Harry Potter And The Sorcerers Stone Opening Scene
Chapter 1
THE BOY WHO LIVEDThe Boy Who Lived. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. Mr. Dursley made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time spying on the neighbours. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.
Mrs Dursley had a sister called Lily Potter. She and her husband James Potter had a son called Harry Potter. They lived far from the Dursleys and did not speak to them much.
They did not get along.
One day, a man appeared outside of the Dursleys house. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and highheeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.
This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.
He had come to meet his friend who had been watching over the Dursleys house.
His friend was called Professor McGonagall. They had come to talk about some sad news. “Hello Professor” Dumbledore said, “have you heard the news about the Potters?
They have tragically died”. “Their son needs a place to stay, I see you have found the only family that he has left. Do you think they will be suitable?” Dumbledore questioned.
“They are all he has got”, Professor McGonagall replied. Just as they were talking about
Harry Potters future a motorbike could be heard coming from behind them. It was Hagrid soaring through the sky and crashing in front of them.
Hagrid had a special parcel he was delivering.
In his vast muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets. "Hagrid,” said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last, where did you get that motorcycle?". "I borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore,” said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was to baby boy, fast asleep. Under to tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see to curiously shaped cut, like to bolt of lightning. Dumbledore took the bundle of blankets, stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took to letter out of his cloak and tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to
the other two. For a minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling Light that usually shone in Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.
The next morning, Mrs Dursley went out to collect her milk bottles from the front door and noticed a strange sight on the step of her door. She screamed. Inside the bundle of blankets, she noticed the baby and picked him up. She read the letter he had been left with. It read; “Take care of Harry, we will return to him soon. The boy who lived”.
Hagrid and the Boy Who Lived
Dudley's Birthday
Chapter 2 The Vanishing Glass
(Ten years have passed. Harry is now almost eleven and living in wretchedness in a cupboard under the stairs in the Dursley house. He is tormented by the Dursleys’ son, Dudley, a spoiled and whiny boy. Harry is awakened one morning by his aunt, Petunia, telling him to tend to the bacon immediately, because it is Dudley’s birthday and everything must be perfect. Dudley gets upset because he has only thirty-seven presents, one fewer than the previous year. When a neighbor calls to say she will not be able to watch Harry for the day, Dudley begins to cry, as he is upset that Harry will have to be brought along on Dudley’s birthday trip
to the ZOO.
At the ZOO, the Dursleys spoil Dudley and his friend Piers, neglecting Harry as usual.
In the reptile house, Harry pays close attention to a boa constrictor and is astonished when
he is able to have a conversation with it. Noticing what Harry is doing, Piers calls over
Mr. Dursley and Dudley, who pushes Harry aside to get a better look at the snake.
At this moment, the glass front of the snake’s tank vanishes and the boa constrictor slithers out onto the floor. Dudley and Piers claim that the snake attacked them. The Dursleys are in shock. At home, Harry is punished for the snake incident, being sent to his cupboard without any food, though he feels he had nothing to do with what happened.
Character names in Harry Potter are carefully chosen not to be lifelike but rather to color our understanding of the various characters’ social ranks and personalities. This technique, which the nineteenth-century English author Charles Dickens used prolifically in such novels as Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, is closer to caricature than to realism and gives each character a larger-than-life, mythical feel. Harry Potter, for instance, is an ordinary and unpretentious name, though there are associations of creativity and usefulness in his last name: a potter makes pottery, which has a practical function. By contrast, the Dursleys, who brim with self-importance and snobbery, are named after a town in Gloucestershire once important in the medieval wool trade: their name suggests an old-fashioned class-conscious life that may have outlived its grandeur.
The Dursleys’ first names have similar upper-class connotations. The names Dudley, Petunia, and Vernon all contrast sharply with the more working-class name Harry. Dudley Dursley’s name reflects the silliness of the character who bears it, not only in its stuttering quality
(“Du-Du”), but also in the “dud” hidden in it. Dudley, we learn, is indeed a dud, and his name highlights the contrast between Harry’s vitality and Dudley’s absurdity. Furthermore, just as the Dursleys seem to be cartoonish versions of provincial English snobs, they are also cartoonish in their villainy. They are not just subtly bad toward Harry (as a real family might be) but outlandishly and unbelievably wicked in making him live in a cupboard under the stairs. Similarly, giving a boy thirty-seven birthday presents is not realistic, but in Rowling’s fairy-tale world, we accept this exaggeration. The caricatured aspect of the characters thus helps us read the story as a myth.
Rowling exposes us to quite a bit of overt witchcraft in the first two chapters, such as Professor McGonagall’s transformation into a cat. But Harry cannot identify magic when
he sees it—even when it is his own magic, such as when he releases a boa constrictor at
the ZOO upon his enemies without being aware that he is doing it. He wonders how it happens and is mystified by it, but he never dreams it is magic. Harry’s gradual understanding of this magic, proceeding from total ignorance to awareness to full mastery, is crucial to the story’s development.
The Vanishing Glass
Chapter 3
Punished for the boa constrictor incident, Harry is locked in his cupboard until summer. When finally free, he spends most of the time outside his house to escape the torments of Dudley’s cohorts. Harry is excited by the prospect of starting a new school in the fall, far away from Dudley for the first time in his life. One day, Uncle Vernon tells Harry to fetch the mail. Harry notices a letter bearing a coat of arms that is addressed to him in “The Cupboard under the Stairs.” Uncle Vernon grabs the envelope from him and shows it to his wife. Both are shocked. They force Dudley and Harry to leave the kitchen in order to discuss what to do. The next day, Uncle Vernon visits Harry in the cupboard. He refuses to discuss the letter, but he tells Harry to move into Dudley’s second room, previously used to store Dudley’s toys.
The next day, another letter comes for Harry, this time addressed to him in “The Smallest Bedroom.” Uncle Vernon becomes alarmed. Harry tries to get the letter, but Uncle Vernon keeps it from him. The following morning, Harry wakes up early to try to get the mail before anyone gets up, but he is thwarted by Uncle Vernon, who has slept near the mail slot waiting for the letters. Though Uncle Vernon nails the mail slot shut, twelve letters come for Harry the next day, slipped under the door or through the cracks. Soon letters flood the house, entering in impossible ways. Uncle Vernon continues to prevent Harry from reading any of them. Enraged, Uncle Vernon decides to take everyone away from the house, but at the hotel where they stay, a hundred letters are delivered for Harry. Uncle Vernon decides on even greater isolation.
On a dark, stormy night, he takes the family out to an island with only one shack on it. Inside, Vernon bolts the door. At midnight, as it becomes Harry’s birthday, there is a loud thump at the door.Harry’s importance is becoming undeniable. While the disappearance of the snake tank’s glass at the zoo might be passed off as a fluke, the letters that flood the Dursley home clearly point to some supernatural occurrence. While no one can be sure of Harry’s role in the boa constrictor incident, the deluge of letters addressed to Harry shows indisputably that he has some link to magic. Though our sense of Harry’s importance is growing, this importance remains unexplained. Rowling cleverly shows us the letters flooding in without initially letting us know what they say (the Dursley parents know, but we and Harry do not). It is far more effective that we do not know: whatever the letters say, the fact that so many of them arrive is reason enough to be awestruck, and they are more mysterious unopened.
Harry is simply impressed that the letters are addressed to him at all. Having lived in obscurity and neglect under the stairs, he has not been recognized as a person for ten years. Now the address to “Mr. H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs” finally gives him a social identity. That they are addressed to “Mr. H. Potter,” rather than simply to “Harry,” reinforces the idea that Harry is gaining an adult identity.
The Dursleys’ nighttime retreat to the deserted island heightens the suspense of the letters’ significance. Rowling uses many of the elements of gothic literature, a genre of fiction that establishes an uneasy mood through the use of remote, desolate settings, supernatural or macabre events, and violence, to shroud this scene in an atmosphere of mystery and terror. The dark night, the terrible weather, and the desolate island build up the scene’s tension until there is a climactic thump on the door at the stroke of midnight. With this thumping, we know that the Dursleys cannot possibly hide any longer from the supernatural forces at work.
The thump is heard again. A giant smashes down the door. Uncle Vernon threatens the giant with a gun, but the giant takes the gun and ties it into a knot. The giant presents Harry with a chocolate birthday cake and introduces himself as Hagrid, the “Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.” Hagrid is disturbed to find out that the Dursleys have never told Harry what Hogwarts is.
Letters From no One
Punished for the boa constrictor incident, Harry is locked in his cupboard until summer. When finally free, he spends most of the time outside his house to escape the torments of Dudley’s cohorts. Harry is excited by the prospect of starting a new school in the fall, far away from Dudley for the first time in his life. One day, Uncle Vernon tells Harry to fetch the mail. Harry notices a letter bearing a coat of arms that is addressed to him in “The Cupboard under the Stairs.” Uncle Vernon grabs the envelope from him and shows it to his wife. Both are shocked. They force Dudley and Harry to leave the kitchen in order to discuss what to do. The next day, Uncle Vernon visits Harry in the cupboard. He refuses to discuss the letter, but he tells Harry to move into Dudley’s second room, previously used to store Dudley’s toys.
The next day, another letter comes for Harry, this time addressed to him in “The Smallest Bedroom.” Uncle Vernon becomes alarmed. Harry tries to get the letter, but Uncle Vernon keeps it from him. The following morning, Harry wakes up early to try to get the mail before anyone gets up, but he is thwarted by Uncle Vernon, who has slept near the mail slot waiting for the letters. Though Uncle Vernon nails the mail slot shut, twelve letters come for Harry the next day, slipped under the door or through the cracks. Soon letters flood the house, entering in impossible ways. Uncle Vernon continues to prevent Harry from reading any of them. Enraged, Uncle Vernon decides to take everyone away from the house, but at the hotel where they stay, a hundred letters are delivered for Harry. Uncle Vernon decides on even greater isolation.
