Voices from the Press

The Magazin

“The books of the 38 years old J.K. Rowling are written for 9-11 years old Childs, but they are better than 92% of the adult literature.”

The Financial Times

“Rowling is an exciting new talent, and Harry Potter is an excellent reading-pleasure; without end fantastic and funny.”

The Times

“Such a marriage of good writing, inventiveness and cheer child-appeal has not been since Roald Dahl, perhaps even since Tolkien and Lewis. J.K. Rowling has woken a whole generation to reading.”

Beacham’s Sourcebook for teaching young adult fiction, Elizabeth D. Schafer

“Harry represents the quest to know oneself and understand the forces of the world he lives in. But he is also realistic. […] Today’s Harry Potter readers are our future prime ministers, presidents, parents, teachers… Regardless of their age, cultural affiliation, or socio-economic status, readers will not forget Harry and the lessons he taught them about believing in themselves, being resourceful, and incorporating imagination, a sense of wonder and empathy for humanity in their daily lives to enriche the world.”

Success of the books

Joanne K. Rowling, the author, is 38 years old, has a ten-years-old daughter, Jessica, and is one of the most successful female writers in the world.

Until now, there were published 4 volumes:

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret’s
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

They are about 50 million times sold in the world only in four years and are translated in about 40 languages.

The first edition of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was very modest: only 500 copies (!!!).

In contrast to the first edition of the fourth Harry Potter book “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” which has 4,8 million copies.

So, these four books of her are holding places 1,2,3,4 in the New-York-Times bestseller list. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was 40 weeks in the New-York-Times -, USA today – and Publishers Weekly – bestseller list! In German Spiegel-list they hold places 1,2,3,4 from Oct. 2000.

Nobody can really explain the reason why the books are so successful.

With the logic of the market it never could have taken place:

The books …

• have between 350 and 400 pages. (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire has 800 pages)
• contain with antiquated Hardware like owls, broomsticks and potions.
• have uncool topics like friendship, trust and readiness to make sacrifices.
• hero Harry Potter is growing, getting one year older in every book. So, he’s not staying 11 years old every time like it takes place in many other books for children. It doesn’t offer this lie of everlasting childhood, like e.g. in Peter Pan.

It’s like a revolt of the kids against the marketing-strategies and occupational therapies from the adult-world. You can’t really plan kids!!

Harry Potter has a story and a soul, Pikachu and his Pokémon-friends are only merchandise without any substance.

Hogwarts is a kind of apart from real world. Like a world to escape from the real world with all these problems like divorced parents, punishment, nobody caring of them, computers, multimedia, crime, …

This is something we lost in our minds: Children need this “parallel-escape-worlds”.

One of the interesting things about Hogwarts is that it contains no technology at all. Light is provided by torches and heat by massive fireplaces. Who needs electricity when you have many of wizards and magic wands? Who, for the matter, requires post pickup and delivery when a squadron of trained owls flies messages to and from the school?

J.K. Rowling says, it is not really believable just to rob a ring, and all problems are gone. She says furthermore, that it is really important that a fantasy world has to be exactly ruled and that everybody can understand that rules. In her opinion, tension and drama can only be built by passing the borders.

There are many really funny things in the book, e.g. that people don’t stay there in their photos but moving and disappearing or the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans or Quidditch.

So, to come to a closure:

I can't really explain the success of these books.

Nobody can. Only reading helps, because then you can understand…

It’s not just like reading this book.

When you start reading, there happens something that is not happening in many books: you are no longer outsider or in front of the book.

It’s like you are at Hogwarts and when you turn your head, you can see the corridors of the building and you can feel the magic…

No matter what age you are.

Awards

For Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone:

For Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret’s:

Adult version

The plot is the same, only the cover is different. Some say it looks more serious.

Of course they are more expensive: 80 € instead of 56 € for the original edition.

USA

In the American Harry Potter edition some terms are different from the original English edition.

E.g. :               holiday vacation

post mail

underground subway

timetable schedule

Philosopher’s Stone Sorcerer’s Stone

Tapes

The four books are also recorded on tapes and CD’s. Stephen Fry read the English version’s, Jim Dale the American and Rufus Beck the German.

These tapes are also under the best five of the bestseller lists.

Merchandising

The firm Time Warner and Warner Bros. have all rights over the Harry Potter products. There is nothing you can’t have without a Harry Potter logo on it.

• Computer game
• Lego (Lego has the licence for four years)
• “Barbie”

J.K. Rowling has everywhere a right to a say.

