Top 10 Best Harry Potter Books

The Top Ten
1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

An incredible ending to an incredible book series. The Battle of Hogwarts was amazing, Snape's memories were top-notch, and it was all just a really emotional and climactic book. The epilogue was pretty satisfying as well. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is just okay. I just didn't like how we didn't get to see how Hogwarts was during the Death Eaters' rule, and instead had to go camping to a bunch of different places looking for Horcruxes. If we could maybe see the book from Neville's perspective in Hogwarts, that would've been great. Other than that, it's still great, though.

I love the Battle of Hogwarts, especially when Voldemort dies. I found it amusing. But it wasted my tears because I was crying for the dead people there. Still, it was my favourite book. I hated Snape at first, until I realized his love for Lily, and I understood the relationship between Ron and the twins. I thought it was the most tragic death. It would have been better if Umbridge died instead of Fred. Anyway, the part where they are on a mission to destroy Horcruxes is really exciting!

2 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

How can I describe the amazing ride that is the Prisoner of Azkaban? The first two books were already pretty great and exciting stories, but the third entry raised the bar even higher. While it did get rid of some of the elements that made the first two great, other, better elements came in their place! I mean, sure, the first half is pretty boring, and there's barely any relevant plot, but once it gets good, it's way too freakin' great to even describe. The twists are everywhere by that point, and I was even overwhelmed by how complex it was. I can't wait for the next installments.

I've just finished this book. So far, I've only read the first three, but this one surpasses the other two by a substantial amount. It provides background knowledge that the other two lacked. It offers lots of plot twists, keeping you at the edge of your seat. It reveals shocking secrets and moments that you can't help but gasp at. And it also manages to give us an ending that leaves us both mystified and eager to read the next book. The way the twisty plot all comes together in the end is just brilliant.

3 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I've read the first four books of this series and have found it hard to distinguish the best one, as all of them are masterclasses. However, there is something about this book that the film doesn't deliver - happiness, excitement, and an air of mystery. And I hate to say it, but the film just didn't succeed in doing so. The book showcases the Quidditch World Cup, the mystery of Barty Crouch Junior, the maze with all the interesting obstacles, and a lot more that I can't think of off the top of my head. This book just beats out the first three, and I'm looking forward to reading the last three.

It's got a good storyline. The only problem with it is that it doesn't make good use of its length. When I read the previous book, I loved it very much. When I saw that this one was super long, I had high expectations, but I was disappointed. There was just very little happening throughout most of the book. Because of this, I would take really long breaks from it.

Anyways, its story was great, though. If it was shortened by a few hundred pages, it would have been a much better read. I haven't read Order of the Phoenix yet. I hope it makes better use of its length.

4 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This is the most intricate and suspenseful Harry Potter book, although it gets somewhat slow in the middle. This is J.K. Rowling at her very best: haunting yet powerful and uplifting.

Though dark and sad, the sixth book in the Harry Potter series is both action-packed and informative. As Harry learns about Voldemort's past with Dumbledore, it becomes clear why the Dark Lord was so feared during his first years in power. The book focuses on finding Voldemort's weaknesses via memories and old friends, and eventually, using them against him. Relationships form between the characters, and political, psychological, and emotional traits come into focus. Riddled with suspense, love, and hatred, the Half-Blood Prince is one of J.K. Rowling's best novels, featuring plenty of mystery, action, and quality literature.

Every Harry Potter book, in my opinion, has its own specialty. The first is probably the best introduction a book series can have, though it seems plotless. The second is special with its direct plot, and so on. The sixth book, The Half-Blood Prince, is special in showcasing Rowling's creativity. It just screams in every word that Rowling was packed with extremely great ideas and she just didn't know what to do with all of them, so she wrote as it came to her mind.

Like the third book, which had many sub-plots, this one has too. Even though it used its primary plot as a prequel to the 7th book, much like the third, it holds a special place in my heart as Harry has his own journey in this book only with Dumbledore. A noteworthy point is the fact that Rowling was able to write about Voldemort while only appearing in memories and not in person.

5 Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

If I listed my favorite Harry Potter books from worst to best, it would go from shortest to longest. Although this may take the longest to read, it becomes the most interactive to read. I remember reading the book for the first time and feeling the intensity of the court case, the relief in going back to Hogwarts, the hatred for Snape, Malfoy, and especially Umbridge, and the mourning over a certain character's demise.

The first one may have been the original. The second may have been a darker and better version of the first. The third may have been the crowd-pleaser. The fourth may have set the tone for the rest of the series. The sixth may have showcased the best sense of dread. The seventh may have made me want to read the series over again. But in my opinion, the best Harry Potter book is without a doubt The Order of the Phoenix.

This is my favorite book because, for one, Harry meets Luna. Meeting a crazy, weird, dreamy girl made me laugh harder. She took Hermione's place. Also, Hermione founds Dumbledore's Army, which I like hearing about in the books. I am pleased to find that Ginny comes up with the name, and comes to the Department of Mysteries. She has a good role, but in the past books, she is barely shown except in Chamber of Secrets.

It made me sad when Sirius died, but this was, for sure, my favorite movie. I loved being able to see what crazy, but beautiful Bellatrix Lestrange. I liked hearing all of it. Umbridge infuriated me, I hate her even more than Voldemort, but I liked hearing her scenes because she and Luna make the books more interesting. Hermione and Ron, not so much.

