Philosopher's Stone

This article is for **the object**. You may be looking for **the book by J.K. Rowling**.

## Philosopher's Stone

### Invented for

* Transforming metal into gold
* Immortality

### Owner(s)

* Nicolas Flamel
* Perenelle Flamel
* Albus Dumbledore

## Book information

### First appearance

*Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*

"*The Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal.*"
— Hermione Granger's findings about the Stone.

The **Philosopher's Stone**, or **Sorcerer's Stone**, is an ancient and coveted object that creates unlimited gold. It also gives the brewer the power to create the Elixir of Life which grants immortality.

It was created by Nicolas Flamel, a famed alchemist. It extended both his life and his wife's lifespans for up to seven-hundred years. They gave it to Albus Dumbledore for safe-keeping when Voldemort attempted to and failed to steal the Philosopher's Stone. It was later destroyed and they died shortly after.

## About

The Philosopher's Stone transforms any base metal into gold. It is also needed for the process of creating the Elixir of Life. Over the centuries, many witches and wizards attempted to create a Philosopher's Stone but Nicolas Flamel is the only wizard who ever succeeded. Dumbledore observed that his invention of the Stone was wrong. Though it granted wealth and eternal life, the two things that everyone craved, he thought people wanted the things that were bad for them, and it was not such a wonderful thing to live forever.

## History

### Invention

Nicolas Flamel, who was born in the early fourteenth century, invented the Philosopher's Stone. He made the Elixir of Life using the Stone which he and Perenelle Flamel had to drink to extend their lives beyond the normal lifespan. For six centuries, they used the coveted Stone to continue doing so. Witches and wizards started telling stories of the Stone until it was legend. Books were wrote about it and the powers that it bestowed.

### Protecting the Stone

In 1991, Albus Dumbledore began to suspect that Voldemort (who was living a bodiless half-life) was going to try and steal the Philosopher's Stone because he hoped that the Elxir of Life was going to grant him a new body. He inhabited a human host, Professor Quirrell for the purpose of doing that. Dumbledore was given the Stone by Nicolas Flamel, who was a friend, and he put it in Gringotts for safe-keeping.

Dumbledore then secured a defence in the underground chambers to keep the Philosopher's Stone in Hogwarts Castle. The entrance to the six chambers was found through a trapdoor in a section of the third-floor corridor. The corridor was out-of-bounds for students. Rubeus Hagrid gave Fluffy to put in that section of the corridor to guard the trapdoor.

The six underground chambers had one of these defences, provided by teachers of the school: the Devil's Snare by Professor Sprout, winged keys by Professor Flitwick, a giant chessboard by Professor McGonagall, a troll by Professor Quirrell, a potions riddle by Professor Snape and the Mirror of Erised which contained the Stone.

In July, Dumbledore sent Hagrid to get the Stone in Gringotts when he took Harry Potter shopping. Hagrid could not tell Harry about the Stone and he spent ages wondering what it was that Hagrid collected. Later that same day, Professor Quirrell, now possessed by Voldemort, attempted to steal the Stone from Gringotts but was unsuccessful because he was too late. Later that year, Professor Quirrell attempted a second time to get the Stone but was intercepted by Professor Snape.

Having to find a way around Fluffy, he and Voldemort put their plans on hold for the time-being. In December, Dumbledore finally completed an enchantment to put on the Mirror of Erised. He put the Stone in the mirror and enchanted it to give it to a viewer who simply wanted to possess the Stone and not use it.

### Destroying the Stone

In June 1992, Quirrell and Voldemort finally attempted to get the Stone. They went through each underground chamber until they found the final chamber that had the Stone in the Mirror of Erised. Harry joined him a short time later. The mirror would not give Quirrell the Stone because he and Voldemort wanted to use it, but it observed that Harry simply wanted to possess it. The mirror then put the Stone in Harry's pocket.

Quirrell was unsuccessful in getting the Stone from Harry because of the protection that Lily Potter had given him when she died. Nicolas Flamel and Dumbledore both agreed that the Stone was too dangerous and had to be destroyed. Nicolas used the Stone to create a few final batches of the Elixir of Life prior to it getting destroyed.

## Trivia

* Ronald Weasley proposed that if he had the Stone, he would use it to create gold and purchase a Quidditch team.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ In US editions of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, the name was changed to *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone*.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 17
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 13
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 6
5. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 7
6. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 14
7. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 16
8. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 9
9. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone*, Chapter 11