Overview (Contains plot information and possible spoilers if you haven’t read the books)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first book in the series. We start off by learning a bit about Harry’s upbringing in the care of his intolerant and cruel relatives, the Dursleys, muggles who “were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much”. When Hogwart’s, the largest, most famous and possibly only Wizarding school in Britain begins sending Harry letters informing him of his acceptance to the school, the Dursleys do their very best to keep the information from him but they are pursued by the half-giant Hagrid who eventually tells Harry who is he and helps him make his first trip into the Wizarding World.

Harry then begins his first year at Hogwart’s where he makes friends and joins the Quidditch team. He also finds out that one of the teachers, Professor Severus Snape seems to hate him for no apparent reason. Eventually Harry comes face to face with Lord Voldemort, the dark wizard who tried to kill him as a baby, in the form of a spirit who has half possessed one of his servants, a teacher at Hogwart’s named Professor Quirrell. Harry triumphs over Voldemort once again, learning more about his past in the process and the book ends with Harry heading back to the Dursleys’ home for the summer holidays.

Manuscript completed in 2005.

First published by Bloomsbury on June 30, 1997.

First published in Canada by Raincoast Books in 1997.