Plot Synopsis

Ten years before the story starts, Voldemort sought to kill the Potters as part of his effort to stamp out resistance to his rule. After killing HarryÂ’s mom and dad, Voldemort tries and fails to kill baby Harry. VoldemortÂ’s death curse is reflected off the child and leaves Voldemort as a body-less spirit. Later that night, the wizard Hagrid rescues baby Harry and the wizard Dumbledore leaves Harry on the doorstep of the Dursleys, HarryÂ’s Muggle relatives.

Ten years later, on his cousin DudleyÂ’s birthday, Harry is shocked to find that he can magically communicate with a snake at the zoo. When someone starts sending Harry mysterious letters in the mail, HarryÂ’s Uncle Vernon takes the family out to a deserted island to prevent Harry from getting a hold of these messages. The next morning, the morning of HarryÂ’s birthday, Hagrid confronts the Dursleys at the hut out at sea, gives Harry his acceptance letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and tells Harry about his parents and his miraculous escape from Voldemort as a baby. Harry and Hagrid leave the Dursleys and go buy supplies for Hogwarts in Diagon Alley.

Harry is anonymously given his dadÂ’s invisibility cloak for Christmas and he uses it to sneak back to the Mirror of Erised he stumbled upon. He then finds out that Flamel is the maker of the SorcererÂ’s Stone, defeats Hufflepuff in Quidditch, and overhears Snape pressuring Quirrell to help him steal the Stone. Hagrid begins raising a baby dragon but Harry sends the beast off to Charlie Weasley in Romania so Hagrid wonÂ’t get in trouble. A unicorn-slaying monster attacks Harry during his detention in the forest but a centaur rescues Harry at the last moment. The night after exams end, Harry, Ron, and Hermione get past Fluffy and five other obstacles to reach the final chamber that guards the Stone. Harry stops Quirrell from stealing the SorcererÂ’s Stone, and by doing so he prevents Voldemort from gaining immortality and wins the House Cup for Gryffindor.

A longer synopsis can be found under the “Overall Analyses: Plot” section.

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