Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

Characters:

The Main Characters:

Harry Potter - The son of James and Lily Potter and nephew of Vernon and Petunia Dursley. At the beginning of the book, Harry is
an unimpressive figure: skinny, sloppy, isolated from his family, the constant victim of his cousin's bullying, and marked with a
lightning-shaped scar on his forehead (the result of Voldemort's failed attempt to kill him during his infancy). After his discovery of
his magical abilities and his introduction to the wizarding world and Hogwarts, Harry begins to grow in confidence, strength, and
courage until he becomes a worthy protagonist, capable of facing off against the Dark Lord himself by the end of the book. Harry is
particularly affected by the deaths of his parents and much of his behavior is informed by his loneliness and desire to avenge their
wrongful deaths. Harry also distinguishes himself with his unexcepted brilliance at Quidditch, his loyalty to his friends, and his
modesty, a trait is particularly surprising in the figure lauded as "the boy who lived" across the wizarding world. Much of his
humility can be attributed to Professor Dumbledore's decision to place him in the Dursley household after the death of his parents,
rather than force him to endure the constant attention of the wizarding world. Because of his background, Harry often views
himself as an unexceptional character, which makes his achievements in the wizarding world all the more impressive.

Ron Weasley - The youngest son of the Weasley family and Harry's best friend. Characterized by his modesty, occasional
insecurity, and thirst to escape the ever-looming shadows of his successful brothers, Ron proves himself to be a loyal friend to both
Harry and Hermione and a brilliant player of wizarding chess. Although Ron acknowledges the difficulties of being the youngest son
of a poor wizarding family (resulting in constant hand-me-downs), he rarely expresses any resentment to his family and desires
only to become individually successful and significant. As a wizard, Ron is mediocre, often needing Hermione's help for spells and
homework assignments, but he is able to scrape by academically and never fails to perform during dangerous situations.

Hermione Granger - Harry and Ron's best friend at Hogwarts. A first-year in Gryffindor House, Hermione is Muggle-born, meaning
that neither of her parents has magical ability. Despite her background, Hermione gains a reputation of being one of the brightest
witches in her year, particularly because of her unfailing work ethic and determination to succeed and perhaps because of her
insecurity over her background (plus her final exam grade of 112 percent in Charms). Unfortunately, Hermione's academic
diligence also gives her the reputation of being an annoying know-it-all, and she starts out the school year with few friends. Her
adventure with the troll in the girl's bathroom with Harry and Ron reveals more grit than mere academic prowess, and her
willingness to take the blame for the situation cements her friendship with Ron and Harry.

The Dursley:
Vernon Dursley - Harry’s rich uncle, with whom Harry lives for ten miserable years. Dursley symbolizes the Muggle world at its
most silly and mediocre. It is through Mr. Dursley’s jaded Muggle eyes that we first glimpse wizards, and his closed-mindedness
toward the colorful cloaks and literate cats that he meets emphasizes how different the human and wizard worlds are.

Petunia Dursley - Mr. Dursley’s wife. Petunia is an overly doting mother to her spoiled son, Dudley, and a prison-keeper to Harry.
She is haughty and excessively concerned with what the neighbors think of her family. She is somewhat humanized for us when we
discover that she was always jealous of the magical gifts of her sister, Lily, Harry’s witch mother. Perhaps her malevolence toward
Harry springs from an earlier resentment of her sister.

Dudley Dursley - Harry’s cousin, a spoiled, fat bully. Annoying and loud, Dudley manipulates parental love to get what he wants—
his outrageous desires for multiple television sets foreshadow the important scenes involving the Mirror of Erised and the
wrongful desire for eternal life that motivates Voldemort. Dudley’s tormenting of Harry foreshadows Malfoy’s later bullying
tendencies at Hogwarts, though he is less gifted than Malfoy.

Arabella Figg - One of the Dursleys neighbors in Little Whinging. Mrs. Figg often babysits for Harry when the Dursleys are away,
and she always forces him to look at the photos of her cats. Although she pretends to be a Muggle, Mrs. Figg is revealed in later
books as a squib, or a non-magical individual born into a wizarding family.

