The movie begins on Privet Drive, an owl perched upon the sign. An old man with a long white beard walks down the street, past a cat. He uses a strange device, which captures the light from each street lamp to make the street dark. The cat meows, and the old man says, “I should have known you would be here, Professor McGonagall.” The cat then transforms into a woman, PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL, 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 then comes from the sky and lands in front of them. Hagrid gets off, explains that the boy was okay and slept the whole flight, and hands the baby boy, HARRY POTTER, over to Dumbledore. McGonagall protests, saying that the people they are leaving him with are not great. She says, “There will not be a child who does not know his name.” 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 says, “There, there, Hagrid. It’s not really goodbye after all.” 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) telling him to wake up. He turns to put on his glasses, and his cousin DUDLEY (11) runs down the stairs, making sure to jump on the stairs as loudly as he can. Harry, whose bedroom is the cupboard under the stairs, sits as dust from the stairs above falls down over him. As he goes to get out of the cupboard, his cousin Dudley pushes him back through the door of the cupboard. Harry makes his way to the kitchen, and his aunt Petunia hands him a frying pan, telling him not to burn anything. Petunia then turns to Dudley and greets him in a much more pleasant manner, calling him the ‘birthday boy.’ She shows him a pile of presents, but Dudley looks on disappointed and asks how many there are. His father, Harry’s UNCLE VERNON (30s) replies that there are 36. Dudley angrily replies 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.
As they go out to get in the car, Vernon stops Harry and tells him, “I’m warning you now, boy. Any funny business, any at all, and you won’t have any meals for a week.” They arrive at the zoo, and are in the reptile house. Dudley shouts, “Make him move!” as he and Vernon knock on the window of a large snake’s habitat to make it move. Harry tells them it’s asleep, and the others leave in frustration. Harry says to the snake, “Sorry about that. They don’t understand what it’s like, lying there day after day, watching people press their ugly faces in at you.” The snake winks at Harry, who asks if the snake can hear him. The snake nods yes. Harry, with a look of surprise on his face replies, “Sorry, it’s just I’ve never talked to a snake before. Have you talked to many people?” The snake shakes its head no. Harry asks if it was nice where he grew up. 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 then runs up to Harry, pushes him down to the ground, and shouts at his parents to come see what the snake is doing now. 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 slithers out of 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 Dudley, who is covered in a blanket, in the house and Vernon yells at Harry asking what happened. 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, looks at him through the slats, and says, “There’s no such thing as magic.”
On a new day, an owl drops a letter off at their house. Harry goes to pick 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, in the kitchen, and then sits down at the table staring at his own letter. Dudley grabs it from him and shouts that Harry has a letter. Vernon and Petunia take it from him, asking 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 outside Number 4 Privet Drive. There are more letters addressed to Harry, but Vernon rips them up and begins to block off the letterbox. More and more owls arrive around the house with more and more letters each day. One day, Vernon gleefully throws them into the fire, taunting Harry. “Fine day, Sunday. In my opinion, best day of the week. Why is that Dudley?” Harry replies, “Because there’s no post on Sunday.” Vernon agrees with Harry and revels in the fact there won’t be any letters that day. Harry looks outside and the whole house and yard are covered in owls. A letter flies out of the fireplace and hits Vernon in the face, and then hundreds of letters begin spewing from the fireplace. Harry jumps to grab one, and Vernon tries to stop him. “They’re my letters!” Harry shouts, but Vernon won’t let him go. He shouts that they are going to go far away where no one can find them. Dudley panics and says, “Daddy’s gone mad, hasn’t he?”
In the middle of a very stormy ocean, on a small, rocky island and in a shack, the Dursleys sleep while Harry is awake. Harry has drawn a birthday cake in the ground, and pretends to blow out candles, making a wish right as his watch signals midnight. Then, the rest are awoken by pounding on the door 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. “Dry up Dursley, you great prune,” Hagrid replies, bending the rifle so it shoots into the ceiling. Hagrid then turns to Dudley and mistakes him for Harry. Dudley says he’s not Harry and Harry reveals himself. “Of course you are,” Hagrid replies, and says he’s got something for Harry, saying it might have gotten squished but it will taste fine. “Baked it myself, words and all.” It’s a birthday cake for Harry. “It’s not every day your young man turns eleven, is it?” Hagrid takes out his umbrella and shoots fire out of it to start a fire in the fireplace. He then introduces himself as Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. He assumes Harry knows everything about Hogwarts, but Harry has no idea. Hagrid asks if Harry every wondered where his parents learned it all, and Harry is confused as to what Hagrid is referring. Hagrid says, “You’re a wizard, Harry.” Harry is in disbelief and replies, “I can’t be a wizard. I’m just Harry. Just Harry.” Hagrid then asks if he ever made anything happen that he couldn’t explain when he was angry or scared. He 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 says they swore he’d never go there. Harry is mad that they knew what he was all along. Petunia explains that of course they knew, because her sister, Lily, was a witch and their parents were so proud. And then Lily met James Potter, and had Harry, and Petunia knew he’d be just as strange and abnormal. 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. Hagrid is mad that anyone would say that, and says 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, raising his umbrella, tells Vernon to never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of him. Hagrid sees that Dudley is eating Harry’s cake, and points his wand at him and Dudley grows a pig tail. He then asks Harry if he wouldn’t tell anyone, because he’s not supposed to do magic, strictly speaking. Harry agrees. Hagrid then picks up the door again and says they should get going, unless Harry wants to stay. Harry looks back at the shack, and then follows Hagrid out.
