Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone came out in 2001. The young Daniel Radcliffe played the wizard who had gained a lot of notoriety for being the one who survived the attack by Voldemort, Harry Potter's arch enemy who had killed his parents when he was just a baby. Harry, while living at his aunt's and uncles home, starts to receive letters in the mail from Hodwarts: The School of Wizardry. His aunt and uncle try everything in their power to keep Harry from going, but he is taken away from his oppressive aunt and uncle by a gentle giant named Hagrid, the grounds keeper of Hogwarts. After being taken to a wizardry shop to do some school shopping, Harry takes a train to Hogwarts and meets Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. From this point on, they will remain his best friends and stick with him through the trials and tribulations of the future. Harry arrives at Hogwarts and meets the professors that he will get to know for the time he is at Hogwarts. Just as he will make friends he will also make enemies. Harry and his friends will have their first big adventure when they try to stop the theft of the Sorcerer's stone.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets came out in theaters in 2002. Harry Potter had been staying with his horrible aunt and uncle for the summer after his first year at Hogwarts. One day, a house elf named Dobby visits Harry and insists that he not return to Hogwarts. Harry ignores the warning. One night, Ron Weasley picks up Harry in a flying car and brings him back to Hogwarts. Not long after arriving at Hogwarts, Harry and his friends realize that there is something bad happening at the school. Mudbloods (or people with Muggle families) are being petrified one after another by a monster that lurks beneath the school in an area known as the Chamber of Secrets. Soon, Harry will be meeting up with the person who is responsible for the chaos.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban came out in 2004. Harry Potter has had to deal with another summer of torture with his aunt and uncle. His uncle's sister Marge visits and says bad things about Harry's parents. Harry uses his magic to inflate her into a big ball and then runs away to Hogwarts. Upon his arrival, he finds out that a crazed murderer escapes from the wizard's prison at Azkaban. He is known as Sirius Black. Dark flying creatures known as Dementor's have been sent to the school to protect Harry, but they turn out to do more harm than good. Harry finds out that things are not always what they seem.

Harry Potter is now in his fourth year at Hogwarts (2005). After spending summer vacation with his friends, he returns to Hogwarts. This year, it is the Triwizard Cup Final for Quidditch and Harry is too young to join. Even so, his name is read from the Goblet of Fire and people think that he has cheated but he hasn't. Someone else had put his name in there. It turns out that there was a reason for that and Harry will come across a terrifying realization in a maze of terrifying events.

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry is in his fifth year. It appears that Lord Voldemort is back and Harry and Dumbledore try to warn the Ministry of Magic. They do not believe them and so they send in a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to keep things in check. The new addition, Professor Umbridge, sets up an entirely new set of rules for everyone at Hogwarts. Harry and his friends fight back by holding secret meetings in secret place behind a wall of the school and they spend hours practicing magic to prepare for the future threat.

Now that you have some idea of what the other movies are about, you should be more prepared for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. This movie comes out on July 15, 2009. It should prove to be the best of all the Harry Potter movies and probably the most dramatic. If you are afraid that you will not understand the happenings in the movie, sit down and watch the previous five movies.