The movie begins on Privet Drive. An old man with a long white beard walks down the street, past a cat. He uses a strange device to capture the light from each street lamp to make the street dark. The cat meows, and the old man cordially addresses the cat as PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL. The cat then transforms into a woman, who greets the old man as PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE. She asks about “the boy,” and Dumbledore explains HAGRID is bringing him. McGonagall asks if it’s wise to trust Hagrid with him, and Dumbledore replies that he would trust Hagrid with his life. A flying motorcycle appears from the sky and lands in front of them. Hagrid gets off, explains that the boy slept the whole flight, and hands the baby boy, HARRY POTTER, to Dumbledore. McGonagall protests, saying that the people they are leaving him with are not great, and emphasizes how famous young Harry will be among wizards. Dumbledore replies, “Exactly. He’s far better off growing up away from all of that, until he is ready.” He sets the baby down on the front porch of a house. Hagrid sniffles, and Dumbledore comforts him, saying it isn’t goodbye. Dumbledore sets a letter addressed to Number 4 Privet Drive on top of the baby, and says, “Good luck, Harry Potter.” The camera then zooms in on a lightning shaped scar on the boy’s forehead.

The scene changes, and HARRY POTTER (11) is now grown. He wakes up to a banging on his door and his AUNT PETUNIA (30s) ordering him to wake up. As Harry begins getting ready, his cousin DUDLEY (11) runs down the stairs, making sure to jump on them as loudly as he can. Harry, whose bedroom is the cupboard under the stairs, sits as dust from above falls on him. He goes to leave, but his cousin Dudley pushes him back through the door. Harry makes his way to the kitchen, and his aunt Petunia hands him a frying pan, warning him not to burn anything. Petunia then greets Dudley in a more pleasant manner, calling him the ‘birthday boy.’ She shows him a pile of presents, but Dudley looks disappointed and demands to know how many there are. His father, Harry’s UNCLE VERNON (30s), replies that there are 36. Dudley angrily says that last year he had 37. Harry rolls his eyes. Vernon replies some are a lot bigger than last year, but Dudley protests, saying he doesn’t care how big they are. Petunia then tells him that when they go out, they will buy two new presents.

Before they all get in the car, Vernon stops Harry and warns him that if there is any “funny business,” Harry will go without meals for a weak. At the zoo, the family visits the reptile house. At a large snake habitat, Dudley and Vernon knock on the glass, demanding that the snake move. Harry tells them it’s asleep, and the others leave in frustration. Harry apologizes to and sympathizes with the snake. The snake winks at Harry, surprising him. Harry asks if the snake can hear him and the snake nods yes. Harry asks if it’s talked to many people and the snake shakes its head no. Harry asks if it was nice where he grew up, and the snake merely points its head at a sign that says “Bred in Captivity.” Harry replies, “That’s me as well. I never knew my parents either.” Dudley, noticing the snake’s movement, runs up, pushes Harry down to the ground, and shouts for his parents to come see. Dudley presses his face up against the glass and Harry glares at him. The glass suddenly disappears and Dudley falls into the snake’s habitat. The snake slithers out, hisses, “Thanks,” to Harry who says, “Any time,” and the snake continues through the reptile house, causing people to run and scream. When Dudley gets up, he realizes the glass is back and panics. Petunia screams and pounds on the glass, but Vernon just glares at Harry.

Back at their home, Petunia ushers a blanket-wrapped Dudley into the house and Vernon demands Harry to explain. When Harry replies, “I told you I don’t know! One minute it was there, the next it was gone, it was like magic!” Vernon locks Harry in his cupboard and says, “There’s no such thing as magic.”

