1997

The following events occurred in the year 1997:

Events

 * 1 March: Ron Weasley celebrates his seventeenth birthday and accidentally consumes a Love Potion Romilda Vane intended for Harry Potter. He then drinks poisoned mead Draco Malfoy had intended for Albus Dumbledore, but Harry saves him with a bezoar.
 * 20 April: The acromantula Aragog passes away. Rubeus Hagrid removes his corpse from the Forbidden Forest to prevent the other acromantulas from cannibalizing it.
 * 21 April:
 * Harry Potter and Horace Slughorn attend Aragog's funeral with Rubeus Hagrid.
 * Harry consumes Felix Felicis and successfully gets Professor Slughorn's memory of discussing Horcruxes with Tom Riddle.
 * 22 April: Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore view the memory recently procured from Horace Slughorn and discover the truth of Voldemort's multiple Horcruxes.
 * May:
 * Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley begin dating.
 * June:
 * Harry and Dumbledore retrieve the fake locket Horcrux from a cave and learn of the existence of "R.A.B.".
 * Draco Malfoy smuggles several Death Eaters into Hogwarts and the Battle of the Astronomy Tower ensues.
 * Severus Snape kills Albus Dumbledore and flees with the Death Eaters.
 * Dumbledore's funeral is held at Hogwarts. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger commit to the hunt for Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes with Harry. Harry breaks up with Ginny because he believes they are not safe together.
 * June or July: Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks marry. Several Death Eaters escape from Azkaban.
 * July: Voldemort and his Death Eaters hold a meeting at Malfoy Manor. Charity Burbage is murdered.
 * 27 July: The Battle of the Seven Potters occurs when Voldemort makes an attempt on Harry Potter's life; Alastor Moody is killed in battle as well as Harry's owl, Hedwig.
 * 31 July: Harry turns seventeen and a birthday party is held for him at the Burrow. Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour interrupts the celebration to discuss Dumbledore's will with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
 * 1 August:
 * Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour marry at the Burrow.
 * The Ministry of Magic is taken over by Lord Voldemort; Scrimgeour is murdered and Pius Thicknesse is installed as puppet Minister under the Imperius Curse.
 * The Burrow and other residences affiliated with the Order of the Phoenix are attacked by Death Eaters.
 * Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger are attacked by Death Eaters Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle on Tottenham Court Road, and escape to 12 Grimmauld Place.
 * 1 September: Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to restart Dumbledore's Army to escape the Carrows and Severus Snape. Death Eaters hunt for Harry Potter during the Raid on the Hogwarts Express.
 * 2 September: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley infiltrate the Ministry of Magic in order to steal Salazar Slytherin's Locket from Dolores Umbridge, freeing several prosecuted Muggle-borns in the process.
 * October or November: After a row with Harry, Ron leaves Harry and Hermione and goes to stay at Shell Cottage. Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley attempt to steal Godric Gryffindor's Sword.
 * 24 December: Harry and Hermione are attacked at Godric's Hollow by Nagini and narrowly escape Voldemort.
 * 28 December: Ron returns to his friends and destroys the locket Horcrux with Godric Gryffindor's Sword.
 * 30 December: There is an attempted ambush of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley at Xenophilius Lovegood's house.

Deaths

 * Alastor Moody
 * Albus Dumbledore
 * Aragog
 * Bathilda Bagshot
 * Cassandra Vablatsky
 * Charity Burbage
 * Gibbon
 * Gregorovitch
 * Hedwig
 * Montgomery boy
 * Rufus Scrimgeour

Behind the scenes

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is first published in the UK, launching the Harry Potter novel series which will run for the next decade.