The Potters:
James and Lily Potter - The Potters are Harry's deceased parents. When they were young, both attended Hogwarts and were
Gryffindors. Voldemort killed them when Harry was a baby, but Harry grows up thinking they died in a car crash. When Harry looks
into the Mirror of Erised, it's his parents that he sees reflected there: to know them and to be with them is his heart's desire.

The Dark Lord:

Voldemort - Also known as Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord, and He-Who-Must-Be-Named, Voldemort rose to power in the 1970s
with a faithful following of dark wizards called Death Eaters. During his reign of terror through the 1970s and 1980s, no one was
safe from Voldemort's cruelty except for those at Hogwarts; Professor Dumbledore was the only wizard that Voldemort still
feared. Voldemort was unexpectedly torn from power when he attempted to perform the Killing Curse ("Avada Kedavra") on the
infant Harry Potter. When Lily Potter sacrificed herself to save her son, she created a protective shield over Harry and, not only was
Voldemort unable to kill the child, he nearly destroyed himself in the process. For the next eleven years, Voldemort existed only as
a wraith, waiting to regain his strength. With Professor Quirrell's help, Voldemort successfully infiltrates Hogwarts in his effort to
find the Sorcerer's Stone (which produces the Elixir of Life that can restore him to full power). Unfortunately, Harry retrieves the
Stone for before Voldemort can get it and, upon Professor Dumbledore's entrance, Voldemort escapes in spirit form and leaves
Quirrell to die. In the book, Voldemort is characterized by his ambition, resourcefulness, manipulation of weaker minds, and
determination to regain his former power. Significantly, however, he is also identified for his lack of knowledge about love, an
emotion which provided Harry with his mother's protective shield.
Professors and Staff at Hogwarts:
Hagrid - An oafish giant who works as a groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Rubeus Hagrid is a well-meaning creature with more kindness
than brains. He cares deeply for Harry, as evidenced by the tears he sheds upon having to leave the infant Harry with the Dursleys.
His fondness for animals is endearing, even if it gets him into trouble (as when he tries raising a dragon at home). Hagrid
symbolizes the importance of generosity and human warmth in a world menaced by conniving villains.

Albus Dumbledore - The kind, wise head of Hogwarts. Though he is a famous wizard, Dumbledore is as humble and adorable as
his name suggests. While other school officials, such as Professor McGonagall, are obsessed with the rules, Dumbledore respects
them (as his warnings against entering the Forbidden Forest remind us) but does not exaggerate their importance. He appears to
have an almost superhuman level of wisdom, knowledge, and personal understanding, and it seems that he may have set up the
whole quest for the Sorcerer’s Stone so that Harry could prove himself.

Professor McGonagall - The head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and a high-ranking woman in the wizard world. Minerva
McGonagall is fair but extremely stern and severe in her punishments. Her devotion to the letter of the law is impressive but a bit
cold, and we constantly feel that she could never become a warm and wise figure like Dumbledore. Rowling named her after a
notoriously bad nineteenth-century Scottish poet named William McGonagall who was nevertheless highly confident of his own
talents.

Professor Snape - A professor of Potions at Hogwarts. Severus Snape dislikes Harry and appears to be an evil man for most of the
story. His name associates him not only with unfair snap judgments of others but also with his violent intentions to snap the bones
of his enemies. Snape’s grudge against Harry, which is nevertheless far from a murderous ill will, helps us remember the difference
between forgivable vices and unforgivable evil intentions.

Professor Quirrell - A stuttering and seemingly harmless man, and a professor of Defense against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts.
Quirrell appears as nervous and squirrelly as his name suggests for most of the story. It is he, for example, who nearly faints when
announcing the news that a troll is loose in the school. It turns out later, however, that Quirrell has faked his withdrawing
meekness and is actually a cold-blooded conniver.

Mr. Filch - Argus Filch is the caretaker of Hogwarts and delights in wandering the halls of the school, trying to find students who
are breaking the rules. A squib (or non-magical person born into a wizarding family), Mr. Filch's most trusted companion is his cat,
Mrs. Norris.

