First Things First…
This was my sixth time reading Sorcerer’s Stone. And even though I love it, it’s always felt like the weakest book in the series. I think that’s because Rowling’s writing matured along with the subject matter as the series went on.
When I read this the first time (as a sophomore in college in the beginning of 2001), I liked it. But I wasn’t hooked yet. When I finished, I actually read one or two other books before jumping into Chamber of Secrets. By the time I got to the middle books in the series, taking a break like that to read other books would be unthinkable.
8 Things I Like
8. Planting seeds…
The first intriguing seed Rowling plants is Hagrid’s background.
His friendship with Harry, Ron, and Hermione — and his loyalty toward Dumbledore — seems genuine. But he’s shifty and often refuses to give a straight answer, especially about the Stone.
And Hagrid’s past is mysterious. Where does he come from? He’s like twice the size of anyone else. But no one really questions why he’s so different (even if Malfoy makes fun of him for it).
Also, how is it that Dumbledore trusts Hagrid with his life (and with Harry’s life right after Voldemort’s defeat), even though Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts years earlier and isn’t even allowed to do magic (strictly speaking)?
The second major seed is Snape’s history with Harry’s dad…
Harry finds out at the end of the book that Snape had been protecting him all year, and probably saved his life during the first Quidditch match. But he still loathes Harry.
Dumbledore blames it on Snape’s rivalry with James Potter when they were both students. He compares it to Harry’s rivalry with Malfoy. But he doesn’t give any clues about what it stemmed from.
Even more interesting is what Dumbledore tells Harry next…
James eventually did something unforgivable to Snape — he saved his life.
It’s clear we’ll get this story at some point. And it seems like it’ll be pivotal in illuminating some of Snape’s motivations, especially when it comes to Harry.
But most significantly is at the end, when Dumbledore is with Harry in the hospital wing.
He gives Harry the chance to ask any questions after his encounter with Quirrell/Voldemort. Of course, the first thing Harry wants to know is why Voldemort wanted to kill him. After all, he was just a year old. And Dumbledore’s reply is filled with sadness as he says…
“Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day … put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older … I know you hate to hear this … when you are ready, you will know.“
So from the end of the first book, it’s clear there is an explanation. Voldemort definitely targeted Harry. There’s no better reason to want to jump right into the sequel than this.
7. Entryway to Magic
I love the world building in these books. And Diagon Alley is a critical piece of that.
It’s not just Harry’s entryway into the world of magic.
It’s ours, too.
You need magic to enter Diagon Alley. And once inside, it seems like you’ll never run out of amazing things to see.
After Harry and Hagrid pass through the Leaky Cauldron and step inside, they visit Gringotts … Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions … Flourish and Blotts … the Apothecary … Eeylops Owl Emporium … and Ollivanders.
There’s not actually much description of Harry’s reaction when they first enter, just that…
“Harry wished he had about eight more eyes. He turned his head in every direction as they walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once…“
It’s fun to imagine myself in Harry’s shoes in this scene. A day or two earlier, he had no idea magic or the wizarding world even existed. But now, he’s in a high-security bank run by goblins, where you access your vault by mine cart…
He visits a bookstore with titles like Curses and Counter-Curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying and Much, Much More) on the shelves…
He even gets sized up for his very own magic wand — which he doesn’t get to choose himself, because it chooses him…
And that’s to say nothing of the actual events that happen in this chapter — Hagrid emptying the top-secret vault at Gringotts for Dumbledore, and learning there might be dragons guarding some of the oldest vaults.
This is the perfect follow-up to the chapters with the Dursleys. It lets us know how magical our trip with Harry will be.
6. The Headmaster Makes It Count
Dumbledore didn’t start as my favorite character in the series. But the more times I read these books, the more he’s cemented himself in that role.
What I like here is that he doesn’t get a lot of face time, so his appearances feel special.