On a dark, stormy night, he takes the family out to an island with only one shack on it. Inside, Vernon bolts the door. At midnight, as it becomes Harry’s birthday, there is a loud thump at the door.Harry’s importance is becoming undeniable. While the disappearance of the snake tank’s glass at the zoo might be passed off as a fluke, the letters that flood the Dursley home clearly point to some supernatural occurrence. While no one can be sure of Harry’s role in the boa constrictor incident, the deluge of letters addressed to Harry shows indisputably that he has some link to magic. Though our sense of Harry’s importance is growing, this importance remains unexplained. Rowling cleverly shows us the letters flooding in without initially letting us know what they say (the Dursley parents know, but we and Harry do not). It is far more effective that we do not know: whatever the letters say, the fact that so many of them arrive is reason enough to be awestruck, and they are more mysterious unopened.
Harry is simply impressed that the letters are addressed to him at all. Having lived in obscurity and neglect under the stairs, he has not been recognized as a person for ten years. Now the address to “Mr. H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs” finally gives him a social identity. That they are addressed to “Mr. H. Potter,” rather than simply to “Harry,” reinforces the idea that Harry is gaining an adult identity.
The Dursleys’ nighttime retreat to the deserted island heightens the suspense of the letters’ significance. Rowling uses many of the elements of gothic literature, a genre of fiction that establishes an uneasy mood through the use of remote, desolate settings, supernatural or macabre events, and violence, to shroud this scene in an atmosphere of mystery and terror. The dark night, the terrible weather, and the desolate island build up the scene’s tension until there is a climactic thump on the door at the stroke of midnight. With this thumping, we know that the Dursleys cannot possibly hide any longer from the supernatural forces at work.
The Letters From No One
Chapter 4
The Keeper of the Keys
The Keeper of the Keys
Vernon tries to stop Hagrid from telling Harry about Hogwarts, but to no avail. Hagrid tells Harry that Harry is a wizard and presents him with a letter of acceptance to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Vernon protests that he will not allow Harry to attend Hogwarts. Hagrid explains to Harry that the Dursleys have been lying all along about how the boy’s parents died. Harry learns that they did not die in a car crash, as he had always thought, but were killed by the evil wizard Voldemort. Harry does not believe he could be a wizard, but then he realizes that the incident with the boa constrictor was an act of wizardry. With Uncle Vernon protesting, Hagrid takes Harry from the shack.
The arrival of Harry’s birthday coincides with Hagrid’s revelation of who Harry is, further suggesting that Harry must mature into his new identity. The time may be coming when Harry actually becomes a young Mr. H. Potter, as the letters refer to him, who lives his own life and is capable of making his own way. Even the chocolate cake that Hagrid brings for his birthday shows that, for the first time, Harry is no longer dependent on the Dursleys to feed him.
His departure from home at the end of Chapter 4 is symbolic of this maturation.
Harry can begin to imagine a future life of adult self-reliance, and we see that the story is perhaps a tale about growing up.
The dramatic conflict in the shack between Mr. Dursley and Hagrid sharply illustrates the contrast between the world of wizards and the world of ordinary Muggles. These two worlds are each represented by authority figures, and we see how Mr. Dursley’s frantic obstinacy is very different from Hagrid’s confident power. Mr. Dursley clings to his dominant role in the family with a pathetic desperation, but we see that Harry, like any boy in his right mind, prefers to associate with the dynamic and direct Hagrid.
The arrival of Harry’s birthday coincides with Hagrid’s revelation of who Harry is, further suggesting that Harry must mature into his new identity. The time may be coming when Harry actually becomes a young Mr. H. Potter, as the letters refer to him, who lives his own life and is capable of making his own way. Even the chocolate cake that Hagrid brings for his birthday shows that, for the first time, Harry is no longer dependent on the Dursleys to feed him.
His departure from home at the end of Chapter 4 is symbolic of this maturation.
Harry can begin to imagine a future life of adult self-reliance, and we see that the story is perhaps a tale about growing up.
The dramatic conflict in the shack between Mr. Dursley and Hagrid sharply illustrates the contrast between the world of wizards and the world of ordinary Muggles. These two worlds are each represented by authority figures, and we see how Mr. Dursley’s frantic obstinacy is very different from Hagrid’s confident power. Mr. Dursley clings to his dominant role in the family with a pathetic desperation, but we see that Harry, like any boy in his right mind, prefers to associate with the dynamic and direct Hagrid.
The flimsy social world represented by the Dursley family is crashing down, and we see a more appealing world of power and charisma emerging as an alternative. This opposition between Mr. Dursley and Hagrid can hardly be called a power struggle, as Hagrid is so easily the victor in the standoff between the two men. When he effortlessly bends Dursley’s gun, we see that there can be no real contest between them. What is also interesting about the opposition between Muggles and wizards is that the Dursleys are aware of the two worlds the whole time. Rowling could have made the Dursleys oblivious of wizardry until Hagrid’s arrival; instead, she has them live in denial for ten years. Their denial is intriguing because it suggests that normal people repress difficult or potentially embarrassing facts in order to make their lives seem more normal.
The keeper of keys
Chapters 5
Diagon Alley
Hagrid explains that Harry will buy what he needs for school here. They go to Gringotts, where they are escorted down to Harry’s safe. Inside, they view the piles of silver and gold that Harry’s parents left him. Hagrid explains the complex wizard monetary system, which is composed of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. Hagrid fills a small bag with money. He then takes Harry to another vault, number 713, which is empty except for a grubby little package that Hagrid picks up and hides in his clothes, warning Harry not to ask about it.
Hagrid then takes Harry to be fitted for his uniform. In the store, he encounters
Hagrid then takes Harry to be fitted for his uniform. In the store, he encounters
a snobbish and unlikable boy who will also be starting Hogwarts in the fall.
The snobbish boy talks highly about grand old wizard families, and Harry begins to worry about whether he is cut out to be a wizard.
But Hagrid reassures Harry, telling him that he will learn all he needs to know and that there are many Muggle students at Hogwarts. After buying the required books and ingredients for potions, Hagrid and Harry then head to the wand store.
Mr. Ollivander, the storeowner, makes Harry try a number of magic wands, telling him that it will be clear when he has the right one. Harry tries out many wands.
Finally, he picks up one made of holly and phoenix feather, and sparks shoot out from it—this is clearly the right wand. Ollivander tells Harry that the only other wand containing feathers from the same phoenix belonged to Voldemort and had been used to give Harry his lightning-bolt forehead scar.
Diagon Alley Scene
Chapter 6
The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
Harry asks Uncle Vernon to take him to the train station. Uncle Vernon agrees to take him but ridicules him for saying he is to leave from track nine and three quarters, as is marked on the ticket Hagrid gave him.
The following day, Harry arrives at the station and stands between tracks nine and ten, wondering with increasing alarm how to find track nine and three quarters. Finally, he overhears some people mention Hogwarts; it is a family of red-haired children who seem to be bound for the academy. He asks the mother for help, and she tells him to walk through the barrier between tracks nine and ten. Harry does so, and he is astonished to find the train to Hogwarts on the other side. Harry boards it.
On the train, Harry is introduced to Fred and George Weasley, twins who are returning to school, and to their brother Ron, another student who will be starting at Hogwarts. Ron introduces Harry to such details of wizard life as Quidditch
(a game a bit like soccer, but played on broomsticks), Famous Witches and Wizards cards (collectible items like baseball cards), and Every Flavor Beans.
One of the cards bears the picture of Albus Dumbledore.
Ron, who comes from a poor family, cannot afford the pastries sold on the train, so Harry buys a lot with his newfound wealth and shares them with Ron. Harry also meets a somewhat annoying, overachieving girl named Hermione Granger and sees again the unpleasant boy from the uniform shop, whose name is Draco Malfoy. All the students have heard of Harry, and Harry is not sure how to respond to his fame. Arriving at the station, the newcomers are led onto boats in which they sail to the castle of Hogwarts.
The shopping trip to Diagon Alley and the train journey to Hogwarts represent not a total abandonment of Harry’s earlier life, but in many ways represents a more magical and mythical version of it. The Muggles’ world and the wizards’ world are not opposites, but parallels. Certainly there are major differences as far as Harry is concerned; whereas in the Muggle world he is dependent on the Dursleys and is relegated to cramped living spaces, he now has money and respect. But the two worlds themselves are not so very different.
The shopping trip to Diagon Alley and the train journey to Hogwarts represent not a total abandonment of Harry’s earlier life, but in many ways represents a more magical and mythical version of it. The Muggles’ world and the wizards’ world are not opposites, but parallels. Certainly there are major differences as far as Harry is concerned; whereas in the Muggle world he is dependent on the Dursleys and is relegated to cramped living spaces, he now has money and respect. But the two worlds themselves are not so very different.
For instance, there is snobbery and condescension in both. Harry has not escaped the selfish Dudley entirely, because Dudley is in a sense reborn in the figure of Draco Malfoy, another snob who revels in making Harry feel socially inferior.
Draco, like Dudley, considers himself superior to Harry because he belongs to an established family while Harry is an outsider. Moreover, just as the name Dudley Dursley contrasts with the name Harry Potter, so does the name Draco Malfoy. Draco was the name of a harsh ancient Greek lawmaker and is also the Latin word for “dragon”; Malfoy is an Anglicized version of the French words mal and foi, which mean, roughly, “bad faith.” Draco Malfoy can thus be seen as a more villainous
(and more glamorous) version of Dudley Dursley.
Similarly, money drives both worlds. The wizard realm is not a money-free paradise, but is like a mirror of the Dursleys’ consumerist world, complete with banks, shops, and candy vendors. Nothing in Diagon Alley is handed out for free; everything must be bought and paid for with an alternate currency, but the coins are minted in gold and silver just as in the Muggle world.
(and more glamorous) version of Dudley Dursley.
