A Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Summary

Eleven years ago, all the wizards and witches of the wizarding world celebrated. It is all because the Dark Lord or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated. In short, Voldemort (the most evil wizard) have killed the parents of Harry Potter, but he cannot kill baby Harry Potter. During that night, Harry Potter became a hero, “The Boy Who Lived”.

Because of the death of his parents, Little Harry became an orphan. Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall, the headmistress of Hogwarts, and Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts, sent him to the house of the Dursleys, the Muggle (non – magic folks) extended family of Harry.

In the present day, a ten – year – old Harry lives in a cupboard under the stairs. He lives there with his mean aunt and uncle and their son Dudley. During Dudley’s birthday, they went to a zoo, there he encounters a snake. And surprisingly, he was able to talk to it and something happened that the snake escaped from its cage, replaced by Dudley inside it.

After the trip to the zoo, Harry started receiving mysterious letters. Harry’s uncle, Mr. Dursley, found out that it is from a wizarding school and tries to keep the letters away from Harry. But that night before Harry’s eleventh birthday, the letters started coming rapidly that Mr. Dursley decided to take the whole family to a deserted island.

Despite of all of that, Hagrid showed up on Harry’s birthday to deliver the letter and to let Harry know that he is a wizard and have been admitted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The next day, Hagrid took Harry to Diagon Alley where he bought many of the school requirements, there he also meets Malfoy and Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher. He also went to Gringgots, the wizards’ and witches’ bank with Hagrid as he picked up the money that his parents left him and as Hagrid picked up something that is said to be a secret.

Before the start of the school year, Harry has to take a train from platform nine and three-quarters. The Weasley family helped Harry to find his way to the platform and made friends with one of the sons, Ron. During the trip, Harry also meets other first-year students like Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

During their arrival at Hogwarts, the first years are sorted by the Sorting Hat into one of the four houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and the Ravenclaw. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville all got sorted in Gryffindor and Malfoy got sorted in Slytherin. Out of all the school teachers, Harry hates the Potions Master most, Professor Snape.

Harry discovered that there was an attempted robbery in the Gringgots but nothing was taken. He also thought that the robbers where after the thing that Hagrid picked up. When they asked Hagrid about it, he accidentally slipped that it has something to do with someone named Nicolas Flamel.

Malfoy, as a bully, teases Neville during their first broom-flying lesson. Harry stood up for Neville despite the fact that he is a beginner in flying, but discovers later that he’s a natural in flying. Even though he broke the rules by flying unsupervised, Professor McGonagall rewarded him a position in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team as the Seeker.

Later, Malfoy challenged Harry to a wizard duel at midnight. Hermione and Rom accompanied Harry, but Malfoy didn’t turned up. As the three of them tries to get back to the dorm, they accidentally went in to a forbidden room in Hogwarts where they encountered a three-headed dog. Luckily, they escaped in the last minute.

            Hermione and Ron got into a fight, but made up when they saved her from the troll, reviving the three’s friendship.

            During the first Quidditch match, the Golden Trio suspects that Snape is the one who wants to steal the package from Gringgots. During the game, Harry’s broom acts weird and looks like it has been hexed. Hermione and Ron noticed that it maybe Snape that is doing hexes to Harry so they saved him from Snape.

            During Christmas, Harry received an invisibility cloak that once belonged to his dad. He used it one night to look around the castle and accidentally discovered the Mirror of Erised. Dumbledore catches Harry looking at it and explains that the mirror shows you your heart’s desire.

After the winter break, the Golden Trio figured out who is Nicolas Flamel, he is an alchemist and the only person in the world to have the Sorcerer’s Stone, which is believed to provide immortality. They think that the Stone is hidden in the room guarded by the three-headed dog.

Hagrid adopts a dragon, which is illegal. The Golden Trio convince him that it is not good to raise a dragon and has to find a way to smuggle it out. Due to some circumstances with Malfoy involved, Gryffindor moves to the last place in the house cup.

Harry, Hermione, Neville and Malfoy had a detention with Hagrid in the forest at night. They are trying to figure out what’s killing the unicorn and drinking their blood. Because of that, they realize that Voldemort is the one who is killing the unicorns and he is going to return.

