Harry Potter

Harry Potter is a series of fantastic adventures written by British JK Rowling . It consists of seven books , and since the launch of the first volume , Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997 , gained great popularity and commercial success around the world and gave rise afilmes , videogames , among other itens.2
Worldwide, the Harry Potter series has sold about a billion copies , until December 2011 , more than 67 idiomas.3 4 book series that has sold more Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone about 120 million copies comercializadas.5 thanks to the great success of the books , Rowling became the richest woman in the history of literature. The books are published by Editora Rocco in Brazil and the presence Editorial Portugal.6
Much of it is set in the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Hogwarts , and focuses on the conflict between Harry Potter and the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. At the same time, the books explore themes such as friendship , ambition , choice, prejudice, courage, growth , moral responsibility and the complexities of life and death , and place in a magical world with their own stories , people , culture and sociedades.7
All planned seven books were published . The seventh and last , called " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows " ( translated in Brazil as " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ," and in Portugal , as " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows " ) , was released in the United States in21 July 2007 , and in Brazil and Portugal on 10 November and 16 November respectively .
The seven books have led to eight films , with the latter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows , divided into two parts: one launched EM19 November 2010 , and another on 15 July 2011.8
The story begins with the wizarding world , who tries to keep secret from Muggles - term translated to Brazil as "Muggles " ( those who are not wizards ) . For many years this world has been terrorized by Lord Voldemort ( Tom Marvolo Riddle ) . On the night of his fall , Voldemort has found the hideout of the Potter family, and killed Lilian Potter and Thiago . However , when he turned his wand on the baby Potter , Harry , his curse of Death " Avada Kedavra " turned against him. Voldemort did not die just because of his Horcruxes , but with the body destroyed , he became a spirit without power, seeking refuge in hidden places of the world, meanwhile , was left Harry with a lightning -shaped scar on his forehead , the only physical sign of Voldemort's curse . Since then , Harry has become known in the wizarding world as " The Boy Who Lived " , for being the only person who survived a killing curse .
Harry Potter is an orphan raised by his uncles , the Muggles and Petunia Dursley Vernon Dursley . But when his eleventh birthday approaches , Harry has his first contact with the magical world when he receives letters from School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Hogwarts , which are stolen by his uncles before he can read them . On his eleventh birthday , Harry is told by Hagrid , the Hogwarts gamekeeper , he is a wizard and so has a place at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Hogwarts .
Each book records a year of Harry's life at Hogwarts , where he learns how to use and control magic . Harry also learns to overcome many magical , social and emotional obstacles he faces in his teens and at the second attempt to rise to power of Voldemort .
For detailed synopses of each book , see the article of each book .
Theme and content [ edit | edit source code ]


Mockup School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Hogwarts .
Being a series in which each book is equivalent to about one year of life of the protagonist , its content matures as Harry grows . Readers who began to read the very young saga will also maturing as they read . The story structure , including becomes more sophisticated and complex with each volume.
Rowling's books are set in the 1990s , in modern England " backpack " with cars , phones and video games. The problems in the wizarding world are solid and real as our world - prejudice, depression, hate, sacrifice, poverty , morte.9 " Harry goes to his magical world , and this is better than the world he left only because he find better people, " explains Rowling.10
One of the recurring themes throughout the series is the love , portrayed as a powerful form of magic . Dumbledore believes that the ability to love allowed Harry to resist the temptations of power Voldemort in their second meeting , did not allow the villain apossasse of Harry's body in its fifth year , and will be responsible for the final defeat of Voldemort.11 12
In contrast , another important theme is death . " My books deal very death . Begin with the death of Harry's parents . There is Voldemort's obsession with conquering death and defeat immortality at any price [ ... ] . I understand why Voldemort wants to conquer death . afraid we all have it, "said Rowling.13De fact , Voldemort's name means " flight of death " in Latin and French , and " stealing death " in French and Catalan . The books put the good versus evil and love against death . The persecution of Voldemort to avoid death , which includes episodes like drinking unicorn blood and separating his soul through the use of horcruxes , contrasts with Lily Potter 's sacrifice , love for Harry and the extraordinary magic that his gesture left him , a sacrifice that Voldemort can never understand or appreciate .
Prejudice and discrimination are also widely discussed throughout the books . Harry learns that there are pureblood wizards ( from families where there is only wizards ) who abhor the Mudblood ( a witch wizards and muggle ancestry or wizards who came from a family of muggles only ) and consider them inferior. The middle Mestizos are the wizards , or who has a parent muggle ( or muggle family ) , and the other belonging to the witch community . The most biased within the magical community take these assignments further, using them as a grading system to illustrate the value of a sorcerer , considering the Blood - Pure as superior and Mudblood as negligible . Out prejudices towards humans , there is a departure from the non- human and human - even partially .