Similarly, money drives both worlds. The wizard realm is not a money-free paradise, but is like a mirror of the Dursleys’ consumerist world, complete with banks, shops, and candy vendors. Nothing in Diagon Alley is handed out for free; everything must be bought and paid for with an alternate currency, but the coins are minted in gold and silver just as in the Muggle world.
There is outright wickedness in both the Muggle world and the wizard world. The villainous Voldemort matches the cruelly neglectful Dursleys in evil. All this shows that Harry’s exciting new life will not be simply a withdrawal from his earlier misery into some cushy new heaven. His new life will not necessarily be safer or easier than the old one. What is different is not the world so much as Harry’s role in it; his powers and status have increased enormously. He has been reborn—like the phoenix that gives his wand its powers—into much the same world as before, but with a new and different life.
Traveling for the first time in Hogwarts Express
Chapter 7
The Sorting Hat
The new students are greeted at the castle door by Professor McGonagall, who tells them they will soon be sorted into their houses. All Hogwarts students live in one of four residences: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Each house has its own team for Quidditch, a game that resembles soccer on broomsticks.
The houses are in a yearlong competition with one another to acquire the most points, which are earned by success in Quidditch games and lost for student infractions.
As the students enter Hogwarts, ghosts appear in the hallway. The students are led to the Great Hall, where the entire school waits for them. They see a pointy hat on a stool. When the students try on the hat, it announces the house in which they are placed. Harry becomes very nervous. He has learned that he does not care for Slytherin house, as the students in it are unpleasant and Voldemort once belonged to Slytherin.
Finally, it is Harry’s turn to wear the hat. After a brief mental discussion with the hat in which it tries to suggest Slytherin to him, the hat places Harry in Gryffindor. Harry is pleased to find that he is joined in Gryffindor by Ron and Hermione. Draco Malfoy is placed in Slytherin.
Everyone sits down to a grand feast to begin the year. Harry is overwhelmed by the variety of luscious food served. Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington, the resident ghost of Gryffindor (popularly known as Nearly Headless Nick because of a botched decapitation), introduces himself to the first-year students and tells them he hopes they will win the house championship this year. Over dessert, the discussion turns to the children’s upbringings.
A student named Neville tells how his family thought he was a Muggle until he survived a fall from a window. Harry glances around the room and notices a few of the teachers talking to one another. One of them stares malevolently at Harry, who immediately feels a sharp pain in his forehead scar. Harry finds out that this man is Professor Snape, who teaches Potions. After dessert, Albus Dumbledore, the head of Hogwarts, gets up to make his welcome speech. He adds a few warnings about staying away from the Forbidden Forest and avoiding the third-floor corridor on the right side of the school. Everyone sings the school song and goes off to his or her house.
Finally, it is Harry’s turn to wear the hat. After a brief mental discussion with the hat in which it tries to suggest Slytherin to him, the hat places Harry in Gryffindor. Harry is pleased to find that he is joined in Gryffindor by Ron and Hermione. Draco Malfoy is placed in Slytherin.
Everyone sits down to a grand feast to begin the year. Harry is overwhelmed by the variety of luscious food served. Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington, the resident ghost of Gryffindor (popularly known as Nearly Headless Nick because of a botched decapitation), introduces himself to the first-year students and tells them he hopes they will win the house championship this year. Over dessert, the discussion turns to the children’s upbringings.
A student named Neville tells how his family thought he was a Muggle until he survived a fall from a window. Harry glances around the room and notices a few of the teachers talking to one another. One of them stares malevolently at Harry, who immediately feels a sharp pain in his forehead scar. Harry finds out that this man is Professor Snape, who teaches Potions. After dessert, Albus Dumbledore, the head of Hogwarts, gets up to make his welcome speech. He adds a few warnings about staying away from the Forbidden Forest and avoiding the third-floor corridor on the right side of the school. Everyone sings the school song and goes off to his or her house.
The Sorting Ceremony
Chapter 8
The Potions Master
(where students are taught how to turn one thing into another), only Hermione is able to make any progress at turning a match into a needle. Harry is relieved to see that others are just as lost as he is.
During breakfast the first Friday, Harry’s owl, Hedwig, who delivers mail, arrives with a tea invitation from Hagrid. Later, in his Potions class, Harry discovers that Professor Snape really does not like him, mocking Harry as “our new celebrity” and then humiliating Harry for his ignorance of herbs. Harry brings Ron with him to Hagrid’s shack for tea.
Harry and Ron are disconcerted by Hagrid’s huge and fierce-looking dog, Fang, but discover that he is gentle. Hagrid tells Harry that he is overreacting to Snape’s treatment, asserting that Snape would have no reason to hate him. Harry happens to notice an article from the wizard newspaper detailing a break-in that occurred at Gringotts bank in a vault that had been emptied earlier in the day. He realizes that it happened on his birthday, the day he and Hagrid went to Gringotts. Furthermore, he remembers that Hagrid emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, taking
a small package with him as he left. Harry leaves Hagrid’s, his mind filled with questions.
Harry’s experience with the Sorting Hat is an important event in his development at Hogwarts. He dreads putting it on because he fears that the hat will assign him to Slytherin, which he associates with unlikable students. He assumes that the hat has all the power and that the student has no say in his or her own future. But when he puts the hat on, it actually seems to negotiate with Harry, tempting him with Slytherin but willing to accept Harry’s refusal.
a small package with him as he left. Harry leaves Hagrid’s, his mind filled with questions.
Harry’s experience with the Sorting Hat is an important event in his development at Hogwarts. He dreads putting it on because he fears that the hat will assign him to Slytherin, which he associates with unlikable students. He assumes that the hat has all the power and that the student has no say in his or her own future. But when he puts the hat on, it actually seems to negotiate with Harry, tempting him with Slytherin but willing to accept Harry’s refusal.
This interaction is significant, as it shows that while much of Harry’s fate has been decided for him (like his being a wizard), he still has some control over what he makes of his life. The hat says that Harry could be great in Slytherin rather than make a prophecy that he will be great, as if to emphasize that Harry is free to actualize or not to actualize his potential, as he wishes.
In letting Harry choose between the dark and suspect Slytherin and the friendlier and nobler Gryffindor, the hat is allowing Harry to choose as well between goodness and wickedness.We feel that while Harry’s fate may have been handed to him, what he does with that fate in his life will be his own achievement and will reflect his own character.
The hat also gives Harry his first real compliment in the story, telling him that he has “plenty of courage. . . [n]ot a bad mind. . . talent. . . and a nice thirst to prove yourself.” What is important here is not just the hat’s positive judgment of Harry, but the fact that Harry hears this positive opinion directly. Even though Harry is famous throughout the wizards’ world, his Muggle family has raised him to think little of himself. All the rumors circulating about Harry’s talents have not yet been verified, so it is hard for Harry to have a clear idea of his abilities.
The hat, with its unquestioned authority, gives Harry the first real vote of confidence in which he can fully believe. It also gives him his first hint that he will need to use his powers. The hat’s reference to Harry proving himself hints at his coming struggle with his enemies, foreshadowed by the dark look that Professor Snape gives him and the news about the attempted robbery of vault seven hundred and thirteen.
Potion Class
Chapter 9
The Midnight Duel
Madam Hooch leads the class, gently sending the new fliers off the ground.
Neville has an accident and breaks his wrist. Madam Hooch takes him to the hospital, telling everyone to stay on the ground while she is away.
Malfoy notices a magic ball belonging to Neville,
picks it up, and begins to fly around with it. Harry goes after Malfoy, who throws the ball in the air. Harry catches it spectacularly and lands safely back on ground
Just then,Professor McGonagall arrives, reprimanding Harry and ordering him to follow her. But instead of punishing him, McGonagall introduces him to Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, explaining that Harry will make an excellent Quidditch player.
At dinner, Harry excitedly tells Ron about joining the Quidditch team but tells him that Wood wants it to be a secret. Malfoy comes over with his cronies Crabbe and Goyle and teases Harry about getting in trouble earlier. The tension grows and Malfoy challenges Harry to a wizard’s duel. Harry accepts, in spite of Hermione’s attempt to dissuade them from breaking the school rules. As Harry and Ron sneak out later that night, Hermione tries to stop them but gets locked out of the dorm and must tag along. Neville, wandering around lost, also joins them.
picks it up, and begins to fly around with it. Harry goes after Malfoy, who throws the ball in the air. Harry catches it spectacularly and lands safely back on ground
Just then,Professor McGonagall arrives, reprimanding Harry and ordering him to follow her. But instead of punishing him, McGonagall introduces him to Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, explaining that Harry will make an excellent Quidditch player.
At dinner, Harry excitedly tells Ron about joining the Quidditch team but tells him that Wood wants it to be a secret. Malfoy comes over with his cronies Crabbe and Goyle and teases Harry about getting in trouble earlier. The tension grows and Malfoy challenges Harry to a wizard’s duel. Harry accepts, in spite of Hermione’s attempt to dissuade them from breaking the school rules. As Harry and Ron sneak out later that night, Hermione tries to stop them but gets locked out of the dorm and must tag along. Neville, wandering around lost, also joins them.
They arrive at the trophy room, the site of the duel, but Malfoy is nowhere to be found. Suddenly, they hear Argus Filch, the school caretaker, and his cat, Mrs. Norris, enter the room. They begin to hide and then run away. Not sure where they are going, they accidentally end up in the forbidden area on the third floor, staring at a large and scary three-headed dog. The children manage to get back to their dorm safely, though they are terrified. Hermione reprimands Harry but stirs his curiosity by pointing out that the dog was standing on a trapdoor.
Harry’s chance discovery of the forbidden hallway on the third floor is important in several ways. It reminds us that there is more happening at Hogwarts than simply education and that the classroom is only one part of his experience at the academy. Furthermore, the hallway discovery serves as Harry’s entry into the snooping and sleuthing role that he maintains throughout the rest of the story. When Hermione tells him that the dog was standing on a trapdoor, Harry realizes that whatever Hagrid took from vault seven hundred and thirteen is being guarded by the dog at Hogwarts. It is significant that Harry’s first discovery of an important clue in the mystery at the heart of the story involves a transgression of a school rule.