On a new day, an owl drops a letter off at their house. Harry picks up the mail and sees a letter addressed to him, the address even including his cupboard under the stairs. He hands the rest of the mail to Vernon and sits down at the table, staring at his own letter. Dudley grabs it from him and announces to everyone that Harry has a letter. Vernon and Petunia take it from him, questioning who would be writing to Harry. When they see the green ink, and the red wax seal, they stare horrified at the letter. Outside the house, more owls swarm the street. More letters addressed to Harry arrive, but Vernon rips them up. He later blocks off the letterbox as more and more owls arrive with more and more letters each day. One evening, Vernon gleefully throws them into the fire, taunting Harry. On Sunday, Vernon revels in the fact that they don’t receive any mail on Sundays. Harry looks outside to see the whole house and yard are covered in owls. A letter flies out of the fireplace and hits Vernon in the face. Before he can react, hundreds of letters spew from the fireplace. Harry jumps to grab one, demanding to read it since they’re his letters, but Vernon holds him down and shouts that they are going to go far away where no one can find them. Both Dudley and Petunia worry about the letters and Vernon’s sanity.

In the middle of a very stormy ocean, on a small, rocky island in a shack, the Dursleys sleep while Harry lies awake. He has drawn a birthday cake in the dust on the ground, and pretends to blow out candles, making a wish right as his watch signals midnight. There is a pounding on the door, which wakes everyone, and a large man bursts through—it’s Hagrid. Hagrid puts his umbrella away, apologizes, and puts the door back in place. Vernon, with a shotgun, demands that he leave at once. Hagrid drying insults Vernon, bending the rifle so it shoots into the ceiling. Hagrid then turns to Dudley and mistakes him for Harry. Dudley corrects him, and Harry reveals himself. “Of course you are,” Hagrid replies, and gives Harry a birthday cake that he baked himself. Hagrid takes out his umbrella and shoots fire into the fireplace. He then introduces himself as Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. He assumes Harry knows everything about Hogwarts, his parents, and his own powers, but Harry has no idea. Hagrid says, “You’re a wizard, Harry.” But Harry is in disbelief and denies it. Hagrid points out some of the signs that would make him a wizard, such as making unexplainable anything happen when he was angry or scared, and then hands Harry another letter, exactly the same as all the ones that were delivered to their house. It’s an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Vernon protests, but Harry is mad that they knew what he was all along. Petunia admits that they knew, revealing her distaste of her sister, Lily, who was a witch. She briefly explains that Lily met James Potter, and had Harry, only adding to Petunia’s dislike of them. She then says that Harry’s parents went and got themselves blown up and that’s why the Dursleys got stuck with Harry. Harry says that they told him his parents died in a car crash, and Hagrid becomes upset, saying that Harry will be going to the finest school, under the finest headmaster there is. Vernon says he doesn’t want Harry to go to a school with a crackpot wizard, and Hagrid threatens Vernon, telling him to never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of him. Hagrid sees Dudley eating Harry’s cake, and points his wand at him, making Dudley grow a pig tail. The Dursley’s freak out, and Hagrid asks Harry not to tell anyone because he’s not supposed to do magic. Harry agrees. Hagrid then announces that they should get going, unless Harry wants to stay. Harry looks back briefly and follows Hagrid out.

Harry and Hagrid walk through London, and Harry reads his list of school supplies. Harry isn’t sure where they can find anything, but Hagrid assure him, and they walk into The Leaky Cauldron, a pub and inn full of witches and wizards. The barkeeper greets Hagrid, who announces he’s on official business, helping Harry with his school supplies. The pub goes silent and people become very excited to meet Harry. One such person is PROFESSOR QUIRREL, a quiet and stuttering man. Hagrid tells Harry he’s famous, but isn’t the best person to tell him why. They go through a magic passage in a brick wall and enter Diagon Alley, a bustling and magical street full of wizarding shops. Harry admires all of the sights, including some boys admiring a new broomstick called the Nimbus 2000. Harry asks Hagrid how he’ll pay for everything without any money, and Hagrid directs them to Gringotts bank, saying it’s safest place besides Hogwarts. The bank is full of goblins, which Hagrid describes as clever, but not friendly. He approaches one goblin, and says Harry needs to open his vault, and that there’s something from Dumbledore, “About you-know-what in vault you-know-which.” They board a cart, which takes them to Harry’s vault, that is opened to reveal piles of gold coins inside. They then go to the secret vault, which is opened by magic rather than a key, but inside is merely a small package tied up in brown paper. Hagrid tells Harry that it’s best not to mention that vault nor its contents to anyone.