After the exams, the Golden Trio talked with Hagrid and discovers that he said too much about the Sorcerer’s Stone to the stranger who gave him the dragon. They suspect that it is Snape. Because of that, they attempted to get past the three-headed dog and to meet with series of challenges.

The last challenge is faced by Harry alone. In that, he runs into Professor Quirrell and not Snape. That time, Quirrell reveals that Voldemort is living in him. He made Harry to use the Mirror of the Erised and get the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry lied about it and when Voldemort realizes it, he touched Harry Potter yet he burns. Harry killed him by burning him. After that, Harry blacks out.

Harry woke up in the infirmary with Dumbledore. Dumbledore explained to Harry that he defeated Voldemort because of the protection of his mother’s love. He also said the Sorcerer’s Stone have also been destroyed.

At the end-of-the-year banquet, Dumbledore special mentions Harry, Hermione and Neville for the part that they participated in defeating Quirrell. He rewards them by giving Gryffindor lots of points, resulting for the Gryffindor to win the house cup. At last, they part ways at the train station, looking forward for the next school year.

Plot

            Harry Potter, a young boy who just discovered that he is a wizard, makes friends with good people and enemies as he entered the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on his first year. With the help of his friends, he tries to kill the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, who in the past killed Harry’s parents and tried to kill Harry but for some reason, he can’t.

Characters

            Harry Potter is a young orphan left in his mean uncle and aunt’s house who later discovers that he is a famous wizard in the wizarding world. He also has this scar that Voldemort left when he tried to kill Harry when he was one year old. Ron Weasley is one of the best friends of Harry. He has freckles, quite tall and a red head. He is very loyal and brave and that aided him to win the Wizard Chess in one of the challenges before getting the Sorcerer’s Stone. Hermione Granger is one of the best friends of Harry. She is a very clever girl and quite bossy. She is used to know many things because of the hobby of reading the textbooks that have been given to them. Neville Longbottom is a very clumsy yet kind guy and whose magical abilities are weak. Hagrid is the Hogwarts gamekeeper, he is a very loyal friend but his carelessness makes him unreliable. Professor Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts, he is a tall, thin man who wears half-moon shaped spectacles and the only wizard that Voldemort fears. Professor McGonagall is a stern-looking teacher and she is the head of the Gryffindor House. Professor Snape is the greasy-haired man that Harry hates because of his unfair ways and the Potions Master of Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy is a slim blonde boy who always wants Harry and his friends to get in trouble.

Settings

            The beginning of the story it took place at 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, the house of the Dursleys, but mainly, it took place in the Hogwarts Castle. It was Harry’s first year at Hogwarts at that time.

Exposition

Eleven years ago, all the wizards and witches of the wizarding world celebrated. It is all because the Dark Lord or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated. In short, Voldemort (the most evil wizard) have killed the parents of Harry Potter, but he cannot kill baby Harry Potter. During that night, Harry Potter became a hero, “The Boy Who Lived”.

Because of the death of his parents, Little Harry became an orphan. Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall, the headmistress of Hogwarts, and Hagrid, the groundskeeper at Hogwarts, sent him to the house of the Dursleys, the Muggle (non – magic folks) extended family of Harry.

Rising Action

In the present day, a ten – year – old Harry lives in a cupboard under the stairs. He lives there with his mean aunt and uncle and their son Dudley. During Dudley’s birthday, they went to a zoo, there he encounters a snake. And surprisingly, he was able to talk to it and something happened that the snake escaped from its cage, replaced by Dudley inside it.

After the trip to the zoo, Harry started receiving mysterious letters. Harry’s uncle, Mr. Dursley, found out that it is from a wizarding school and tries to keep the letters away from Harry. But that night before Harry’s eleventh birthday, the letters started coming rapidly that Mr. Dursley decided to take the whole family to a deserted island.