Harry’s chance discovery of the forbidden hallway on the third floor is important in several ways. It reminds us that there is more happening at Hogwarts than simply education and that the classroom is only one part of his experience at the academy. Furthermore, the hallway discovery serves as Harry’s entry into the snooping and sleuthing role that he maintains throughout the rest of the story. When Hermione tells him that the dog was standing on a trapdoor, Harry realizes that whatever Hagrid took from vault seven hundred and thirteen is being guarded by the dog at Hogwarts. It is significant that Harry’s first discovery of an important clue in the mystery at the heart of the story involves a transgression of a school rule.
Dumbledore clearly spells out in his welcome speech that the hallway is forbidden, yet this hallway is precisely where Harry ends up. Harry’s willingness to commit misdemeanors even at the start of his Hogwarts career makes him a more complex character. We feel with certainty that he is not bad, but we see that he has the healthy curiosity of any child in a new, exotic, and fascinating place.
We see that Harry’s rebellious disregard for the rules may lead to some important knowledge, echoing an idea in the biblical story of Adam and Eve’s fall in Eden: seeking forbidden knowledge may be punishable, but it is also what makes us human. The same association between breaking the rules and transcending one’s position is noticeable in Harry’s flying-lesson escapade. Harry clearly flouts the law by flying into the air after Neville’s stolen ball, but his act is noble and displays his flying talents. Professor McGonagall may go through the motions of punishing Harry for breaking the rule, but her true feelings are praise and admiration.
We see that Harry’s rebellious disregard for the rules may lead to some important knowledge, echoing an idea in the biblical story of Adam and Eve’s fall in Eden: seeking forbidden knowledge may be punishable, but it is also what makes us human. The same association between breaking the rules and transcending one’s position is noticeable in Harry’s flying-lesson escapade. Harry clearly flouts the law by flying into the air after Neville’s stolen ball, but his act is noble and displays his flying talents. Professor McGonagall may go through the motions of punishing Harry for breaking the rule, but her true feelings are praise and admiration.
The idea that a little rule-breaking may be acceptable and even valued is one of the most interesting aspects of the novel’s moral dimension.
Midnight Duel
Chapter 10
Halloween
Harry and Ron arrive at the Halloween feast to hear Professor Quirrell, the teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts, give a terrifying announcement about a twelve-foot troll in the building. As the prefects lead the students back to their dorms, Harry realizes that Hermione does not know about the troll. They head off to warn her and come upon the troll. Unwittingly, they lock it in the girls’ bathroom only to realize that Hermione is trapped in there with the troll. Using teamwork and magic, the three of them manage to knock out the troll. Professor McGonagall finds them and begins to scold the boys. Hermione interjects that Harry and Ron were looking for her.
She then lies, saying that she went to face the troll herself and that Ron and Harry had been trying to save her from it. At this point, Hermione becomes their friend.
The troll episode sheds light on the institution of Hogwarts, as well as on various characters in it. It is surprising to see the general alarm created by the sighting of
The troll episode sheds light on the institution of Hogwarts, as well as on various characters in it. It is surprising to see the general alarm created by the sighting of
a troll within the castle walls, where so many bizarre and somewhat frightening creatures reside. Professor Quirrell is even more flustered than usual by the sight of the monster, and the students are rushed off to the safety of their dormitories.
We see that despite the Hogwarts professors’ great mastery of magic, they are far from invincible, being frightened by a troll of striking stupidity. We may wonder why one of the wizards does not simply put a spell on the castle to prevent trolls from entering or immobilize the intruding troll with a charm. Yet they do not, thus displaying the limits of their magic. Aa Harry is in a position to be awed by the majesty of Hogwarts, this timely show of the Hogwarts staff’s vulnerability is a reminder to him that even the eminent academy may need his help—as he indeed discovers soon enough.
Harry’s victory over the troll is his first true achievement at school, and its symbolic importance is considerable. Furthermore, the troll incident casts a suspicious light on Professor Snape, whom Harry notices sneaking off toward the third floor. Especially in light of Harry’s belief that Snape hates him, Snape’s sneaking away reinforces Harry’s growing belief that Snape is evil. Finally, Hermione’s character develops in the troll scene. For the first time, she breaks out of her overeager, goody-two-shoes role and lies to a teacher. By dropping her perfectionist facade, she appears more human to Harry and Ron. Her willingness to lie to protect her classmates makes her a much more likable and sympathetic individual, which enables
Ron and Harry to become friends with her.
Harry’s victory over the troll is his first true achievement at school, and its symbolic importance is considerable. Furthermore, the troll incident casts a suspicious light on Professor Snape, whom Harry notices sneaking off toward the third floor. Especially in light of Harry’s belief that Snape hates him, Snape’s sneaking away reinforces Harry’s growing belief that Snape is evil. Finally, Hermione’s character develops in the troll scene. For the first time, she breaks out of her overeager, goody-two-shoes role and lies to a teacher. By dropping her perfectionist facade, she appears more human to Harry and Ron. Her willingness to lie to protect her classmates makes her a much more likable and sympathetic individual, which enables
Ron and Harry to become friends with her.
First Halloween at Hogwarts
Chapter 11
Quidditch
The Quidditch season begins, and Harry is about to play in his first match against Slytherin.
To prepare, Harry borrows a book entitled Quidditch Through the Ages from Hermione. Professor Snape discovers Ron, Harry, and Hermione out with the book one evening and confiscates it from Harry on the feeble pretext that library books may not be taken outside. Harry’s suspicions of Snape continue to grow. Harry notices that Snape is limping.
Going off to retrieve the book from Snape, Harry overhears Snape talking to Argus Filch about the three-headed dog, which makes Harry even more suspicious.
The next morning, the Quidditch match begins. Harry plays the position of Seeker, which means he must capture a little object called the Golden Snitch. He spots it and is flying toward it when the Slytherin Seeker pushes him out of the way and is penalized. Later in the game, Harry’s broom begins moving uncontrollably. Hagrid comments that only dark magic could make a broomstick so hard to manage.
To prepare, Harry borrows a book entitled Quidditch Through the Ages from Hermione. Professor Snape discovers Ron, Harry, and Hermione out with the book one evening and confiscates it from Harry on the feeble pretext that library books may not be taken outside. Harry’s suspicions of Snape continue to grow. Harry notices that Snape is limping.
Going off to retrieve the book from Snape, Harry overhears Snape talking to Argus Filch about the three-headed dog, which makes Harry even more suspicious.
The next morning, the Quidditch match begins. Harry plays the position of Seeker, which means he must capture a little object called the Golden Snitch. He spots it and is flying toward it when the Slytherin Seeker pushes him out of the way and is penalized. Later in the game, Harry’s broom begins moving uncontrollably. Hagrid comments that only dark magic could make a broomstick so hard to manage.
Hermione notices that Snape is staring at Harry and muttering to himself. As the Weasley twins try to rescue their teammate Harry, Hermione rushes over to Snape, sneaks behind him, and sets his robe on fire. Suddenly, the spell on Harry’s broom is broken and Harry is once again in control. He starts speeding toward the ground and lands, catching the Snitch.
Hagrid takes Harry back to his hut with Hermione and Ron, who tells Harry that Snape was putting a curse on his broomstick. Hagrid does not believe this charge, asking why Snape would try to kill Harry. Harry tells Hagrid about Snape getting injured by the dog in the third-floor corridor. Hagrid involuntarily reveals that the three-headed dog, Fluffy, is his, and that what the dog is guarding is a secret known only to Albus Dumbledore and a man named Nicolas Flamel.
The good and the wicked sides of Hogwarts become more distinct in these chapters as the novel’s major characters begin to move into opposition.
Just as the Quidditch players are divided into two opposing teams, Hogwarts separates into those allied with Dumbledore’s rightful authority and those, like Snape, who seem to be plotting some wrongdoing against it.
Hagrid takes Harry back to his hut with Hermione and Ron, who tells Harry that Snape was putting a curse on his broomstick. Hagrid does not believe this charge, asking why Snape would try to kill Harry. Harry tells Hagrid about Snape getting injured by the dog in the third-floor corridor. Hagrid involuntarily reveals that the three-headed dog, Fluffy, is his, and that what the dog is guarding is a secret known only to Albus Dumbledore and a man named Nicolas Flamel.
The good and the wicked sides of Hogwarts become more distinct in these chapters as the novel’s major characters begin to move into opposition.
Just as the Quidditch players are divided into two opposing teams, Hogwarts separates into those allied with Dumbledore’s rightful authority and those, like Snape, who seem to be plotting some wrongdoing against it.
Harry’s success at Quidditch foreshadows his later successful role in the more important standoff between good and bad in the story, and so it is significant that such an outright sign of evil occurs during the Quidditch game. We see that identifying one’s enemy is a key part of any game strategy, and when Hermione notices that Snape seems to be muttering a curse on Harry’s broomstick, it is suggested that teamwork is equally necessary. Hermione is playing
on Harry’s team just as much as his Quidditch teammates are, only in a different and more important game.
on Harry’s team just as much as his Quidditch teammates are, only in a different and more important game.
Her role is just as important as Harry’s, because without her assistance
Harry might have fallen from his broomstick to his death. Though it is merely a game, Quidditch is given such significance throughout the story precisely because it demands both individual talent and teamwork in equal measure. Harry’s education at Hogwarts teaches him not just that he has unique magic powers, but also that he needs to cultivate friends and allies if he is going to be able to use these powers effectively.
The game takes on greater significance, however, with the idea that it is not merely a contest between noble Gryffindors and cunning Slytherins but between good and evil. Hagrid’s comment that only dark magic could make Harry’s broomstick wobble so much indicates that the game has evolved from being a relatively friendly competition to being one of outright hostility. The use of dark magic forces Harry to face a more urgent threat—the need to survive. Hermione’s decision to help save Harry’s life by setting fire to Snape’s robe demonstrates how the game’s heightened stakes result in heightened motivations and consequences. As the forces of good and evil in the story draw closer, these motivations and consequences continue to intensify.