In London, Harry and Hagrid walk down the street. Harry is reading the letter that includes a list of things he will need for school. He asks if all this can be found in London, and Hagrid replies, “If you know where to go.” They walk into The Leaky Cauldron, a pub/inn full of witches and wizards. The barkeeper greets Hagrid and asks if he wants his usual, but Hagrid says he’s on official business—Harry needs his school supplies. The pub goes silent and people begin greeting Harry, very excited to meet him. One such person is introduced as PROFESSOR QUIRREL, a quiet and stuttering man. Hagrid says, “See Harry, you’re famous.” But when Harry asks why he’s famous, Hagrid says he’s not sure if he’s the right person to tell him that. Hagrid taps on a few bricks on the wall, and they open up to reveal Diagon Alley, a bustling and magical street full of wizarding shops. They walk down the street as Harry admires all of the wondrous sights. Some boys in a shop window admire a new broomstick, the “New Nimbus 2000, the fastest model yet.” Harry asks Hagrid how he’ll pay for everything since he doesn’t have money, and Hagrid points to Gringotts bank, saying his money is there, and that there’s no safer place except Hogwarts. The bank is full of goblins, which Hagrid describes as clever, but not friendly. He approaches one goblin, says Harry needs to open his vault, and then that there’s something from Dumbledore, “About you-know-what in vault you-know-which.” On a cart through the cave of the bank, they get off and open Harry’s vault, revealing piles of gold coins inside. Harry looks on in amazement. “Didn’t think your mum and dad would leave you with nothing now did you?” They then go to the secret vault for Hogwart’s business, 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, Harry says he still needs a wand. Hagrid tells him to go into Ollivanders, the wand shop, and that he has something else he has to do but it won’t take long. Harry walks into the shop, full of small wand boxes. An old man, OLLIVANDER comes out and says that he was wondering when he’d be seeing Harry, and that it seemed like only yesterday that his mother and father were in there 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, and Harry does. A bunch of boxes fly off the shelves. Not satisfied, Ollivander grabs another wand and says this wand could be the one. Harry waves it and shatters a vase. Ollivander then goes deeper into the shop and grabs another wand, saying, “I wonder…” He hesitates, but then brings it to Harry. Once placed in Harry’s hands, it begins to glow gold and it’s clear that it is the right wand. Ollivander says it’s very curious, and when Harry asks why, Ollivander replies 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 just says, “We do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard, Potter…. I think we can expect great things from you. After all, He Who Must Not Be Named did great things. Terrible, but great.” 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; his name: VOLDEMORT. He explains it was dark times, and Voldemort started to gather followers. Anyone who stood up to him ended up dead. Harry’s parents fought against him, but nobody lived once he decided to kill him—nobody, not one, except Harry. Harry is surprised. “That ain’t no ordinary cut Harry.” Hagrid explains it came from an evil curse. Harry asks what happened to You Know Who. 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. He thinks there’s not enough in him to die. Hagrid says that’s why everyone knows Harry’s name—he’s the boy who lived.