Madam Pince - Irma Pince is the head librarian of Hogwarts and is known for being extremely protective of the more valuable
books in her collection.

Madam Hooch - Rolanda Hooch is the Hogwarts flying instructor and Quidditch coach/referee.

Madam Pomfrey - Poppy Pomfrey is the head nurse in charge of the hospital wing of Hogwarts. During their first year, both Ron
and Harry spent a great deal of time with Madame Pomfrey: Ron, after being bitten by Norbert, and Harry, after facing off against
Voldemort in the Hogwarts dungeons.

Professor Flitwick - Filius Flitwick is the Hogwarts Charms professor and the head of Ravenclaw House. In the attempt to protect
the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort, Professor Flitwick creates the challenge of the winged keys.

Professor Sprout - Pomona Sprout is the Hogwarts Herbology professor and the head of Hufflepuff House. In the attempt to
protect the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort, Professor Sprout creates the Devil's Snare challenge.

Professor Binns - Cuthbert Binns is the Hogwarts professor of the History of Magic. By far the most boring of Harry's teachers,
Professor Binns is the only faculty member who is a ghost, having died in his chair in front of the fire but continuing with his
teaching duties.

The Weasley:
Fred and George Weasley - Ron Weasley's identical twin brothers. Both third-year students in Gryffindor, Fred and George are
known for playing pranks on students and family members alike and enjoy teasing Ron in particular.

Molly Weasley - Ron Weasley's mother. When Harry is unable to figure out how to access Platform Nine and three-quarters, Mrs.
Weasley is very kind to him and helps him through dividing barrier. She also sends him a box of fudge and a hand-knit sweater for
Christmas.

Percy Weasley - Ron's third-eldest brother and a fifth-year student in Gryffindor House. After being made a Prefect, Percy received
an owl named Hermes from his parents and gave his old rat, Scabbers, to Ron.

Charlie Weasley - Ron Weasley's second oldest brother, who works with dragons in Albania. While at Hogwarts, Charlie was
prefect and Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione need to find a way to get rid of Norbert,
Ron suggests sending the dragon to Charlie.

Bill Weasley - The eldest son of the Weasley family. While at Hogwarts, Bill was both prefect and Head Boy, and Ron feels
particularly overshadowed by his brother's acheivements.

Ginny Weasley - Ron's only sister and the youngest of the Weasley clan. Although Ginny does not play an active role in Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (being too young to attend the school herself), she becomes a prominent character in later books
in the series.

Arthur Weasley - is the patriarch of the Weasleys, a family of wizards who is considered "blood traitors" by Death Eaters for their
interest in the Muggle world. He is married to Molly Weasley, with whom he has seven children, including Ron, Harry's best friend.

Hogwarts Students:
Gryffindor House:
Neville Longbottom - A first-year student in Gryffindor House and one of Harry's roommates. Raised by his domineering
grandmother, Neville is extremely nervous and forgetful and prone to mishaps, including breaking his wrist during the first flying
lesson with Madam Hooch and suffering near-constant bullying from members of the Slytherin House. Over the course of the year,
Neville grows in confidence and is eventually brave enough to stand up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione when they attempt to sneak
out of Gryffindor tower.

Oliver Wood - A student in Gryffindor who serves as Keeper and Team Captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Wood spends
several outside hours training Harry to be a Seeker for the team and is known for giving long speeches before matches.

Lee Jordan - A third-year student in Gryffindor House and a close friend of Fred and George Weasley. Lee serves as commentator
for the Hogwarts Quidditch matches and is known for being particularly negative in his commentary of the Slytherin team.

Seamus Finnigan - A first-year student in Gryffindor. One of Harry's roommates, Seamus is "half-blood," meaning that only one of
his parents has magical abilities.

