abstract
| - The chronology is a general timeline of events derived from information provided in the series of Harry Potter novels written by J. K. Rowling, along with additional materials posted on her web site and published in various interviews. The timeline covers events referred to and occurring within the novels. It appears in other media, such as the DVD copies of the films produced by Warner Bros. She has now finished her seventh book called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The timeline contains flaws, which Rowling has on occasion acknowledged, and sometimes contradicts itself or does not agree with real calendar days and dates for events being described. Nonetheless, it has become a generally accepted timeline for the events within the novels. The dates provided in the timeline are derived from bits of information provided by Rowling, either directly in her books, on her website, during published interviews, or from other published materials. For example the Black Family Tree, first mentioned in the fifth book of the series The Order of the Phoenix was extended and donated for a charity auction. That extended version included birthdates and death years for several key characters. Warner Bros. is the producer of the Harry Potter films, and holds the associated copyrights and trademarks related to Harry Potter media. DVD editions of the Harry Potter films Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, contain the timeline of events, which take place over the course of the films and in the narrative of the novels. Warner Bros. originally developed the timeline as part of the special features package for the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) DVD. Rowling reviewed the timelines and made several changes before approving them as "official". The timeline followed in the novels is not strictly enforced in the films. In the film series, London and the suburbs of Surrey reflect a more modern, 21st century setting. This is demonstrated by the inclusion of recent British cars and certain other objects, such as the flat panel TV in the Dursley home. In addition, the use of Westminster Station in the fifth film is inconsistent, since it was completely changed for the Jubilee Line extension, which opened in 1998, three years after the event.
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