In the Internet you can buy these merchandising products on www.wbstore.com

Censorship

People try to forbid Harry Potter over and over again. The headmistress of the

St. Mary’s Island primary school in Kent/England forbids the books. She said that Harry Potter is supposed to be against their religious moral of the school. The reason is that the books show Wizard’s and ghosts as innocuous and nice. “That’s not what we are told by the bible!”

The Anglican Church is also against J.K.Rowling’s books. Only the evangelism church believes that Harry Potter isn’t such a problem how the other churches show.

In a command in the Old Testament is written: <<You should not do magic and tell fortunes.>>

So we must first forbid Pinocchio, Alice in wonderland, Peter Pan and Cinderella and after many other fairytales, Harry Potter.

But that’s nonsense!

In Austria or Germany weren’t problems like that till today.

Name: Joanne Kathleen Rowling

JK Rowling: Her initials were used because the publisher feared boys wouldn’t want to read the Harry Potter adventures if they knew a woman wrote it.

Born: 31^st July 1965 in Chipping Sodbury General Hospital

Mother: Anne died in 1990, aged 45, from multiple sclerosis. Joanne was 25.

Father: Peter was a manager with Rolls Royce

Spouse #1: Joanne was married to Jorge Arantes, a Portuguese television journalist, in October 1992. They separated after a short time and divorced soon after the birth of their daughter.

Spouse #2: Joanne married Dr. Neil Murray on 26 December 2001. There were only 15 guests, just the family.

Children: Jessica is her only child. She was born in July 1993.

Education: she studied French and Classics; her favourite school subjects were English and languages

First story: “The first story I ever wrote down (when I was five or six) was about a rabbit called Rabbit!”

Jobs: she worked as a secretary; in 1991, at the age of 26, Joanne went to Portugal and taught children English as a second language. Later she taught French in Edinburgh, Scotland

Harry Potter: The idea came to Joanne on a train in 1990, driving from London to Manchester. The train got stuck and so she had many time to think. She named Harry after a childhood friend, Ian Potter. She completed the first book over a five-year period while in Portugal and upon moving to Edinburgh. She spent all her spare change on items for three-month old Jessica and had little money. Joanne was on social security and got ₤ 69 per week. She wrote in cafes which let her write while the baby slept in a carriage nearby. There will be seven books in the series, one for each year Harry spends at Hogwarts.

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” were published on June 1997 and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret’s” on July 1998.

First Grant: ₤ 8,000 from the Scottish Arts Council in February 1997 (with which she bought her first computer and finished “Chamber of Secret’s”)

(more about Awards on page 00)

Now J.K. Rowling is the richest person in Great Britain.

Her story sounds a bit like a PR-fairytale, but is true.

J.K. Rowling

c/o Bloomsbury Publishing

38 Soho Square

London

W1V 5DF, U.K.

Explanation

Quidditch is the only sport of the wizarding world.

There are seven players on each team who play on broomsticks in the air.

Three of them are Chasers. The Chasers have to throw the Quaffle, a large ball, through one of the hoops to score a goal, getting ten points for every goal.

There is one Keeper on each team, whose job it is to stop the chasers from scoring.

In the game the two balls which called Bludgers can knock players off their brooms. There are two Beaters on each team, trying to knock the Bludgers toward the other team members. And finally there's the Golden Snitch which flies around very fast.

The Seeker who catches it ends the game, getting extra hundred and fifty points.

Positions

Balls

The Gryffindor Quidditch Team

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived

Mr. Vernon Dursley, director of a firm called Grunnings, and Mrs Petunia Dursley live at Privet Drive no. 4, with their son Dudley. On his way to work, Mr. Dursley sees strange events. During lunch he hears strangers whispering, catching the name 'Potter' and 'Harry', and someone saying You-Know-Who has gone at last. At home he suspects they are talking about his nephew 'Harry'. Late at night when the Dursleys are sleeping a man arrives in their street. It is Albus Dumbledore. With his Put-Outer he turns off the streetlights. He starts talking to a cat which is sitting on a garden wall. Suddenly the cat is gone and a witch named Professor McGonagall is standing in its place. They start talking about what happened that day and saying that even the Muggles must have noticed something is going on. The Muggles had seen flocks of owls and shooting stars; likely brought about by Dedalus Diggle. Dumbledore states that the night before, Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow to find Lily and James Potter, which are rumoured to be dead. Dumbledore tells the professor that he has come to bring the Potter's son (Harry) to his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys. Hagrid turns up on a motorbike, borrowed from Sirius Black, bringing Harry. Harry has a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. They leave him in front of the Dursleys door.

Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass

Ten years have passed and Harry is almost eleven. On Dudley's birthday, the family plans an outing to the zoo. On family outings, Harry would normally stay with a neighbour, Mrs. Figg. But Mrs. Figg broke her leg, and neither Vernon’s sister Marge nor Petunia’s friend Yvonne can keep Harry, so he has to go with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley and Dudley's best friend Piers Polkiss to the zoo. In the reptile house Harry talks to a boa constrictor (snake) and sets it free, making the glass from its cage vanish.

Chapter 3: The Letters from No One

School is over for the year and therefore so is 'Harry Hunting', a favourite 'sport' of Dudley's and his friends Piers, Dennis, Malcolm and Gordon. It is decided that next year Dudley will go to Uncle Vernon's old school, Smeltings. Harry will go to Stonewall High. A letter arrives for Harry in the post, but Uncle Vernon does not let him have it. The next days more letters arrive. After the letters start coming through the chimney, Uncle Vernon decides that they will leave the house. The letters even arrive at the hotel they are staying in and they end up in a hut on an island. Harry is counting down the seconds to midnight, his birthday. At exactly midnight someone bangs on the door to their hut.

Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys

Hagrid, a giant man arrives. He introduces himself as the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. He finds out Harry knows nothing at all about his past and his parents' world, nor that his parents and he are magical and he is famous. Hagrid gives Harry his invitation to enter Hogwarts, a school of witchcraft and wizardry and his booklist, signed by Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. Harry is amazed to learn that he is a wizard. Hagrid tells Harry about his past, his parents and about the dark wizard Voldemort who killed them, along with other of the best 'good' witches and wizards, like the McKinnons, the Bones and the Prewetts.

Chapter 5: Diagon Alley

In the morning, when Harry wakes up, an owl arrives bringing a newspaper. Harry pays it five Knuts from Hagrid's pocket. Hagrid reads in the newspaper that the Ministry of Magic wants Dumbledore for Minister, but as he would never leave Hogwarts, Cornelius Fudge got the job as Minister of Magic. On the list of things Harry has to buy are:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver with fastenings)

He will also need these books:

1. The Standard Book of Spells (grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

2. A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

3. Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

4. A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

5. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

6. Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

7. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

8. The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

And finally

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Harry and Hagrid arrive at the bar, the Leaky Cauldron, where they meet the bartender Tom, Doris Crockford, Dedalus Diggle and Professor Quirell, a brilliant man who is said to have met vampires in the Black Forest. Through a hidden entrance in the wall behind the bar they enter Diagon Alley.

He hears other children talking in front of a store with broomsticks about the new 'Nimbus Two Thousand'. To buy Harry's school supplies, they go to the Wizard's bank Gringotts, where Harry's parents left him their gold. They are attended to by goblins. They are taken down to the vault by a goblin called Griphook. In the safe Harry finds a pile of gold and silver; gold Galleons, silver Sickles and bronze Knuts. Afterwards they go to a shop called ‘Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions’. There Harry meets a boy who starts talking about Quidditch, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Next they go and buy Harry's schoolbooks at ‘Flourish and Blotts’, where Harry is very interested in a book called Curses and Counter-curses by Vindictus Viridian, in order to find out how to curse Dudley. They stop at the Apothecary to buy his cauldron, scales and other supplies and they go to ‘Eeylops Owl Emporium’ where Hagrid buys Harry a snowy owl for his birthday. He names his owl Hedwig.

At last they go to Ollivanders' to buy Harry's wand. Mr. Ollivander tells Harry about his father and mother buying a wand a long time ago. He explains he uses unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and heartstrings of dragons to make wands. The wand which finally fits Harry turns out to be the 'brother' of Voldemort's wand, both having a tail feather from the same phoenix.

Hagrid gives Harry the train ticket that he will need to go to Hogwarts on the 1st of

September. Then Harry says goodbye to him. The train will depart from King's Cross Station.

Chapter 6: The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Harry anxious waits for the end of the summer holidays.

Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley take Harry to King's Cross, where he has to go to platform nine and three-quarters to catch the train that will take him to Hogwarts. The Dursleys leave, but Harry can't find the platform.

Suddenly he hears a woman talking about 'muggles' with 4 boys and a girl. The girl's name is Ginny. The boys' names are Percy, Fred, George and Ron. The red-haired woman explains to Harry that he should 'walk right through the wall'.