Harry might have fallen from his broomstick to his death. Though it is merely a game, Quidditch is given such significance throughout the story precisely because it demands both individual talent and teamwork in equal measure. Harry’s education at Hogwarts teaches him not just that he has unique magic powers, but also that he needs to cultivate friends and allies if he is going to be able to use these powers effectively.
The game takes on greater significance, however, with the idea that it is not merely a contest between noble Gryffindors and cunning Slytherins but between good and evil. Hagrid’s comment that only dark magic could make Harry’s broomstick wobble so much indicates that the game has evolved from being a relatively friendly competition to being one of outright hostility. The use of dark magic forces Harry to face a more urgent threat—the need to survive. Hermione’s decision to help save Harry’s life by setting fire to Snape’s robe demonstrates how the game’s heightened stakes result in heightened motivations and consequences. As the forces of good and evil in the story draw closer, these motivations and consequences continue to intensify.
A Lesson In Quidditch
Chapters 12
The Mirror of Erised
On Christmas day, Harry and Ron awaken to presents, though Harry’s are fewer. Harry receives candy and a knitted sweater from Ron’s mother. He also receives an invisibility cloak accompanied only by an anonymous note telling him that the cloak once belonged to Harry’s father. That night, after a satisfying Christmas dinner and after Ron has fallen asleep, Harry tries on his invisibility cloak. Unseen, he is able to go to the library’s restricted-books section. But one of the books starts screaming when he opens it, so he quickly leaves. He passes Filch and hides in an old classroom marked with an inscription that includes the word
“Erised.” Inside stands an old mirror. Harry looks in the mirror and sees many people standing behind him, but when he turns around in the room, he sees no one. Suddenly, he recognizes that two of the people in the mirror are his dead mother and father. He tries to speak to them, but they can only communicate by waving. Harry lingers there a while but eventually returns
to his room.
The next night, Harry brings Ron with him to the mirror room. Ron does not see Harry’s parents in the mirror, but instead sees himself holding a Quidditch cup. Mrs. Norris, Filch’s prowling cat, notices them. On the third night, Ron is afraid of being caught and does not want to go back, so Harry returns alone. There he finds Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore explains to Harry that the mirror displays the deepest desire of whoever looks into it. Harry is relieved to find that Dumbledore is not angry.
Harry sees his parents in the Mirror of Erised
Chapter 13
Nicholas Flamel
At practice one day, Harry learns that Snape will be refereeing the next game.
He and his friends wonder whether Snape might try to harm Harry during the game. As they are talking, Neville hops by; Malfoy has cast a spell on him that has locked his legs together. Harry tells Neville that Neville needs to learn to stand up to Malfoy.
Neville turns to leave, but not before giving Harry a Famous Wizard card for his collection. Suddenly Harry remembers where he has seen the name Nicolas Flamel before—on the back of the Albus Dumbledore Famous Wizard card that Ron gave him on the train trip to Hogwarts. Hermione runs to her room to get a book informing them that Flamel, once Dumbledore’s partner, was the only wizard ever to make a Sorcerer’s Stone.
They learn that the Sorcerer’s Stone transforms any metal into gold and produces an elixir of everlasting life. Harry and his friends conclude that the fierce dog on the third floor must be guarding Flamel’s stone.
Harry’s nervousness grows as the big Quidditch match approaches. If Gryffindor wins, it will take first place in the house championship. But Harry is concerned about Snape’s evil plans. His
fears are allayed when he learns that Dumbledore will be at the game, because Snape would never commit any wrongdoing in front of Dumbledore. In the game, Harry catches the Golden Snitch within the first five minutes, and the crowd roars. Dumbledore congratulates Harry for this astonishing feat. Afterward, Harry notices Snape heading off into the forest.
He flies to follow him and hears Snape talking harshly in the forest to Professor Quirrell and mentioning the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Harry’s discovery of the Mirror of Erised is important both as plot development and as a revelation of Harry’s own character.
The mirror room is a taboo zone, and thus once again, Harry’s entry is another violation of the rules. Harry finds the mirror in a room where he is not supposed to be, having just fled from the restricted-books section of the library where he is also not supposed to be. But it is a crucial scene, as it is the room in which the climactic encounter of the story later takes place. It is also the site of the first intimate and friendly conversation between Harry and Dumbledore, foreshadowing Harry’s future successes in fighting for Dumbledore’s side in the coming clash.
Harry’s nervousness grows as the big Quidditch match approaches. If Gryffindor wins, it will take first place in the house championship. But Harry is concerned about Snape’s evil plans. His
fears are allayed when he learns that Dumbledore will be at the game, because Snape would never commit any wrongdoing in front of Dumbledore. In the game, Harry catches the Golden Snitch within the first five minutes, and the crowd roars. Dumbledore congratulates Harry for this astonishing feat. Afterward, Harry notices Snape heading off into the forest.
He flies to follow him and hears Snape talking harshly in the forest to Professor Quirrell and mentioning the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Harry’s discovery of the Mirror of Erised is important both as plot development and as a revelation of Harry’s own character.
The mirror room is a taboo zone, and thus once again, Harry’s entry is another violation of the rules. Harry finds the mirror in a room where he is not supposed to be, having just fled from the restricted-books section of the library where he is also not supposed to be. But it is a crucial scene, as it is the room in which the climactic encounter of the story later takes place. It is also the site of the first intimate and friendly conversation between Harry and Dumbledore, foreshadowing Harry’s future successes in fighting for Dumbledore’s side in the coming clash.
Symbolically, the Mirror of Erised is a mirror into the soul, because it depicts the heart’s deepest desire (“Erised” is “desire” spelled backward).
Harry finds out nothing about the mysterious Nicolas Flamel, but he finds out a lot about his love for his long-dead parents and his wish that they were alive again.
Like the invisibility cloak that also appears in this chapter, the Mirror of Erised helps Harry connect his present adventures with the past world of his parents and the fond feelings that dwell in his heart. As it turns out, this understanding of desire is much more important for Harry than the information that any book could convey. The turn from the outer world of library research to the inner world of memories and desires suggests that part of Harry’s search involves an inward investigation of his own self.Harry’s growing intimacy with Dumbledore is an important development.
Harry finds out nothing about the mysterious Nicolas Flamel, but he finds out a lot about his love for his long-dead parents and his wish that they were alive again.
Like the invisibility cloak that also appears in this chapter, the Mirror of Erised helps Harry connect his present adventures with the past world of his parents and the fond feelings that dwell in his heart. As it turns out, this understanding of desire is much more important for Harry than the information that any book could convey. The turn from the outer world of library research to the inner world of memories and desires suggests that part of Harry’s search involves an inward investigation of his own self.Harry’s growing intimacy with Dumbledore is an important development.
At the beginning, Dumbledore is a rather abstractly presented grand person whom we glimpse from afar when he gives the students a welcome speech the night of their arrival.
But when Dumbledore comes upon Harry in the mirror room, the old wizard and the young boy are alone for the first time in the story, conversing privately, and we see a more human side of Dumbledore. There is an increasing sense that Dumbledore cares about Harry as an individual, as there is no mention of him having a private audience with any other Hogwarts student.
But when Dumbledore comes upon Harry in the mirror room, the old wizard and the young boy are alone for the first time in the story, conversing privately, and we see a more human side of Dumbledore. There is an increasing sense that Dumbledore cares about Harry as an individual, as there is no mention of him having a private audience with any other Hogwarts student.
Even more important, Dumbledore surprises Harry at a very intimate moment of self-exploration, when Harry is examining his soul’s deepest desires. Dumbledore’s explanation of the mirror and gentle advice that Harry not consult it anymore show that the great wizard is a wise psychologist, as well as almost a father figure for Harry.
Dumbledore continues to be a protective force for Harry. His advice to refrain from looking in the Mirror of Erised stems from his understanding that the mirror’s powerful images might overwhelm the young Harry. In contrast to Snape, who mocks Harry’s celebrity status without hesitation, Dumbledore understands that Harry is a still a little boy with emotional needs.
Dumbledore continues to be a protective force for Harry. His advice to refrain from looking in the Mirror of Erised stems from his understanding that the mirror’s powerful images might overwhelm the young Harry. In contrast to Snape, who mocks Harry’s celebrity status without hesitation, Dumbledore understands that Harry is a still a little boy with emotional needs.
The later revelation that Dumbledore is the one who gives Harry’s father’s invisibility cloak to Harry reinforces his fatherly role. Finally, with Harry’s discovery that the secret of Nicolas Flamel’s identity is actually in his own possession the whole time, in a collector’s card in his pocket that depicts Dumbledore, we feel even more strongly that Dumbledore occupies a very personal and intimate place in Harry’s life.
Nicholas Flamel Scene
Chapter 14
Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback
As Easter approaches, Hermione begins to worry about exams, while Harry and Ron merely try to keep up with the tremendous amount of homework assigned. One day, Hagrid comes upon them studying in the library. They bombard him with questions about the Sorcerer’s Stone. He invites them to come and talk to him later but says he does not promise that he will reveal anything. They visit Hagrid’s hut later, and Hagrid tells them he does not know what else is guarding the stone besides the three-headed dog. He does tell them which teachers cast spells to guard the stone. He adds that he will never give out any information on how to bypass the dog.
Hagrid shows the students a dragon egg that he won in a poker game the previous night. Dragons are illegal, but Hagrid wishes to raise one anyway. Later, Harry gets a note saying the dragon egg is hatching. Excitedly, he and his friends rush over to Hagrid’s to watch the dragon’s birth. The children realize that Hagrid must get rid of this dragon, which Hagrid names Norbert, before he grows too big. They decide to write to Charlie, Ron’s older brother, who is studying dragons in Romania.