He’s in the background at Hogwarts a few times. And he appears in the beginning, when he drops off baby Harry at the Dursleys’. But otherwise, he only has three major scenes. One is when he’s waiting for Harry at the Mirror of Erised. The others are at the end — when he and Harry talk in the hospital after Quirrell’s death, and at the feast, when he awards the House Cup.
I think my favorite thing about Dumbledore — and there are many I like — is that he doesn’t talk down to the kids.
Think about when he finds Harry at the mirror. He totally gets why Harry is entranced by it. He even knows exactly what Harry sees — his family. But, he says…
“This mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.“
And if that’s not enough wisdom, he also tells Harry…
“The mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, and I ask you not to go looking for it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don’t you put that admirable Cloak back on and get off to bed?“
He could’ve been furious at Harry for being out of bed. He could’ve docked Gryffindor points. He could’ve forbid Harry from looking for the Mirror again.
Instead, he gives him real, honest advice about dealing with it. He makes sure Harry understands his point. He treats him with respect.
We also see it at the end of the book. Even though their conversation when Harry regains consciousness is almost pure exposition from Dumbledore, it’s one of the most fascinating parts of the book.
This is when we find out the Sorcerer’s Stone has been destroyed… Nicolas Flamel and his wife are preparing to die… Lily Potter’s love for Harry protected him against Voldemort… Dumbledore himself gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak… and Snape protecting Harry all year was his way of repaying the debt he owed James.
He even gives up his secret of how Harry was able to get the Stone out of the Mirror.
But again, Dumbledore treats Harry kindly. He doesn’t patronize him. When Harry asks for the truth about all these questions he has, Dumbledore says…
“The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you’ll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie.“
How many authority figures — in this case, the greatest and most powerful wizard of his generation — would take the time to patiently answer this kid’s questions, no matter who he is, and would want the kid to understand why he won’t answer certain questions?
5. Dethroning the Serpent
You can argue about the unfairness of Dumbledore doling out enough last-minute points for Gryffindor to climb from last to first in the House Cup standings…
But no one outside of Slytherin will listen. The rest of the school had been disgusted all year because Slytherin had won six years in a row.
***Side Note: Who won the Quidditch Cup, by the way? Ron tells Harry that Gryffindor got “steamrollered” by Ravenclaw without him, which drops them to 2-1. How did the standings wind up?***
This is the culmination of so many things. Ron — who is already overshadowed by all his brothers, and who becomes best friends with the most famous child in the wizarding world — finally gets some recognition “for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years.”
Hermione also wins 50 points for her role in defeating Quirrell and saving the Stone, which is meaningful considering her aversion to breaking the rules.
And Harry earns redemption after most of Gryffindor had turned against him when he cost them so many points for his midnight stroll to the astronomy tower.
Dumbledore also delivers one of the most famous lines of the series here…
“There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.“
And with that, poor bumbling Neville earns the decisive 10 points and becomes a Gryffindor hero.
Gryffindor erupts in cheers, Malfoy loses it, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff celebrate, too, the decorations immediately change from green and silver to red and gold, and…
“… it was the best evening of Harry’s life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls… he would never, ever forget tonight.“
4. Home
The four Houses…
The Sorting Hat…
Ghosts…
Moving staircases…
Painted figures traveling from portrait to portrait…
The cozy Gryffindor common room…
The Forbidden Forest…
The Great Hall’s enchanted ceiling…
The Quidditch Cup…
The first years’ boat ride to the castle…
My goodness, Hogwarts is magical.
Here’s the description when the castle first comes into sight:
“… perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers… Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.“
These are simple descriptions, but they’ve always conveyed a sense of majesty to me.
Then there’s also the fun…
“There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn’t open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren’t really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.“
It’s impossible to sum up everything that makes Hogwarts a wonderful setting. But, to me, nothing epitomizes the magic of these stories more than Hogwarts.
3. Harry’s driving force
For all the magic involved, this book is really built around Harry’s insecurities.
Harry always knew there was something different about him.
But he’s almost had that beaten out of him by his aunt and uncle’s insistence on everything being perfectly normal, and not letting him ask questions about his past.
