The Philosopher's Stone

Summary
Harry, Ron, and Hermioine decide that to save the stone from snape they have to reach it first, so the adventure into the third floor and into the room where the trials begin. At first, they find Fluffy (the three-headed dog that Hagrid found to guard the stone), which Harry puts to sleep by pplaying a flute, allowing the three og them to go on. They jump through a hole and land onto a weird plant that professor sprout placed there in order to protect the stone, but Hermione burns it with a spell and the three of them move forward. They reach a room where thousands of keys with wings are flying around, and one of them opens the door to the next stage. Harry manages to capture with his Quidditch  skills (the most famous sport on the wizarding world, it is played on flying brooms) and they walk onto the next room. In here they find an enormous Chess game, on which they have to climb on top of the pieces and play as if they were those pieces. Ron sacrifices himself by letting the other team take down his king (and brutally hit him), and Hermione and Harry are able to walk into the next room. Here is a logical problem that involves potions that Hermione quickly solves, letting Harry continue while she return to help the injured Ron. Harry now finds himself face to face with...
Professor Quirrel...? Yeah, HE was the one who tried to steal the Stone, to revive Voldemort!!! (Who was cassually hidding on his turban). Harry finds the stone before Quirrel, and somehow he is able to burn Quirrel just by touching him. However Harry looses his conciousness after the struggle and wakes up with dumbledore by his side, who explains that Harry was protected by his mothers love and therefore, he was protected. School finishes and now everyone has to return home, and prepare for the next year.

Quotes

"'There is no good and evil, there is only power, and does to weak to seek it'". p 291

This quote made me see how this book is not so far from reality. Voldemort is able to corrupt wizards really easily, Quirrell was good at first but he became evil because of him. In history there are many dictators and people who are able to do this as well, alter people idealisms and thoughts by just the use of words; this quote is really terrifying if you think about it.

"'Always use the proper name for things. Fear of the name increases fear of the thing itself'".

 p 298

This quote made admire Professor Dumbledore even more. Harry isn't afraid of saying Voldemorts name because he grew on the world of Muggles, he was sheltered from all the chaos and fear that Voldemort left after his reign ended. But we can see how the weasleys and other wizards are afraid of him, they call him "You know who" or "The Dark Lord" because they are affected. However, Dumbledore isnt afraid, he knows Voldemort is just as human as he is, so he doesn't call him by other names, acting as if he was kind of a superior power or God, he is not scared.

Final Thoughts

After reading this book I will definitively keep on reading te saga. It did not only entertain me but it also has a lot of wise quotes. I find it really interesting how it uses real world problems that had a major impact on our society and turns them into fiction that even young kids can understand and enjoy while reading. I personally enjoy books of fiction and magic, so I really like reading this; I would highly recommend it for everybody, it doesnt even has an specific audience. Meet me here for further reading, at An Adventure on Every Page.

An Extraorinary School

Summary
As soon as all the first years arrive to Hogwarts they are introduced to professor McGonagall, who says that now they shall proceed to their sortings. Inside the castle, Harry observes an old looking hat in the middle of all professors. It is the Sorting Hat, the one who will assign them into one of the four different Hogwarts Houses (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff). Ron tells Harry that mostly every Wizard that has gone evil was set on Slytherin, and just then Draco Malfoy, Harry's enemy, was assigned to Slytherin. Harry and most of his friends were placed on Gryffindor, but the Sorting Hat had some trouble deciding whether to put harry on Gryffindor or Slytherin, which worried him. Harry liked most of his classes, he had transfiguration with professor McGonagall (who was also the headmaster of the House of Gryffindor), defense against the Dark arts with professor Quirrel, etc... But there was one House Harry didn't like: Potions, with Professor Snape. Snape seemed to hate Harry, but also his best friends, Ron and Hermione. Not only was Snape awfull with them, but Harry suspected he was up to something. He had overheard Hagrid talking about Nicolas Flamel (the creator of the philosophers stone), and he believed that Snape was after his invention. Harry began to follow Snape everywhere he went, until one day when he found him on the Forbidden Forest, threatening professor Quirrel to obtain the stone; now Harry was totally convinced of Snape's dark intentions.

