Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

**Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**, also known as **Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone** is a British children's novel written by J.K. Rowling. It was published in 1997.

## Synopsis

Harry Potter is an orphan who lives with the abusive Dursley Family- his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley. He has a mysterious lighting bolt-shaped scar on his forehead and has been told that his parents died in a car crash while he was a baby. On his eleventh birthday, Harry is visited by Hagrid- an extremely large man- who informs Harry that he is a wizard. As well as this, Hagrid informs Harry that he will be attending a magical school called Hogwarts in September, where Hagrid is the gamekeeper. Hagrid reveals that Harry's parents did not die in a car accident as the Dursleys had told him, but been murdered by a dark wizard; Lord Voldemort. It was surviving the curse that left Harry with his distinctive scar. Since failing to kill Harry, Voldermort has not been seen. Some people think he has died, but others think the is still alive but too weak to carry on his reign of terror. Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Ally- a street full of magical shops- to buy school supplies. While in Diagon Ally, Harry learns he is famous for defeating Voldemort and surviving a killing curse. While in Diagonal Ally, Harry buys his wand, school books, uniform. Hagrid also gives Harry a pet owl, which Harry names Hedwig. While in Diagon Ally, Harry and Hagrid visit Gringotts, the wizarding bank, where Harry withdraws some money and Hagrid withdraws an unidentified object from the bank, which he tells Harry is a secret. Harry also meets Professor Quirrell, a very anxious wizard with a stammer who wears a large turban. Hagrid tells Harry that Quirrell will be Harry's Defence against the Dark Arts teacher.

In September, Harry travels to to King's Cross to take the Hogwarts Express to school. He struggles to find platform 9 and 3/4, until he meets a red-haired family who are also traveling to Hogwarts, who explain that Harry must run through the barrier between platform 9 and platform 10. Harry learns that the family are the Weasleys. While on the train, Harry bonds with Ron Weasley, a boy who is also starting Hogwarts this year. Harry and Ron also meet Hermione Granger, another first year who is rather bossy and has taught herself some basic spells. Harry and Ron take a dislike to Hermione. Harry also encounters Draco Malfoy, an arrogant and snobbish boy who Harry had previously met briefly in Diagon Ally, who ridicules the Weasley family because of the family's poverty.

The train arrives at the grounds of Hogwarts and the first years sail across a lake to reach the school, which is in a large castle. The children are greeted by Professor McGonagall, the deputy head of Hogwarts. The first years are sorted into different houses by the Sorting Hat, an enchanted hat who is able to speak through a ripped seam and see into the children's minds to determine which house they would be most suited to. Harry learns that there are four houses: Gryfindor (for brave wizzards and witches), Hufflepuff (for wizards and witches who value hard work and fairness), Ravenclaw (for clever wizards and witches) and Slytherin (for ambitious and cunning wizards and witches). Ron tells Harry that Slytherin is associated with dark wizards. When Harry comes to be sorted, the Sorting Hat says that Harry would do well in Slytherin, but as Harry does not want to go into Slytherin, Harry is sorted into Gryfindor. Ron and Hermione are also sorted into Gryfindor. Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, gives a speech. At the end of the speech, he informs students that the third floor corridor is out of bounds.

Lessons start. While having breakfast, Harry reads the Daily Prophet, a wizarding newspaper. He sees that there was an attempted break-in at Gringotts on a vault that had been emptied earlier in the day, which happened on his birthday. Harry realises that this was the same vault that Hagrid had emptied. Harry also discovers a dislike for Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin house and potions master. However, Harry finds he has an apptitude for flying on a broomstick and is asked to play on Grifindor's Quiddich team, which is unusual as first year's are not normally allowed on the team. The captain of the Quiddich team, Oliver Wood, explains that Quiddich is a game played while flying on brooms. Harry's role on the team is the seeker, who is responsible for catching the golden snitch; a small golden ball which flies around the pitch. When the snitch is caught, the game ends and the team who caught the snitch wins 150 points.

Malfoy challenges Harry and Ron to a duel at night. It later turns out that this was a ploy to get Ron and Harry out of their dormetory at night, which is against school rules. Malfoy tells Filtch, the strict school caretaker, that Harry and Ron will be in the trophy room. Hermione accompanies them, trying to discourage Harry and Ron from breaking the rules. When they realise the duel is a trick, they try to return to the dormetory, only to accidentally find themselves in the third floor corridor. They encounter a large three-headed dog, which is standing on a trapdoor. They flee back to safety.