He’s never known where he came from. And he’s never fit in.
That’s why, even after Hagrid tells him so much about himself, Harry quietly says…
“Hagrid, I think you must have made a mistake. I don’t think I can be a wizard.“
This idea is so far outside his worldview.
It’s also why Harry wakes up the next morning and, before opening his eyes, assumes all the craziness from the night before had been a dream.
In Diagon Alley, more of his insecurities surface during his first meeting with Draco…
Harry has no idea what he’s talking about… Quidditch and school Houses? He says to Hagrid at the end of the chapter…
“Everyone thinks I’m special… but I don’t know anything about magic at all. How can they expect great things? I’m famous and I can’t even remember what I’m famous for.“
It’s a hard position for Harry to be in. He’s finally found a way out of the miserable existence he’s known his whole life, but he’s clueless about this new world he’s entering. Yet everyone knows him.
He’s thrust into the spotlight, where so much is expected of him, and he has no idea how to deliver. This drives him. It makes him hungry. It’s a huge reason why the Sorting Hat considers putting him in Slytherin when it says…
“… and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that’s interesting…“
2. Fear of You-Know-Who
Even though Voldemort was defeated a decade earlier, and no one truly knows what happened to him or if he’ll ever come back, the fear of him is palpable.
Most people still refuse to say his name. They remember what life was like when he was in power, terrorizing their world. The way Rowling establishes the wizarding community’s fear of him is one of this book’s most important accomplishments.
When Professor McGonagall — a powerful witch herself — first mentions him in Chapter One, she refers to him as “You-Know-Who” before we’ve ever heard his name.
But Dumbledore says…
“My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this ‘You-Know’Who’ nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort.“
Even this makes McGonagall flinch, showing the fear his name evokes, despite his downfall.
Hagrid, Ron, and others react the same way throughout the book, too.
But just as important as everyone else avoiding his name is what we see in that quote: Dumbledore says it.
In that same conversation with McGonagall at the beginning, when Dumbledore also says he’s never seen a reason to be frightened of saying the name, she replies…
“I know you haven’t. But you’re different. Everyone knows you’re the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of.“
It’s fascinating because Dumbledore is a beacon of hope. But he also tells McGonagall…
“Voldemort had powers I will never have.“
And this all immediately sets the stage for us to understand a couple of things: that Voldemort was — and could be again — a powerful enough wizard for even Dumbledore to reckon with, and just how dire it will be if he ever returns to power.
1. BFF’s
Harry’s insecurities and need to prove himself may be what drive him. But friendship sits at the core of his character. It becomes what’s most important to him.
And his friendships are so important to him because he’s never had friends before. Between the way the Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon mistreated him, and the fact that Dudley is the biggest bully at their school, no one ever dared to risk it.
That’s a big part of the reason Harry takes to Hagrid so quickly. Hagrid’s kindness comes through in every action, every patient reply to one of Harry’s questions. Even though Hagrid is much older, he’s more of a friend than a mentor or authority figure. It seems like Harry has picked up a lifelong friend here.
Even more important is his friendship with Ron.
Ron is always there for Harry — he offers to be his second when Malfoy challenges Harry to a wizard’s duel, and he even sacrifices himself during the wizard’s chess match that lets Harry and Hermione pass through the enchantments to find the Sorcerer’s Stone.
They can also relate to each other because Ron has his own insecurities. He’s been overshadowed his whole life by his older brothers.
Then there’s Hermione, who starts out as a nuisance. Ron’s meanness nearly gets her killed by the troll. But Harry and Ron save her — and she covers for them in return — and…
“…from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.“
From then on, they’re always together. They plot together to figure out who Nicolas Flamel is, she helps them study and do their homework (though she’d never let them copy from her, how would they learn?), and she’s there at the end to help Harry get through the Stone’s protections.
In fact, Hermione has one of the signature lines of this book (and in my mind, the whole series) right before Harry goes forward to face Quirrell alone…
“Harry — you’re a great wizard, you know.“
And when he says he’s not as good as her, she replies…
“Me! Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery and — oh Harry — be careful!”