Back in Diagon Alley, Hagrid points out Ollivanders, where Harry can get a wand while he runs a short errand. An old man, OLLIVANDER says he’s been expecting Harry, and notes how he remembers his parents buying their first wands. He gives Harry a wand, explaining the wood it’s made of and it’s magical core, and tells him to give it a wave. Harry does, and bunch of boxes violently fly off the shelves. Not satisfied, Ollivander grabs another wand for him to try. Harry waves it and shatters a vase. Ollivander then goes deeper into the shop and grabs another wand, saying, “I wonder…” He hesitates, but brings it to Harry. Once placed in Harry’s hands, it glows, and it’s clear that it is the right wand. Ollivander says it’s very curious, explaining that he remembers every wand he’s ever sold, and that the phoenix whose tail feather is in Harry’s wand gave only one other feather. He says, “It’s curious that this should be your wand, when its brother gave you that scar.” Harry asks who gave him the scar, but Ollivander explains how they don’t say his name, that everyone expects great things from Harry, and that He Who Must Not Be Named did great things, though terrible. They are then interrupted by Hagrid knocking on the window, holding a snowy owl in a cage and saying, “Happy Birthday.”

Eating dinner, Harry asks Hagrid how he got his lightning-shaped scar. Hagrid says that not all wizards are good, and a few years ago, one went as bad as you can go: VOLDEMORT. He explains how Voldemort gathered followers, and anyone who stood up to him ended up dead, including Harry’s parents. The only person who Voldemort couldn’t kill was Harry. Hagrid explains the scar came from an evil curse. Harry asks what happened to You Know Who, and Hagrid says nobody really knows because he disappeared the night he killed Harry’s parents and attacked Harry. Some think he died but Hagrid doesn’t think that’s true. Hagrid says that’s why everyone knows Harry’s name, because he’s the boy who lived.

At King’s Cross station, Hagrid has to leave. He gives Harry his ticket, and then disappears as Harry asks about Platform 9 ¾, the platform on his ticket. Harry asks a worker where he can find the platform, but the worker brushes him off. Harry hears a ginger woman (MOLLY WEASLEY) talking about muggles (a word he had heard Hagrid use), and follows her and her many children. She ushers her children forward, and they individually walk right through the brick platform between platforms 9 and 10. Harry approaches the woman and asks her how he can get onto the platform. She is very kind and tells him it’s her son RON WEASLEY (11)’s first time too. She explains to just walk straight through the wall, and Harry makes it through and arrives on the other side, revealing a scarlet steam train, and a 9 ¾ sign that says ‘Hogwarts Express.’

The train rides through the countryside as Harry sits alone in a compartment. Ron asks to join, they introduce themselves, and Ron asks about Harry’s scar. Harry shows Ron, who is impressed. A woman comes with a food trolley, and Ron declines, sadly holding up a sandwich. Harry pulls out some gold coins and says he’ll take the lot. The two feast on the fantastical candy, including a chocolate frog that hops out the window. The card included with the chocolate frog is of Albus Dumbledore, who Harry is surprised to see disappears a few minutes later. Ron then introduces his rat, Scabbers, and tries to use a spell turn him yellow. As he begins the spell, a young girl, HERMIONE GRANGER (11), asks if they’ve seen a lost toad, then notices Ron is doing magic and asks to see. Ron performs the spell but it doesn’t work. Hermione asks if it’s a real spell and says she’s tried a few, but they’ve all worked. She performs a spell to fix Harry’s broken glasses, then realizes who he is. She introduces herself and tells them to change into their robes, since they’ll be arriving soon. As she’s leaving, she tells Ron he’s got dirt on his nose. The train pulls into the station, and Hagrid calls out for the first years to follow him, greeting Harry by name. The first years pull up to Hogwarts in boats crossing the lake, getting to see a spectacular view of the castle.

