Sirius Black is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling . Sirius was first mentioned briefly in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed James and Lily Potter . His character becomes prominent in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , in which he is the titular prisoner, and is also revealed to be the godfather of the central character Harry Potter . He is portrayed in the film adaptations by Gary Oldman .
153-604: 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 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
306-805: 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 ),
459-640: A hippogriff who had also been unjustly condemned. Sirius is once again a wanted man. Sirius flees Europe to escape from the Ministry of Magic . There, he slowly recovers from his years in Azkaban and regains his health. Although he can only communicate sparingly with Harry by owl post , he gives Harry reasoned and sensible advice. Harry grows closer to Sirius and relies on his help. Sirius, worried, returns to Britain when Harry tells him that his scar has begun hurting him again (a signal of Voldemort's presence), and when there are reports of Death Eater activities at
612-453: 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,
765-452: 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
918-405: A "truly badass vibe at times". However, they asserted what most appeals to them about the character is the father-son relationship that begins to form between him and Harry before Sirius's death. WatchMojo.com placed Sirius as the 4th best character in the franchise, again citing his fatherly relationship with Harry as a highpoint of praise. In January 2006, Rowling donated a hand-drawn version of
1071-415: 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
1224-545: 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
1377-439: A Quidditch match invaded by Dementors, Sirius anonymously sends Harry a Firebolt as a Christmas gift, although it is confiscated by Professor McGonagall on suspicion that the broom is jinxed. Towards the end of the novel, Harry, Ron, and Hermione confront Sirius and Harry nearly kills him; however, Lupin's timely intervention stops Harry. Lupin, who has learned that Sirius is innocent, is reunited in friendship with him. Pettigrew
1530-408: 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
1683-461: 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
SECTION 10
#17327796870741836-539: A dog and who recognises Pettigrew for what he really is. Sirius breaks into Gryffindor tower at one point with a knife looking for Pettigrew, having had Crookshanks obtain Neville Longbottom 's list of the dorm passwords, and shreds Ron's curtains after finding Pettigrew gone, due to Pettigrew having faked his death and framed Crookshanks. After Harry's broom is destroyed by the Whomping Willow during
1989-409: 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
2142-491: 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
2295-542: 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
2448-464: A job you can show your kids". Oldman was not aware of the character's early death when he took on the role, and has said that had he known, he would have approached the role differently. Though Sirius appears several times during Goblet of Fire , the character appears very briefly in the film adaptation , in an expository scene in the Gryffindor common room's fireplace, with Oldman providing
2601-494: 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
2754-458: A long and happy relationship". Harry is left to mourn Sirius, reflecting that, despite his flaws, he was a loving and protective godfather, and the closest thing Harry had ever had to a real parent. Harry inherits all of Sirius's possessions, including the house at Grimmauld Place, the house-elf Kreacher , and Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Sirius makes his final appearance in Harry Potter and
2907-428: 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
3060-405: 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,
3213-600: A picture of the Weasley family on the front cover of the Daily Prophet . He notices the pet rat Scabbers perched on Ron Weasley 's shoulder. This serves as a turning point in the series and sets the events of the third novel, as Sirius immediately recognises Scabbers as Pettigrew's Animagus form. He realises that stationed at Hogwarts, Pettigrew will easily be able to deliver Harry to Voldemort should Voldemort ever regain power. This knowledge clears his mind and gives him
SECTION 20
#17327796870743366-485: 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
3519-499: 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
3672-598: 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
3825-476: 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
3978-414: A teenager, Sirius always had a slightly spoiled, haughty look on his face. His long years in Azkaban made his face gaunt, and lack of grooming resulted in long, dirty hair and yellow teeth. Harry's first impression of Sirius is of a corpse. As a student at Hogwarts, Sirius was well-known for being a troublemaker, and once mentioned to Harry that he, James, Lupin, and Pettigrew "were all idiots". He said he
4131-583: A trial. He spent the next twelve years in Azkaban , brooding over his friends' deaths and obsessing over Pettigrew's betrayal. Sirius states that unlike most other Azkaban prisoners (who often became insane during their terms of imprisonment), he was able to keep his sanity because he knew he was innocent, and also used his Animagus form to ward off the Dementors , who are unable to perceive unsophisticated canine minds. Twelve years into his sentence, Sirius sees
4284-483: 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
4437-733: Is James, Harry's father, and that this is inappropriate. Voldemort plants a false vision in Harry's mind that shows Sirius being tortured at the Department of Mysteries . Harry and his friends rush to the Department, where they are ambushed by Death Eaters. Meanwhile, Snape alerts the Order that the students have gone to the Ministry. The Order immediately sends a rescue team including Remus Lupin , Nymphadora Tonks , Alastor Moody , and Kingsley Shacklebolt . Sirius, desperate for any time out of his confinement, comes along too. The Order battles
4590-400: 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 a romantic bond in the series and eventually have children, Rowling confessed in a 2014 interview that she wrote
4743-558: 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
Ron Weasley - Misplaced Pages Continue