Quotes
"'I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach'" . p 137
This quote made me just realize how Snape is different from the other teachers. For example, Professors McGonagall and Sprout are helping students, guiding them, while Snape is bullying them. I barely know the characters on this book but from this description that the author is giving, it is clear that Snape is somehow a little bit evil.

"' However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible'". p 213
This quote takes place after Harry sneaks out of the Gryffindor's room just to observe the Miror of Erised. At first I didn't gave much importance to this quote but then it crossed my mind how Erised is just Desire spelled backwards. I am really impressed at how the author approaches these subjects by using metaphors like this one.

Final Thoughts
Now the action is intensifying. I can't believe how Harry is changing drastically on this part of the book. At the beggining he didnt even had any idea what was magic and now it is basically part of his life; also before he didn't have friends, now he has Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Hedwig, and much more people, his life is improving. I also think that the movie left out some really funny parts, it is totally worth it reading this book even if you have already seen the movie. Lets finish this book next time. here on An Adventure on Every Page.

Magical World and Hogwarts

Summary
After Hagrid told Harry he was a wizard, he began to argue with uncle Vernon since he had never told Harry the truth. Harrys parents hadn't died on a car crush; they had been killed by Voldemort, the most evil and one of the most powerful wizards that have ever existed. The night he invaded Harry's home to kill his parents he also tried to kill Harry. However, even though Harry had been left a scar, Voldemort died on that instant (though some wizards still think he is alive.
Finally, Hagrid took Harry with him to a place on London called Diagon Ally, where he was supposed to buy all his materials for his new school: HOGWARTS, the witchcraft and wizarding school. First, they entered Gringott, a wizarding bank, where Harry discovered he owned a fortune that his parents had left him. After he took the necessary ammount of money needed for his uniforms, books, and every other material, Harry had his first encounter with Draco Malfoy. They met at the store of uniforms, and since the moment they began to talk, Harry new he didn't like him. After everything was done, Hagrid assigned Harry to go to the train station once school began, at plattform 9 3/4. And so, once Hogwarts was about to begin, Harry was left at the train station by his uncle's grumpy family. However, once at the train station Harry wasn't able to find plattform 9 3/4, but once his was feeling hopeless, an adult woman came to his assistance. She had a really large family, and it turned out they were all wizards too. They tought harry how to go through the wall that led to plattform 9 3/4. Once on the train he made friends with Ron Weasley, a kid from the family previously mentioned, and they traveled on the way on the same compartment. When they arrived to Hogwarts, Hagrid was there, ready to introduce them to their first year.

Quotes
“'Don’ you worry, Harry. You’ll learn fast enough. Everyone starts at the beginning at Hogwarts, you’ll be just fine. Just be yerself. I know it’s hard. Yeh’ve been singled out, an’ that’s always hard.'” p 86
This quote shows how Harry is being affected even though he hasn't done anything. His fame has spread all around the world of magic, and it is a burden for Harry. This quote also makes me reflect on how people simply have some problems or burdens that they have to carry on even though they have done nothing to deserve them.

"'You’ll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort, I can help you there.'" p 109
This quote really shocked me because it demonstrates how social and economic problems still exist even though it is a wizarding world. Draco Malfoy, a wealthy and spoiled kid feels superior than the Weaslys, who are a poor family, showing how classism also persists. I believe that it is good that the author tries to involve normal issues into fictional books, but this has a really deep meaning.

Final Thoughts
This book makes me really connect with Harry. I feel sorry for him, after all he has gone through, he still has more problems because of his fame and because he simply cant be ordinary. He is always going to be singled out and probably will never have a simple life. It is really incredible how all the techniques from the author makes the reader feel as part of the book. Keep on tuned for the next time, here on An Adventure on Every Page.