Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Summary
Introduction
“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by J. K. Rowling is one of the most popular child novels that has won most of the British Book Award. It also belongs to the first of the seven parts in this this series. The novel was published in 1997 in the United Kingdom (Bloombury) with the title “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” and in the same year it was published in US under the title of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. It is a novel or can be called children’s book deals with the friendship, bravery, good vs evil and family themes.
The novel was made into film of the same name and is the third best selling novel of the time. It has been translated into at least 73 other languages and gained its popularity as the time passes.
The interesting part about the novel is that it has been described in third person narrative and the author knows everything about Harry’s point of view. The story is about an orphan who on his 11th birthday comes to know that his parents were witch and wizard and he is also a wizard.
The story, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone tells us that within each of us lies the potential for extraordinary adventures and the power to overcome the darkest of forces. It teaches us that friendship, loyalty and bravery can transcend the ordinary of lives into something extraordinary.
This article helps to get a constructive Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Summary with detail explanation.
Characters list in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone:
- Harry Potter: Harry Potter is the protagonist of the novel with his green eyes, lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. He is orphan child from his early age because his parents (James and Lily) were killed by Voldemort. He lives with his uncle and aunt. In the novel, he ultimately turned from a timid boy to a powerful hero.
- Hermione Granger: One of the protagonists and a good friend of Harry. He studied at Hogwarth.
- Ron Weasley: One of the protagonists who is shy and modest in his character. He is also one of Harry’s best friend. He is the youngest son in the family of an impoverished wizard family.
- Voldemort: Voldemort is a great wizard who killed Harry’s parents when he was very young and left Harry with lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead.
- Hagrid: An oafish giant who works as a groundskeeper at Hogwarts.
- Albus Dumbledore: Albus Dumbledore is a kind wise old wizard and the headmaster at the Hogwarts with a long white beard.
- Petunia Dursley: Petunia Dursley is Harry’s aunt under her Harry lives after his parents’ death. She is Dudley’s mother. Petunia is not kind enough to Harry.
- Venom Dursley: Harry’s rich uncle with whom Harry lives after his parents’ death.
- Dudley Dursley: Dudley Dursley is the son of Petunia Dursley and cousin of Harry. Dudley is spoiled by his parents.
- Charlie Weasley: Second eldest Weasley brother who works in Romania with dragons, helps Harry, Ron and Hermione with Hagrid’s illegal dragon by getting his friends to transport the dragon to Romania.
- Professor Mc.Gonagall: The head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and a high ranking tall woman in the wizard world. Harry describes her as ‘strict and clever’.
- Oliver Wood: Oliver Wood is a fifth years student who is the captain of Gryffindor Quidditch Team and teaches Harry how to play Ouidditch.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone Summary in 700 words
The novel starts with the description of the Dursley family where Harry lives with his uncle, Venom Dursley and aunt, Petunia Dursley who spoil their own son but occasionally punish Harry especially when odd things happen around like once on Dudley’s birthday, the glass in front of a zoo constrictor exhibit disappears, frightening everyone and later Harry is punished for this incident.
One day, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, an enormous wizard Hagrid appears at the midnight and explains to Harry that he is a wizard too. He informs Harry that his parents Lily and James were wizard who were killed by supremely evil wizard Voldemort but his parents saved the life of Harry. Hagrid delivers Harry an admission letter to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry worries that he does not know anything about the magic, but Hagrid assures him that he will learn soon.
Next month, Harry takes a train to Hogwarts and befriends a boy named Ron Weasley and meets Hermione Granger, a precious girl. The trio are sorted into Gryffindor, a house known for bravery, where Harry stars his classes on charms, herbology, transfiguration, defense, flying lesson etc.
On Christmas, Harry receives a present for the first time, including flute from Hagrid and an invisible cloak which is rare and valuable object that enables the wearer invisible. In the restricted part of library, Harry discovers a mysterious mirror where Harry finds the images of his parents. Later, Hogwarts Headmaster, Dumbledore warns Harry not to see the mirror that may risk his life.
Together with Ron and Hermione, Harry discovers the mystery Philosopher’s Stone which can turn metal into gold and makes one immortal.
Harry, Ron and Hermione find that Hagrid is watching an illegal dragon which he got from a stranger in a card-game. Harry decides to smuggle dragon to Ron’s brother, Charlie who works with dragon in Romania. But they are caught by while trying to hand over to Charlie’s friend. As a result, Harry and Hermoine along with Malfoy and Neville are sent to the Forbidden Forest.
In the forest, Harry discovers cloaked figure drinking the blood of a Unicorn. That figure comes after Harry and Firenze steps and saves him and explains him that the figure is Voldemort who was drinking the unicorn’s blood so that it will help him to stay alive until he can steal the Philosopher’s Stone.
Harry, Ron and Hermione decide to steal the Philosopher’s Stone so that Voldemort does not get the power of immortality. Harry thinks that Snape is going to steal the Stone for Voldemort. The trio Harry, Ron and Hermione go to the forbidden corridor and get past the three-headed dog by lulling it to sleep. Here the trio meet many several deadly challenges in different chambers and come out as successful.
In the final chamber, Harry is surprised to see that Quirrell, the meek-tempered teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts, is actually the one who had been doing Voldemort’s forbidding not Snape. It is Voldemort who has been hiding underneath Quirrell’s turban. It is revealed that Quirrell has been Voldemort’s servant all along and it is Quirrell who wants to retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone from within the mirror of Erised for Voldemort.
Finally, Harry is able to get the stone by looking into the mirror of Erised. Its reflection places the stone in Harry’s pocket. Quirrell tries to take the stone but is burnt when he touches Harry. With Voldemort’s screams of anger echoing in his head and the pain mounts in his scar, Harry finally faints out.
Next, Harry wakes up in the hospital, where Dumbledore explains why Quirrell was unable to touch him. It is the magical power of love that Harry’s mother gave him acts as a protection from Quirrell and Voldemort. Dumbledore also reveals that he wants to destroy the stone so that it does not go to any hands with evil intention.
At the end of the year, when the members of Slytherin are celebrating their victory of the House Cup, then Dumbledore offers the awards last minute-points to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Thus, the members of Gryffindor win over the members of Slytherin. It remains as the best moment in Harry’s life.
Critical Review on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
In J. K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” we find a variety of theme like bravery, friendship, adventure and win over evil. It is a wonderful effort of J. K. Rowling to woven a superb child literature full of fancy and imagination. Though many critics support J. K. Rowling efforts to improve child literature but there are some critics who object to the novel for using witchcraft and wizardly.
Even J. K. Rowling acknowledges that her books are not for everyone. Some children are not ready for this type of literature.
A critic like Caryl Matrisciana coneys in her movies that some children who read the book may become attracted to the magical world Harry lives in.
Lindy Beam agrees that children who become fascinated by charms and spells could eventually stumble into a very real world of witchcraft and the occult.
Connie Neal says that the evil wizard Voldemort represents Satan, in a struggle between good and evil that helps young readers make moral decisions.
Some characters in the Harry Potter novels are evil. According to Rowling, it has been created intentionally. Rowling stated that she made a conscious decision at the start of her writing that she was not going to lie about evil. She said that she could not pretend that when dealing with evil no one gets hurt.
Thus, it is apparent that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is quite controversial and people will continue to disagree on their appropriateness for children. Though many people understand the stories as fantasy tales, others believe the books are a gateway to involvement in the occult.
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