4896-592: Is also reckless, embittered, and "slightly unbalanced by his long stay in Azkaban." When asked if Harry has a godmother, Rowling replied that "Sirius was always too busy being a big rebel to get married." Unlike his parents and brother, Sirius detested the Dark Arts and did not believe in the so-called purity of blood. Rowling has said that Sirius has also proven to "be very good at spouting bits of excellent personal philosophy, but he does not always live up to them". This primarily has to do with his treatment of Kreacher
5049-516: 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
5202-828: 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
5355-698: Is recognised by Draco and Lucius Malfoy , resulting in more threats and warnings. Harry and Sirius stay in touch through owls and the Floo Network , a system to communicate through fireplaces. Sirius is nearly captured by Dolores Umbridge , a Ministry official who is monitoring the Network and the owl mail in and out of Hogwarts. Near the middle of the novel, a large number of Death Eaters, including Sirius's cousin Bellatrix , escape Azkaban. The Ministry, which refuses to accept that Voldemort has returned and that
5508-478: 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
5661-577: 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
5814-404: Is the same age as Sirius and appears more mature in nature, Sirius never really grew up, as he was placed in Azkaban during his early twenties and therefore had not had a very normal adult life. Despite all of this, Rowling states that Sirius's "redeeming quality is the affection that he is capable of feeling. He loved James like a brother and went on to transfer this attachment to Harry." Sirius
5967-501: Is unmasked, and, most importantly, Harry stops Sirius and Lupin from murdering Pettigrew, arguing that his father would not want his friends to commit murder. Harry begins to view Sirius as a surrogate father, although events swiftly turn against him again – Pettigrew escapes, and Sirius is captured by the dementors at Hogwarts and sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss, a fate worse than death. Harry and Hermione help him escape with Buckbeak ,
6120-456: 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
6273-624: 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
Ron Weasley - Misplaced Pages Continue
6426-538: 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
6579-467: 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
6732-520: The Dursleys , Sirius then tracked down Pettigrew, determined to kill him in revenge. However, Pettigrew outwitted him: confronted by Sirius on a city street, he created an explosion, faking his own death (leaving a severed finger behind as evidence) and killing twelve Muggles in the process. Sirius was arrested, accused of murdering Pettigrew and the muggles and of serving Voldemort, and was promptly thrown in prison by Barty Crouch, Sr. without receiving
6885-487: The Quidditch World Cup . He sacrifices some of his regained health to help Harry; by the time he reaches Hogsmeade, he is once again gaunt and dishevelled, hiding in a cave with Buckbeak and surviving mainly on rats (with occasional gifts of food from Harry, Ron, and Hermione). He is later summoned to Hogwarts by Dumbledore and listens to Harry's re-telling of Voldemort's rebirth. Dumbledore tasks him with alerting Lupin, Arabella Figg , Mundungus Fletcher , and other members of
7038-581: The Sorting Hat as the first of many in which Harry is shaped by the choices he makes. Sirius Black Sirius Black is the last heir of the House of Black, a once notable Pure-blood Wizarding family. His parents, Orion and Walburga Black, were both Blacks by birth and second cousins. Sirius had a younger brother, Regulus Arcturus Black, and three older cousins: Bellatrix Lestrange , Andromeda Tonks (his favourite cousin and mother of Nymphadora Tonks), and Narcissa Malfoy (mother of Draco Malfoy ). In line with
7191-474: 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
7344-522: 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
7497-564: 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
7650-538: 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
7803-526: 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
SECTION 50
#17327796870747956-560: 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
8109-665: The Battle of the Department of Mysteries , he survived a duel against Antonin Dolohov . However in the following fight against his cousin Bellatrix , he underestimated his opponent and even openly mocked her, before being hit by an unknown spell that blew Sirius backwards and he disappeared through the veil in the Death Chamber. The entertainment website IGN ranked Sirius as the 8th best Harry Potter character. IGN writers said that Sirius has an "edgy, rebellious appeal" and
8262-600: The Black family tradition of naming children after stars and constellations, Sirius was named after the Dog Star . Sirius's early life proved unhappy; he had come to hate most of his relatives, in particular his mother. He rejected his family's pure-blood elitism and reverence for the Dark Arts. At Hogwarts, rather than be sorted into Slytherin like the rest of his family, Sirius was placed in Gryffindor. In contrast to his home life, Sirius greatly enjoyed life at Hogwarts, where he
8415-661: The British charity organisation Comic Relief performed a spoof story called Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan , in which Jennifer Saunders appeared as both Ron and J. K. Rowling. 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 ,
8568-456: 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
8721-411: The Dark Arts. They also became best friends with Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin , whom they later discovered was a werewolf. To support Lupin, Sirius, James, and Peter secretly became Animagi , which allowed them to safely accompany Lupin during his transformations and keep him under control. Sirius's form is that of a huge black dog, from which his nickname Padfoot was derived. Sirius left home at
8874-521: The Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. During a frenzied duel with Bellatrix, Sirius taunts her for failing to harm him. Bellatrix strikes Sirius with a curse, sending him backwards into the veil and to his death. Later, Dumbledore persuades the Minister that Sirius is innocent. By the following book, Sirius is exonerated. Dumbledore refers to this as "a brutal ending to what was going to be