Charlie agrees to help them and arranges for them to meet some of his friends to take the dragon away. The plan is set for the children to meet Charlie’s friends at midnight one Saturday atop the tallest tower of the castle. They take the invisibility cloak and sneak up carrying Norbert. Charlie’s friends come and take the dragon away. As they descend from the tower, they forget to wear the invisibility cloak, and Filch catches them.
Rowling fleshes out the character of Hagrid more fully in this chapter. Hagrid initially seems like an uncouth but affectionate and well-meaning oaf sincerely concerned for Harry’s welfare after the boy’s arrival at Hogwarts, sending him a much-appreciated invitation to tea. Hagrid’s fondness for animals shows that he can see the gentle side of even fierce creatures, as he is the owner of the murderous three-headed dog he cutely names Fluffy.
Rowling fleshes out the character of Hagrid more fully in this chapter. Hagrid initially seems like an uncouth but affectionate and well-meaning oaf sincerely concerned for Harry’s welfare after the boy’s arrival at Hogwarts, sending him a much-appreciated invitation to tea. Hagrid’s fondness for animals shows that he can see the gentle side of even fierce creatures, as he is the owner of the murderous three-headed dog he cutely names Fluffy.
For Hagrid, even wild and monstrous nature is full of kindness; he simply cannot believe in the bad side of anything. Unfortunately, this naïveté makes him ill-equipped to understand the villainous plots afoot at Hogwarts, because he cannot imagine that anyone would want to unseat the beloved Dumbledore. This simple faith is not just wrongheaded but downright dangerous, because,
as we later discover, Hagrid’s trust in a stranger who brings him a couple of drinks is what enables the villains to learn the secret of the guard dog.
Hagrid’s optimism also keeps him from understanding the dangerous consequences of raising a dragon at home, not only because of the destructive potential of the beast, but also because it is a major offense and could get him and any accomplices into a lot of trouble. The dragon becomes a symbol of bad consequences that can come from good intentions.
as we later discover, Hagrid’s trust in a stranger who brings him a couple of drinks is what enables the villains to learn the secret of the guard dog.
Hagrid’s optimism also keeps him from understanding the dangerous consequences of raising a dragon at home, not only because of the destructive potential of the beast, but also because it is a major offense and could get him and any accomplices into a lot of trouble. The dragon becomes a symbol of bad consequences that can come from good intentions.
In insisting on seeing only the optimistic and kindly side of life, Hagrid makes us think about the dangers of being naïve and unaware of evil. In this sense, he makes us draw parallels between him and Harry, who may be similarly naïve. When Harry gets into trouble for helping Hagrid with his dragon, we see that being naïvely kind can be punished severely. Harry’s awareness of evil is growing, as evidenced by the fact that he urges Neville to stick up for himself against the wicked Malfoy. But he still has some things to learn. Harry, like Hagrid, needs to think more critically and realistically about the consequences of his well-intended actions.
Dragon and Losing House Points
Chapter 15
The Forbidden Forest
Filch takes Harry, Hermione, and Ron to Professor McGonagall’s office to be punished.
She accuses them of concocting the whole dragon story to lure Malfoy out of bed and get him into trouble. As punishment, McGonagall deducts fifty points from Gryffindor for each of the three wrongdoers. Harry is horrified that his house will lose 150 points. When the bad news is circulated the next morning, Harry quickly falls from his pedestal as Quidditch star.
He considers resigning from the Quidditch team, but Wood convinces him that doing so would be useless.
Harry resolves not to get involved in any more suspicious activities, but a week later he overhears a conversation in which Quirrell appears to give in to someone, presumably Snape, as if Snape is pressing him to do something. Harry and his friends try to figure out what to do, but they cannot come up with a plan of action. Harry, Hermione, and Neville are told to report to Hagrid that night for their detention. When they show up, they are surprised to find that detention will be held in the surrounding Forbidden Forest. Malfoy, who has also been given detention, objects to being forced outside like a servant.
Hagrid points to some traces of unicorn blood on the ground and explains that they will be going into the forest to find out what has been harming the animals. They split up into two groups: Harry and Hermione with Hagrid, Neville and Malfoy with Hagrid’s dog, Fang. They penetrate deep into the forest. Harry sees signs that the other group is in trouble, but Hagrid discovers that Malfoy has merely been playing tricks on Neville.
Hagrid sends Harry off with Malfoy, taking Neville along with himself. Harry and Malfoy come across a mysterious cloaked figure drinking the blood of a recently killed unicorn. Malfoy and Fang run away, leaving Harry alone. A centaur named Firenze rescues Harry and carries him back to Hagrid. On his way back, Harry learns that the cloaked figure was Voldemort and that he was drinking unicorn blood to sustain himself until he could obtain the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Death makes a sudden and violent appearance in these chapters. The spectacle of the dying unicorn that Harry glimpses in the forest is shocking not only because it is the first instance of death that we actually witness, but also because the unicorn is a symbol of innocence and purity. The murder of a unicorn, a harmless and delicate creature, displays death not as a natural process in the cycle of life, but as something wrongful and horrid.
Death makes a sudden and violent appearance in these chapters. The spectacle of the dying unicorn that Harry glimpses in the forest is shocking not only because it is the first instance of death that we actually witness, but also because the unicorn is a symbol of innocence and purity. The murder of a unicorn, a harmless and delicate creature, displays death not as a natural process in the cycle of life, but as something wrongful and horrid.
The death appears to be even more evil when we find out that the unicorn has died so that an evil being may live and that the wicked Voldemort drinks the unicorn’s blood to sustain his own life while searching for immortality. Voldemort has flown in to steal something that does not belong to him, as his name reminds us: Vol de mort means either “flight of death” or “theft of death” in French. Both names suit the unjust death he brings.
The spectacle of Voldemort’s exchange of death for life in the forest is important for Harry personally because he is the only one who witnesses it. We are reminded of another, much earlier moment of life and death in Harry’s experience, also spent in the presence of Voldemort: the moment when Harry’s life was saved in infancy while Voldemort killed Harry’s parents. In medieval Europe, the unicorn was often a symbol of pure and selfless womanhood. Like Harry’s mother, the unicorn dies protecting her baby son, perhaps even giving up her life so that her baby can live. Harry’s investigation of the Hogwarts mystery is bringing him closer to his parents, unwittingly bringing their killer, Voldemort, to some sort of justice.
The spectacle of Voldemort’s exchange of death for life in the forest is important for Harry personally because he is the only one who witnesses it. We are reminded of another, much earlier moment of life and death in Harry’s experience, also spent in the presence of Voldemort: the moment when Harry’s life was saved in infancy while Voldemort killed Harry’s parents. In medieval Europe, the unicorn was often a symbol of pure and selfless womanhood. Like Harry’s mother, the unicorn dies protecting her baby son, perhaps even giving up her life so that her baby can live. Harry’s investigation of the Hogwarts mystery is bringing him closer to his parents, unwittingly bringing their killer, Voldemort, to some sort of justice.
The Forbidden Forest
Chapter 16
Through the Trapdoor
The year-end examinations go off without a hitch, although Harry fears that Voldemort will burst through the door at any second. While he is a guest at Hagrid’s, Harry learns that while drunk and playing cards, Hagrid revealed to Voldemort that anyone can get past the three-headed guard dog, Fluffy, by playing music to him. Harry and his friends rush to find Dumbledore to tell him this news, but they run into McGonagall, who informs them that Dumbledore has been called off to London by the Ministry of Magic. Harry convinces Hermione and Ron that they need to grab the stone that night. As they are heading out, Neville tries to stop them. Hermione immobilizes him with a spell, and they proceed.
When they reach Fluffy, Harry, Hermione, and Ron notice a harp by his feet and realize that someone has already passed by Fluffy. Harry plays a flute he has brought, putting Fluffy to sleep and allowing his gang to go through the trapdoor. They land on some sort of plant with twisting tendrils that wrap around Harry and Ron. Hermione gets out immediately and uses fire from her wand to stave off the plant. Next, they encounter a large locked door in a room full of birds that are actually keys.
Harry uses his Quidditch skills to catch the right bird and unlock the door. They then must play a violent game of chess in which each of them is a chess piece. Ron masterfully leads them through the game, but he must allow himself to be captured—and severely beaten—by the opposing queen to win. Harry and Hermione then come upon a series of potions and a logic puzzle. Hermione figures out which potions to drink and then goes back to help Ron and Harry move forward to find the stone.
Harry’s breadth of wisdom is shown when he is forced to choose between obedience and fame on one hand and courage on the other and he opts for the latter. Hermione, who generally likes to follow rules, believes that Harry’s plan to find the Sorcerer’s Stone is crazy. Her fear that he will get expelled reflects her general concern about academic reputation. Harry, on the other hand, cares less about his status at school and more about the seemingly unavoidable battle between good and evil over the Sorcerer’s Stone. In a memorably brave response to Hermione, Harry shouts, “SO WHAT? . . . If Snape gets ahold of the Stone, Voldemort’s coming back! . . . There won’t be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! . .
Losing points doesn’t matter anymore.” Harry is able to see beyond the limits of Hogwarts and glimpse the cosmic dimension of Voldemort’s threats. He sees that the points system that dominates everyone’s thinking in the school is trivial compared to the prospect that Voldemort will unleash evil upon the world. In this respect, Hermione’s book-learning is contrasted with Harry’s practical wisdom.
Harry’s breadth of wisdom is shown when he is forced to choose between obedience and fame on one hand and courage on the other and he opts for the latter. Hermione, who generally likes to follow rules, believes that Harry’s plan to find the Sorcerer’s Stone is crazy. Her fear that he will get expelled reflects her general concern about academic reputation. Harry, on the other hand, cares less about his status at school and more about the seemingly unavoidable battle between good and evil over the Sorcerer’s Stone. In a memorably brave response to Hermione, Harry shouts, “SO WHAT? . . . If Snape gets ahold of the Stone, Voldemort’s coming back! . . . There won’t be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! . .