Lavender Brown - A first-year student in Gryffindor House. Lavender is roommates with Parvati Patil and Hermione Granger.
Parvati Patil - twin of Padma Patil who was sorted in Gryffindor.
Katie Bell - A second-year student in Gryffindor who plays the position of Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Angelina Johnson - A third-year student in Gryffindor who plays the position of Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Alicia Spinnet - A third-year student in Gryffindor who plays the position of Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
Dean Thomas - A first-year student in Gryffindor House and one of Harry's roommates.

Slytherin House:
Draco Malfoy - A first-year student in Slytherin House and Harry's particular enemy while at Hogwarts. Described as blonde with a
pale, pointed face, Draco comes from an ancient, wealthy wizarding family and makes no pretense of his negative view toward
Muggles, half-bloods, and "mudbloods." Harry first meets Draco in Madam Malkin's robe shop and is struck by his arrogant and
prejudiced personality. During their ride on the Hogwarts Express, Draco attempts to become friends with Harry but, upon Harry's
rebuff, the offended Draco becomes his firm enemy and wastes no opportunity to mock Harry or his friends. A favorite of Professor
Snape, Draco spends most of his time with Crabbe and Goyle.

Vincent Crabbe - A first-year student in Slytherin House and one of Draco Malfoy's cronies.
Gregory Goyle - A first-year student in Slytherin House and one of Draco Malfoy's cronies.
Terence Higgs - A student in Slytherin who plays the position of Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team.
Millicent Bulstrode - A first-year student in Slytherin House.
Pansy Parkinson - A first-year student in Slytherin House.
Marcus Flint - A student in Slytherin who plays the position of Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team. He is also the Team Captain.

Hufflepuff House:
Susan Bones - A first-year student in Hufflepuff.
Justin Finch-Fletchley - A first-year student in Hufflepuff House.

Ravenclaw House:
Padma Patil - twin of Parvati Patil who was sorted in Ravenclaw.

Diagon Alley Wizards and Witches:

Mr. Ollivander - The owner of "Ollivander's Wand Shop" in Diagon Alley. Mr. Ollivander prides himself on his skill with selecting
the perfect wand for each individual and is known as one of the best wandmakers in Britain. He has an uncanny ability to
remember the precise details of every wand that he has ever sold and even identifies the specific wands that he sold to both of
Harry's parents. During his visit to Mr. Ollivander's shop, Harry is told that the core of his new wand contains a feather from the
same phoenix that provided one for Voldemort's wand.

Dedalus Diggle - A wizard that Harry meets in the Leaky Cauldron during his first visit to Diagon Alley. Dedalus Diggle is often
identified by his top hat.
Tom - The owner and bartender of the Leaky Cauldron, which serves as the gateway between Diagon Alley and the Muggle world.
Doris Crockford - A witch that Harry meets in the Leaky Cauldron during his first trip to Diagon Alley.
Madam Malkin - The owner of "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions," where Harry buys his school robes and meets Draco
Malfoy for the first time.

Goblin:
Griphook - A goblin who works at Gringotts, the wizarding bank in Diagon Alley. Griphook takes Harry and Hagrid to the Potter
family vault in Gringotts as well as to Vault 713.
Centaurs:
Firenze - A centaur described as having blonde hair and blue eyes. Harry first meets Firenze in the Forbidden Forest when the
centaur rescues Harry from a mysterious cloaked figure, later identified as Voldemort. Firenze often clashes with his fellow
centaurs because of his more liberal view of the relationship between humans and centaurs.
Ronan - A centaur who lives in the Forbidden Forest. Ronan is described as having red hair and beard and a chestnut body.
Bane - A centaur who lives in the Forbidden Forest. Bane is described as having black hair and a black body. Like Ronan, Bane does
not trust humans.

Ministry of Magic:
Cornelius Fudge - Cornelius Fudge is the Minister of Magic. Known to favor bureaucracy over practicality and also suffering from a
lack of self-confidence in his position, Fudge often asked Professor Dumbledore for advice during the early years of his term.

