Chapter by Chapter: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

 

I of course have read through the Harry Potter books and seen the movies countless times, but they are often done in conjunction. By that I mean, I read the books and watch the movies side by side, simultaneously. The last time I read straight through the books without interference from the films was likely years ago. Therefore, I remember all of the events of the books, but I have all of the information stored audio-visually, like one loooooong film. There are several parts of J.K. Rowling’s writing that I skim over. Why read her description of Hogwarts, if I already have a picture in my head?

My commitment is to re-read all 7 books exactly as they are written, cherishing each and every individual word, in my head or aloud, so I’m processing the story as a literary piece rather than an audio-visual, imaginative one. I’m taking things as slow and sweet as possible, so I’m going to write up my chapter by chapter reflections for each book. It’s also a good chance to commit all of the chapter names to memory, which I have always wanted to do!

EDIT 2023 - The SuperCarlinBrothers began an incredible podcast, "Through the Griffin Door", that follows a similar premise of dissecting the literary work in each individual chapter in unprecedented depth. It makes my little Chapter by Chapter paragraphs feel miniscule in comparison. As I'm journeying through the podcast, I am updating parts of my summaries as well as participating in the larger community discussions of each chapter.

Here are my reflections for Sorcerer’s Stone.

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived
It’s strange to me how non-magically this series starts, in hindsight. The book starts out from a Muggle’s point of view. I suppose that’s part of the brilliance as the book follows the sort of world-within-a-world trope, and we start from the outside in. I believe this is what began my obsession with world-within-a-world fantasy structures, as opposed to high-fantasy. This first chapter also helped me realize exactly what I’ve been overlooking from these books - visual descriptions. I have an image of Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid in my head, and therefore no need to read what he looks like. I go straight for the dialogue. So I never could have remembered that Hagrid’s hands were described as trash can lids, or his feet as tiny dolphins. And JK Rowling’s descriptions play so much into her odd, quirky humor. Also, Dumbledore wearing high heels?? JK Rowling was dropping hints that he was gay from day one. I have my strong disagreement with her transphobic views that are rightfully hated by fandom. However, she also receives a lot of hate for retconning. This is genuinely a case where I do not believe Dumbledore's sexuality was retconned. I think he was gay in her mind from the start. People criticize her for not mentioning his sexuality in the books, but remember this was a children's book from the 1990s... what did people expect.

Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass
I love this chapter because we get an introduction to Harry, my favorite fictional character of all time! He’s excited over the littlest things, like ice cream. And he discovers he can speak to a snake and literally just starts to small talk with it. We also get a look into the depth of his abuse. Poor little boy had to sneak his way out of his cupboard for food. I’m very familiar with this chapter so nothing was a revelation, except I knew Piers would be there yet never really stop and think about how he fell into the zoo exhibit as well. He was kind of a needless addition so the film rightfully cut him out. 

Chapter 3: The Letters From No One
Here we start to pick up the pace!! This chapter is where some of the plot begins and I love it! I think more and more I am picking up on the humor of JK Rowling's narrativization. The humor is in the dialogue, of course, but there's also just so much humor in the descriptions and the story-telling. There's also just such strange little details that I never would have recalled before, such as that Dudley had a parrot that he traded at school for an air rifle?? Or that Vernon was so deranged he started spreading marmalade on his newspaper by Sunday?? Or Vernon singing "Tiptoe Through the Tulips??" (I don't want to picture that last one). It's like you think you know something inside and out, and yet the level of detail yet to be discovered is vast.

Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys
This was the first chapter that I consider to be incredibly dialogue heavy. This made for an oddly dissonant experience because I can hear the movie dialogue in my head so much more clearly than the book dialogue. Most classic example? "Yer a wizard, Harry" vs. "Harry - yer a wizard." The movie line is so much more iconic. I'm also very used to re-ordering the events to accommodate for the movies - I always read Hagrid's dialogue explaining everything that happened when Harry was a baby, while watching the movie scene of Hagrid and Harry at the Leaky Cauldron after Diagon Alley. I like the suspense it creates as Harry spends an entire day with people fawning over him, still not knowing why. In the original book, I find it too overwhelming how Harry finds out he's not only a wizard, but a famous and important wizard all in one night. Despite the differences, the movie is honorably faithful to the original book dialogue. Only a few details here or there I felt went over my head, like Hagrid pulling a live owl out of his pocket. Also, that instead of leaving right away, they sleep the rest of the night in the hut. How was anyone able to fall asleep?? I'd be up all night with my mind swirling.

Chapter 5: Diagon Alley
We're getting into the Wizarding World now so I have so much more detail to reflect on. There is so much introduced in this chapter and I had so much fun reading it! I love hearing how happy Harry is, with the balloon swelling inside of him. How happy he gets over little things like ink that changes color when you write, and that he immediately let the money go to his head and wanted a solid gold cauldron. I love the descriptions of Diagon Alley. One thing that struck me is that Harry said he had never been to London before. I'll just rewrite that in my head as never going to explore London. The "Vanishing Glass" chapter takes place at an unnamed zoo, however, the filming took place at the London Zoo. I specifically went there and saw the snake exhibit, and that will forever in my mind be the correct zoo. So Harry has been there in my mind. Another little detail is that Quirrell was able to shake his hand in the book. In the film, I think I remember Quirrell avoiding Harry's handshake. There's a discrepancy in timeline about when Voldemort began to possess Quirrell's body. I think I prefer the way the movie did it, with a little Easter Egg that Quirrell didn't shake his hand. There's also the quote from Hagrid that Quirrell was "scared of his own subject" - which is interesting because, given the curse we know for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, this is Quirrell's first year teaching the class. In the Hogwarts Mystery game, Quirrell teaches Muggle Studies prior to DADA, which is another really interesting piece of lore. I imagine he had always wanted to do something greater with his life and teach DADA, but was always scared to. Gives some interesting backstory and character development for him. There's also the difference between Griphook being the bank teller that Harry meets in the movie, vs. being the goblin that actually takes them to the vault in the book. The descriptions of Gringotts would make for a fantastic roller coaster ride (does that exist in Universal Studios?). What perhaps stood out to me most was the scene between Ollivander and Harry. The descriptions of Ollivander's silvery eyes, and the way in which he was simultaneously awe-inspiring but very off-putting and uncomfortable... It's eerie and mystical rather than a continuation of the lighthearted fun of the rest of the Alley. The actor portrayed his intensity correctly. The movie scene is powerful as Harry's glows around him when he finds the correct wand. In the book, I find it fascinating that the wand shoots red and gold sparks - colors that represent both Harry and Gryffindor. On the whole, this chapter is very trivia heavy with all those random objects, wand features, and names of books/authors. I still can't retain those in my brain.

Chapter 6: The Journey From Platform Nine and Three Quarters
This is the introduction to so many beloved characters!!! We meet Ron and Hermione and so many others. Of course, the order of details were changed here and there, but overall I feel as though I know this chapter very well because it just elaborates on what we see in the movie and what I know best - the characters. Just a few notes. First, it's somewhat challenging to reconcile the descriptions of King's Cross with the actual King's Cross that I have visited, as there are some inconsistencies. Second, is Dumbledore Supreme Mugwump at this time? Because seeing how important of a role that is in the Secrets of Dumbledore movie, you think that would be on his Chocolate Frog card. Third, why did Scabbers bite Goyle... and then IMMEDIATELY fall asleep? And lastly, we seem to go into a tunnel under the castle. I have such a strong visualization of the map of the full Hogwarts Castle (mostly from playing the Order of the Phoenix computer game, which uses the accurate model of the entirety of the castle), and I picture the boathouses outside of the cliff. When you get into the weeds of the layout of Hogwarts, I imagine there will be inconsistencies. 

Chapter 7: The Sorting Hat
I always find it slightly uncomfortable to "read" songs out of books because it's just sort of written out as a poem, and we're forced to come up with a cheesy tune in our heads. And I can make one up, but it'll sound dumb, and that's how I felt about the Sorting Hat's song as well as the Hoggy Hoggy Hogwarts song. From a dictatorial canon standpoint, I actually dislike the exact text of the sorting scene, though. It limits how many potential students are at Hogwarts. We only get a handful of names and we're told roughly what pace they go through the alphabet. We get a sense that the incoming class of first years is, like, 20 people. But think about 20*7 years and that's a REALLY small school population. It doesn't make sense that everyone doesn't know everybody. Harry says it sounds like there are hundreds of people in the Great Hall. I'd like to think there would be 80+ first years. Some other interesting facts - The Sorting Hat is never described as brown! It's so iconically brown in my head because of the films. It sounds like it's black and patched up, with rips and tears. Very different than the image we all know and love. Also, it sounds like it's an intentionally kept secret from first years that the Sorting Hat exists. If Hermione had been reading so thoroughly about Hogwarts, A History, you would think that she would know about the Sorting Hat. Families seem to uphold this as well by not sharing this information with their children. I wonder what purpose that serves, other than trying to get a more accurate and genuine sorting. Finally, it sounds like it's quite the maze to get to the Gryffindor common room. In the movies, it's just shown as one of the portraits at the end of a staircase. I never understood why the other students don't know where each Common Room is. It seems like it would be common knowledge, especially among older years like if a Hufflepuff student was dating a Ravenclaw student... they'd gotta know... I struggle to understand the purpose of the locations being a secret.

Chapter 8: The Potions Master

I think what's most interesting about this chapter is all the little descriptive details for the castle that we're receiving for the first time. There's a particularly fun/goofy vibe to the castle (i.e. Peeves) that is often overlooked and overshadowed by the gothic aesthetic of the film castle. There's also a great description for each of the individual classes, and for the professors. Some of the standout descriptions for me are Mrs. Norris's eyes being like lanterns, and Snape's eyes being black, cold and empty, and like looking into dark tunnels. I also am increasingly inclined to believe the fan theory that Mr. Filch is actually his own form of a poltergeist - a sort of counter-poltergeist to Peeves that embodies the rule-following of the students. It just seems otherwise too cruel to work at Hogwarts, and why would he want to?? Plus there was a sentence about how he is able to appear just as suddenly as a ghost. Though, if this true, it brings up lots of existential questions, because Filch himself does not appear to think he is a Poltergeist, as he thinks he is a Squib. Food for thought.

Chapter 9: The Midnight Duel

The little mentions of side conversations between students, and Harry's inner dialogue, are what are most precious here. It's just the inner-workings of childhood on display for us to read. I loved Harry thinking that perhaps he could be Hagrid's assistant, or that Wood was a cane ready to beat him. There's no way to capture that stream of consciousness elsewhere through film. This chapter is also, I believe, where we hit the first major diversion from the film in that the midnight duel was completely eradicated and replaced with a moving staircase scene, one that only includes Harry, Ron, and Hermione without Neville. These diversions between the two mediums are only going to become more extreme as I read on, and it's this strange double consciousness I have over what's canon. I prefer the movies in this particular case, as Neville was an unnecessary addition. 

Chapter 10: Halloween

What's standing out to me are colors - purple sparks from Dumbledore's wand, McGonagall's lips white with terror. There is also the description of the Quidditch hoops as like the sticks that kids blow bubbles out of, the thousands of live bats in the Great Hall for Halloween, the smell of the troll as old socks and public toilets, the gray lumpy glue as the troll bogies... These descriptive details, whether literal or figurative, are ones I never would have recalled had it not been for these rereads.

Chapter 11: Quidditch

When I did the original re-read, this was the first chapter I read since JKR's transphobic twitter rant, in addition to the long essay she wrote on "TERF Wars" that was deeply embedded in transphobic thought. This likely deserves several pages for me to write and process how it has altered (and damaged) my relationship with the series, though several denouncing statements by those heavily involved in the making of the Harry Potter series (cast members, editors, etc.) have helped repair that relationship with the fandom as a whole apart from the creations of any individual. That said, these books were written by only one individual, in a way the collaborative efforts of the films, plays, illustrations, fan-creations, etc. were not, and the sanctity of the original text has changed. There is understandable moral confusion as, when I read the text in a vacuum, I am met with nothing but comfort and love. The text itself, the story, though imperfect, is one rooted in fighting oppression and bigotry and that is what I will take away from it, leaving behind any of the author's own viewpoints once the work has been output into the world. Coming back years later, I have a happier relationship with the series as I continue to denounce JKR's individual views, though continue to feel morally torn when I sit with this relationship. Harry Potter is, and continues to be, my safe space, and I won't let anyone, even the original creator, take that away from me. For this chapter in particular, I was very swept away by the Quidditch scenes as they were so radically changed by the first film into a very unrealistically violent escapade. This felt so much more like a game, and was written with such rushing action that's felt much more than visualized. I also appreciate that this chapter has a rare shift in perspective. While Harry is being bucked off of his broom, we read the perspective from his loved ones in the stands (Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione) rather than Harry. Even in the Lego Harry Potter game that I have been playing alongside this reread, you shift from playing as Harry, to playing as Ron and Hermione, as you go on a journey across the stands to light Snape on fire. It helps make the world feel bigger.

Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised

Alright, so as I did my original re-read, JKR had only gone deeper into her beliefs, straining my relationship with the books even further. It's not a problem I have with watching the films, or playing the games, being so collaborative - only the books, knowing they came from only her mind. Years later, JKR has continued to double down on her beliers and I continue to denounce, block, and ignore them. But this chapter is so freakin' good. The multiplicity is difficult to reckon with, as both things can be true at once - JKR can have deeply horrid transphobic beliefs, and she can be one of the most talented writers the world has ever witnessed. Both are true. I have disagreed with those who have used this as an opportunity to hate on her writing and the series, and it's difficult to not experience that personally, as I am so deeply impacted by these words. A few standout points I had neglected in past - the description of playing wizards' chess like going into battle (a little bit of foreshadowing), Harry's inner monologue about the first time he wanted to use the cloak (he wanted it to be a personal experience), feeling like the books in the restricted section were whispering to him, and the fact that the Mirror of Erised was sitting in an unused classroom where there were chairs/desks - not just sitting in some random, empty "Mirror of Erised" room. I am not of the belief that the entire series was some giant strategy laid out by Professor Dumbledore, as that takes away from his humanity and fallibility. However, there are moments that I think are intentionally strategic on Dumbledore's part. Leaving the Mirror of Erised out on the SAME day he gave Harry the cloak, and then waiting in the room for Harry to discover it, had to have been purposeful. The thing is, I believe it was less about Dumbledore giving Harry an opportunity for growth, and more about Dumbledore's own curiosity with what Harry would witness. It seems like such an invasion of privacy, and one that Dumbledore would not return by answering truthfully about what he saw. Dumbledore knows the Mirror is unhealthy to look at, and encourages Harry not to go back once Dumbledore got his question answered. However, there is a sweet moment when Dumbledore sits down next to Harry at the mirror, coming down to his level and becoming an equal in a way that he likely did not do with other students.

Chapter 13: Nicholas Flamel

Poor Harry having nightmares about his parents dying after seeing them in the Mirror! The nightmares all involve a high, cackled laughter - something we are to presume actually happened. Voldemort's voice being described as "high" is something that comes up repeatedly, but does not easily match the Ralph Fiennes voice in my head. I also have trouble imagining the high cackled laughter. Separately, this chapter also has the entirety of a Quidditch match left out of the films, and what's so fascinating about this Quidditch match is it's once again told from the perspective of the fans in the stands - NOT Harry. Harry's playing is something that happens in the background while Ron and Hermione talk with Neville and Malfoy. Also - side note - very strange to imagine Snape riding a broomstick. And even more strange to imagine Harry "inconspicuously" riding his broom all over Hogwarts to find Snape and Quirrell in the Forbidden Forest. Seems like it'd be very easy to get caught and it would be expulsion-worthy. This is one of these scenes that I kind of brush off because it seems so much like a plot device.

Chapter 14: Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

It's so interesting how in the start of this chapter the Golden Trio are not just passively sympathetic, but ACTIVELY encouraging towards Quirrell - going out of their way to give him a smile and defend his honor. It is so strange to think about them indirectly smiling at Voldemort.

Other fun descriptions - Norbert as a crumpled, black umbrella. So freakin' accurate. I never would have guessed he (she) had orange eyes, though. And Hagrid's mothering interactions with the dragon are so humorous. Reading this back, I also CANNOT believe that Harry and Hermione freakin' dragged a crate with a dragon, under an invisibility cloak, over the grounds and up several staircases, without magic. I'm dying just thinking about it, as I have absolutely no cardiovascular endurance whatsoever.

Also, McGonagall held Malfoy by the ear. That seems a bit barbaric and not what I would hope out of a teacher. This chapter had all sorts of things that felt out of place. 

Chapter 15: The Forbidden Forest

HA I loved the description of McGonagall saying she looked like she was more ready to breathe fire than Norbert. Other than that, this chapter had a lot of similarities to the film (apart from Neville substituting Ron). One thing I kept fixating on was the description of the cloak moving over the forest, obviously of Voldemort and Quirrell. Hagrid insists it's a sound he's never heard before and whatever creature was making it must be whatever is killing the unicorns. What could that possibly sound like? A cloak? Just a low swoooosh sound? It would sound like any wizard in a cloak walking through the forest. While the chapter itself is entertaining, it does take quite a bit of suspension of disbelief in order to buy into the premise. It seems incredibly inappropriate to send 11-year-old wizards, some of them by themselves (yes they have Fang but does that really count?), into the Forbidden Forest for hours on end where they could literally die, just as punishment for being out of bed. I'd imagine it was a conversation between McGonagall and Dumbledore who suggested this particular "punishment" to equip Harry and to gain more eyes at what was in the forest. McGonagall might have thought it an unconventional punishment, however, it can justified as a "natural consequence" for the dangers of being out of bed - you toyed around with being out of bed at night, you'll get a taste of how dangerous it actually is at night. Plus the detention serves some useful purpose for Hagrid, who ironically is truly at fault and took none of the blame.

Chapter 16: Through the Trapdoor

    What an eventful chapter! Where to begin. Because it is so iconic and beloved, I feel that it is fair to dissect the chapter with a fine tooth comb for all its merits and flaws. First, I will say generally that this is a chapter where Harry truly gets to shine as a hero, not only in his ability to be stupidly brave, but cleverly brave. He is the one who is able to connect the dots about Hagrid and the dragon. He is the one who is able to ward off Peeves. He is the one who, overall, has the most heroic moments under the trapdoor.

    Before they even go through the trapdoor, it does strike me as odd how dismissive McGonagall is about their threat. Shouldn't they at least hear them out? And even if someone was indeed going after the stone (say, a student who is in over their head), wouldn't McGonagall want to know so that she could interfere and save that student from potential death?? It just makes no sense to me the way she shuts down the trio. Not one of her best moments. Also, the timeline is suspicious. Dumbledore gets an urgent letter from the Ministry and is expected to be back the next morning? Why, when it is so quick to travel from the Headmaster's Office fireplace to the Ministry? Or Apparating right off the grounds? Also, once he got to the Ministry and realized there was no emergency, he'd be back immediately. They wait HOURS before going down the trapdoor late at night, what is Dumbledore doing all this time?? The theory by the "Through the Griffin Door" podcast is that he was purposefully just waiting it out for Harry to go down the trapdoor himself, but that still seems like a long time to be away with Harry potentially in danger.

    Then finally, we go down the trapdoor, after sharing a lullaby with Fluffy. The whole concept of location is quite odd. Hermione says, "We must be miles under the school!" but that makes no sense. They started on the third floor corridor and fell close enough that they wouldn't be fatally injured, and Harry could yell from where he was "It's okay, it's a soft landing!" and they could still hear him. So... where are they? I saw a theory video laughing about how there's just some giant hole below the third floor corridor. The "Through the Griffin Door" podcast talked about the perspective and the math when Harry looks up at the trapdoor and it looks like the size of a postage stamp. Apparently it would be about 27 stories to fall, still far below the school. How did they hear him shout back up at them then?? The mystery of this location is something you have to suspend your disbelief for and just say "welp, magic." Harry, who jumps first, is also again stupidly brave to just jump into a dark abyss with no idea of what is below. He could have died on the fall alone.