Losing points doesn’t matter anymore.” Harry is able to see beyond the limits of Hogwarts and glimpse the cosmic dimension of Voldemort’s threats. He sees that the points system that dominates everyone’s thinking in the school is trivial compared to the prospect that Voldemort will unleash evil upon the world. In this respect, Hermione’s book-learning is contrasted with Harry’s practical wisdom.
Hermione receives a grade of 112 percent on her final exams and has read every textbook backward and forward, but she lacks Harry’s key ability to view the broader consequences of facts. While Hermione has progressed a great deal, she fails to realize the full implications of the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry, by contrast, seems wise beyond his years, recognizing that at a certain point the glory and fame that come from being crowned house champions are less important than the battle between good and evil.
The obstacles that Harry, Hermione, and Ron encounter on their quest for the Sorcerer’s Stone force each of them to use his or her individual talents and skills. Harry, for example, is an excellent broom-flyer, and his aerial agility enables him to grab the bird key that unlocks the door for them. Ron is a good chess player, and he willingly sacrifices his own body to win, allowing Harry and Hermione to advance. Hermione is an expert in logic, and she successfully picks out the right bottle for Harry so that he can advance toward the stone while she goes back to help Ron. Rowling thus emphasizes the importance of teamwork over individual accomplishment.
The obstacles that Harry, Hermione, and Ron encounter on their quest for the Sorcerer’s Stone force each of them to use his or her individual talents and skills. Harry, for example, is an excellent broom-flyer, and his aerial agility enables him to grab the bird key that unlocks the door for them. Ron is a good chess player, and he willingly sacrifices his own body to win, allowing Harry and Hermione to advance. Hermione is an expert in logic, and she successfully picks out the right bottle for Harry so that he can advance toward the stone while she goes back to help Ron. Rowling thus emphasizes the importance of teamwork over individual accomplishment.
We Go Down to the Trap Door
Chapter 17
The Man With Two Faces
Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.
"Me," he said calmly. "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter. "
"But I thought -- Snape--"
"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it wasn't his usual quivering treble, either, but cold and sharp. "Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?"
Harry couldn't take it in. This couldn't be true, it couldn't.
"But Snape tried to kill me!"
"No, no, no. I tried to kill you. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have got you off that broom. I'd have managed it before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you. "
"Snape was trying to save me?"
"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really. . . he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he did make himself unpopular. . . and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight. "
Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves tightly around Harry.
"You're too nosy to live, Potter. Scurrying around the school on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone. "
"You let the troll in?"
"Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls -- you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off -- and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly.
"Now, wait quietly, Potter. I need to examine this interesting mirror. "
It was only then that Harry realized what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.
"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone," Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this. . . but he's in London. . . I'll be far away by the time he gets back. . . "
All Harry could think of doing was to keep Quirrell talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror.
"I saw you and Snape in the forest -- " he blurted out.
"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me -- as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side. . . "
Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.
"I see the Stone. . . I'm presenting it to my master. . . but where is it?"
Harry struggled against the ropes binding him, but they didn't give. He had to keep Quirrell from giving his whole attention to the mirror.
"But Snape always seemed to hate me so much. "
"Oh, he does," said Quirrell casually, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn't you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead. "
"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing -- I thought Snape was threatening you. . . "
For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Quirrell's face.
"Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions -- he is a great wizard and I am weak--"
"You mean he was there in the classroom with you?" Harry gasped.
"He is with me wherever I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it. . . Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He has had to be very hard on me. " Quirrell shivered suddenly. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me. . . decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me. . . "
Quirrell's voice trailed away. Harry was remembering his trip to Diagon Alley -- how could he have been so stupid? He'd seen Quirrell there that very day, shaken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.
Quirrell cursed under his breath.
"I don't understand. . . is the Stone inside the mirror? Should I break it?"
Harry's mind was racing.
What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, he thought, is to find the Stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it -- which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?
He tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Quirrell noticing, but the ropes around his ankles were too tight: he tripped and fell over. Quirrell ignored him. He was still talking to himself.
"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!"
And to Harry's horror, a voice answered, and the voice seemed to come from Quirrell himself.
"Use the boy. . . Use the boy. . . "
Quirrell rounded on Harry.
"Yes -- Potter -- come here. "
He clapped his hands once, and the ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet.
"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see. "
Harry walked toward him.
I must lie, he thought desperately . I must look and lie about what I see, that's all.
Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry breathed in the funny smell that seemed to come from Quirrell's turban. He closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.
He saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket -- and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow -- incredibly -- he'd gotten the Stone.
"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"
Harry screwed up his courage.
"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he invented. "I -- I've won the house cup for Gryffindor. "
Quirrell cursed again.
"Get out of the way," he said. As Harry moved aside, he felt the Sorcerer's Stone against his leg. Dare he make a break for it?
But he hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.
"He lies. . . He lies. . . "
"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"
The high voice spoke again.
"Let me speak to him. . . face-to-face. . . "
"Master, you are not strong enough!"
"I have strength enough. . . for this. . . "
Harry felt as if Devil's Snare was rooting him to the spot. He couldn't move a muscle. Petrified, he watched as Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. What was going on? The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.
Harry would have screamed, but he couldn't make a sound. Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, the most terrible face Harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.
"Harry Potter. . . " it whispered.
Harry tried to take a step backward but his legs wouldn't move.
> "See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor. . . I have form only when I can share another's body. . . but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds. . . Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks. . . you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest. . . and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own. . . Now. . . why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"
So he knew. The feeling suddenly surged back into Harry's legs. He stumbled backward.
"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me. . . or you'll meet the same end as your parents. . . They died begging me for mercy. . . "
"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.
Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.
"How touching. . . " it hissed. "I always value bravery. . . Yes, boy, your parents were brave. . .I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight. . . but your mother needn't have died. . . she was trying to protect you. . . Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain. "
"NEVER!"
Harry sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him. The pain in his head lessened -- he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers -- they were blistering before his eyes.
"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck -- Harry's scar was almost blinding him with pain, yet he could see Quirrell howling in agony.
"Master, I cannot hold him -- my hands -- my hands!"
And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms -- Harry could see they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.
"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.
Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face --"AAAARGH!"
Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too, and then Harry knew: Quirrell couldn't touch his bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain -- his only chance was to keep hold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him from doing a curse.
Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off -- the pain in Harry's head was building -- he couldn't see -- he could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of, "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" and other voices, maybe in Harry's own head, crying, "Harry! Harry!"
He felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down. . . down. . . down. . .
Something gold was glinting just above him. The Snitch! He tried to catch it, but his arms were too heavy.
He blinked. It wasn't the Snitch at all. It was a pair of glasses. How strange.
He blinked again. The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above him.
"Good afternoon, Harry," said Dumbledore.
Harry stared at him. Then he remembered: "Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick--"
"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone. "
"Then who does? Sir, I--"
"Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out. "
Harry swallowed and looked around him. He realized he must be in the hospital wing. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.
"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it. "
"How long have I been in here?"
"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried. "
"But sir, the Stone--"
"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say. "
"You got there? You got Hermione's owl?"
"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off you. "
"It was you. "
"I feared I might be too late. "
"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer -"
"Not the Stone, boy, you -- the effort involved nearly killed you. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed. "
"Destroyed?" said Harry blankly. "But your friend -- Nicolas Flamel--"
"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding quite delighted. "You did do the thing properly, didn't you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat, and agreed it's all for the best. "
"But that means he and his wife will die, won't they?"
"They have enough Elixir stored to set their affairs in order and then, yes, they will die. "
Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry's face.
"To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, very long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all -- the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them. "
Harry lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.
"Sir?" said Harry. "I've been thinking. . . sir -- even if the Stone's gone, Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who--"
"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself. "
"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"
"No, Harry, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share. . . not being truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows just as little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, Harry, while you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time -- and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power. "
Harry nodded, but stopped quickly, because it made his head hurt. Then he said, "Sir, there are some other things I'd like to know, if you can tell me. . . things I want to know the truth about. . . "
"The truth. " Dumbledore sighed. "It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie. "
"Well. . . Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"
Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.
"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know,
one day. . . put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older. . . I know you hate to hear this. . . when you are ready, you will know. "
And Harry knew it would be no good to argue.
"But why couldn't Quirrell touch me?"
"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love.
He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign. . . to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good. "
Dumbledore now became very interested in a bird out on the windowsill, which gave Harry time to dry his eyes on the sheet. When he had found his voice again, Harry said, "And the invisibility cloak -- do you know who sent it to me?"
"Ah -- your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might like it. " Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things. . . your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he was here. "
"And there's something else. . . "
"Fire away. "
"Quirrell said Snape--"
"Professor Snape, Harry. "
"Yes, him -- Quirrell said he hates me because he hated my father. Is that true?"
"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive. "
"What?"
"He saved his life. "
"What ?"
"Yes. . . " said Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt. . . I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace. . . "
Harry tried to understand this but it made his head pound, so he stopped.
"And sir, there's one more thing. . . "
"Just the one?"
"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"
"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone -- find it, but not use it -- would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes. . . Now, enough questions.
I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans!
I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them -- but I think I'll be safe with
a nice toffee, don't you?"
He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"
Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.
"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.
"Absolutely not. "
"You let Professor Dumbledore in. . . "
"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest. "
"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey. . . "
"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only. "
And she let Ron and Hermione in.
"Harry!"
Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around him again, but Harry was glad she held herself in as his head was still very sore.
"Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to -- Dumbledore was so worried--"
"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"
It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Harry told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.
"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die ?"
"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that -- what was it? -- 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. '"
"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.
"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.
"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round -- that took a while -- and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall -- he already knew -- he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor. "
"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"
"Well," Hermione exploded, "if he did -- I mean to say that's terrible -- you could have been killed. "
"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could. . . "
"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course -- you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you -- but the food'll be good. "
At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.
"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.
After a good night's sleep, Harry felt nearly back to normal.
