Harry Potter Book 1
The Sorcerer's Stone

Memorable Harry Potter Quotes
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

The wand chooses the wizard, remember…I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter…After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great. (Ollivander to Harry, p. 85)

Everyone thinks I’m special…All those people in the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell, Mr. Ollivander…but I don't know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I'm famous and I can’t even remember what I'm famous for. I don't know what happened when Vol-, sorry - I mean, the night my parents died. (Harry to Hagrid, p. 86)

There are all kinds of courage...It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom. (Dumbledore to Students, p. 306)

Harry Potter Book Report
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

The saga begins with a glimpse into young Harry's life at Privet Drive with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Cousin Dudley. He's just about to turn eleven years old. At the stroke of midnight Hagrid, a giant, appears. He tells Harry all about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and that his parents were a very talented witch and wizard. Harry also finds out that his Aunt and Uncle knew all this time and were keeping him from the truth.

Onward Harry goes with Hagrid to begin his education as a wizard. As this is his first introduction to the wizarding world he knows absolutely nothing and is in awe of everything he sees and learns. He is more shocked by the fact that every person he meets seems to know who he is and furthermore, feels honored to meet him. He comes to find out that he is famous because he lived when put up against the powers of the horrible Dark Lord Voldemort. He was "the boy who lived" when all others Voldemort tried to kill did not.

Off to Hogwarts Harry goes for his first year of schooling. Along the way he meets the Weasley family and befriends the youngest boy Ron, also a first year. They are both placed in Gryffindor House along with Hermione Granger, an annoying know it all they met on the train, also in her first year. As Harry and Ron make their way through their first year they strike up an unlikely friendship with Hermione after defeating a mountain troll that is loose in the castle. The mystery begins when vault 713 is broken into at Gringotts bank and Harry realizes that Hagrid emptied that vault during their trip to Diagon Alley. With the help of Ron and Hermione they figure out it was the sorcerer's stone created by Nicolas Flamel and that someone is trying to get it because the stone can help a person achieve immortality.

The trio wrongly thinks Professor Snape is the culprit only to find out after lots of research and risky adventures, that Professor Quirrell is actually after the stone and he wants it for Voldemort who survives but without a body. In the end, after a series of complicated traps set by the teachers at Hogwarts to guard the stone, Harry faces Quirrell and Voldemort (who is located on the back of Quirrell’s head!) and gets the stone for himself. He is only able to do this because he did not wish to have the stone for personal gain.

Harry Potter Book 1 ends with Harry returning home to the Dursley's to wait out a summer before he can return to Hogwarts. But this summer, things will be different for Harry because now he knows he IS somebody special and his Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin cannot take that away from him.

Harry Potter Book Review
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

Harry, Harry, Harry. How can you not fall in love with this scrawny but scrappy eleven year old boy who lives at "The Cupboard Under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive" with the awful Dursleys? I fell in love. Completely. Head over heels, wished he lived in the cupboard under my stairs - Love. It's not just because I love a good character or am sympathetic to the underdog in the story, it's because Harry is so beautifully written, so alive, that I felt by the end of only book 1 that I knew him. Imagine how I felt by the end of book 7. Yeah, there were tears.

Okay, so let me get specific. The world of Harry Potter created by Rowling is astonishing. She has carved out a place where flying broomsticks are the norm, and people (wizards really) send mail by owl. From the singing Sorting Hat to Fluffy the 3-headed dog, there is no end to Rowling's vast imagination. And truly she leaves no stone unturned (no pun intended). It's not just the magical stuff that is intricately planned out. The wizarding world is run by the Ministry of Magic within which are divisions of government that handle any and all issues that may arise. They have a complete school system for educating young wizards and witches with exams and programs of study and discipline (although the discipline is not what we're used to!). I once read an interview with Rowling in which she said (loosely quoted) that she lived with these characters in her head for 10 years before she began writing them. To her they really were old friends. And this is evident because each character has so much depth and personality you would swear they are real people.

As the series grew so did my love and/or hate for specific characters. There will be the inevitable discussion about Snape as well as Sirious and James. But we'll get to that. For Book 1, Hagrid and Dumbledore are the shining stars. When you fall in love with Harry it's followed by a quick second with Hagrid. He loves Harry unconditionally and provides him with the feeling of family which Harry has never experienced before.

Although not always the sharpest tool in the shed, his heart is huge and his main goal is to be sure that Harry is doing okay. Dumbledore is introduced to us and right off the bat we know he is the greatest of all the wizards. One would think this fact would make him pompous or overly proud. The opposite is the case. Dumbledore is humble and willing to listen. He respects the thoughts and questions of an eleven year old boy just as he does his peers. It is evident from their first meeting that Harry holds a special place in Dumbledore's heart. As readers we feel secure knowing that Harry is safe while under Dumbledore's watchful gaze.

Overall, Harry Potter Book 1 is an excellent start to what is surely to become a classic for children, and adults, for many centuries to come.

...Harry Potter Eyeglasses

Why? Because besides his lightning bolt scar, Harry Potter's glasses are definitely his trademark. They may not be necessarily magical in use but they sure do see a lot of magical action!

Harry Potter Trivia
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

1. What does Neville get from his Grandmother in the mail?
   A Remembrall

2. What does Dumbledore say he sees in the Mirror of Erised when Harry asks?
   Socks

3. What flavor of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans does Dumbledore get at the end?
   Earwax

Harry Potter Spells
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

"Wingardium Leviosa" - to make objects levitate
"Alohomora" - the ability to open locked doors

Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

Professor Quirrell

And What About Lord Voldemort?
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

He's alive! Well, sort of. Voldemort exists in a spirit-like form who has to inhabit a body in order to survive. During The Sorcerer's Stone he is located on the back of Professor Quirrell's head. When Harry defeats him, we don't know where he goes.

Harry Potter Information Tidbit
The Sorcerer's Stone - Harry Potter Book 1

The original, British title of this book is Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It was changed because U.S. readers are considered to be more familiar with the meaning of "Sorcerer" instead of "Philosopher."

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