The first years are greeted inside the castle by Professor McGonagall, who explains they will be sorted into one of the four houses: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, or Slytherin. These houses are to be like their families, and they will either win or lose points for their house based on their actions at school. When she leaves, DRACO MALFOY (11) introduces himself to Harry, “the famous Harry Potter.” He insults Ron’s family, and tells Harry he doesn’t want to associate with the wrong sort. He offers Harry a hand, but Harry says, “I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks.” The students then are ushered into the Great Hall, with a magical ceiling enchanted to look like the night sky, as Hermione informs the first years next to her. Dumbledore then greets the students and tells the first years that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden to all students, and that the third floor corridor is off limits to everyone “who does not want to suffer a most painful death.” The sorting then begins as an old talking hat is placed on each first year’s head, one by one. The hat looks into their minds and determines which house they would fit best in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are all sorted into Gryffindor, whereas Malfoy is sorted into Slytherin. When Harry looks at PROFESSOR SNAPE (30s), Snape looks questioningly at him, and Harry’s scar hurts for a second, but he brushes it off. During the sorting, Harry chants to himself “Not Slytherin.” (Ron told him there’s not a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn’t in Slytherin.) The hat hears and argues that Slytherin could help him on the way to greatness, but Harry keeps chanting, and the hat puts him in Gryffindor. Dumbledore toasts to Harry when he sits down, and the feast begins as food magically appears on the table. When Harry asks PERCY WEASLEY (15) about Snape, Percy tells him that Snape teaches potions, but has been after the Defense Against the Darks Arts position (what Quirrell teaches) for years. Ghosts appear and fly around the great hall. One ghost speaks to the Gryffindors, and introduces himself as SIR NICHOLAS, or NEARLY HEADLESS NICK, showing the students how his head can be pulled off, as if it’s on a hinge.

Percy leads the first year Gryffindors, up staircases that “like to change” and down a hall until they come upon a painting of a woman, who asks for a password. Percy gives the password and the painting swings open, revealing a hole in the wall. They walk through into the common room, which is cozy with many soft chairs and a fire crackling in the fireplace. Their dormitories already have their things in them, and as the other first year boys sleep, Harry sits at the window with Hedwig, looking at the view outside, enjoying his new home and freedom.

The next day, Harry and Ron rush to class, late. They get there after all the students are already working, and Ron sighs in relief that they made it before McGonagall was there—there’s only the students and a cat on the front desk. McGonagall then transforms from the cat on the desk to her human self, and scolds them for being late, but allows them to sit and get to their work. In their potions class, Snape storms in and begins lecturing the students on the subtleties of potions and how important it is. He then asks Harry a series of questions, getting mad at him for not paying attention when Harry was in fact taking notes. Snape tests his abilities to see if Harry’s fame is earned. Harry does not know the answers to any of the questions, and although Hermione eagerly raises her hand with an answer to each question, Snape ignores her, instead saying, “Pity. Clearly fame isn’t everything, Mr. Potter.” At lunch, SEAMUS (11) tries to turn water into rum, but it merely blows up in his face. The mail arrives, as owls fly in through the great hall, dropping packages and letters to their recipients. Harry asks Ron if he can borrow Ron’s newspaper. Neville gets a small ball filled with smoke, a Remembrall, which turns red when you’ve forgotten something. Harry reads in the paper that a vault in Gringotts, the vault that he and Hagrid went to, was broken into the day they went, after they had emptied its contents.

Outside, MADAME HOOCH welcomes the students to their first flying lesson. She instructs them on how to call their brooms, and Harry’s flies immediately into his hand. The other students struggle, and Ron’s broom smacks him in his face. Madame Hooch instructs the students on how to begin flying, but Neville starts flying too early and his broom flies out of control, which eventually causes him to break his wrist. Madame Hooch takes him to the hospital wing and tells the rest of the students they are not to ride their brooms until she gets back out, threatening expulsion. Malfoy mocks Neville and picks up his remembrall. Harry stands up to Malfoy’s bullying, demanding the remembrall, but Malfoy flies into the air. Hermione warns Harry not to follow, but Harry goes after him. Malfoy throws the remembrall in the air, and Harry chases after it, catching it right in front of the window of McGonagall’s office, and she sees him. Harry flies back to the ground and the other students cheer for him. McGonagall arrives and tells Harry to follow her. She brings him to Quirrell’s class and asks for OLIVER WOOD (15), telling him she has found a new seeker for him.

