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| J. K. Rowling Daniel Ogren, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—Full Story Retelling
Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived
The story begins on Privet Drive, where the perfectly ordinary Dursley family lives. Vernon and Petunia Dursley are shocked to find unusual happenings: owls flying in daylight, strange people in cloaks celebrating in the streets, and talk of a boy named Harry Potter.
That night, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Hagrid gather outside the Dursleys’ house. They bring a baby with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead—Harry Potter, whose parents have just been murdered by the dark wizard Voldemort. In his attempt to kill Harry, Voldemort mysteriously vanished, defeated by a baby.
Dumbledore leaves Harry on the Dursleys’ doorstep with a letter, trusting that his relatives will care for him.
Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass
Ten years later, Harry is living a miserable life with the Dursleys. They force him to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs and treat him as a burden. His spoiled cousin Dudley bullies him constantly.
During a trip to the zoo for Dudley’s birthday, something strange happens. Harry talks to a boa constrictor, and the glass of its enclosure vanishes, setting the snake free. Startled, Dudley falls into the tank. Harry is scolded by his aunt and uncle, who grow more fearful of his unusual abilities.
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| J. K. Rowling Daniel Ogren, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Chapters 3–4: Letters and Hagrid’s Arrival
Strange letters begin arriving for Harry, addressed specifically to him: “Mr. H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive.” The Dursleys panic and do everything to stop Harry from reading them.
Finally, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a giant named Rubeus Hagrid bursts into the hut where the Dursleys have hidden. He delivers shocking news: “Yer a wizard, Harry.”
Harry learns the truth about his parents—James and Lily Potter—who were killed by Voldemort. Hagrid explains how Voldemort’s curse rebounded, leaving Harry alive but scarred. He also brings Harry a letter of acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Chapter 5: Diagon Alley
Hagrid takes Harry to London, where they enter the magical shopping street Diagon Alley. Harry sees wonders for the first time: owls, wands, spellbooks, and enchanted objects.
At Gringotts Bank, Harry discovers that his parents left him a fortune. He also learns that Hagrid has been sent to retrieve a mysterious item from one of the high-security vaults.
Harry’s final stop is Ollivanders Wand Shop, where he tries several wands before one chooses him. The wand shares a core with Voldemort’s—phoenix feather—marking Harry as special.
Chapters 6–7: The Journey to Hogwarts
On September 1st, Harry boards the Hogwarts Express at King’s Cross Station with the help of the Weasley family. He meets Ron Weasley, a boy from a large, warm wizarding family, and Hermione Granger, a brilliant but bossy girl. He also encounters Draco Malfoy, who offers friendship, but Harry refuses after sensing Malfoy’s arrogance.
At Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat places Harry in Gryffindor along with Ron and Hermione. Draco is sorted into Slytherin.
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| J. K. Rowling Daniel Ogren, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Chapter 8–11: Life at Hogwarts
Harry’s school life is full of wonder and challenges. He attends classes in Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Snape, the Potions Master, seems to despise him.
Harry also learns he has a talent for flying. During his first flying lesson, he catches a dropped object skillfully. Professor McGonagall sees his potential and introduces him to Quidditch, making him the youngest Seeker in a century.
Meanwhile, Harry, Ron, and Hermione begin to suspect that something is being guarded inside the castle. They encounter a massive three-headed dog—later known as Fluffy—guarding a trapdoor.
Chapters 12–13: The Mirror and the Mystery
During Christmas, Harry receives a strange gift: an Invisibility Cloak that once belonged to his father. Using it, he explores the castle at night and discovers the Mirror of Erised, a magical mirror that shows one’s deepest desire. For Harry, it shows his parents alive and standing beside him.
Later, Harry and his friends learn about Nicolas Flamel, the only known maker of the Sorcerer’s Stone, an object that can grant immortality and unlimited wealth. They realize that Fluffy is guarding the Stone.
Chapters 14–16: The Forbidden Forest and the Chase
As the school year continues, the mystery deepens. Harry witnesses a hooded figure in the Forbidden Forest drinking unicorn blood, a dark act tied to Voldemort’s survival.
The trio becomes convinced that Professor Snape is after the Stone. When exams end, they learn that someone is close to stealing it. Taking matters into their own hands, they decide to go through the trapdoor.
They face a series of magical challenges:
Fluffy, lulled to sleep by music.
Devil’s Snare, a deadly plant.
A flying key room.
A giant wizard’s chess game, where Ron sacrifices himself so Harry can move forward.
A logic puzzle with potions that Hermione solves.
Finally, Harry enters the last chamber alone.
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| J. K. Rowling Daniel Ogren, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Chapter 17: The Man with Two Faces
To Harry’s shock, it is not Snape but Professor Quirrell who awaits him. Quirrell reveals that he has been serving Voldemort, whose weakened form exists on the back of Quirrell’s head, hidden beneath a turban.
Quirrell tries to take the Stone, which has magically appeared in Harry’s pocket through the mirror. But when Quirrell touches Harry, his hands burn, and he cannot harm the boy. In agony, Quirrell is destroyed, and Voldemort’s spirit flees.
When Harry awakens in the hospital wing, Dumbledore explains that the Stone has been destroyed to prevent Voldemort from obtaining it. Nicolas Flamel has agreed to end his long life.
Epilogue: The Journey Home
The school year ends with Gryffindor winning the House Cup, thanks to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville’s bravery.
Harry returns to the Dursleys for the summer, but now he knows the truth: he is not just “the boy under the stairs,” but Harry Potter, the boy who lived, with a place in the wizarding world.