At King’s Cross station, Hagrid is walking with Harry but realizes he has to go. He gives Harry his ticket, and then disappears when Harry starts to ask about Platform 9 ¾, the platform on his ticket. Harry wheels his trolley through the station, and asks a worker where he can find the platform. The worker brushes him off, but 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 one by one walk right through the brick platform between platforms 9 and 10. Harry then 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 says you just walk straight at the platform, and could give it a run if you’re nervous. Harry walks 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 if Harry minds if he joins, since everyone else is full. They introduce themselves, and Ron asks if Harry really has the scar. Harry shows Ron, and Ron says, “Wicked.” A woman comes with a trolley, asks if they want anything. Ron says he’s set, and sadly holds up a sandwich. Harry pulls out some coins and says he’ll take the lot. The two feast on the fantastical candy, including a chocolate frog, that hops around, and, unfortunately for Harry, 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 asks if Harry wants to see a spell that turns him yellow. As he begins the spell, a young girl, HERMIONE GRANGER (11), asks if they’ve seen a toad because someone has lost one, then notices Ron is doing magic and asks to see. Ron performs the spell but it doesn’t work. Hermione asks, “Are you sure that’s a real spell? Well, it’s not very good, is it?” She says she’s tried a few spells, but they’ve all worked. She performs a spell to fix Harry’s broken glasses, then realizes who he is. She introduces herself as Hermione Granger, and asks who Ron is. She then tells them to change into their robes, since they’ll probably 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, and tells them to start on her whistle, but Neville starts flying too early and his broom flies out of control. His cape gets stuck on a statue, and he falls to the ground, his wrist broken. 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—if they do, they’ll be expelled. Malfoy picks up Neville’s remembrall, making fun of him. Harry asks Malfoy to give it to him, but Malfoy flies into the air. Hermione warns Harry not to follow, but Harry goes after Malfoy. 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 then 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 are all talking about Harry being the youngest seeker in a century and that Harry must have exhibited some excellent flying to get the position. 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 that room. 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—it 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, two beaters, three chasers, one keeper, and one seeker. Three types of balls—a quaffle, which chasers throw between hoops guarded by keepers to score points, a bludger, which the beaters use to bat at the other players and distract them, and the golden snitch, a small golden ball with wings, which the seeker tries to find and catch. 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 how to levitate objects: Wingardium Leviosa. The students all struggle, and Hermione begins to instruct 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 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 try to 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 to “swish and flick” for the levitation spell, and Ron successfully levitates the club, which then falls and knocks the troll out. Hermione approaches the two boys, Harry pulls his wand out of the troll’s nose, and 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, but that if Harry and Ron hadn’t found her, she’d probably be dead. 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.
At breakfast, Harry struggles to have an appetite, as it’s 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 asks if Harry is scared, and says he was his first game too. Harry asks what happened, and Oliver tells him 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 though before it’s time for the quidditch game to begin. 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 booing and looking on worriedly. The Slytherins then have free shots, since Oliver is no longer there to guard the hoops, and begin scoring. Harry sees the snitch, and begins to go after it, but his broomstick starts acting up. Hermione searches the crowd and sees Snape concentrating on Harry and muttering under his breath. She says 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 is able to mount 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. Harry is elated.
Later, the trio talk to Hagrid about their suspicions of Snape. Hagrid reveals that the three headed dog is his own, and is called Fluffy. 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 are staying. The two boys play wizard’s chess, with the chess pieces moving of their own accord and attacking and crumbling the others when they take over their spot. Ron is staying because his parents are going to visit his brother in Romania. Hermione tells Ron and Harry to research Flamel while she’s gone, telling them they have checked everywhere but the restricted section, and suggesting they look there. Ron says he thinks they’ve been a bad influence on her. On Christmas day, Ron excitedly tells Harry to wake up and greets him with a “Happy Christmas.” He’s wearing a homemade sweater from his mom, and tells Harry he has presents too. Harry is surprised he has presents, but opens them. He has 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 a cloak that is revealed to be an invisibility cloak capable of rendering the wearer completely invisible. That night, Harry sneaks under the cloak into the restricted section of the library, searching for books that would possibly have Nicholas Flamel in it. He opens a book which grows a face and screams loudly. Harry runs away, but shatters his lantern. Filch tries to find him, having evidence there’s a student out because of the lantern, but under the invisibility cloak, Harry is able to escape. As he escapes, Harry comes upon Snape threatening Quirrell, Snape almost catching 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 and looks into it, figures of his mother and father appear beside him, smiling at him. This is the first time Harry has ever seen his parents. Harry runs back to Ron, excited to show him his parents in the mirror. He gets Ron out of bed and they go back to the mirror, but what Ron sees in the mirror isn’t them. Ron instead sees himself as head boy, holding the quidditch cup as quidditch captain. He asks if the mirror shows the future, but Harry says, “How can it? Both my parents are dead.” Some time later, Harry sits in front of the mirror alone. Dumbledore appears behind him saying, “Back again, Harry?” He explains that this mirror is called the Mirror of Erised, and that the mirror shows a person the deepest and most desperate desires of their heart. Harry, who has never known his family sees them standing beside him. 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 carries Hedwig on his arm outside in the snow, Hedwig flies away, 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 transform into 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, saying he’s busy. They shout that they know about the sorcerer’s stone, and he lets them in. They tell him that 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. Hagrid says he won it from a stranger in a pub. The egg hatches, and a small dragon comes out. Hagrid names it Norbert, and is so happy to be its mum. Ron recognizes it as a Norwegian Ridgeback, because his brother works with them in Romania. Norbert coughs fire, lighting Hagrid’s beard. Hagrid pats it out, and then 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 had to get rid of Norbert—Dumbledore sent him to live in a colony in Romania, but Hagrid worries that the other dragons will be mean to Norbert. 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—silver and silky—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 begins to approach 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 at a terrible price. If you have slain something so pure, you will have a half-life, a cursed life. Harry asks who would do such a thing, and the centaur asks if he can think of anyone. 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 safe in their common room, Harry explains what he learned, and that Snape wants the stone for Voldemort so Voldemort can come back. Ron asks if he thinks Voldemort will try to kill him, and Harry says he thinks he would have killed him tonight if he had a chance. Hermione says that as long as Dumbledore’s around, he can’t be touched, 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. McGonagall tells them that he received an urgent message from the ministry and he’s gone. They warn her that someone’s going to try to steal the stone. She says she doesn’t know how they found out about it, but they need to go back to their dormitory. In the hallway, Snape approaches them and asks what they’re doing inside on such a beautiful day. He warns 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.
