the Deathly Hallows , legendary items that lead to mastery over death. The group infiltrates the ministry, where they steal a locket Horcrux, and visit Godric's Hollow , where they are attacked by Nagini, Voldemort's snake. A silver doe Patronus leads them to
14892-402: The makings of a classic", and The Glasgow Herald , which called it "Magic stuff". Soon the English newspapers joined in, with The Sunday Times comparing it to Roald Dahl 's work ("comparisons to Dahl are, this time, justified"), while The Guardian called it "a richly textured novel given lift-off by an inventive wit". By the time of the release of the fifth book, Harry Potter and
15038-504: The manner of a Sherlock Holmes -style mystery adventure. The stories are told from a third person limited point of view with very few exceptions (such as the opening chapters of Philosopher's Stone , Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hallows and the first two chapters of Half-Blood Prince ). The series can be considered part of the British children's boarding school genre , which includes Rudyard Kipling 's Stalky & Co. , Enid Blyton 's Malory Towers , St. Clare's and
15184-419: The manuscript to several publishers. After twelve other publishers had rejected Philosopher's Stone , Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book. Despite Rowling's statement that she did not have any particular age group in mind when beginning to write the Harry Potter books, the publishers initially targeted children aged nine to eleven. On the eve of publishing, Rowling was asked by her publishers to adopt
15330-528: The mead is poisoned; Harry saves Ron's life by forcing a bezoar down his throat. Ron is taken to the hospital wing, where he is visited by a panic-stricken Hermione. After recovering, Ron reconciles with Hermione and breaks up with Lavender. Later in the novel, Death Eaters enter Hogwarts. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and other students and staff fight them. Snape kills Dumbledore during the battle, after which Ron and Hermione vow to help Harry find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes . Rowling said that before this novel, Ron
15476-528: The ministry of Voldemort's return. A prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort is revealed: one must die at the hands of the other. In the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , Snape teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts while Horace Slughorn becomes the Potions master. Harry finds an old textbook with annotations by the Half-Blood Prince, due to which he achieves success in Potions class. Harry also takes lessons with Dumbledore, viewing memories about
15622-423: The moral significance of the tales seems "blindingly obvious". In the fourth book, Dumbledore speaks of a "choice between what is right and what is easy"; Rowling views this as a key theme, "because that ... is how tyranny is started, with people being apathetic and taking the easy route and suddenly finding themselves in deep trouble". Academics and journalists have developed many other interpretations of themes in
15768-493: The most translated authors in history. The books have seen translations to diverse languages such as Korean , Armenian , Ukrainian , Arabic , Urdu , Hindi , Bengali , Bulgarian , Welsh , Afrikaans , Albanian , Latvian , Vietnamese and Hawaiian . The first volume has been translated into Latin and even Ancient Greek , making it the longest published work in Ancient Greek since the novels of Heliodorus of Emesa in
15914-488: The motifs of the Potter stories, such as the hero's quest invoking objects that confer invisibility, magical animals and trees, a forest full of danger and the recognition of a character based upon scars, are drawn from medieval French Arthurian romances. Other aspects borrowed from French Arthurian romances include the use of owls as messengers, werewolves as characters, and white deer. The American scholars Heather Arden and Kathrn Lorenz in particular argue that many aspects of
16060-446: The mundane. Paintings move and talk; books bite readers; letters shout messages; and maps show live journeys, making the wizarding world both exotic and familiar. This blend of realistic and romantic elements extends to Rowling's characters. Their names are often onomatopoeic : Malfoy is difficult, Filch is unpleasant, and Lupin is a werewolf. Harry is ordinary and relatable, with down-to-earth features such as wearing broken glasses;
16206-447: The only member of the trio who was raised in wizarding society, he provides insight into wizarding customs and traditions. Along with Harry and Hermione, he is a member of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and is present for most of the action throughout the series. Ron is portrayed by Rupert Grint in all eight Harry Potter films . Ron was one of the first Harry Potter characters that Rowling created. Although Ron and Hermione form