3 Things I’m Mixed About
3. This Is Supposed to Be the Realistic Part of the Book…
The Dursleys are as Muggle-y as any Muggles alive. And the life they give Harry is the perfect contrast to the magical world he enters.
That’s why I like their obsession with normalcy. They want to stamp out anything remotely related to magic from Harry’s life. They don’t even tell him the truth about his true nature, nor about his parents and how they died.
I just wish some of their abuse wasn’t so cartoonish.
It’s strange — I can buy the fact that they force him to live in the cupboard under the stairs. At least they’re giving him a place to live. So they could convince themselves they’re doing the right thing.
But there’s no way to buy the idea they gave Harry some of Uncle Vernon’s old socks and a hanger for his birthday presents.
There’s a line from Harry’s first Hogwarts feast once he sees all the food arrive…
“The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he’d never been allowed to eat as much as he liked.“
This has always felt overlooked to me. I like the description because it’s not over the top. It still shows that Harry wasn’t treated great, especially when compared with Dudley. But it humanizes Vernon and Petunia. Now maybe humanizing them wouldn’t have been as effective. But their world is the part that’s supposed to be realistic, yet they often don’t feel like real people.
2. Go Away, Voldy
If it was up to me, I wouldn’t have had Voldemort make an appearance in the first book.
As I said earlier, I love all the talk about him. I love how his memory, and the idea that he might still be out there somewhere, scares everyone. But I don’t think it was necessary for him to show up already, even just as a parasite living off Quirrell.
Considering it’s the first book in the series, and how young Harry is, my preference would’ve been for Quirrell to be an acolyte of Voldemort who’s trying to restore him to a body. His motivation to get the Stone wouldn’t change. He could’ve still been killing unicorns to feed their blood to Voldemort in whatever grotesque form he was in. And Harry still would’ve had to battle him beneath Hogwarts. He would’ve needed a different way to defeat him, but I think that would’ve been simple enough to come up with.
I don’t dislike this version of events with Voldemort. I just prefer the idea of limiting his presence in this first book to the shadow he still casts over their world through his name, his memory, and his followers.
1. A One-of-a-kind Sacrifice?
A friend of mine made fun of me for years for being a fan of this series. The one idea he could never get past was that Harry defeated the greatest dark wizard alive simply because his mother loved him.
When Harry asks Dumbledore why Quirrell couldn’t touch him, this is Dumbledore’s explanation…
Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign … to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It’s in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good.
The first line of his answer — “Your mother died to save you” — is the key line. It seems there’s real logic behind this magic — when someone else dies to save you, that’s the mechanism behind your protection. There’s literal magic in that sacrifice.
But he doesn’t make it totally clear if that’s really how it works, or if dying to protect him was just the last bit of proof she loved him so much.
I think what I’m saying is, this would make more sense to me if it was clear that anyone who had another person lay down their life for them gained this kind of protection against evil.
If Harry is the only person who ever had this protection, does that mean other parents don’t love their kids as much as Lily loved him? I don’t think that’s the case, but it would help to clear up the ambiguity.
1 Thing I Don’t Like
1. Pre-Pubescent Heroes
It’s a YA novel. I know. But 11 has always felt too young for them to do everything they do.
Whether it’s risking their lives chasing a murderer or even Harry playing — and succeeding at — Quidditch, it’s hard to buy. Even 13 would feel more realistic. Imagine a shrimpy 11-year-old in the fifth grade playing quarterback for the varsity football team and having a burly 18-year-old linebacker barreling down on him.
Final Thoughts
The most exciting thing about picking this book up again is that it means I’m going to re-read the entire series. It’s not really about this book.
That said, my appreciation for it continues to grow. It’s masterful how Rowling plants seeds all the way in the beginning that don’t come to fruition until the end of the series.
But as an individual work, I’ll just give this the slightest of downgrades.
Tim Matassa