"I want to go to the feast," he told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"
"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be.
He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"
Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.
"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.
"Absolutely not. "
"You let Professor Dumbledore in. . . "
"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You need rest. "
"I am resting, look, lying down and everything. Oh, go on, Madam Pomfrey. . . "
"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes only. "
And she let Ron and Hermione in.
"Harry!"
Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around him again, but Harry was glad she held herself in as his head was still very sore.
"Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to -- Dumbledore was so worried--"
"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"
It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumors. Harry told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.
"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to die ?"
"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that -- what was it? -- 'to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. '"
"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.
"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.
"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round -- that took a while -- and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall -- he already knew -- he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor. "
"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"
"Well," Hermione exploded, "if he did -- I mean to say that's terrible -- you could have been killed. "
"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could. . . "
"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course -- you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you -- but the food'll be good. "
At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.
"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.
After a good night's sleep, Harry felt nearly back to normal.
"I want to go to the feast," he told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"
"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feasts could be.
"And you have another visitor. "
"Oh, good," said Harry. "Who is it?"
Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Harry, took one look at him,
"Oh, good," said Harry. "Who is it?"
Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Harry, took one look at him,
and burst into tears.
"It's -- all -- my -- ruddy -- fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"
"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him. "
"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"
"VOLDEMORT!" Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. "I've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads. . . "
Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me.
"It's -- all -- my -- ruddy -- fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"
"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him. "
"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"
"VOLDEMORT!" Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. "I've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I've got loads. . . "
Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me.
I've got yeh a present. "
"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave
"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave
a weak chuckle.
"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'course, he shoulda sacked me instead -- anyway, got yeh this. . . "
It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened it curiously.
"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'course, he shoulda sacked me instead -- anyway, got yeh this. . . "
It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened it curiously.
It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father.
"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos. . . knew yeh didn' have any. . . d'yeh like it?"
Harry couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood.
Harry made his way down to the end-of-yea
r feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full.
"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos. . . knew yeh didn' have any. . . d'yeh like it?"
Harry couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood.
Harry made his way down to the end-of-yea
r feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last checkup, so the Great Hall was already full.
It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the house cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.
When Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.
Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.
"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast.
When Harry walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him.
Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.
"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast.
What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were. . . you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. . .
"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two. "
A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.
"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore.
"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two. "
A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Harry could see Draco Malfoy banging his goblet on the table. It was a sickening sight.
"Yes, Yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore.
"However, recent events must be taken into account. "
The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.
"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out.
The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little.
"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out.
Let me see. Yes. . .
"First -- to Mr. Ronald Weasley. . . "
Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.
". . . for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years,
"First -- to Mr. Ronald Weasley. . . "
Ron went purple in the face; he looked like a radish with a bad sunburn.
". . . for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years,
I award Gryffindor house fifty points. "
Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know!
Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other prefects, "My brother, you know!
My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"
At last there was silence again.
"Second -- to Miss Hermione Granger. . . for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points. "
Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves -- they were a hundred points up.
"Third -- to Mr. Harry Potter. . . " said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. ". . . for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points. "
The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points -- exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup -- if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.
Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.
"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.
At last there was silence again.
"Second -- to Miss Hermione Granger. . . for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points. "
Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves -- they were a hundred points up.
"Third -- to Mr. Harry Potter. . . " said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. ". . . for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points. "
The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points -- exactly the same as Slytherin. They had tied for the house cup -- if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.
Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.
"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "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. "
Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.
"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin,
Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.
"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin,
"we need a little change of decoration. "
He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.
It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls. . . he would never, ever forget tonight.
Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.
And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.
It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.
"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you -- I'll send you an owl. "
"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to. " People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:
"Bye, Harry!"
"See you, Potter!"
"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.
"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.
He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There he is, Mom, there he is, look!"
It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.
"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mom! I can see--"
"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point. "
Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.
"Busy year?" she said.
"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley. "
"Oh, it was nothing, dear. "
"Ready, are you?"
It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.
"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.
"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day. " He walked away.
Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.
"See you over the summer, then. "
"Hope you have -- er -- a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.
"Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer. .
He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horrible, forced smile. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward him hadn't changed one jot. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts.
It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls. . . he would never, ever forget tonight.
Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks; Hermione, of course, had the best grades of the first years. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.
And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays ("I always hope they'll forget to give us these," said Fred Weasley sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bettie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.
It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.
"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "both of you -- I'll send you an owl. "
"Thanks," said Harry, "I'll need something to look forward to. " People jostled them as they moved forward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:
"Bye, Harry!"
"See you, Potter!"
"Still famous," said Ron, grinning at him.
"Not where I'm going, I promise you," said Harry.
He, Ron, and Hermione passed through the gateway together. "There he is, Mom, there he is, look!"
It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.
"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "Look, Mom! I can see--"
"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point. "
Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.
"Busy year?" she said.
"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs. Weasley. "
"Oh, it was nothing, dear. "
"Ready, are you?"
It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.
"You must be Harry's family!" said Mrs. Weasley.
"In a manner of speaking," said Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day. " He walked away.
Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.
"See you over the summer, then. "
"Hope you have -- er -- a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.
"Oh, I will," said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer. .
.
Harry Confronts Quirrell
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone Hospital Scene
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Professor Snape
Playing games and calling names like Snivellus Snape. Years later became a teacher, master of the dark arts, and I learned of James's death killed by Lord Voldemort, also killed
Potter's wife her name was Lilly, only one to survive was their child named Harry. They said he's the chosen one, eventually in my class, chosen by Gryffindor he was a pain in my ass.
He famous for surviving the spell for killing, but clearly fame isn't everything.
Professor Severus Snape, with his long black cape, head of Slytherin, house of the snake and half blood prince
Professor of defense potions master at Hogwarts. He's not a pleasant man, and he seems like he's bad, picking on Harry Potter in front of the class and, though they debate, he would do what it takes, to protect this place, he's Severus Snape.
Dumbledore and Mcgonagall were fond of Harry, plus he had his friends,
Hermione and Ron Weasley. Still there were some that didn't like him like me, there was
Lucius and his son Draco Malfoy.
However I'll admit things started to get weird ever since Harry Potter started attending class here. Professor Quirrell let in a Troll at Halloween, never trusted him again.
Then at the Quidditch game, Harry's broom was bewitched, it was Quirrell
I could see and I muttered a counter spell but his friends thought it was me.
They set fire to my cloak, but his concentration broke and Harry ended up catching the T Snitch and winning the Game.
A while later we found he was helping the Dark Lord, living off of Quirrell's body and the blood of Unicorn's.
Trying to get the Sorcerer's Stone and get back a body of his own.
Quirrell's death only slowed down Voldemort. Me and Lockhart had to teach the students defense against the dark arts once the Chamber of Secrets was Opened, finding petrified children, caused by a Basilisk.
Harry found the diary of Tom Riddle, who was Voldemort, back when he was little,
helped him find the Chamber right in the middle of the school, entered like a fool, but he slayed the Basilisk and I guess that's kinda cool. A while later Sirius Black a prisoner of Azkaban escaped across the land, he's a bad man.
Dementors from the prison circling the school, looking for this fool this isn't cool, we must be careful. A few changes were made to the staff,
Hagrid is a teacher now and Dumbledore got a new hat.
Also Professor Lupin using Boggarts in his studies, which is quite Riddikulus, if you think about that. Lupin's missing classes, wondering where his ass is, just so happens to be when Sirius Black is soon to attack and, even though I'd prefer to walk out the door.
Turn to page 394. Professor Severus Snape, with his long black cape, head of Slytherin, house of the snake and half blood prince
Professor of defense potions master at Hogwarts.
He's not a pleasant man, and he seems like he's bad,
picking on Harry Potter in front of the class and though they debate, he would do what it takes, to protect this place, he's Severus Snape.
Harry found a magic map that showed Peter Pettigrew, Pettigrew died years ago or so we know, followed Lupin into a tree and it appeared to me that he had been helping Sirius Black lately.
Through some discussion we realize Black was framed, it was Ron's ran Scabbers who followed he who shall not be named Pettigrew was an Animagus and hiding for 12 years,
but then Lupin saw the moon, into a Werewolf he changed.
.
Didn't know who it was and I had no more,but back to the tournament Harry is Leading the score.
He heads into the Maze with Cedric Diggory and then he see's the cup it's a Port Key, takes them to a place with Pettigrew, he killed Diggory, traps Harry, had a ceremony, and he back the Dark Lord. Harry got away barely with the Port Key, brought him back to the game and we all see,Harry is taken by Mad-Eye Moody. He tried to kill him and when we realized he started changing. Barty Crouch Jr was the one stealing from me and he assumed the identity of Moody.
After time went by we began training to prevent Voldemort from controlling Harry.
While he's protected by the Order Of The Phoenix, Dumbledore has a plan for me to be a double agent,
wants me to kill him to gain Voldemorts trust, protect Harry from within, so I'll do what I must. Entangled with the Deatheaters, Bellatrix The Strange, and Lucius Malfoy planning on having Draco do the same.
When the time came in the tower everbody saw, the unforgivable curse Avada-Kadavra.
When the time came in the tower everbody saw, the unforgivable curse Avada-Kadavra.
And through Dumbledore's secret plan, I've lost all of my good friends, surrounded by evil people capable of so much death.
Giving Harry time to destroy Horcruxes, While the Dark Lord weakens, War breaks out and they defend from enemy forces.
Voldemort believes that the Elder Wand serves me, I'm attacked by his snake Nagini, I am dying, Harry finds me and I let him see.
He saw the plan and the day, his parents were taken away, his mother Lilly and that I loved her. Always.
Professor Severus Snape, with his long black cape, head of Slytherin, house of the snake and half blood prince Professor of defense potions master at Hogwarts.
He's not a pleasant man, and he seems like he's bad, picking on Harry Potter in front of the class and, though they debate, he would do what it takes, to protect this place, he's Severus Snape.