16352-454: The opportunity to retrieve an important memory from Slughorn. Towards the end of the novel, Death Eaters attack Hogwarts and set fire to Hagrid's hut as he tries to fight them. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007), Hagrid is part of the Order of the Phoenix delegation assigned to transport Harry to the Burrow . Hagrid takes Harry on his flying motorcycle, but the journey goes awry when
16498-488: The poets hoped for", nevertheless goes on to say, "but this is not poetry, it is readable, saleable, everyday, useful prose". The literary critic A. N. Wilson praised the Harry Potter series in The Times , stating, "There are not many writers who have JK's Dickensian ability to make us turn the pages, to weep—openly, with tears splashing—and a few pages later to laugh, at invariably good jokes ... We have lived through
16644-506: The possibility of redemption are key themes of the series. This is reflected in Harry's self-doubts after learning his connections to Voldemort, such as Parseltongue; and prominently in Snape's characterisation, which has been described as complex and multifaceted. In some scholars' view, while Rowling's narrative appears on the surface to be about Harry, her focus may actually be on Snape's morality and character arc. Rowling said that, to her,
16790-662: The publication of the later books "trains children and adults to expect the roar of the coliseum, a mass-media experience that no other novel can possibly provide". Jenny Sawyer wrote in The Christian Science Monitor on 25 July 2007 that Harry Potter neither faces a "moral struggle" nor undergoes any ethical growth and is thus "no guide in circumstances in which right and wrong are anything less than black and white". In contrast Emily Griesinger described Harry's first passage through to Platform 9 + 3 ⁄ 4 as an application of faith and hope, and his encounter with
16936-454: The publisher of all Harry Potter books in the United Kingdom, on 26 June 1997. It was released in the United States on 1 September 1998 by Scholastic —the American publisher of the books—as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone , after the American rights sold for US$ 105,000—a record amount for a children's book by an unknown author. Scholastic feared that American readers would not associate
17082-400: The release of Goblet of Fire , 9,000 FedEx trucks were used with no other purpose than to deliver the book. Together, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble pre-sold more than 700,000 copies of the book. In the United States, the book's initial printing run was 3.8 million copies. This record statistic was broken by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix , with 8.5 million, which
17228-453: The release of two editions of each Harry Potter book, identical in text but with one edition's cover artwork aimed at children and the other aimed at adults. Early in its history, Harry Potter received positive reviews. On publication, the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , attracted attention from the Scottish newspapers, such as The Scotsman , which said it had "all
17374-471: The role in 2018 at the Lyric Theater on Broadway. Rupert Grint portrays Ron Weasley in all eight Harry Potter films . He auditioned after seeing a segment on the children's news programme, Newsround , inviting children to apply for the role. Grint sent in a photo, a self-written script and a rap explaining his suitability for the part. Rowling was supportive of the casting, calling Grint perfect for
17520-590: The role. Grint's performance in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone earned him the Satellite Award for Outstanding New Talent and the Young Artist Award for Most Promising Young Newcomer. In a 2020 article, Nathan Sharp of Screen Rant described him as the most "natural" child actor in the early films, and "excellent from minute one". Grint commented on playing Ron in the series: "The line between Ron Weasley and me got thinner with each film". In
17666-481: The scholar Roni Natov terms him an "everychild". These elements serve to highlight Harry when he is heroic, making him both an everyman and a fairytale hero. Each of the seven books is set over the course of one school year. Harry struggles with the problems he encounters, and dealing with them often involves the need to violate some school rules. If students are caught breaking rules, they are often disciplined by Hogwarts professors. The stories reach their climax in
17812-415: The series is lacking in serious literary merit and that it owes its success merely to the childhood reassurances it offers. Stephen King called the series "a feat of which only a superior imagination is capable", and declared "Rowling's punning, one-eyebrow-cocked sense of humor" to be "remarkable". However, he wrote that he is "a little tired of discovering Harry at home with his horrible aunt and uncle",
17958-469: The series were so eager for the latest instalment that bookstores around the world began holding events to coincide with the midnight release of the books, beginning with the 2000 publication of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire . The events, commonly featuring mock sorting, games, face painting, and other live entertainment have achieved popularity with Potter fans and have been highly successful in attracting fans and selling books with nearly nine million of