Despite of all of that, Hagrid showed up on Harry’s birthday to deliver the letter and to let Harry know that he is a wizard and have been admitted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The next day, Hagrid took Harry to Diagon Alley where he bought many of the school requirements, there he also meets Malfoy and Professor Quirrell, the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher. He also went to Gringgots, the wizards’ and witches’ bank with Hagrid as he picked up the money that his parents left him and as Hagrid picked up something that is said to be a secret.

Before the start of the school year, Harry has to take a train from platform nine and three-quarters. The Weasley family helped Harry to find his way to the platform and made friends with one of the sons, Ron. During the trip, Harry also meets other first-year students like Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom.

During their arrival at Hogwarts, the first years are sorted by the Sorting Hat into one of the four houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and the Ravenclaw. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville all got sorted in Gryffindor and Malfoy got sorted in Slytherin. Out of all the school teachers, Harry hates the Potions Master most, Professor Snape.

Harry discovered that there was an attempted robbery in the Gringgots but nothing was taken. He also thought that the robbers where after the thing that Hagrid picked up. When they asked Hagrid about it, he accidentally slipped that it has something to do with someone named Nicolas Flamel.

Malfoy, as a bully, teases Neville during their first broom-flying lesson. Harry stood up for Neville despite the fact that he is a beginner in flying, but discovers later that he’s a natural in flying. Even though he broke the rules by flying unsupervised, Professor McGonagall rewarded him a position in the Gryffindor Quidditch Team as the Seeker.

Later, Malfoy challenged Harry to a wizard duel at midnight. Hermione and Rom accompanied Harry, but Malfoy didn’t turned up. As the three of them tries to get back to the dorm, they accidentally went in to a forbidden room in Hogwarts where they encountered a three-headed dog. Luckily, they escaped in the last minute.

            Hermione and Ron got into a fight, but made up when they saved her from the troll, reviving the three’s friendship.

            During the first Quidditch match, the Golden Trio suspects that Snape is the one who wants to steal the package from Gringgots. During the game, Harry’s broom acts weird and looks like it has been hexed. Hermione and Ron noticed that it maybe Snape that is doing hexes to Harry so they saved him from Snape.

            During Christmas, Harry received an invisibility cloak that once belonged to his dad. He used it one night to look around the castle and accidentally discovered the Mirror of Erised. Dumbledore catches Harry looking at it and explains that the mirror shows you your heart’s desire.

Climax

After the winter break, the Golden Trio figured out who is Nicolas Flamel, he is an alchemist and the only person in the world to have the Sorcerer’s Stone, which is believed to provide immortality. They think that the Stone is hidden in the room guarded by the three-headed dog.

Hagrid adopts a dragon, which is illegal. The Golden Trio convince him that it is not good to raise a dragon and has to find a way to smuggle it out. Due to some circumstances with Malfoy involved, Gryffindor moves to the last place in the house cup.

Harry, Hermione, Neville and Malfoy had a detention with Hagrid in the forest at night. They are trying to figure out what’s killing the unicorn and drinking their blood. Because of that, they realize that Voldemort is the one who is killing the unicorns and he is going to return.

After the exams, the Golden Trio talked with Hagrid and discovers that he said too much about the Sorcerer’s Stone to the stranger who gave him the dragon. They suspect that it is Snape. Because of that, they attempted to get past the three-headed dog and to meet with series of challenges.

The last challenge is faced by Harry alone. In that, he runs into Professor Quirrell and not Snape. That time, Quirrell reveals that Voldemort is living in him. He made Harry to use the Mirror of the Erised and get the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry lied about it and when Voldemort realizes it, he touched Harry Potter yet he burns. Harry killed him by burning him. After that, Harry blacks out.

  

Falling Action

Harry woke up in the infirmary with Dumbledore. Dumbledore explained to Harry that he defeated Voldemort because of the protection of his mother’s love. He also said the Sorcerer’s Stone have also been destroyed.

Denouement

At the end-of-the-year banquet, Dumbledore special mentions Harry, Hermione and Neville for the part that they participated in defeating Quirrell. He rewards them by giving Gryffindor lots of points, resulting for the Gryffindor to win the house cup. At last, they part ways at the train station, looking forward for the next school year.