The Forest of Dean , one of the scenarios of the last book of the series .
Another important issue arises about the choices . In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore makes perhaps his most important statement on the matter : " It is our choices , Harry , that show what we truly are , far more than our abilities " .14
Dumbledore addresses this issue again in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , when Cornelius Fudge says that more important than how it is born , is that the person becomes the crescer.15
As with many characters throughout the books , Dumbledore believes that " a choice between what is right and what is easy," has been a landmark in the career of Harry Potter at Hogwarts and their choices are among the characteristics that best apart from Voldemort . Both Harry and Voldemort were orphans raised in difficult environments outside the fact they share features that include , as Dumbledore said , " a very rare gift Parselmouth - wisdom , determination " and " a certain disregard for rules " .14 However , Harry , unlike Voldemort consciously decided to take their friendship , kindness, and love , while Voldemort chose purposely reject them .
While such ideas about love , prejudice and choice are , as JK Rowling states , "deeply carved in the whole plot " , the author prefers to let themes " grow organically " , rather than consciously trying to convey these ideas to the reader . 16 The friendship and lealdadesão perhaps the most " organic " themes of all , appearing mainly on the relationship between Harry , Ron and Hermione , a relationship that allows these subjects to develop naturally as the three characters grow , their relationship matures and that their experiences accumulated at Hogwarts test the fidelity of the three friends . These tests become progressively harder , watching the increasingly dark and mysterious tone of the books and the general nature of adolescence .
Structure [ Edit | edit source code ]


Film set of the Great Hall of Hogwarts


Hall of Christ Church emOxford , UK, the location used to represent the Great Hall of Hogwarts .
The Harry Potter series is drawn under a long tradition in British children's literature - the environment of boarding , a genus of the Victorian era , which emphasizes Tom Brown's Schooldays , Thomas Hughes.17 Further , similarly influential works include the Victorian era Edith Nesbit 's books , which Rowling has often said to be a fan , glorifying Nesbit by its very realistic characters and inovadores.18
There is a clear influence of elements less specific to an author, as the mythology and legends . Many of these influences are most noticeable on the creatures that inhabit the universe of Rowling , such as dragons , phoenixes and Hippogriff . Also note also to daastronomia influence, history, geography , and languages ​​(especially Latin ) , often seen in the careful character names, places and feitiçosno wizarding world . The ' " Voldemort " the onomatopoeic " Grawp " (or " Grope " , the giant Hagrid's half-brother ) complex , Rowling creates names that usually contains many significados.19
The books are also , in the words of Stephen King, " shrewd mystery story " .20 Each book is built in a style like the mysterious adventure of Sherlock Holmes ; books leave a number of clues hidden in the narrative , while the characters chase suspects through exotic locations , leading to a sudden change that often reverses what the characters believed . The stories are told by a third-person narrator with unlimited awareness, with very few exceptions ( the opening chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , the first two Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the first Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ), the reader discovers the secrets of the story when Harry does. The thoughts and plans of other characters , even the core as Ron and Hermione , are kept hidden until revealed to Harry .
The books tend to follow a fairly strict formula. The action takes place over a number of years can be clearly divided into six general sections :
Summer at the Dursleys : Harry spends most of the school summer holidays with the Dursleys in the Muggle world , supporting the bad treatment they receive there. This part ends with Harry going to a different location .
End of Summer : just before school starts in the fall : Harry goes to Diagon Alley , at the Burrow or Grimmauld Place , Number Twelve , . Ends with the entry of Hogwarts on the train on platform 9 ¾ .
New school year in school : new or redefined characters come alive, and Harry exceeds new daily challenges such as difficult tests , loves strangers and grumpy teachers , all this usually ends around Halloween, which coincidentally is the day that Voldemort killed Lily and James Potter .
Conflicts arise : Harry , his friends and schoolmates begin to realize that something is going on and begin to react .
Climax : Harry and his friends make an important discovery , and Harry runs desperately for a given location to a larger conflict , usually involving a battle against the villains . This usually happens near or just after final exams .
Conclusion : Harry begins to recover from the battle and learns important lessons through reports and discussions with Albus Dumbledore . Ends with Harry catching the Hogwarts Express and returning to the home with the Dursleys .
Universe [edit | edit source code ]