18104-414: The series, due to the fact that the trio frequently discover things about Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts by talking with Hagrid, as he has a habit of letting slip bits of information that were specifically confided to him. He was also one of the first characters to imply that the idea of thinking of wizards as "pure-bloods" and "half-bloods" is a dated concept. Rowling has stated in an interview that Hagrid
18250-470: The series. She was planning for him to carry Harry to Hogwarts in Deathly Hallows before Philosopher's Stone was even published. The Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane portrays Hagrid in all eight Harry Potter films. Rowling had wanted Coltrane for the role from the start. Robin Williams was interested in the part, but was rejected because the first film had an "all-British cast" policy. Coltrane had read
18396-432: The series. Soon after she started writing Philosopher's Stone , her mother died; she said that "I really think from that moment on, death became a central, if not the central theme of the seven books". Rowling has described Harry as "the prism through which I view death", and further stated that "all of my characters are defined by their attitude to death and the possibility of death". While Harry Potter can be viewed as
18542-450: The spells just bounce off him because of giant-inherited resistance to magic. Hagrid also shows this resilience at the end of Half-Blood Prince , during the chapter Flight of the Prince , withstanding a Death Eater's powerful curses. Some potions are also ineffective with him, such as Polyjuice Potion , which is designed for human-only use. In her article "Harry's Fame", Rosemary Goring notes
18688-616: The stone legend. His life with the Dursleys has been compared to Cinderella . Hogwarts resembles a medieval university-cum-castle with several professors who belong to an Order of Merlin; Old Professor Binns still lectures about the International Warlock Convention of 1289; and a real historical person, a 14th-century scribe, Sir Nicolas Flamel , is described as a holder of the Philosopher's Stone. Other medieval elements in Hogwarts include coats-of-arms and medieval weapons on
18834-421: The successive books in the series followed in the same style but somewhat more realistic, illustrating scenes from the books. These covers were created by first Cliff Wright and then Jason Cockroft. Due to the appeal of the books among an adult audience, Bloomsbury commissioned a second line of editions in an 'adult' style. These initially used black-and-white photographic art for the covers showing objects from
18980-439: The task of locating Harry and helping him buy school supplies for his first year at Hogwarts. Later in the novel, a hooded person—Professor Quirinus Quirrell in disguise—gives Hagrid a dragon egg in exchange for details about Fluffy. Harry and his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are also curious about Fluffy, and Hagrid lets slip that the way to get past him is to play music. When Harry and his friends decide to seek
19126-433: The third best Harry Potter character, writing that his status as comic relief makes him "instantly endearing". The IGN writers observed that "unlike most sidekicks, Ron isn't a coward or a simpleton, nor is he content to live in Harry's shadow ... Ron overcomes his shortcomings with faithfulness and perseverance". Empire magazine included Ron's friendship with Harry as one of the 33 best friendships in film. In 2003,
19272-472: The typical boarding school novel, addressing serious themes of death, love, loss, prejudice, coming-of-age, and the loss of innocence in a 1990s British setting. In Harry Potter , Rowling juxtaposes the extraordinary against the ordinary. Her narrative features two worlds: a contemporary world inhabited by non-magical people called Muggles , and another featuring wizards. It differs from typical portal fantasy in that its magical elements stay grounded in
19418-489: The walls, letters written on parchment and sealed with wax, the Great Hall of Hogwarts, which is similar to the Great Hall of Camelot, the use of Latin phrases, the tents put up for Quidditch tournaments, which are similar to the "marvellous tents" put up for knightly tournaments, imaginary animals like dragons and unicorns that exist around Hogwarts, and the banners with heraldic animals for the four Houses of Hogwarts. Many of
19564-444: The wizard who later became Voldemort. Hagrid was expelled after being caught in the company of Aragog, a gigantic spider . It was believed that Aragog was responsible for mysterious attacks upon students, and that Hagrid had released him from the Chamber of Secrets . The belief of Hagrid's guilt was encouraged by Riddle, the actual criminal, who had been using a different monster—a Basilisk —to assault students. In Chamber of Secrets ,
19710-400: The word "philosopher" with magic, and Rowling suggested the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the American market. Rowling has later said that she regrets the change. The second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets , was originally published in the UK on 2 July 1998 and in the US on 2 June 1999. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published a year later in
19856-400: The world multiple times. As first seen in Philosopher's Stone , he becomes extremely angry whenever anyone insults Dumbledore around him (a mistake made by Vernon Dursley , who called Dumbledore a "crackpot old fool"). He is also very loyal to Harry, suffered several times during the series because of this loyalty, and had to go into hiding twice to avoid prison. Rowling says of Hagrid, "Hagrid
20002-506: The world of Harry Potter explores numerous themes and includes many cultural meanings and references. Major themes in the series include prejudice, corruption, madness, love, and death. Since the release of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , on 26 June 1997, the books have found immense popularity and commercial success worldwide. They have attracted a wide adult audience as well as younger readers and are widely considered cornerstones of modern literature, though
20148-520: The world. The series follows the life of a boy named Harry Potter . In the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ( Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US), Harry lives in a cupboard under the stairs in the house of the Dursleys , his aunt, uncle and cousin, who all treat him poorly. At the age of 11, Harry discovers that he is a wizard . He meets a half-giant named Hagrid who gives him
20294-520: The wrong end. Ron's new wand is fourteen inches, willow and unicorn hair, which he procures before the start of his third year at Hogwarts. Ron's talents are rarely shown, but he, like the other DA members, survives a violent encounter with adult Death Eaters in Order of the Phoenix , and it is implied that during the Death Eater assault in Half-Blood Prince he held his own quite well because he
20440-458: Was always supposed to be this almost elemental force. He's like the king of the forest, or the Green Man . He's this semi-wild person who lives on the edge of the forest". Following his expulsion from Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic broke Hagrid's oak wand and forbade him to perform magic. Hagrid keeps the pieces of his wand in a pink umbrella, and performs small spells from time to time; however, he
20586-520: Was being helped by Felix Felicis, the good luck potion. In Deathly Hallows , Ron loses his original wand, and takes Peter Pettigrew's wand for his own. Following this, Ron begins to demonstrate more aptitude and general knowledge, along with a sudden spurt in maturity after a terrible row with Harry. For a while, he effectively leads the trio in the hunt for the Horcruxes while Harry suffers a major depression. The entertainment website IGN selected Ron as
20732-477: Was in Gryffindor house during his time as a student. When he comes into possession of an acromantula , he is expelled from Hogwarts as his pet is believed to be the "monster of Slytherin ". However, persuaded by Dumbledore (who at the time was Transfiguration teacher), Headmaster Armando Dippet agrees to train Hagrid as gamekeeper, allowing the boy to remain at Hogwarts. By the time Harry attends Hogwarts, Hagrid
20878-464: Was published on 16 July 2005. The seventh and final novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , was published on 21 July 2007. Rowling herself has stated that the last chapter of the final book (in fact, the epilogue) was completed "in something like 1990". Rowling retained rights to digital editions and released them on the Pottermore website in 2012. Vendors such as Amazon displayed the ebooks in
21024-442: Was so strong it decided his fate. Although some fans were afraid that Hagrid would die in the final novel, Rowling had always planned for him to survive. She also liked the circular notion of Hagrid both bringing Harry into the world, and then bringing him back from the dead. During an interview in 2007, when asked if Hagrid did marry, Rowling answered that Hagrid developed a relationship with a giantess but it did not work out. Hagrid
21170-418: Was technically forbidden to do magic until the third book, and since he is not a fully qualified wizard, he "will always be a bit inept" as compared to other adult wizards, but "occasionally surprises everyone, himself included, by bringing off more impressive bits of magic". However, he is unable to produce a Patronus. He also has magical abilities that stem from his giant blood. For example, in Harry Potter and
21316-406: Was then shattered by Half-Blood Prince with 10.8 million copies. Within the first 24 hours of its release, 6.9 million copies of Prince were sold in the US; in the UK more than two million copies were sold on the first day. The initial US print run for Deathly Hallows was 12 million copies, and more than a million were pre-ordered through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Fans of
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