The ghosts and students all talking about Harry being the youngest seeker in a century. Harry worries he’ll make a fool of himself, and Hermione brings him to an old trophy case that shows his father was a seeker for quidditch too. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on their way to the common room when the staircases change on them. They end up in a creepy abandoned room that Hermione realizes is the third floor. FILCH the caretaker’s cat, MRS. NORRIS, finds them, and they run from her, not wanting to get in trouble. The door to their escape is locked, but Hermione uses a spell to open it, and they get in just in time to hide from Filch. Harry realizes the door was locked for good reason—a giant three-headed dog is in the room with them. The three students scream and run away, struggling to shut the door on the dog. As they arrive back in the common room, Hermione explains it was standing on a trap door and must have been guarding something. She then says, “Now, if you two don’t mind, I’m going to go to bed before either of you come up with a clever idea to get us killed, or worse, expelled.”

The next day, Oliver takes Harry out and explains the game of Quidditch to Harry—seven players on a team, the chasers try to get the quaffle into one of three hoops, guarded by keepers, to score points. The beaters use bats to knock away the bludger to other players to distract them. The seeker tries to find and catch the golden snitch, a small golden ball with wings. Once the seeker catches the snitch, the game ends and (most often) their team will win because it earns them a lot of points. In charms class, PROFESSOR FLITWICK teaches the students a spell to levitate objects: Wingardium Leviosa. The students all struggle, and Hermione instructs Ron on the correct way to do it. She successfully levitates her feather, earning praises from Flitwick. Seamus accidentally explodes his feather. After class, Ron makes fun of Hermione, calling her a nightmare. Hermione overhears, and rushes past them, crying.

In the great hall, jack-o-lanterns float in the air, and the children feast on candy—it’s Halloween. Harry asks where Hermione is, and Neville informs him that he heard Hermione had been in the girl’s bathroom all afternoon, crying. They are interrupted by Quirrell running in screaming that there’s a troll in the dungeon, and he promptly faints. The children panic, but Dumbledore commands their attention and calmly tells them what to do—prefects lead students to their common rooms, and teachers follow him to the dungeon. Harry then realizes Hermione doesn’t know, and he and Ron run to the girls’ bathroom, just in time to see the troll enter it. They go in to rescue Hermione. The troll tries to attack Hermione, and Harry and Ron distract it. Harry grabs the troll’s club, and ends up on the troll’s shoulders with his wand up the troll’s nose. As the troll holds Harry and tries to hit him with the club, Hermione reminds Ron about the proper technique for the levitation spell, and Ron successfully levitates the club, then drops it on the trolls to knock it out. Professors McGonagall, Quirrell, and Snape rush in and ask them to explain themselves. Hermione takes all the blame, saying she thought she could handle the troll, and compliments Harry and Ron for saving her life. Harry notices a long cut on Snape’s leg. McGonagall chastises the students and takes away house points for foolishness, before awarding them points “for sheer dumb luck” at taking on the troll and succeeding.

Harry is nervous about his first Quidditch game. Snape wishes Harry luck in his game against Slytherin, and limps away. Harry tells Hermione that he thinks Snape let the troll in as a diversion so he could get past the dog, but the dog bit him. He thinks the dog is guarding whatever Hagrid took from the vault at Gringotts, and that Snape wants it. Hedwig then comes in and drops off a package for Harry—a Nimbus 2000 broomstick. Harry wonders who gave it to him, and looks up at McGonagall who strokes Hedwig and smiles. The Gryffindor quidditch team marches up to the pitch. Oliver tells Harry how he was nervous his first game too, but also that he took a bludger to the head and woke up in the hospital a week later. Harry doesn’t have much time to be afraid before the game starts. Harry gets into the game, cheering for his teammates when they score points. One of the Slytherin beaters knocks Oliver out and he falls to the ground; the crowd boos. Without Oliver to guard, the Slytherins score several points. Harry sees the snitch and goes after it, but his broomstick starts acting up. Hermione searches the crowd and sees Snape concentrating on Harry and muttering under his breath. She surmises that Snape is jinxing the broom and goes after him, setting fire to his robes. This distracts Snape and the teachers around him, and Harry’s broom stabilizes. He mounts it again, and flies after the snitch, fighting off the Slytherin seeker for it. It’s a close chase, but Harry makes a daring maneuver, standing on his broom to catch it. He tumbles off, and appears to be sick, but really, he had caught the snitch in his mouth, and spits it out into his hands—Gryffindor has won the game.