Hogwarts Ghosts:
The Fat Friar - The house ghost of Hufflepuff.
The Grey Lady - The house ghost of Ravenclaw.
Peeves - A poltergeist who haunts Hogwarts and enjoys playing mischevious tricks on the students and Argus Filch, the caretaker.
Nearly-Headless Nick - Also known as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (a title which he prefers to his common Hogwarts
moniker), Nearly-Headless Nick is the Gryffindor house ghost.
The Bloody Baron - The Slytherin house ghost. With the exception of Professor Dumbledore, the Bloody Baron is the only
character who is able to control Peeves, the obnoxious poltergeist who haunts Hogwarts.
The Fat Lady - The portrait that guards the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Dressed in a pink silk dress, the Fat Lady only will open
the portrait hole upon hearing the correct Gryffindor password.

Animals/ Pets:
Hedwig - A Snowy Owl that Hagrid gives to Harry as his eleventh birthday present. Harry chooses the name "Hedwig" after seeing
it in one of his textbooks.
Fang - Hagrid's pet dog.
Fluffy - A giant three-headed dog that guards the third-floor trapdoor leading to the Sorcerer's Stone. Hagrid originally purchased
Fluffy from a Greek in a bar but gladly lent the animal to Professor Dumbledore to protect the Stone. Fluffy is unable to stay awake
upon hearing music; Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneak past him by playing a flute, while Professor Quirrell distracts him with a
magical harp.
Norbert - A Norwegian-Ridgeback dragon that is given to Hagrid by a mysterious hooded stranger (later revealed to be Professor
Quirrell) while still an egg. After plying Hagrid with drinks, Professor Quirrell was able to convince Hagrid to tell him about Fluffy in
exchange for the dragon egg. After Draco Malfoy sees the newly-hatched (and highly illegal) Norbert through the window of
Hagrid's cabin, Harry, Hermione, and Ron smuggle the dragon to the highest tower of Hogwarts in order to give it to some friends
of Charlie Weasley, Ron's brother who works with dragons in Romania. In later books, it is revealed that Norbert is actually a
female dragon, and she is renamed "Norberta."
Norbert
Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty - Cats belonging to Mrs. Figg. Harry bemoans that Mrs. Figg always makes him look at the
photos of her cat when the Dursleys leave him with her.
Scabbers - Ron Weasley's pet rat.
Mrs. Norris - Mr. Filch's pet cat. When Mrs. Norris appears in the halls, Mr. Filch is never far behind.
Trevor - Neville Longbottom's pet toad. Neville is constantly losing Trevor, even during the first train ride to Hogwarts.

Others:
Sorting Hat - A hat which magically sorts the incoming first-year students into the appropriate Hogwarts house. According to
legend, each of the four founders incorporated elements of their own personalities into the hat so that it would be capable of
selecting students for each house after the four founders were no longer able to do so. When Harry puts on the Sorting Hat, the
hat immediately senses that Harry has skills that are well-suited to Slytherin House. However, upon Harry's insistence, the Sorting
Hat decides not to place him in Slytherin and puts him in Gryffindor instead.
Nicolas Flamel - A famous alchemist, the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone, and Professor Dumbledore's particular friend.
Fearing that the Stone might be at risk, Flamel asked Professor Dumbledore to take the Stone to Hogwarts in order to give it the
school's full protection. During the book, Flamel is already 665 years old (explaining why Harry, Ron, and Hermione had a difficult
time learning his identity from the modern history textbooks in the library).
Piers Polkiss - Dudley Dursley's best friend. Described as having the face of a rat, Piers follows Dudley's lead in tormenting Harry
and is known to hold back the arms of Dudley's victims while Dudley hits them. Piers accompanies the Dursley family to the zoo on
Dudley's birthday and tells the Dursleys when he sees Harry talking to the boa constrictor.
Augusta Longbottom - Neville Longbottom's grandmother. Augusta raised Neville on her own after his parents were tortured into
insanity. Rather strict and domineering in her treatment of her grandson, Augusta expresses some disappointment in Neville's
seeming lack of magical talent.
Perenelle Flamel - The wife of Nicolas Flamel, the noted wizard who created the Sorcerer's Stone with Professor Dumbledore. At
the end of the book, Perenelle is 658 years old.
Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon - Members of Dudley Dursley's gang.
Algie Longbottom - Neville Longbottom's great-uncle. After finding out that Neville had been accepted to Hogwarts, Algie gave
Trevor to Neville as a congratulatory present.
Gellert Grindelwald - An infamous dark wizard who was defeated by Dumbledore in an epic duel. Grindelwald believed in the
superiority of wizards over all other creatures and promoted a system of tyranny based on the slogan "For the Greater Good." In
the final book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it is revealed that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were not always
enemies.
Marge Dursley - Vernon Dursley's sister. Marge Dursley does not appear in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, but Harry recalls
several unpleasant experiences with her in the past, including one Christmas when she gave him a box of dog biscuits as a present.
Sirius Black - At the beginning of the book, Hagrid transports Harry to the Dursley household by borrowing Sirius Black's flying
motorcycle. In the third book of the Harry Potter series, Black will become a significant figure in both the plot and Harry's life.

