All 7 Harry Potter books, ranked worst to best

By Bryce Olin | Jun 19, 2023

LONDON - FEBRUARY 28: Part of a collection of 550 first edition Harry Potter books are displayed on February 28, 2008 in London. Bloomsbury Auctions are selling the collection, known as 'The Property of a Gentleman', in their Children's and Illustrated Books, Original Artwork, Private Press and Limited Editions' two day sale on February 28 and 29, 2008 in London. The collection of Harry Potter books range from Finnish, Gaelic, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Welsh and six different Indian dialects to Hebrew, Turkish, Polish,Indonesian, ancient Greek and Latin. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) /

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Harry Potter Series: Classic Editions Illustrated by Mary GrandPré. Image courtesy Scholastic /

6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book of the Harry Potter series. It continues the story following Voldemort’s return, the murder of Cedric Diggory, and the other events of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The book was published in 2003.

In the fifth book, Harry is attacked by dementors while staying with the Dursleys, which puts him at risk of getting expelled from school. The whole thing is actually part of a plot by the Ministry of Magic to stop Harry from spreading the word that Voldemort has returned for fear it will cause panic among the populace. Throughout the book, Harry deals with the cruel Professor Dolores Umbridge, an absent Dumbledore, nightmares, and just overall unhappiness and unpredictability,

Because Voldemort is able to use a connection with Harry to get inside his head, Harry is forced to take lessons with Snape, which are miserable but enlightening for readers, who learn more about Snape, his history with Harry’s parents, and more. We also get some great moments with Harry and Sirius.

Overall, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix just doesn’t hit as hard as some of the other books. We learn a lot more information about the first war against Voldemort, and readers are dealt quite a blow when Sirius Black is killed in the battle at the Ministry.

My main qualm with the book is mainly how involved the Ministry of Magic becomes in Harry’s life. I understand why it happens, but it leads to a story that feels much less fun than the first four books.

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