Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Summary: Plot, Characters and Key Facts
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone follows an orphaned boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is a wizard. At Hogwarts he and his friends uncover a plot to steal the Sorcerer's Stone.
In the UK the book is called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It is the first of seven novels.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Author | J. K. Rowling |
| Published | 1997 (UK title: Philosopher's Stone) |
| Genre | Fantasy, children's and young adult |
| Series | Book 1 of 7 |
| Main setting | Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry |
| Villain | Lord Voldemort |
What is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone about?
Harry Potter is ten years old and lives with his aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley Dursley, who treat him badly. On his eleventh birthday the giant Rubeus Hagrid tells him that he is a wizard and that his parents, Lily and James Potter, were killed by the dark wizard Voldemort. Harry survived, and he is famous in the wizarding world as the boy who lived.
Harry is offered a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and is sorted into Gryffindor house. He becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, makes an enemy of the arrogant Draco Malfoy, and joins the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Their friendship begins in earnest when they face a troll on Halloween.
The three friends then discover that a three-headed dog named Fluffy guards a trapdoor on the third floor. It protects the Sorcerer's Stone, made by Nicolas Flamel, an object that grants its owner immortality. Harry suspects that Professor Snape wants to steal it for Voldemort.
↑ Back to the topWhere is the book set?
Most of the story takes place at Hogwarts, a castle school for young wizards, and its grounds, including the Forbidden Forest. The wizarding world is hidden from Muggles, the non-magical people, and Harry first sees it through Diagon Alley and the train from platform nine and three-quarters. Voldemort was defeated eleven years before the story begins.
↑ Back to the topWho are the main characters?
Harry Potter is the hero. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are his closest friends. Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts, and Rubeus Hagrid is the groundskeeper who first brings Harry into the wizarding world. Severus Snape teaches Potions and is the one Harry wrongly suspects. Professor Quirrell teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts. Draco Malfoy is Harry's rival, and Voldemort is the villain.
↑ Back to the topHow does Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone end?
Dumbledore leaves the school, and Harry, Ron and Hermione go after the Stone themselves. They pass the enchantments guarding it, and Harry reaches the last chamber alone. There he finds not Snape but Professor Quirrell, who serves Voldemort. Voldemort is hiding in the back of Quirrell's head.
Harry gets the Stone out of the Mirror of Erised, and Quirrell is burned when he touches Harry. Harry wakes in the hospital wing. Dumbledore explains that Lily's sacrifice left Harry with a protection that Quirrell and Voldemort could not touch. The Stone is destroyed, and Gryffindor wins the House Cup.
↑ Back to the topKey facts about the book
J. K. Rowling's debut novel was published in 1997 and began a series of seven. A film version followed in 2001, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.
↑ Back to the topMore about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
This guide covers the book only. Events in film or TV versions differ in places.