How many Harry Potter books are there?

The story behind the answer

There are seven books in J.K. Rowling’s original Harry Potter series, each aligning with one of Harry’s seven school years at Hogwarts (published 1997–2007). People often think “eight” because there are eight films—the final book, Deathly Hallows, was split into two movies. Also, The Cursed Child is a stage play and Fantastic Beasts are screenplays, not novels in the main series.

Memory tip: Think “sevens” in the wizarding world—seven school years, seven players on a Quidditch team, and seven core novels.