This a summary of the biggest Harry Potter news of 2004, organized chronologically with the top being the most recent.

December 21st - Just hours after the first pre-orders were taken, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is already topping charts.

December 21st - In a joint press release, US and UK publishers Scholastic and Bloomsbury announce that the sixth book will be released at midnight BST on July 16, 2005. The suggested retail price is $29.99 in the US and £16.99 in Britain. Bloomsbury says it will be "a bit shorter" than book 5 was.

December 20th - First official Goblet of Fire movie pictures are released.

December 20th - The door on JK Rowling's official site opens. Jo says the book is complete and a release date will be announced within 24 hours.

December 15th - Producer David Heyman says Goblet of Fire filming is 75% complete.

December 9th - First batch of hi-res Goblet of Fire set pictures (Quidditch World Cup tents).

November 23rd - Prisoner of Azkaban DVD is released in US.

November 19th - Prisoner of Azkaban DVD Launch Party is held in London; DVD released in UK the following day.

November 19th - David Yates confirmed as Order of the Phoenix director.

November 17th - HP screenwriter Steve Kloves steps down; is replaced by Michael Goldenberg.

November 11th - TRL airs short, behind-the-scenes look at Goblet of Fire.

November 11th - MuggleNet and TLC webmasters visit Goblet of Fire set - (huge) reports still to come.

October 31st - Door opens on JKRowling.com; three Half-Blood Prince chapter titles revealed.

October 25th - John Williams officially out; Patrick Doyle and Jarvis Cocker to write Goblet of Fire score.

August 16th - Door on JKRowling.com opens to reveal a passage from Half-Blood Prince describing a character.

August 15th - JK Rowling answers fan questions at the Edinburgh Book Festival.

August 10th - Order of the Phoenix is released in paperback; debuts at #1 on all charts.

August 7th - Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley) announces in an interview that the Dursleys have been dropped from the Goblet of Fire script.

August 5th - Ralph Fiennes is cast for the role of Lord Voldemort in the Goblet of Fire movie.

July 24th - JK Rowling announces that she is pregnant and has a baby due in the spring of 2005.

July 6th - Jo Rowling says the Mark Evans that made a cameo appearance in Order of the Phoenix is a nobody, putting an end to the speculation.

June 30th - Prisoner of Azkaban DVD release date is announced (November 23rd).

June 28th - Door on JKRowling.com opens for the first time to reveal the title of the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

June 25th - "Pillar of Storge" book six title hoax emerges.

June 10th - Robert Pattinson is cast for the role of Cedric Diggory in the Goblet of Fire movie.

June 5th - Prisoner of Azkaban hauls in $40.8 million in its first day; sets record.

June 4th - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is released.

June 3rd - Stanislav Yanevski is cast for the role of Viktor Krum in the Goblet of Fire movie.

May 29th - Prisoner of Azkaban UK Premiere held in London's Leicester Square Odeon Theatre.

May 23rd - Prisoner of Azkaban US Premiere held in New York City's Radio City Music Hall.

May 15th - JK Rowling unveils new website.

May 9th - Prisoner of Azkaban special airs on ABC with new, behind-the-scenes footage; clips online.

April 18th - Goblet of Fire casting director Fiona Weir says casting is complete, and Order of the Phoenix casting will begin in 2005.

April 14th - Goblet of Fire release date is announced (November 18, 2005).

March 24th - Warner Bros. unveils new official site and releases the Prisoner of Azkaban theatrical trailer.

March 4th - JK Rowling participates in a long web chat celebrating World Book Day.

February 7th - Thousands of girls audition for the role of Cho Chang in London.

February 4th - Thousands show up for Viktor Krum casting in Sofia, Bulgaria.

January 30th - Director Mike Newell confirms that Goblet of Fire will be one film.

January 18th - Goblet of Fire is to be most expensive film ever made.