Bloomsbury, the publisher, forbade anyone from receiving an early copy of the book, but The Times had a secret weapon: Anne Jones. The former schoolteacher from Loughborough is the eight-times winner and reigning champion of the Mind Sports Olympiad speed-reading competition. Joining her were four Times journalists, three children and two of their parents.

CHAPTERS 1-3
David Chater, 50

It gets off to a cracking and weirdly topical start with the Prime Minister struggling to look brave while being blamed for everything from hurricanes to murders and collapsing bridges. Just when matters could hardly get worse, he receives an intelligence report that He Who Must Not Be Named is still alive and at large. The hurricane, the murder, the collapsing bridge — nothing was what it seemed.

The scene moves to mysterious hooded figures drinking blood-red wine in a room like a dark, padded cell. “If I had sons,” says Bellatrix, “I would be glad to give them up to the service of the Dark Lord.”

Fortunately, all may be well. Harry’s first appearance is fast asleep, snoring and surrounded by rubbish. He is visited by Dumbledore and finds that he has been left everything by his godfather Sirius. It looks as though he will soon be rid of those horrible foster parents.

CHAPTERS 4-10
Anne Jones, 53

Dumbledore and Harry go to Budleigh Babberton, where they meet Horace Slughorn, who is going to work at Hogwarts. Mrs Weasley is anxious about a spate of death-eater attacks. They find that Fleur Delacourt is engaged to Ron Weasley’s brother, Bill. The Prophet newspaper reveals the prophecy that Harry Potter is the one who must destroy Voldemort: only one can survive.

CHAPTERS 11-13
Francesca Chater, 15

Harry has been made captain of the Quidditch team, there was a trip to Hogsmeade, and an argument between two girls over a package containing a green necklace. I don’t quite understand what happend next, but a girl was pulled into the air by an invisible force, and she was screaming.

CHAPTERS 14-16
Vicky Munro, 10

Harry and Ron are playing a game of pods and seeds. Later we find out that Ron fancies Hermione. During a game of Quidditch, Dean, one of the chasers, kisses Ginny, Ron’s sister, to the annoyance of Harry. Sidetracked, Harry is not doing well at Quidditch but soon wins for his house, Gryffindor.

CHAPTERS 17-19
Alice Munro, 16

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Alex Rider exclusive: Incident in Nice
• Green & confused: do energy-saving bulbs work?
• Let’s skip lunch, say the hungry generation