At night, they are interrupted by Neville, who tries to stop them sneaking out so they don’t lose any more house points. He says he’ll fight them, but Hermione, while apologizing, performs a spell that petrifies Neville so he can’t move, and the three leave, apologizing to Neville and saying it’s for his own good. Under the invisibility cloak, they get to the third floor. Fluffy is asleep, as a harp has been enchanted to play music. Harry says he’ll go in first, and that if something bad happens the other two need to get themselves out and get help. The music stops just as they approach the trap door, and they are forced to jump in as quickly as they can because Fluffy wakes up. They land on a cushion of a plant, which immediately begins to entangle them. They struggle to get out. Hermione tells them it’s Devil’s Snare, and if they don’t relax, it will only kill them faster. Hermione sinks below it, and from below she tells them to trust her and relax. Harry does, and he too sinks below, falling to the corridor beneath. Ron won’t relax, and Hermione thinks how to save him. She remembers Devil’s Snare hates sunlight, and casts a spell to create light so the plant releases Ron. They then 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 to catch it. The keys begin to fly faster and attack once he starts flying, but he catches it and they are able to open the door to the next room. The next room is a giant, life-sized chess board. They realize they will have to play a game of chess to move on, and that this is not just a chess board, but wizard’s chess, 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 Ron is an incredible chess player and with his skill, they are able to win the game. However, Ron needs to sacrifice himself (as a knight) in order for them to get the checkmate. He tells Harry, “It’s you who has to move on. Not me, not Hermione—you.” Ron is knocked to the ground as another chess piece attacks the horse he was riding on. Harry then proceeds to check the king. After they win the game, they rush to see if Ron is okay, and he seems to be okay, 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 that Snape does seem the type, and who would suspect poor stuttering Professor Quirrell. Harry asks about the quidditch game, and Quirrell says it was him trying to kill Harry, and that Snape was trying to save Harry. Quirrell also admits the troll was his idea, and that Snape suspected him right off. He then asks Harry what the mirror does. 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 himself holding the stone and then putting it in his pocket, winking. As his reflection does so, the stone appears in Harry’s pocket, but Harry lies and says what he sees is that he’s shaking hands with Dumbledore and has won the house cup. The voice says Harry is lying and asks Quirrell to let it speak to Harry, saying it has strength enough. Quirrell undoes the turban on his head, revealing the head of Voldemort on the back of it. Voldemort greets Harry and says, “Do you see what I’ve become? See what I must do to survive?” He wants a body of his own, and says 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, stopping him. Voldemort asks Harry to join him, and when Harry says, “Never!” Voldemort says, “Bravery. Your parents had it too.” He then asks if Harry wants to see them again, and says 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 his advantage to defend himself from Quirrell, who entirely disintegrates, and the ghost of what’s left of Voldemort screams and passes through Harry as Harry grabs the stone. Harry passes out.
Harry wakes up in the hospital wing, surrounded by get well cards. He puts on his glasses, and sees candy and gifts at the bottom of 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. Dumbledore explains that Ron and Hermione are both just fine. Harry asks about the stone, and Dumbledore explains the stone has been destroyed. He and Flamel agreed it was best all around. Harry says 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 then asks how he got the stone, and Dumbledore explains that it was by his own brilliant design (that he is very proud of)—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 he’s afraid 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 leaves a mark—love. Dumbledore then tries a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean, explaining he once had a vomit flavored one and lost liking for it, but he could be safe with a toffee. He eats it and says, “Alas. Earwax.” and leaves. When Harry is recovered and dressed, he finds Ron and Hermione, and all say they are alright.
At the end of year feast, everything is decorated in Slytherin colors. Dumbledore makes a speech, and explains 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 then 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, for pure love and outstanding courage, 60 points. 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, and Harry 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 then gives him a big 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.