9027-499: The Deathly Hallows when Harry discovers the Resurrection Stone within the golden snitch. Appearing as a ghostly figure alongside Lily, James and Lupin, Sirius supports Harry's walk into death and assures him that dying is, "Quicker and easier than falling asleep." He also promises Harry that the four will always remain a part of him. Rowling revealed a family tree in the J. K. Rowling Documentary on ITV concerning all of
9180-538: 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
9333-501: The Forbidden Forest to face Voldemort. The character is referenced for the final time in the last scene, where it is revealed that Harry and Ginny 's first born son was named after both James and Sirius. Sirius is described as a tall man with long, black hair and grey eyes. Several times during the series, Sirius is stated to be very good-looking and "carelessly handsome" prior to his imprisonment; Harry also noted that as
SECTION 60
#17327796870749486-579: 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
9639-579: 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,
9792-545: 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
9945-485: 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
10098-427: The Order of the Phoenix, and is instructed by Dumbledore to lie low at Lupin's for a while. Sirius reassures Harry, who does not want him to leave, that they will see each other again soon and then departs. Sirius takes refuge in his family home at Number 12, Grimmauld Place . As the last Black, Sirius inherits the property and allows it to be used as the Order headquarters, although it has fallen into disrepair. Due to
10251-510: 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 ",
10404-719: 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
10557-512: The Potters' Secret Keeper and would target him; so he convinced the Potters to reassign Pettigrew as their Secret Keeper because he did not believe Voldemort would ever suspect a "weak, talentless thing" like Pettigrew. As it turned out, Pettigrew was Voldemort's spy within the Order. He betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, who subsequently tracked them down and murdered them. After giving his motorbike to Hagrid so that Hagrid could deliver Harry to
10710-584: 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
10863-591: 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
11016-453: 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
11169-596: 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
11322-412: 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
11475-507: 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
11628-469: 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
11781-586: 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
11934-507: 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
12087-549: The age of sixteen and took refuge with James and his parents. His outraged mother burned his name off the family tree. Sirius' Uncle Alphard left him a large inheritance, causing Sirius' mother to also remove Alphard's name. He was left financially independent by his uncle's generous bequest. After leaving school, Sirius fought against Voldemort , eventually joining the Order of the Phoenix . He remained close friends with James and eventually attended James and Lily Evans' (now Lily Potter) wedding as their best man. When their son, Harry,
12240-548: 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
12393-553: 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
12546-465: 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
12699-482: 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
12852-442: 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
13005-472: 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
13158-416: 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
13311-417: 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 ;
13464-458: 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
13617-425: 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
13770-453: The dementors have been stationed around Hogsmeade and at Hogwarts, Sirius remains in his Animagus form during this time, and is able to enter the Hogwarts grounds without being recognised by the dementors. Harry catches several glimpses of Sirius in his dog form and mistakenly believes him to be the Grim . He befriends Hermione Granger 's cat Crookshanks , who is aware that Sirius is not actually
13923-500: The dementors have joined him, tries to blame on Sirius, stating that Sirius helped the prisoners escape and is leading them. Sirius encourages Harry to oppose Umbridge and her reforms and strongly approves of Harry starting the secret defensive tutorial group for students, Dumbledore's Army. He also willingly answers Harry's questions about the Order and Voldemort. Lupin and Molly Weasley express disapproval for Sirius's behaviour around Harry, stating that Sirius treats his godson as if he
14076-566: 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
14229-418: 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
14382-529: 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
14535-402: 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
14688-449: 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
14841-415: 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
14994-434: 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
15147-552: 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
15300-490: 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
15453-490: 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
15606-478: 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
15759-536: 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
15912-492: The grandchildren of the Weasley family . In this family tree, it is known that Harry named his first son James Sirius , after his father and godfather. Sirius and James are the protagonists of an 800-word story set three years before Harry's birth. The two friends are riding Sirius's motorbike and are chased by two Muggle policemen for breaking the speed limit. The policemen attempt to arrest them when three Death Eaters on broomsticks fly down towards them. Sirius and James use
16065-544: 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
16218-434: 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
16371-400: The house-elf; because Kreacher was a reminder to Sirius of the home he had always hated (and also due to Kreacher's parading of the attitudes and views of Sirius's parents), Sirius is hateful to Kreacher and consistently mistreats him. This in turn comes back to haunt him, as Kreacher eventually betrays Sirius to Voldemort, leading to Sirius's death. Rowling has also stated that unlike Lupin, who