Later, the trio talk to Hagrid about their suspicions of Snape. Hagrid reveals that the three headed dog, named FLUFFY, is his own. He tells them not to meddle in these things, and that what the dog is guarding is strictly between Dumbledore, and NICHOLAS FLAMEL. Hagrid then immediately regrets saying that, but the students don’t know who Nicholas Flamel is.

It’s Christmas time at Hogwarts, and Hermione is leaving for home while Harry and Ron stay at Hogwarts. The two boys play wizard’s chess, where the chess pieces move and attack on their own. Hermione tells Ron and Harry to research Flamel while she’s gone, suggesting looking in the restricted section since they’ve looked everywhere else. Ron thinks they’ve been a bad influence on her. Ron, wearing a homemade sweater from his mom, excitedly wakes up Harry on Christmas, saying he has presents, too. Harry is surprised he has presents, one of which is a mysterious package with a note with no name saying, “Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.” Inside the package is an invisibility cloak.

That night, Harry, using the cloak, sneaks into the restricted section of the library. He opens a book which grows a face and screams loudly. Harry runs but shatters his lantern. Filch arrives and sees the lantern, but Harry’s invisibility cloak allows him to escape. As he leaves, Harry finds Snape threatening Quirrell, and Snape almost catches Harry. Filch catches up and tells Snape that a student is out of bed. Harry then escapes into an empty room with a big mysterious mirror in it. As he approaches the mirror, figures of his mother and father appear beside him, smiling at him. This is the first time Harry has ever seen his parents. Harry, excited, runs back to show Ron, but instead of Harry’s parents, Ron sees himself as head boy, holding the quidditch cup. They aren’t sure what the mirror does. Some time later, Harry sits in front of the mirror alone. Dumbledore appears behind him noting that he knows Harry has been visiting. He explains that this mirror is called the Mirror of Erised, and that it shows a person the deepest and most desperate desires of their heart. But he warns Harry that the mirror gives neither knowledge or truth and that people have wasted away and gone mad in front of it, which is why it will be moved to a new home the next day; he tells Harry not to go looking for it. He says, “It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live.”

Harry lets Hedwig fly away outside, and the season changes to spring. Hermione approaches Harry and Ron in the library and says they had been looking in the wrong section. She throws a large book down on the table and reads that Nicholas Flamel was the maker of the Sorcerer’s Stone, which will turn things to gold and can make the Elixir of Life, which makes a person immortal. They realize that it’s the sorcerer’s stone that’s under the trap door. The three of them rush to Hagrid’s hut, and he tries to brush them off until they shout that they know about the sorcerer’s stone, and he lets them in. They tell him they think Snape’s trying to steal it, but Hagrid explains that Snape is one of the teachers protecting the stone, and they realize there are many things, not just Fluffy, guarding the stone. Hagrid takes a large egg out of the fire and sets it on the table. Ron recognizes it as a dragon egg and asks Hagrid how he got it, and he says he won it from a stranger in a pub. The egg hatches, and a small dragon comes out. Hagrid, elated, names it Norbert. Ron recognizes the kind of dragon. Norbert coughs fire, lighting Hagrid’s beard. Hagrid pats it out but sees Malfoy’s face in the window. As they go back in the castle, McGonagall greets them—Malfoy had tattled on them. She chastises the four students for walking around at night and takes 50 points each from them, and gives them all detention, including Malfoy who was also out of bed after hours.