After saving her from a troll on Halloween, Harry and Ron become friends with Hermione. Hermione lends Harry a book called Quiddich Through the Ages to help him prepare for the first Quiddich match of the season. Snape confiscates the book with little justification. As he does this, Harry notices that Snape is limping. When Harry goes to retrieve the book, he overhears Snape telling Filtch that the injury to his leg was caused by the three-headed dog. The day of the Quiddich match comes. Harry spots the golden snitch. However, his broom begins to jerk. Hermione notices Snape whispering and thinks he has put a curse on the broom. She uses magic to set fire to Snape's robes and Harry regains control of the broom. He speeds towards the golden snitch and unintentionally catches it in his mouth. Harry, Ron and Hermione go to visit Hagrid's hut, where they tell Hagrid about their suspicions that Snape had cursed the broom. Hagrid is dismissive of their concerns. When discussing Snape's injured leg, Hagrid accidentally reveals that he owns the three-heading dog, which is called Fluffy. While trying to avoid giving away any further information, Hagrid unintentionally reveals that the dog is guarding something that is a secret between Dumbledore and a man named Nicholas Flamel.

For Christmas, Harry is given an invisibility cloak from an unknown person, which used to belong to his father. He also receives other gifts, including a flute from Hagrid. Also during the Christmas holidays, while looking for information on Nicholas Flamel in the library, Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised, a mirror which shows the person looking into the mirror what they most desire. In Harry's case, this shows Harry standing with his dead family. Harry goes back to the mirror repeatedly, but one night, Dumbledore is in the room. He advises Harry not to return and tells him that soon the mirror will be moved.

Hermione returns to school after the holidays. Harry remembers that he had once seen Flamel's name on a chocolate frog card (cards which have a brief discription of famous witches and wizards). Hermione also realises that the too had come across Nicholas Flamel's name before: in a book. They learn that Flamel is an alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone has the ability to turn any metal into gold, and also to produce the Elixir of Life, which gives immortality to those who drink it.

Harry follows Snape into the Forbidden Forest. Harry hears Snape talking about the Philosopher's Stone with Quirrell. Harry assumes Snape is trying to coerce Quirell into taking the stone for Snape so that Snape can make gold. Harry, Ron and Hermione go to Hagrid's hut, where Hagrid tells them that the stone is being kept at the school. While they are there, they discover that Hagrid is hatching a dragon's egg. The egg hatches and Hagrid names the dragon Norbert. Unbeknown to them, Malfoy is outside. They realise Malfoy is spying on them and has seen the baby dragon. As dragon breeding is illegal, Ron convinces Hagrid to send the dragon away to Charlie, Ron's brother who works with dragons in Romania. Norbert bites Ron's hand, and he goes to the hospital wing for treatment. While wearing the invisibility cloak, Harry and Hermione then smuggle Norbert to the tallest tower in the school, where one of Charlie's friends collects the dragon on a broom. On the way, they see that McGonagall has given Malfoy a detention for being out of bed. Malfoy tells McGonagall that Harry was getting rid of a dragon, but McGonagall refuses to believe him. However, as Harry and Hermione go downstairs, Filch catches them. They realise they had forgotten to put the invisibility cloak back on and Filch gives Harry and Hermione a detention for being out of bed at night. Neville Longbottom-another Gryfindor boy- was also awake, and also gets detention.

Harry, Hermione, Malfoy and Neville serve detention in the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. Hagrid explains that the unicorns in the forest are being hurt and the children must find the injured unicorn. Harry finds the unicorn. It was dead and someone is drinking its blood. A centaur called Firenze saves Harry from the person drinking the blood. Firenze explains to Harry that drinking unicorn's blood, albeit leaving the drinker with a cursed life. Firenze also informs Harry that the person who was drinking the blood was using the blood to keep them alive until they could drink the Elixer of Life, which the Philosopher's Stone produces. Harry comes to the realisation that the unseen person is Lord Voldermort. Harry concludes that Snape is going to steal the stone and give the elixar to Voldermort to revive him. Harry tells Ron and Hermione this.