16524-583: 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
16677-461: 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
16830-402: 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
16983-504: 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
17136-419: 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
17289-527: 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
17442-473: The mental strength to escape Azkaban. He is the first person known to have escaped the wizard prison by his own means, accomplishing this feat by transforming into his Animagus dog form. The dementors ' inability to detect Animagi, along with his severe weight loss from malnutrition, allow him to slip through his cell bars. After his escape, Sirius takes refuge in and around Hogsmeade , intent on exacting revenge upon Pettigrew and remaining near Harry. Knowing that
17595-533: 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
17748-423: 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
17901-500: 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
18054-488: 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
18207-446: 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;
18360-420: The ongoing manhunt, Sirius is confined there. His confinement causes depression, and he is frequently withdrawn and antagonistic – especially so by Snape's increasingly important role within the Order. The hostility between himself and Kreacher , his demented house-elf, also affects him, and he is consistently hateful towards Kreacher. When he briefly leaves the house to see Harry off to Hogwarts, his Animagus form
18513-493: 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
18666-444: The police car as a barrier and the Death Eaters crash into it. In the end, they escape from the policemen flying on the motorbike. Sirius is portrayed by Gary Oldman in the Harry Potter film adaptations. Oldman revealed that he accepted the part because he needed the money, as he had not taken on any major work in several years in order to spend more time with his family. The actor compared Sirius to John Lennon , and also said he
18819-510: 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,
18972-674: 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
19125-459: 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
19278-485: 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 the Hogwarts Express . Once aboard
19431-400: 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
19584-458: 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
19737-476: 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
19890-600: 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
20043-481: 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
20196-415: 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",
20349-469: 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
20502-432: 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
20655-634: 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
20808-421: 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
20961-431: 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,
21114-413: 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 a dangerous, life-sized chess game. At
21267-472: 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
21420-623: The voice. The actor appears again in Order of the Phoenix . It has been stated that Oldman and Daniel Radcliffe became very close during the filming of the series. Sirius as a teenager also made a brief appearance in Order of the Phoenix , played by James Walters . Just as in the book, Sirius returns via the Resurrection Stone in The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 alongside James, Lily and Remus right before Harry enters
21573-495: 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
21726-400: 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
21879-506: 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
22032-473: 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
22185-534: 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
22338-471: Was "surprised by how difficult it was to pull off", comparing the role to Shakespearean dialogue. Oldman suggested Sirius' hairstyle, while Alfonso Cuarón , the director of the third film, designed his tattoos. He had read the first book, and his children were fans of the series. The part made Oldman a hero with his children and their schoolmates. Oldman said about his work in the Harry Potter films that he has "...done so much R-rated work, it's nice to have
22491-525: 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
22644-538: Was born, Lily and James named Sirius as Harry's godfather. When the Potters became aware that Harry was Voldemort's specific target, Albus Dumbledore advised them to go into hiding using the Fidelius Charm , a highly complex spell allowing a secret to be concealed within another person. Trusting Sirius above all of their other friends, Lily and James wanted him to be their Secret Keeper. Sirius, however, worried that Voldemort would immediately suspect him of being
22797-433: Was described as a powerful wizard by Minerva McGonagall , his former teacher. Sirius became an Animagus at only age fifteen, and was able to turn himself into a large black dog. As he is unregistered, he is able to take advantage of his ability to continually elude the Ministry of Magic . In his Fifth year, Sirius held his own against Severus Snape , who "knew more jinxes in his first year than most seventh years". During
22950-547: Was inseparable from his best friend, James Potter . Sirius and James were immensely popular and known for their exceptionally good looks. Students liked his biting humour, and teachers respected his intelligence, though not his behaviour. His popularity was not universal, as a mutual hatred sprang up between James and Severus Snape . Sirius actively supported James, leading to Snape developing an equal and lifelong loathing of Sirius. Sirius and James often went out of their way to bully Snape, whom they despised for his great interest in
23103-453: Was not appointed a prefect because he spent too much time in detention with James. Sirius is protective of Harry, but also encourages him to take unwise risks and sometimes – inappropriately – acts with him as he used to with James. On this, the author commented that "what Harry craves is a father." Rowling has stated that though she likes Sirius, "I do not think he is wholly wonderful." According to her, despite being brave and loyal, Sirius
23256-470: 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
23409-406: 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
#73926