Summary:
Eleven years ago, wizards rejoiced all over the world, and Muggles (non-magic folk) were confused. They celebrated because He-
Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated. In other words, Voldemort (the evilest wizard around) killed Harry Potter's parents, but
for some strange reason, he couldn't kill little baby Harry. Now Voldemort seems to have disappeared. Overnight, baby Harry has
become a hero – "The Boy Who Lived." Having lost his family and home, Harry also has become an orphan. Dumbledore (the
principle of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft), Professor McGonagall (a teacher at Hogwarts), and Hagrid (a
groundskeeper at Hogwarts) find a home for baby Harry with his Muggle extended family, the Dursleys.

Cut to present day, when ten-year-old Harry lives with his super-mean aunt and uncle and their son Dudley. When they go to the
zoo for Dudley's birthday, Harry encounters a sympathetic snake. He's able to speak to the friendly reptile and somehow seems to
have removed the glass from its cage, so it can go back to Brazil. After the trip to the zoo, mysterious letters start arriving for Harry.
His uncle, Mr. Dursley, is furious and tries to keep them from Harry. But the letters keep arriving at such a rapid rate that, the
evening before Harry's eleventh birthday, his uncle takes the whole family to a deserted island to escape all of the mail.

They can't hide for long, though; Hagrid shows up on Harry's birthday to deliver the letter, and the news that Harry's a wizard and
has been admitted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The next day he takes Harry to shop for school supplies at
Diagon Alley, where Harry learns more about the wizarding world. He meets Malfoy (a bully) and Hogwarts' new Defense Against
the Dark Arts professor, Quirrell. Harry also buys his first wand. Sweeeet. Hagrid also picks up a mysterious package at Gringotts,
the goblin bank.

Later that summer, Harry travels to Hogwarts. He has to take a train from platform nine and three-quarters, a magical platform! A
family called the Weasleys helps him find his way, and he begins to make friends with one of their sons, Ron. He meets other first-
year students like Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

Upon their arrival at Hogwarts, the first years are Sorted into one of four houses (think dormitories). Harry, Ron, Hermione, and
Neville are all Gryffindors (a house known for bravery); Malfoy is a Slytherin (a house known for ambition, and infamous for
producing dark wizards). They begin taking all kinds of classes in magic. Harry dislikes the Potions teacher, Snape, who is unfair and
kind of mean.

Harry learns that there was an attempted robbery at Gringotts bank, but nothing was taken. He guesses that the robbers were
after what Hagrid picked up. Hagrid lets it slip that it has something to do with someone called Nicolas Flamel.

Malfoy becomes a big bully. During their first broom-flying lesson, he teases Neville. In defending Neville, Harry realizes he's a
natural at flying. He's a superstar on a broomstick. Although Harry's broken rules by flying unsupervised, Professor McGonagall
rewards him by putting him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as Seeker (a very important position on the team).

Later, Malfoy and Harry have a fight, and Malfoy challenges Harry to a wizard duel at midnight. Hermione and Ron accompany
Harry, but Malfoy doesn't show – he was trying to get them in trouble for roaming the school while they should be in bed. As they
hurry to get back to the dorm, the three friends stumble into a forbidden part of Hogwarts, where they bump into a three-headed
monster dog. Luckily, they escape in the nick of time.