After going through the wall he arrives on the platform where the Hogwarts Express is already waiting. He hears a boy called Neville telling his grandmother that he lost his toad again. Fred and George help Harry with his trunk. They realise who Harry is because of his scar. Percy, with a silver badge on his chest with the letter 'P' on it, can't stay long because he has to go to the prefect's compartments.

Ron joins Harry in his compartment and they start talking. Ron got Percy's old rat Scabbers and he tells, that he also has two other brothers, Bill and Charlie. He tells Harry that his brother Charlie is in Romania studying dragons and Bill works in Africa for Gringotts.

During their trip a women comes by selling Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands, and other strange things. Harry buys them both some of everything. The chocolate frogs have collector’s cards in them featuring Famous Witches and Wizards. Ron's still missing Agrippa and Ptolemy. Harry has gotten a card with a photo of Albus Dumbledore. The card reads:

“Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.”

Ron has a card with a picture of a witch named Morgana.

Harry also gets cards with photographs of Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus, Merlin and Cliodna.

Then a girl named Hermione Granger comes to their compartment. She tells them she has read about Harry in ‘Modern Magical History’, ‘The rise and fall of the Dark Arts’ and ‘Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century’. Hermione starts talking about the two of the houses of Hogwarts, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Three boys enter the compartment, Crabbe, Goyle and Draco Malfoy. They start arguing and when they almost end up in a fight, Scabbers bites Goyle's finger.

Finally the Hogwarts Express arrives at the railway station.

Hagrid instructs all first year students to follow him. Awaiting them are small boats which they will ride in, four to a boat. The boats will carry them across the lake to the castle.

Chapter 7: The Sorting Hat

They finally enter Hogwarts and are greeted by Professor McGonagall. In the Great Hall they will first undergo the Sorting Ceremony using the Sorting Hat, an old wizard's hat. While they are waiting, about 20 ghosts pass by; among them the 'Fat Friar', an old Hufflepuff student, talking about 'Peeves', the poltergeist. The students notice the strange ceiling of the Great Hall, dotted with stars. Hermione tells those around her that the ceiling was bewitched to look like the sky outside. She read it in ‘Hogwarts, a History’. Harry, Ron and Hermione are all sorted into Gryffindor, along with Lavender Brown, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas. Sorted into Hufflepuff are Hanna Abbott, Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchley. Sorted into Ravenclaw are Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa Turpin. Slytherin House's new students will be Millicent Bullstrode, Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise Zabini. During dinner they meet Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, also known as Nearly Headless Nick, resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower, who tells them about the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin House ghost. Neville tells a story about how he learned to fly, taught by his Great Auntie Enid and Great Uncle Algie. Hermione is talking to Percy about Transfiguration. Seated at the head table are Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Quirrell, and a teacher with a hooked nose, named Professor Snape, who teaches Potions and who knows a lot about the Dark Arts. Dumbledore tells the students that he was asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind them that no magic may be used between classes in the corridor. After dinner, going to Gryffindor Tower, they are harassed by Peeves the poltergeist. They have to enter Gryffindor Tower through a portrait of a Fat Lady by saying the password, 'Caput Draconis'.

Chapter 8: The Potions Master

Harry is trying to get familiar with the school. He finds out that Argus Filch knows all that happens here and is very eager to catch students doing things they're not supposed to. His cat, Mrs. Norris, also patrols the corridors. He has Herbology classes with Professor Sprout outside at the greenhouses behind the castle and History of Magic classes with Professor Binns, a ghost. Professor Binns drones on while they scribble down names and dates, and they get Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up. Harry's Charms teacher is a tiny little wizard called Professor Flitwick. Professor Quirell teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts. Snape, who teaches potions in the dungeons, appears to hate Harry. He starts asking difficult questions like 'What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?' and 'Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?' and 'What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?' He admonishes Harry for not knowing the answers. He ignores Hermione, who had been raising her hand. The answer to the first question is a sleeping potion, called the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from a goat which will save you from most poisons, and monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, and also are called aconite. Neville spills his potion on himself, causing him pain. He had added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire. After classes they go to Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the forbidden forest where they also meet Hagrid's boarhound Fang.

