Friday, May 23, 2008

Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone


This is the very first book of the Harry Potter series.

The book begins with an intro to Harry's life, an ordinary 11-year-old boy serving as a slave for his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and Cousin Dudley after the death of his parents in a car crash. He is completely ignorant of the fact that he is a wizard. But as soon as he turns 11, suddenly owls start dropping letters from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at his house and at last he is rescued from his uncle’s house by Rubeus Hagrid (the game keeper for Hogwarts). That is when he comes in contact with the fascinating magical world where he is famous.

In the Hogwarts, Harry comes to know the tragic murder of his parents James and Lily Potter by Lord Voldermort and why the lightening shaped scar on his forehead hurts sometime. In Hogwarts, first Harry, Ron and Hermione are sorted into Gryffindor House by the Sorting Hat; and soon after Harry got selected as a Seeker for the Quidditch team of his house. Time goes by and one day Harry, Hermoine and Ron come to know about the Sorcerer’s Stone (Elixir of Life which will make the drinker immortal) which is hidden somewhere in the Hogwarts’ premises. They also discover that someone is trying to steal the stone and assume it to be Severus Snape, their Potion’s teacher. The trio tries to convey the message to Prof. Dumbledore that the Snape wants to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone but everyone including Prof McGonagall and Hagrid ask them not to worry. But the three of them are sure as they had heard Snape trying to get information from Prof Quirrell. So Harry, Hermoine and Ron plan to save the Sorcerer’s stone from being stolen and that’s where their first ever adventure starts.

They set out to reach the stone first, navigating the security system set up by the school's staff, which is a series of complex magical challenges. The three make it through together until finally, Harry must enter the inner chamber alone. There he finds that meek Professor Quirrell, not Snape, is attempting to steal the Stone. Realizing that Snape was trying to protect him from harm all along, Harry confronts Quirrell and survives a second encounter with Lord Voldemort, who has possessed Quirrell and appears as a ghastly face on the back of Quirrell's head. Quirrell gets blisters when he touches Harry's skin, and Harry suffers because of his close proximity to Lord Voldemort and Voldemort then pitilessly abandons Quirrell, who dies in the aftermath of his possession.

Prof Dumbledore reveals to Harry that Lily Potter died to protect Harry as an infant. Her pure, loving sacrifice provides Harry with an ancient magical protection from Voldemort's lethal spells and also prevents Voldemort from touching Harry without suffering terribly. Dumbledore also confirmed that the Sorcerer's Stone has been destroyed to prevent future attempts by anyone to steal it.

Finally, at the end-of-year feast, the House Points totals are given: Gryffindor is in last place. However, Dumbledore gives a few "last-minute additions", granting points to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville, so that Gryffindor wins the House Cup.

I hope you liked it. If ever I have missed out some points please let me know. Cheers!!! :)

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