    Then we hit the first enchantment. The fandom often points out Hermione vs. Ron's reactions to the Devil's Snare, as Hermione in the films is very level-headed while Ron panics, as opposed to the other way around. I am fine with this change as in the film, as we get to see one key task completed by each of the trio (Hermione - Devil's Snare, Ron - Chess, Harry - Winged keys). In the book, Hermione's time to shine is the logic puzzle, which is omitted from the film but a wonderful sequence. I think one way of looking at it is that the Devil's Snare in the book is solved collectively. 

    Secondly, the flying keys sequence is different in the book vs. film. Visually, the winged keys in the film consistently have these beautifully, clear-ish wings, kind of like translucent butterfly wings. In the book, the keys are described as having a wide variety of rainbow feathers, with the key in question have blue feathers - much more like a bird. In the book, Ron and Hermione are also on broomsticks helping to catch the key, while in the film Harry solves it by himself. Either way, the task is still a demonstration of Harry's talents as a Seeker, as he directs Ron and Hermione like he would a Quidditch play.

    Finally, the chess game is more or less similar to the film, and the troll and logic puzzle are omitted from the film. I do wonder about the risk of death with every single one of these tasks. Devil's Snare can kill you, and does later kill someone later in the series. The chess pieces could very well beat you down or cut you to pieces. The troll can kill you. The logic puzzle can definitely kill you with the poison. This is all to say I don't entirely buy into "Dumbledore's Big Plan" that the enchantments were all staged for the purpose of training Harry. Even if Harry himself can not likely die, given the prophecy, there is still too much risk involved and his friends could have easily died. I think my explanation for the enchantments being like "tasks" is that professors, such as Dumbledore, need to be able to make their way through the tasks in order to retrieve the Stone, but there are enough enchantments to trap potential thieves and apprehend them. If the corridor led straight to the mirror - then yes, most would be unlikely to retrieve the stone, but you would not be able to keep track of who attempted to make a go for it and turn them into the proper authorities. I think that Dumbledore kept the stone at the school not to train Harry, but because he wanted to be closer to the Stone and felt it was safer if it was directly protected by him. I believe Dumbledore read in the stars, like the Centaurs did, that the Stone was being sought after. But all of this is jumping outside of the lines of the text and delving into theorizing. As the chapter itself, it is very eventful and iconic.

Chapter 17: The Man With Two Faces

"There is no good and evil, only power and those too weak to see it." Whoa this iconic quote was a Quirrell line?? I suppose Voldemort gave him the line, but it was Quirrell who actually voices it in the book! A few other things I took notice of - Quirrell constantly has the funny garlic smell coming from his turban. What is he trying to hide? What would Voldemort... smell like??

It is overall a great chapter and does put a lot of ticks in the boxes for "Dumbledore's Big Plan" as Harry himself gives a monologue about how Dumbledore may have staged the enchantments for Harry to have a chance to face Voldemort. I think there is truth to some degree (showing him the mirror, giving him the cloak), but I still think Harry going down the trapdoor on his own while Dumbledore is away was unplanned, given Harry's close call with death. Whatever happened to Harry, it left him unconscious for three days. That is a LONG time, and I'm wondering why his head took so long to recover from the pain of close exposure to Voldemort. 

I do love this chapter for the relationship development between Dumbledore and Harry. Harry specifically asks about why Voldemort went after him, and Dumbledore is honest in that he cannot answer. This conversation is specifically referenced in Order of the Phoenix, when Dumbledore thought Harry was too young to know about the prophecy. And when Harry started to cry, Dumbledore pretending to look out the window for Harry's privacy was too precious.

One last comment - "Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling" - is this the wizarding equivalent of "Raise the roof!"?

What a journey! I spread this out over a great length of time, so my consumption of the chapters was not consistent. I'd hope to build a bit more consistency with later books. I feel like my Harry Potter book knowledge is increasing by the day.

Written by JK Rowling
Published by Scholastic