The four are led out by Filch who explains they’ll be with Hagrid in the forbidden forest. Hagrid is crying because he is worried about Norbert, who Dumbledore had sent away to live in a dragon colony. Malfoy is afraid to go in the forest and protests, but Filch just taunts him and leaves. Hagrid leads them out into the forest with his dog, Fang. Hagrid shows them a patch of unicorn blood on the ground. He explains he found one dead, and there’s a hurt one they need to find. Hagrid says he’ll take Hermione and Ron, and Harry and Malfoy will go with Fang. Malfoy complains that it’s servant’s stuff, but he’s clearly scared. Harry and Malfoy come upon a hooded figure. The figure is feasting on a unicorn, drinking its blood. It approaches Harry as Malfoy and Fang run away, but is stopped by a centaur, who scares it away and saves Harry. The centaur tells Harry he must leave and that the forest isn’t safe right now, especially for him. He says that drinking the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive even if you are an inch from death, but that killing something so pure will only offer a cursed, half-life. After questioning who, Harry assumes it’s Voldemort, and the centaur asks if he knows what’s hidden in the castle. They are interrupted when Hagrid arrives and greets the centaur as FIRENZE. Firenze leaves Harry, saying he’s safe now. Back in their common room, Harry explains what he learned, and that Snape wants the stone for Voldemort so the evil wizard come back. Ron wonders if Voldemort will try to kill Harry, he would have tonight if he had a chance. Hermione says that Harry is safe as long as Dumbledore’s around, because Dumbledore is the one person You Know Who fears.

The next day, after their end of year exams (which Hermione found enjoyable), Harry complains of his scar hurting. He thinks it’s a warning that means danger is coming. They see Hagrid playing a flute outside his hut, and Harry realizes that the dragon egg was probably a set up. He asks what the person he got the egg from looked like and asks what they talked about. Hagrid told the stranger (whose face he never saw) about Fluffy and that you could calm Fluffy with music. The trio run to McGonagall and ask to see Dumbledore, but she tells them that he gone an errand for the ministry. They warn her that someone’s going to try to steal the stone, and she warns them to return to their dormitory and stay out of it. In the hallway, Snape approaches them and asks what they’re doing inside on such a beautiful day, warning them that people might think they’re up to something. Hermione asks what they should do, and Harry says they’ll go down the trap door that night.

That night, Neville tries to stop them sneaking out so they don’t lose any more house points, but Hermione, apologizing, performs a spell that petrifies him, and the three leave. Under the invisibility cloak, they get to the third floor. Fluffy is asleep, as a harp has been enchanted to play music. Harry offers to go in first, and that they should get help if anything happens. The music stops just as they approach the trap door, and they are forced to jump in quickly because Fluffy wakes up. They land on a plant, which immediately begins to entangle them. They struggle to get out, but Hermione recognize it as Devil’s Snare, and they need to relax to get out. Hermione calms down and sinks below it, and from below she tells them to trust her and relax. Harry does, and he too sinks, falling to the corridor beneath. Ron won’t relax, and Hermione remembers that Devil’s Snare hates sunlight, and casts a spell to create light so the plant releases Ron. They hear a strange rustling like wings, and enter a room full of winged keys. They realize they will have to catch the right key to open the next door, and Harry mounts a broomstick. The keys fly faster and attack once he starts flying, but he catches the right one and they open the door to the next room, which is a giant, life-sized chess board. They realize they will have to play a game of wizard chess to move on, and playing it could put their lives in danger. The three take spots on the chessboard and begin the game. The game is brutal and violent, but with Ron’s skill, they are able to win the game. However, Ron has to sacrifice himself (as a knight) and is injured. Harry then proceeds to checkmate the king. After they win the game, they rush to see if Ron is okay, and he’s just knocked out. Harry tells Hermione to take Ron back and to get help. Hermione tells Harry that he will be okay because he’s a great wizard. When Harry says he’s not as good as her, she replies, “Books, cleverness—there are more important things. Friendship and bravery.”

