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When Joanne Kathleen Rowling first came out with the Harry Potter book, there was no denying she was good. She was very, very good but did people really think that a kid with the name Harry Potter would make it big? Even if he was a wizard?

Rowling's storytelling skills were praised but nobody expected her to grow richer than the Queen of England. Pottermania gripped the world but Rowling had the series already mapped out in her head. She dropped hints even about the seventh book where the last paragraph, which is supposed to deal with the lives of all the characters who survive, ends with the word 'scar'. But that's all she's saying. Here, however, we start you on Potter education:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The first Potter book that hexed the world with a mania worse than the Cruciatus Curse. Publishers learnt fast not to underestimate the powers of magic and Rowling's imagination.

The Philosopher's Stone is the foundation on which the rest of the Potter books are based. It was here that the vocabulary of magic was introduced with words like 'quidditch' (a wizard sport) and 'muggle' (a non-magical human being). It presented Harry Potter, the protagonist who lives with his horrid relatives. But on his birthday, Harry discovers he is a wizard, that too, a famous one! The world is then whirl of things neither Potter nor the readers could have imagined. Simply written, you can't help but be drawn into Potter's world, and like Pottermaniacs, breathlessly wait for the next book.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The die had been cast and Rowling is not one to disappoint. The Chamber of Secrets picks up where The Philosopher's Stone leaves off. Potter is in his second year at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, learning what it means to be a wizard. Though it pales in comparison to her sensational first book, Rowling brings Muggledom to the fore. A little repetitive maybe, this book acts as a bridge to understanding Harry and his friends.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
This is darker than the first two books, a theme Rowling pursues in the books to come. The level of violence grows and Potter is often hurled into critical situations. Magic is more dangerous than fantastic. This book also introduces two very important characters—Sirius Black and Remus James Lupin. The plot is sinister and spellbinding. And as Harry Potter grows, so does Rowling's treatment and the manner in which she expects readers to treat him.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
In the most gripping of the series, The Goblet of Fire, Harry sheds his pre-teen hesitancy of being a wizard. He and his friends also discover romance. The Tri-Wizard Tournament, which is the climax event, proves that Harry is one of the most talented wizards, but at a great price. A tragedy sparks Rowling off on a killing spree of important characters in the books that follow. Harry Potter is no more a happy story for little children but a series for older children with more balanced worldviews.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
All things dark, sinister and evil in the magical world come alive in The Order of the Phoenix. Harry must fight the forces of evil like never before. Voldemort, the Dark Lord, is back with a vengeance. The plot is more complex. Fun at Hogwarts is challenged by the threat of Voldemort's return and the approaching Ordinary Wizarding Levels (OWLs) exam. The pressure on Harry mounts as he tries to save the wizarding world while studying for his OWLs. Rowling brings in aspects of violence that govern our everyday life, encompassing the terrorism that froze the world in a parallel universe.

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
For the first time in Potter history, this book does not begin at Number Four Privet Drive. In fact, it starts nowhere near Harry and surprisingly, does not contain any background on him. Rowling expects her readers to have read previous Potter books to come this far. The Half-Blood Prince is bigger, better and darker. Harry is an adolescent and in love. There is more romance but there is also greater tragedy as layers to characters such as Snape, Draco Malfoy and even Dumbledore are revealed. Lord Voldemort has intensified his attacks and readers question Harry's ability to defeat his archrival. The answer remains a mystery as Potter fans wait for the next Potter book.