Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

STORY SUMMARY
Ever since the death of his parents, Harry has been forced to live an unhappy existence
with his mean Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and their spoiled son Dudley.
Harry’s bedroom is a small, dark, spidery cupboard located under the stairs. To make
matters worse, Harry has never been allowed to celebrate a birthday.
Precisely on his eleventh birthday, a giant named Hagrid informs Harry that he is a
wizard and that he has been accepted at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry. In many ways it is like a typical British boarding school. Of course, in most
boarding schools the students don’t take courses in potions, and poltergeists don’t roam
the halls. The boy also learns that his parents, too, were wizards and that they had been
murdered by the evil Voldemort.
Although his aunt and uncle object, Harry enrols at the school and sets out to fulfil
his destiny as a wizard. At Hogwarts, Harry meets a variety of unusual characters,
including professors with mystical powers and ghost-like creatures who appear unannounced
in the corridors of the school. Harry makes some good friends, such as Ron
and Hermione, who help him in his fight against evil. He also encounters several nasty
enemies who try to hinder his life at Hogwarts. Harry learns the challenging game of
Quidditch, an aerial, soccer-like sport played on broomsticks.
In this episode, Harry and his friends attempt to retrieve the Philosopher’s stone. The
Philosopher’s Stone has the power to turn any metal into gold; it also produces the Elixir
of Life, a substance that makes the drinker immortal. The Stone is being guarded by a
three-headed dog named Fluffy. The challenge is to find the stone before the evil
Voldemort gets hold of it—and to stay alive while doing it!

Joanne K. Rowling knew she
wanted to become an author
since she began writing stories
as a small child. As a child, she
wrote for herself and her
younger sister. As you might
expect, the stories were usually
about imaginary animals. The
girls and their parents lived
near Bristol, England. Joanne
enjoyed reading very much.
Her favourite authors were E.
Nesbitt and Elizabeth Goudge.
When Joanne was nine years
old, her family moved to the
countryside near Chepstow, in
the Dean Forest. The sisters
enjoyed exploring the woods,
fields and streams in the area.
After graduating from Exeter
University, Ms Rowling was
employed for a while as a secretary.
She liked this work
because it allowed her to use
the word processor to create stories in her spare time. She also held several teaching
jobs.
While on a long train ride in the summer of 1990, the inspiration for Harry Potter
came to her. She began writing the framework and developing the plot. Ms Rowling
has always taken notice of names, the stranger the better. She actually keeps lists of
them. Some of the names in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone are from her lists.
Ms Rowling has lived in England, France and Portugal and visited many other countries.
While living in Portugal, she taught English. She spent her free time writing, especially
short stories. It was during her stay in Portugal that she met and married a journalist,
but the marriage didn’t work out. She left with her 4-month-old baby and went to
Edinburgh, Scotland.
Living in Edinburgh as a single mother, she found it difficult to finish Harry Potter.
She was able to accomplish her writing by taking baby Jessica to a nearby café. Usually
the baby would sleep while Jo did her writing. An award from the Scottish Arts Council
enabled her to finish the work. It was finally published in 1997. She was well rewarded
for her hard work. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone won Britain’s Smartie Prize
and was named the U.K.’s Children’s Book of the Year.
The seven books in the Harry Potter series have sold more than 400 million copies,
with the release of each being a huge event worldwide. As of 2008, Rowling was the
twelfth-richest person in Britain.

Boarding Schools
In England, as in some other countries, it is common for students to attend boarding
schools. In boarding schools, the children live in dormitories. They have their meals
at the school too. Very often, school uniforms are required. Most boarding schools
have entrance requirements. Some schools’ entrance examinations are very difficult,
and the competition is fierce. Boarding schools are usually private institutions to which
the students’ parents must pay fees in order for them to attend. If the school is far away
from home, the students may see their families only on school holidays. Each boarding
school usually has its own motto, school song, coat of arms, style and colours of uniform,
etc.
English Expressions
While we speak the same language, there are some expressions used by the English
that we don’t use here in Australia, and vice versa. Some expressions and phrases have
meanings that are different to what they mean here, others are simply uncommon. The
following are some expressions you’ll encounter in this story:
cheek to speak in a rude or disrespectful manner
codswallop nonsense
the underground the train system
tea cosy a padded covering for a teapot to hold in the heat
humbug a type of hard candy
Magical Creatures
There are many types of magical creatures mentioned in fantasy stories, including the
following:
Brownie: a small sprite who performs
helpful services at night
Ghoul: an evil being who robs graves
and performs other loathsome acts
Goblin: an ugly elf who likes to cause
mischief or evil
Poltergeist: a ghost that makes noises
and moves objects to show its presence
Sprite: a small or elusive elf or fairy
Troll: a mischievous creature, portrayed
as a dwarf or a giant