Harry and Ron aren't getting along with Hermione, but make up when they rescue her from a troll that's terrorizing the school.
Though they get in trouble to taking on the troll alone, they also show their bravery. Now the three are inseparable.

As the first Quidditch match approaches, the three friends suspect Snape of wanting the package from Gringotts. During the game,
Harry's broom acts weird and seems to be hexed. Harry's saved, but his friends blame Snape for putting him in danger.

During the winter break, Harry stays at Hogwarts and is given an invisibility cloak that once belonged to his dad. He uses it to sneak
around the castle and discovers the Mirror of Erised in one of Hogwarts' many secret rooms. When he looks into the mirror he sees
his parents, but when he shares the mirror with Ron, Ron sees himself as a hero. Dumbledore catches Harry at the mirror and
explains that the mirror shows you your heart's desire. The wise old wizard then says he's going to take the mirror away because
it's dangerous.

When classes resume after winter break, Harry, Ron, and Hermione figure out who Flamel is – an alchemist and the only person in
the world to have the Sorcerer's Stone, which can provide immortality. They decide the Stone must be what was hidden at
Gringotts and is now being guarded by the three-headed dog.

When not trying to solve the mystery of Nicholas Flamel, Harry is trying to balance Quidditch and school work. Gryffindor wins
another Quidditch game, which Snape referees, and then Harry hears Snape and Quirrell arguing.

Meanwhile, Hagrid adopts a dragon, which is illegal. Ron, Hermione, and Harry have to convince him that's it's just not practical to
raise a baby dragon, and find a way to smuggle the dragon out. Malfoy spies on them and tries to turn them in. When Harry and
Hermione have successfully sent the dragon out in the middle of the night, they're caught by McGonagall – along with Neville, who
was trying to warn them, and Malfoy, who tattled – and are given really big detention. Gryffindor moves to the last place in the
house cup contest, and everyone is really mad at them.
Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Malfoy have detention with Hagrid in the forest at night. They are supposed to figure out what's
killing unicorns and drinking their blood. Harry runs into some centaurs who see trouble ahead in the stars. They all realize that
Voldemort is trying to return and that he's the one killing unicorns.

After the first-year exams, Harry, Ron, and Hermione talk with Hagrid and realize that he said too much about the Sorcerer's Stone
to the mysterious stranger who gave him the dragon. Harry, Ron, and Hermione suspect that Snape is after it. That night they try to
retrieve the Stone. Neville attempts to stop them, so they have to temporarily paralyze him with magic. They pass by the three-
headed dog by playing it music, only to meet with another series of challenges. First, they're trapped by a Devil's Snare plant, then
they have to catch a flying key, and then they have to play a life-size game of wizard chess. The chess game takes Ron out, leaving
Harry and Hermione to solve a logic puzzle and drink potions to go forward. There's only enough for one, so Harry moves on and
sends Hermione back for help.

To Harry's surprise, he runs into Quirrell, not Snape like he thought he would. Quirrell reveals that Voldemort is living in him like a
parasite. He tries to use Harry to get the Stone. He makes Harry use the Mirror of Erised, and Harry finds himself holding the Stone
and lying about it. Quirrell/Voldemort tries to kill Harry, but when he touches Harry, he burns. Harry blacks out.

When Harry comes to, he's in the infirmary with Dumbledore, and Quirrell is dead. Dumbledore explains that Harry defeated
Quirrell/Voldemort through the protection of his mother's love. He also mentions that the Stone has been destroyed.

Later, at the end-of-year banquet, Dumbledore praises Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Neville for the parts they played in defeating
Quirrell. He rewards them by giving Gryffindor house tons of points. They win the house cup for Gryffindor, and even pass all of
their exams. Then, they leave Hogwarts for the summer and part ways at the train station. Though it stinks to be returning to the
Dursleys, Harry explains how much easier his time with them will be now that he can do magic.

Moral Lessons: