By EMILY GILLESPIE, The Entertainer
For the past 14 years, a boy with a scar and a wand hascaptivated audiences around the world.
Harry Potter, the main character of a book and movie series that isset in a world of magic, has created a stir in popular culture.Terms such as Quidditch (a magical sport played on broomsticks) andmuggle (a non-magical person) have made their way into ordinaryconversations and even school programs and universitylectures.
J.K. Rowling wrote the novels, which have sold about 450 millioncopies, and have been translated into 67 languages.
Last fall Oregon State University offered a Harry Potter class forincoming freshmen. Students who are readers, movie-goers or fantasylovers related the themes and characters to events in history andto their own lives. Crescent Valley High School has a popular HarryPotter Club that kicked off Quidditch matches this year, playing agame involving soccer balls and hula hoops.
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Here’s a look back at the Harry Potter books and movies:
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’
(Philosopher’s Stone)
Book release date: June 30, 1997
Movie release date: November 2001
Synopsis: Harry Potter is an orphan who is forced to live with hisaunt and uncle. On his 11th birthday, he finds out that he is awizard and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft andWizardry. Potter tries to attain the Sorcerer’s Stone, a stone thatcan make someone immortal, in order to keep it from Voldemort, anevil wizard who killed Potter’s parents about 10 yearsbefore.
‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’
Book release date: July 2, 1998
Movie release date: Nov. 15, 2002
Synopsis: In his second year at Hogwarts, Potter gets a series ofmessages on the wall of the school’s corridors warning that the“Chamber of Secrets” has been opened and that the heir ofSlytherin, one of the school’s houses, will kill all the school’spupils who did not come from all-magical families. Attacks starthappening throughout the school and the story ends with aconfrontation with Voldemort.
‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’
Book release date: July, 8 1999
Movie release date: May 31, 2004
Synopsis: A prisoner has escaped from the magical world’s mosthigh-security prison, and it has witches and wizards on edge.Potter learns that the escapee, named Sirius Black, was hisfather’s best friend and his godfather. Black is eventuallycaptured by dementors, shadow-like creatures, and Potter goes backin time to save him.
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’
Book release date: July 8, 2000
Movie release date: Nov. 18, 2005.
Synopsis: Hogwarts has entered into a competition with four otherwizarding schools in the ultimate magical challenge, the Goblet ofFire. Potter becomes a contestant in an arduous series ofchallenges to test intelligence, endurance and magical prowess. Atthe end of the competition, Potter and schoolmate Cedric Diggorywin the competition by reaching the trophy first. The trophy,however, is a trap and the two are teleported to Voldemort, whoimmediately kills Diggory. Potter and Voldemort duel, and Potterescapes Voldemort’s curse and teleports back to school. Pottertries to tell everyone that Voldemort has regained his power.
‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’
Book release date: June 21, 2003
Movie release date: July 11, 2007
Synopsis: The Order of the Phoenix is a group of witches andwizards dedicated to fighting Voldemort and his followers. Potterreturns to Hogwarts, which has been taken over by the restrictiveMinistry of Magic, the governing body of the magical world. Harrylearns of a prophesy stating that he has a power that Voldemortdoes not know about. The Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters,Voldemort followers, meet for a fight.
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’
Book release date: July 16, 2005
Movie release date: July 15, 2009
Synopsis: Potter delves into Voldemort’s past to learn more abouthim so that he can defeat his arch-enemy. Albus Dumbledore, theheadmaster of Hogwarts, helps mentor Potter in preparation fordefeating Voldemort. Potter continues attending Hogwarts, where hefind a Potions book that previously was owned by “the Half-BloodPrince,” in which he learns evil spells. Potter learns thatVoldemort has broken his soul into seven pieces and that the onlyway to defeat him is to destroy all seven pieces. Dumbledorepreviously destroyed one and Potter and Dumbledore go to findanother one which ends up being fake.
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows’
Book release date: July 21, 2007
Movie release date: (part 1) Nov. 19, 2010; (part 2) July 15,2011
Synopsis: Potter and his friends set out to find the rest of thepieces of Voldemort’s soul. The Ministry of Magic has beeninfiltrated by Voldemort. Nowhere is safe, so they must stay inhiding while attempting to defeat Voldemort. The book followsPotter and his attempt to defeat the evil wizard and restore peaceto the wizarding world.
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