Harry moves on and finds himself in a room with the Mirror of Erised and Professor Quirrell. Harry is shocked because he was expecting Snape. Quirrell agrees how no one would suspect him, and goes through some previous events—Quirrell had been the one jinxing Harry’s broom during the quidditch game, and Snape had been trying to save Harry; Quirrell also had released the troll, but Snape had always suspected him. He then asks Harry what the mirror does, that he sees himself holding the stone but doesn’t know how to get it. A voice tells him to use the boy, and he orders Harry to stand before the mirror. He asks Harry what he sees and Harry sees his reflection holding the stone and putting it in his pocket, winking. The stone appears in Harry’s pocket, but Harry lies and says he sees himself winning the house cup. The voice says Harry is lying and tells Quirrell to let it speak to Harry. Quirrell undoes the turban on his head, revealing the head of Voldemort on the back of it. Voldemort greets Harry and says he wants a body of his own, there’s something that can give him that—something in Harry’s pocket. Harry tries to run, but Quirrell snaps and creates a circle of fire around them. Voldemort asks Harry to join him, but Harry refuses. Voldemort asks if Harry wants to see his parents again, saying he can bring them back if he gives him the stone. Harry sees his parents in the mirror. Voldemort says, “There is no good or evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.” He tells Harry they can do great things, but Harry calls him a liar. Voldemort orders Quirrell to kill him, but when Harry touches Quirrell, he begins to disintegrate. Harry uses this to defend himself from Quirrell, who entirely disintegrates, and the ghost of what’s left of Voldemort screams and passes through Harry as he grabs the stone. Harry passes out.

Harry wakes up in the hospital wing, surrounded by get well cards, candy, and gifts left by his bed. Dumbledore walks in and greets him, saying that what happened in the dungeon between Harry and Quirrell is a complete secret, so naturally, the whole school knows, and that Ron and Hermione are both okay. Harry asks about the stone, and Dumbledore explains that he and Flamel agreed to destroy the stone. Harry notes that Flamel will die then, and Dumbledore explains that he has enough elixir to set his affairs in order, but that yes, he will die. Harry asks how he got the stone, and Dumbledore explains that he designed it so that only someone who wanted to find the stone but not use it would be able to get it. Harry then asks if that means Voldemort can never come back, but Dumbledore says there are ways he could return. Harry then asks why Quirrell couldn’t touch him, and Dumbledore explains it’s because of his mother, who sacrificed herself for him, which left a a powerful mark of love that protected him. Dumbledore then tries a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean, explaining he once had a vomit flavored one, but hoped for toffee. He eats it and says, “Alas. Earwax.” and leaves. When Harry is recovered and dressed, he finds Ron and Hermione, who are both all right.

At the end of year feast, everything is decorated in Slytherin colors. Dumbledore reviews the house points—Gryffindors in last place, then Hufflepuffs in third, Ravenclaws in second, and Slytherins in first. He congratulates Slytherin house, but then explains there are some last minute points to award. He awards Hermione 50 points for the cool use of intellect while others were in grave peril, Ron 50 points for the best played game of chess that Hogwarts has seen in many years, and Harry 60 points for pure love and outstanding courage. The Gryffindors are now tied in points with the Slytherins. Dumbledore then explains that it takes a lot of courage to stand up to enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to friends, and he awards 10 points to Neville, making the Gryffindors the winners of the house cup. He claps, and the Slytherin decorations change to Gryffindor decorations, and everyone cheers (except the Slytherins).

As the students board the Hogwarts Express to go home, Hagrid waves to Harry, who goes to say goodbye. Hagrid hands him a photo album full of pictures of his parents, including one with him as a baby. Harry thanks Hagrid, and they hug. Hagrid then tells him to go, but that if Dudley gives him grief, he could always threaten him with a pair of ears to go with the tail. Harry says that they’re not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts, and Hagrid says that his cousin doesn’t know that. Harry goes back to Hermione and Ron, and Hermione says it feels strange to be going home. Harry replies, “I’m not going home. Not really.” He looks back at Hagrid, and waves goodbye as the train leaves. Hagrid walks back toward the Hogwarts castle.