6 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

So-called fans miss the point of the house cup. Gryffindor was near winning before they even saved the stone, but Professor McGonagall was outraged that three Gryffindors were out of bed at night, and she took 50 points from them. Then Harry, Ron, and Hermione save the stone, and Neville shows his early bravery, and Dumbledore gives them back the points that they lost. Slytherin also won for 7 years before Harry knew his real life. Also, Dumbledore was not humiliating Slytherin. Professor McGonagall was also at the feast, and she was the one who ruined it.

Lord Voldemort enters Harry's house with the help of Sirius Black and kills the Potters. Harry is sent to his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys, by Dumbledore and Hagrid. Ten whole years pass, and one day, Harry receives dozens of letters from nobody. Harry's uncle, Vernon, decides to move to a hotel to avoid the letters and then moves them to a wooden shack.

Exactly on Harry's eleventh birthday, a giant man named Hagrid (you should have known that) bursts in the door and brings Harry away. He takes Harry to Gringotts to get money and buys him school supplies (the letters were informing Harry that he has a place in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry). He boards the train at Platform Nine and Three Quarters and meets Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He arrives at school and has the Sorting Hat ceremony. He gets picked into Gryffindor, and his house is looked after by Professor McGonagall.

Draco Malfoy, a student who hates Harry, challenges him to a midnight duel. Harry almost gets into trouble. Harry and his friends then try to carry Hagrid's secret dragon, which he won from a feast, but they get into major trouble. He is put in detention with Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy, and they have to go into the Forbidden Forest. There, Harry sees a man who he later realizes is Quirrell, sucking the Elixir of Life.

Harry then has Quidditch matches and discovers about Nicolas Flamel and his stone. In the place where the stone is kept, Harry goes through a bunch of obstacles with his two friends, and Harry finally reaches the last room. Quirrell is there and shows Harry the back of his head, where Voldemort's face is. They battle. Harry almost dies, but Dumbledore arrives just in time to save him. Dumbledore explains everything, and Gryffindor wins the House Cup. Awesome book.

7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

It's great, but I found Philosopher's Stone to be better. This one feels a bit too much like a rehash of said book, and the attempts to be different come off as forced at times (like Harry getting locked up and the train not letting the duo in), especially in the beginning. But it gets better overall as it goes on, with new mysteries and characters (like Myrtle). However, any day of the week, I'm rather more interested in people trying to steal a stone that grants immortality than in people getting turned into stone one by one.

The first book in the series that I read and still my favourite. The mystery is well-constructed and, in my opinion, makes the most enjoyable plot. There is interesting development of the Wizarding World - more details and new concepts are revealed, but they seem logical rather than forced (compared to further books, in which J.K. Rowling introduced whatever she needed at the moment out of convenience). Many important and cool characters are introduced, like Arthur Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Dobby, Moaning Myrtle, Lockhart.

Also, it's the last book in the series that makes sense on its own and can be read as a standalone novel, which is good if you want to enjoy a single story. While "Prisoner of Azkaban" is also a good one (probably my second favourite), it leaves an open ending, and I think the series went downhill starting from "Goblet of Fire", so when I re-read the books, I mostly stick to the first two.

8 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I like this one, except then I had dreams about being eaten by Lethifolds.

9 Quidditch Through the Ages

Man, this book was great. And this is coming from an American person who isn't into sports - I know, does that even exist? Of course, the Harry Potter books surpass all others in tenderness and just wholesome storytelling, but I want to see this one ranked higher. So there.

After the Fantastic Beasts movies finish, I hope they make Quidditch Through the Ages, or even Beedle the Bard stories. Oh, people hate Beedle the Bard because it's a fairytale book, but it's different. The witches and wizards are good.

This was good, but sometimes it was boring.

10 The Tales of Beedle the Bard
The Contenders
11 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two: The Official Playscript of the Original West End Production

You just need to get it, okay? The problem was that no one actually knew anything about the children of the Trio and Draco. We just had an epilogue at the end of the Deathly Hallows. Bellatrix said in the sixth book that if she had sons, she would allow them to follow the Dark Lord. Yeah, she had a daughter, but a small clue about her child and her feelings for Voldemort maybe suggests she used a love potion. She is Voldemort's most loyal follower, so he wouldn't suspect her. We had true Time-Turners. Only two existed and were used for full time. But still, meddling with time is dangerous, you know. Think of evil Cedric, Voldemort Day.

I really enjoyed it! I know it's a play, not a book, but still! The events of the story were mind-blowing, and I never expected anything like that to happen! It was honestly unbelievable! It was great to read about Harry, Ron, and Hermione as adults, and Draco was kind of good now. Albus Severus Potter, he was a bit of a brat when he just threw Harry's mother's blanket! That was really unthoughtful, and I got really mad at him.

Scorpius was my favourite character in that book. He was so hilarious and witty, his personality was sweet, and I felt sorry for him when I found out about his mother. Scorpius is a great friend and stood by Albus even when their plan risked their lives! I love this play and I totally recommend you read it.

I would see the theatre play if I could, not that I don't have the money because I definitely do, just that I wouldn't have time or be able to.

Just read it!

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