Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

• Original Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), Scholastic Corporation (US)
• Publication Date: 26 June 1997 (UK), 1 September 1998 (US)
• Series: Book 1 of 7 in the Harry Potter series

The story begins with the introduction of Harry Potter, an orphaned boy living a miserable existence with his abusive aunt, uncle, and cousin, the Dursley family. On his eleventh birthday, his life is irrevocably changed by the arrival of Rubeus Hagrid, who reveals that Harry is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hagrid also discloses the truth about Harry's parents, James and Lily Potter, who were murdered by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. Harry, known throughout the wizarding world as “The Boy Who Lived,” is famous for being the only person to have ever survived Voldemort's killing curse, the Avada Kedavra. Hagrid guides Harry through Diagon Alley to purchase his school supplies. Aboard the Hogwarts Express, Harry befriends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Upon arrival at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat places all three into Gryffindor house. Harry quickly adapts to life at school, excelling in Defence Against the Dark Arts and becoming the youngest Seeker for his house's Quidditch team in a century. He also forms a rivalry with Draco Malfoy, a student from Slytherin house, and finds a stern but fair mentor in Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. His Potions master, Severus Snape, however, treats him with unexplained hostility. The central mystery of the year revolves around the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary object that grants immortality, which is hidden within the school. Harry, Ron, and Hermione suspect Snape is trying to steal the Stone for Lord Voldemort. They discover a series of magical protections guarding the Stone, put in place by the Hogwarts professors. After learning that Voldemort is in the Forbidden Forest, having been kept alive by drinking unicorn blood, the trio decides to intervene. They navigate the enchanted obstacles: subduing a three-headed dog named Fluffy, escaping a patch of Devil's Snare, catching a bewitched flying key, winning a life-sized game of Wizard's Chess, and solving a logic-based potions riddle. Harry proceeds alone to the final chamber, where he finds not Snape, but the seemingly timid Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell. Quirrell reveals that he is possessed by the disembodied spirit of Lord Voldemort, who appears as a face on the back of Quirrell's head. Quirrell attempts to use the Mirror of Erised to retrieve the Stone, but the mirror, enchanted by Dumbledore, places the Stone in Harry's pocket. Quirrell tries to kill Harry, but his skin burns upon contact. The loving sacrifice of Harry's mother, Lily, provides him with an ancient and powerful protection. Harry passes out as Quirrell's body is destroyed. He awakens in the Hospital Wing, where Dumbledore explains the nature of his mother's magical protection and reveals that the Stone has been destroyed. At the end-of-year feast, Gryffindor is awarded the House Cup, and Harry returns to the Dursleys for the summer, now aware of his true identity and the world to which he belongs.

As the first novel in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone establishes the core themes and foundational elements of the Wizarding World.

• Love as Powerful Magic: The central conflict is resolved not by complex spell-casting, but by the lingering power of Lily Potter's sacrificial love. This concept is introduced by Dumbledore as “old and powerful magic” that Voldemort, filled with hate, cannot understand or touch.
• Friendship and Loyalty: The unbreakable bond between Harry, Ron, and Hermione is forged through their shared adventures, from fighting a mountain Troll in the girls' bathroom to facing the enchantments protecting the Stone. Their combined skills and unwavering loyalty allow them to succeed.
• Choice vs. Ability: A pivotal theme is articulated by Albus Dumbledore when he tells Harry, “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” This is exemplified by Harry's own choice to be in Gryffindor over Slytherin, despite the Sorting Hat's initial inclination.
• Good vs. Evil: The book presents a clear, archetypal conflict between the forces of good, represented by Harry and Dumbledore, and the forces of evil, embodied by Voldemort and his servant, Quirrell.

J.K. Rowling completed the manuscript in 1995. After being rejected by twelve publishing houses, the book was accepted by Bloomsbury Publishing in the United Kingdom. The book, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was first published on 26 June 1997. In 1998, Scholastic Corporation won the rights to publish the novel in the United States for $105,000, an unusually high amount for a children's book. The publisher requested a title change, believing that the word “Philosopher” might seem too archaic or academic for a young American audience and would negatively impact sales. After some discussion, the title was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for its US release on 1 September 1998. This change was reflected in the film adaptation and subsequent video games in the US market.

• Title Change: The most significant difference between versions of the book is the title. The UK and most international editions are titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, referencing the genuine alchemical legend of the philosopher's stone. The US edition uses Sorcerer's Stone. The text within the book was also edited to reflect this change, along with minor alterations to certain British terms for American readers (e.g., “jumper” became “sweater”).
• Film Adaptation: The novel was adapted into a feature film of the same name, released in 2001. Directed by Chris Columbus, the film was a critical and commercial success, largely faithful to the source material. Notable omissions include the character of Peeves the poltergeist and Severus Snape's potions riddle, which was the final obstacle before the confrontation with Quirrell in the book. (film)
• Cover Art: The original UK edition featured cover art by Thomas Taylor, while the US edition's iconic artwork was created by Mary GrandPré, who would go on to illustrate the covers for all seven books in the American series.