How to watch “Harry Potter” movies in chronological order

These fairy tales about a boy wizard, his friends and foes, and later the screen versions of all the books drove the whole world mad, especially children and teenagers. They made even the most ardent haters of reading “by gusto,” and adults who are looked down upon fairy tales and fantasy – to dive into the magical world of Harry Potter. And now the books about Harry’s adventures take top sales lists of fiction, and movies have a lot of fans who are ready to argue until the hoarse, which of the directors best replicated the fantasy of Joanne Rowling on the screen, and to discuss favorite episodes. And there are seven books in all, while there are eight films, because the last of the volumes, the darkest and “adult” one, was screened in two parts. So in what order should we watch the Harry Potter movies, so we don’t get lost in the intricacies of the plot and remember who’s who?

How to watch “Harry Potter” movies in chronological order

It’s worth starting with a backstory that fits in as many as 3 films:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

The first of the films, in which Harry and his classmates are only eleven years old, is called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. In this movie, Harry learns the truth about his parents who died years ago, goes to study at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and endures his first battle with his worst enemy, the black wizard Voldemort.

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The second series, which takes place the following year, is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In it, Harry meets face to face with his peer – the future Voldemort, who knows how to manipulate time and penetrate into the dark corners of human plot, again withstanding no-joking temptations, expose the Hogwarts teacher betrayed dark wizard and save his best friend’s little sister in love with him. Harry himself will figure out his feelings for little Ginny only years later, closer to the finale of the saga.

The third film – “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In it, Harry meets his father’s youthful friends and also finds out who betrayed Jams Potter and his wife, Lily, and why. Here, the boys act on an equal footing with the adults, showing no small amount of courage, wit, and fortitude.

In the fourth film, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” fourteen-year-old Harry has to participate in a deadly tournament of young wizards. He is helped to win the trials of the tournament by his best friends, from Harry’s peers Ron and Hermione to the good-natured giant forester Hagrid. Although Harry wins, the book’s finale gets really grim as one of the tournament participants dies, Hogwarts School is plunged into mourning, and the insidious Voldemort openly declares his return to the wizarding world.

In the fifth film “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Harry creates an order of peers to fight Voldemort, trying to keep this plan a secret from the adults, who will certainly try to protect the boys. Here the evil wizards – the dark wizard’s minions – appear on the scene in full force, Harry is in grave danger not only from his old enemy, but also from the Ministry of Magic, whose ranks are also infiltrated by traitors. In the end, order at the Ministry is restored, but at a price of no small loss. One of the dead is Harry and his father’s best friend Sirius Black, and Harry has long blamed himself for his death.

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In the sixth Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort’s minions seize even more power, threatening not only the world of his fellow wizards, but also the world of men. Harry learns how Voldemort has betrayed evil and how he can be defeated without letting the insidious black wizard come back to life. The young wizard learns the darkest secrets of Hogwarts and its teachers, once again encounter the death of loved ones and vows to devote his life to fight Voldemort, knowing very well what a terrible danger threatens him and his faithful friends.

In the seventh book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows“, the concentration and intensity of events are so great that the director decided to split the adaptation into two parts, just not to sacrifice any of the important elements of the plot. In this film, the forces of good and evil engage in one last decisive battle, and Harry meets Voldemort again, knowing that victory over the black wizard can only be achieved at the cost of his young life. Years ago, little Harry was saved from certain death by a mother’s love, here – the courage, willingness to sacrifice and the ability to not waver to face danger. This story has a happy and bitter ending – Voldemort is defeated at the cost of the death of many beloved and charismatic characters, including Hogwarts professor Dumbledore, Professor Remus Lupin and one of Ron’s older brothers.

In the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron and Hermione, now all grown up, see their children off to Hogwarts to study, having reached the age when young wizards enter the first grade.