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All 7 Harry Potter books, ranked worst to best

By Bryce Olin

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)
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 /

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth book of the Harry Potter series. It was released in 2000, and it marked the first time that a new Harry Potter book was released in the UK and the US at the same time. The book series had grown even more in popularity after the release of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 1999.

The book could easily be No. 1 on the list of the best, and some fans might indeed think that this is the best book of the series. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry is mysteriously entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament even though he’s underage and not eligible.

There are so many good things that happen in Goblet of Fire. In addition to the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the world expands. Readers get to experience the Quidditch World Cup and learn about the wizarding communities in other countries. We also are introduced to Mad-Eye Moody (or so we think!), and there’s another epic twist at the end of the story when it’s revealed that the  Mad-Eye Moody teaching at the school is actually Barty Crouch Jr, a fervent follower of Voldemort who never gave up on his master.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire does a lot of the heavy lifting setting the story up for the final three books of the series, but it does it in a way that’s fun, fresh, and incredibly entertaining, which I don’t think can be said about the next book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

There’s definitely a tone shift from the first three books to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Cedric Diggory is murdered by Voldemort after he and Harry grab the Tri-Wizard Cup at the same time. It’s a portkey to a graveyard where Wormtail is ready to bring back Voldemort. It’s the first time that a student dies at Voldemort’s hand in the story, and it’s quickly apparent to everyone where this story is headed. Harry isn’t going to escape with a victory every time.

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