How it all began...legend has it that Harry Potter was born of humble beginnings on of all places a train. J.K. Rowling was sitting comfortably on an ordinary train trip from Manchester to London in 1991 when kapow out of the blue this now internationally known wizard popped into her head!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone...this was actually the first book in the Harry Potter series to be published, in July of 1997. The book was published in the UK by a fairly small independent book publisher called Bloomsbury, who as mere Muggles had absolutely no idea of the giant they were about to stir!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...this book was the one that skyrocketed the series to international stardom. However this overnight success was anything but! The three previous books help set the blaze by winning the Nestle Smarties Book Prize apiece, great reviews and excellent word-of-mouth dissemination. Thus the stage was set...to date the Harry Potter series have worldwide sales in excess of 300 million copies.

How the cast came about...Of the main Harry Potter cast members (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint) only Daniel Radcliffe had previously appeared on film. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint prior to Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone had only acted in school plays.