Harry comes to realise that it was rather suspicious that someone gave Hagrid a dragon's egg, which Hagrid had wanted for many years but was unable to obtain. They go to talk to Hagrid, who tells the children that the person who gave him the egg kept his face covered. He also tells them that the person asked about Fluffy and unintentionally reveals to the children that Fluffy can be sent to sleep by playing music. The three of them go to tell Dumbledore that Snape is trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone. They meet McGonagall instead, who informs them that Dumbledore has gone away from Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione tell McGonagall about their suspicions, but she dismisses the children's claims, telling them that the stone is too well protected to be stolen. The children realise that Dumbledore has been lured away from Hogwarts. They fear that Snape is going to steal the stone on that night. They decide to go to save it.

Harry, Ron and Hermione decide to go and save the Philosopher's Stone. They go the the third floor corridor. When the children arrive, they see a harp, suggesting that someone has already entered the trapdoor. Harry plays his flute that Hagrid gave him to Fluffy, which sends her to sleep. The children get through the trapdoor and land on a room full of Devil's Snare, a magical plant which tries to strangle the children. Hermione identifies the plant and remembers that it shrinks away from fire. She uses magic to set a fire. The children then fall into the next room. In the next room, there are many flying keys, a broomstick and a locked door to the next room. Harry notices a key that is older than the rest. He uses the broom to catch it, but all the other keys follow him. Harry succeeds in catching it and opens the locked door. In the next room, there is a very large wizard's chess game. Ron plays the game. He reaches a point where Ron himself has to be sacrifised. He is knocked unconscious, but Harry and Hermione are able to progress to the next room. In the next room, they see a troll. It has been knocked unconscious by someone else, so Harry and Hermione are able to progress the next room. The next room contains seven vials of potion and a purple flame. There is a scroll, which contains a logic puzzle which hints at which potion to drink to get through the black flame and progress. Hermione works out which potion to drink. Hermione drinks a potion that allows her to return back, while Harry drinks the potion that allows him through the black flame.

When Harry gets into the next room, much to his surpise, he does not see Snape, but Quirrell. Quirrell confesses that he is the one who is trying to steal the stone. He tells Harry that Snape dislikes Harry because Snape had a rivalry with Harry's father while the two of them were at school. Quirrell says that Snape's dislike of Harry is not so great that he would allow Harry to die. Harry notices the Mirror of Erised. A voice from someone Harry cannot see tells Quirrell to use Harry to obtain the stone from the mirror. Quirrell forces Harry to look in the mirror. In the mirror, Harry sees the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket. He then realises the stone is now actually in his pocket. Quirrell demands to know what Harry sees. Harry comes up with various lies. The unseen voice says Harry is lying and tells Quirrell to remove his turban. There is a face on the back of Quirrell's head. Harry realises that this second face is Voldermort. Voldermort demands Harry give him the stone. Harry tries to flea with the stone, but Quirrell grabs him. However, Quirrell's skin burns as he touches Harry. Harry keeps touching Quirrell, but he develops searing pain in his scar and loses consciousness.

Harry wakes up in the hospital wing. Dumbledore explains to Harry that Quirrell did not succeed in getting the Philosopher's Stone. He also tells Harry that Quirrell has died. He could not touch Harry because Harry's mother sacrificed herself to save Harry, and her love now protected Harry. Harry recovers and leaves the hospital wing before the end of term feast. After being awarded some last minute house points, Gryfindor wins the house cup and all the children depart for the summer.

## Publication

Rowling initially struggled to get the book published because many publishers felt it was too long. Eventually, Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book. Bloomsbury encouraged Rowling to use the initials "J.K." rather than her first name to make her gender more ambiguous so that boys would be more likely to read the book. At the Bologna Book Fair, Scholtastic Inc. purchased the rights for publishing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the USA. They paid over £100,000 for the rights to the book. Scholtastic decided to retitle the book "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". In the USA, the book also sold very well and received many awards and much praise from critics. By 1999, the book had sold 300,000 copies.

## Critical Reception

Initial reviews were largely positive, with the story's humour, detail and twists being praised. The book won numerous literary awards, particularly awards that were judged by children. However, some reviewers criticised the characters for being simplistic.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=cHjF5K2uVdsC&pg=PA7&redir\_esc=y&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
2. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/books/1997/jul/08/booksforchildrenandteenagers.danglaister
3. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/childrens-books-bestsellers-1083288.html
4. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/harry-potter-20th-anniversary-fans-original-reviews-harry-potter-and-the-philosophers-stone-a7808721.html