"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment of J.K. Rowling's series, opens in theaters July 15.

Before experiencing this chapter of the Potter journey on screen, brush up on the plot summaries of these seven spellbinding books, beginning with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Pictured, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, and Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

— Boston.com Staff