At King 's Cross , London , station a replica of " Season 9 3/4 " , the boarding platform of wizards to Hogwarts was created .
The Harry Potter series is set in the world we live in , inhabited by Muggles ( Muggle ) people without magical powers . But in a place reserved only for sorcerers , protected from curious Muggle , by powerful incantations and spells . The series tells the story of Harry James Potter , a boy who had parents dead by a dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort, and goes to live with the Dursleys , his uncles Muggles . At age 11 receives a letter saying that he had been accepted into the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Hogwarts , the school that is the main setting of the series , where Harry makes true friendships , as Ronald Weasley , Hermione Granger , Neville Longbottom , Seamus Finnigan , Dean Thomas , Luna Lovegood , among others . Still undergoing hazards , aimed at restoring peace in high school giddy after events , as in the book " Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets . '"
Anyway Hogwarts , the main scenario , taking Gringotts , the bank Wizards , Diagon Alley , the alley for the sale of books , cauldrons , animals and magical products. Hogsmeade , a village just next wizards to Hogwarts , where students usually go on holidays . It happens at Hogwarts that the final war between the Death Eaters and Voldemort against students and teachers of Hogwarts , let alone Harry Potter of course .
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Origin and publication history [edit | edit source code ]



JK Rowling worked on the development of the series of Harry Potter for 17 years.
In 1990 , JK Rowling was on a train going from Manchester to London when the idea for Harry just " appeared " in his head . Rowling tells about the experience on his website : " I've been writing steadily since the age of six but I've never been so excited about an idea before [ ... ] I simply sat and thought , for four hours ( delayed train ) , and all . the details bubbled up in my brain , and this kid wearing glasses and black hair who did not know he was a wizard became more and more real to me . " 21 that night , the author began writing his first novel , Harry Potter and the Stone Philosopher , and a plan that included the plots of each of the seven books , plus plenty of biographical and historical information about their characters and universe. 22
Over the next six years , which included the birth of their first child, a divorce from her first husband and a move to Portugal , Rowling continued to write Philosopher's Stone. 23
When I finally finished the volume , in 1996 , she sent it to a literary agent , and then eight publishers had rejected the manuscript , the Bloomsburyofereceu Rowling £ 3000 early and the Philosopher's Stone was published in the year seguinte.24


Boxes containing the sixth Harry Potter book .
Although Rowling stated that he had no particular age group when he started writing the Harry Potter books , their publishers initially directed us children aged between nine and eleven. On the eve of publication , the publishers asked Joanne Rowling to adopt a neutral pseudônimomais in relation to gender , fearing that the boys did not become interested by a book written by a woman . She elected to use JK Rowling ( Joanne Kathleen Rowling ) , omitting his first name and using her grandmother with second name . 25
After nearly a decade of the publication of the first book , Harry Potter was very successful in part because of positive reviews , strategies for marketing their publishers but also by word-of - mouth among many readers . Rowling's publishers were able to increase this fervor by rapid and successive launch of the first three books , which meant that neither the excitement nor the audience's interest Rowling caíssem.26 The series also won fans adults , causing , in many countries , each book had two editions , like audio -books , 27 with identical text or audio , but with different covers , one targeting children and another for adults.