Philosopher's Stone

• Type: Alchemical Substance, Legendary Artefact
• Owners: Nicolas Flamel, Albus Dumbledore (for safekeeping)
• Maker: Nicolas Flamel

The Philosopher's Stone is described as a blood-red stone, irregular in shape and roughly the size of a chicken's egg. When Harry Potter held it, he found it surprisingly heavy. The Stone is the ultimate creation of Alchemy, a legendary substance with incredible magical properties.

The Philosopher's Stone has two primary, and immensely powerful, magical functions:

• Transmutation: It possesses the ability to transform any base metal into pure gold. This property, while valuable, is secondary to its life-giving capabilities.
• Immortality: The Stone can be used to create the Elixir of Life, a potion that will make the drinker immortal. To maintain their immortality, the drinker must consume the Elixir of Life regularly. Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle Flamel, used the Elixir to live for over six hundred years.

Because of these properties, the Stone was highly sought after, most notably by Lord Voldemort, who desired it to restore his physical body and conquer death.

The only known Philosopher's Stone in existence was created by the renowned alchemist Nicolas Flamel. He and his wife lived in Devon and achieved ages of 665 and 658, respectively, thanks to the Elixir of Life produced by the Stone. In 1991, sensing that Lord Voldemort was seeking the Stone to regain power, Albus Dumbledore arranged for its removal from a high-security vault (Vault 713) at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. It was transported by Rubeus Hagrid to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for safekeeping. The Stone was hidden within the castle, protected by a series of complex magical enchantments crafted by several professors:

1. A giant three-headed dog, Fluffy, guarding a trapdoor (Rubeus Hagrid).
2. A patch of Devil's Snare (Professor Sprout).
3. A chamber full of enchanted flying keys (Professor Flitwick).
4. A life-sized Wizard's Chess set (Professor McGonagall).
5. A mountain troll (Professor Quirrell, ironically, as he was the one trying to steal the Stone).
6. A logic-based potion riddle (Professor Snape).
7. The Mirror of Erised, enchanted by Albus Dumbledore himself to only reveal the Stone to one who wanted to find it, but not use it.

Following Lord Voldemort's failed attempt to steal it, Albus Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel mutually agreed that the Stone was too dangerous to exist. They chose to destroy it, and Flamel confirmed he had enough Elixir of Life stored to “set his affairs in order” before he and his wife would pass away.

The Philosopher's Stone is the central MacGuffin of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Its presence at Hogwarts drives the main plot of the book, as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger slowly uncover the truth about the “little package” Hagrid retrieved from Gringotts. Their investigation leads them to believe that Professor Snape is attempting to steal the Stone for Lord Voldemort. This prompts the trio to venture through the layers of protection to stop him. In the final chamber, Harry discovers that the true culprit is Professor Quirrell, who is being possessed by Voldemort's spirit. The final enchantment on the Mirror of Erised proves to be the ultimate protection. Because Harry selflessly wanted to protect the Stone from Voldemort rather than use it for personal gain, the Stone magically appeared in his pocket. This act foils Voldemort's plan and highlights a core theme of the series: the acceptance of death and the rejection of a selfish quest for immortality. The Stone's subsequent destruction reinforces this moral, positioning Dumbledore and Flamel's wisdom against Voldemort's greed.

• Historical Basis: The philosopher's stone is a central concept in historical alchemy, believed to be a substance that could turn lead into gold and grant eternal life. Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perenelle Flamel were real historical figures from 14th-century France who were rumored to have discovered the Stone and achieved immortality.
• Title Change: The title of the first book in the series was changed from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (UK) to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for its publication in the United States. The American publisher, Scholastic, reportedly felt that “philosopher” sounded too academic and that “sorcerer” would be more appealing to a young audience.
• Film Appearance: In the film adaptation, the Stone is depicted as a more ornate, crystalline object, though still blood-red in color, rather than the simple, irregular stone described in the book.