Chapter 9: The Midnight Duel

During breakfast Neville receives a Remembrall from his grandmother. In the afternoon, Harry has his first flying lesson, which is taught by Madam Hooch. Neville falls off his broomstick, breaking his wrist. While Draco Malfoy makes fun of him, Parvati Patil quarrels with Pansy Parkinson of Slytherin. Draco flies away with the Remembrall which Neville lost during his fall and Harry chases him. He catches it just before it falls on the ground after Draco had thrown it into the air. Instead of punishing him for flying while he was not allowed to, Professor McGonagall takes Harry to Oliver Wood, captain of the Quidditch team. Harry is told he will be the new Seeker, and he will receive a broom; either a 'Nimbus Two Thousand' or a 'Cleansweep Seven'.  Harry finds out when talking to Fred and George that they are Beaters on the Quidditch team. Then they tell Harry they have to go because Lee Jordan believes he has found a new secret passageway out of the school; probably behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy.

Draco challenges Harry to a wizard's duel in the Trophy Room at midnight. At midnight, when Harry and Ron leave, they meet with Hermione and Neville and they all go together. Hermione tries to talk them out of it, saying that if either of them gets caught, she won't rest until she's learned the Curse of the Bogies Quirrell told them about, to use on them. Draco does not show up for the duel. He had tricked them into coming hoping they would get caught. Filch and Mrs. Norris almost catches them. Trying to get back to Gryffindor tower, Peeves tries to get them caught as well. When they reach the end of a corridor at a locked door, Hermione opens it with the spell 'Alohomora' and they enter. They find a three-headed dog guarding the room and escape again, returning finally to Gryffindor tower.

Chapter 10: Halloween

During breakfast, Harry gets his Nimbus Two Thousand by owl-post. Draco, seizing the package, is startled to find out from Professor Flitwick that Harry is allowed a broom, while no first year is allowed to have one at school. He himself has a 'simple' Comet Two Sixty at home. At night Harry has his first Quidditch training.

Oliver wood teaches Harry the rules: There are seven players on each team. Three of them are Chasers. The chasers have to throw the Quaffle, a large ball, through one of the hoops to score a goal, getting ten points for every goal. There's one Keeper on each team, whose job it is to stop the chasers from scoring. There are two balls called Bludgers which can knock players off their brooms. There are two Beaters on each team, trying to knock the Bludgers toward the other team members. And finally there's the Golden Snitch. The Seeker who catches it ends the game, getting extra hundred and fifty points.

In Charms classes, Professor Flitwick is teaching them how to make objects fly, starting with a feather, with the spell ‘Wingardium Leviosa’. After the class, Ron is overheard complaining about Hermione who runs away in tears. They hear that she is crying in the girls' bathroom. During dinner, Professor Quirrell sprints into the hall saying there's a Troll in the dungeons. Harry and Ron sneak away to go and search for Hermione, seeing Snape walking through the corridors. They find out that the Troll is in a room and lock it in. Then they hear a scream and realise it's Hermione in the girls' bathroom, which is the room they just locked. They open and enter the bathroom. Harry jumps on the troll's back and shoves his wand up the troll's nose. Then Ron manages to get the troll's club away from him using the spell ‘Wingardium Leviosa’. The club hangs in mid-air before falling on the troll, tendering him unconscious. Hermione lies to prevent Harry and Ron getting punished and they become friends.

Chapter 11: Quidditch

Harry is scheduled to play in his first Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Hermione lends him the book “Quidditch Through the Ages”. Professor Snape takes away his book. When they want to get back the book, they find out that one of Snape’s legs is bloody and mangled. They suspect that he tried to get past the three-headed dog.

Quidditch starts in the afternoon. Lee Jordan is doing the commentary for the match. Marcus Flint is the captain and chaser of Slytherin's team. Adrian Pucey is also a Slytherin Chaser. Terence Higgs is the Slytherin Seeker and Bletchley is Keeper.

Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell are Chasers of the Gryffindor team. Oliver Wood is Keeper and Fred and George Weasley are the team's Beaters. Harry has his first live match experience with it's Bludgers, Quaffle and the Snitch.

During the game Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand is going crazy, almost throwing Harry off. Meanwhile, Hermione discovers Snape muttering words and believes he must be jinxing the broom. She speeds over to Snape to prevent Harry falling, knocking Professor Quirrell head first into the row in front of him. She sets fire to Snape's robes, managing to distract Snape and thereby getting Harry safe to the ground. Hagrid accidentally tells them that the three-headed dog, which he had named Fluffy, is his. He tells them that Snape would never try to steal what Fluffy is guarding and that 'it's none of their business; that all of this is between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel'. Then Hagrid realizes he told them more than he had intended to.

Chapter 12: The Mirror of Erised

During the Christmas holidays, Harry will stay at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione are trying to find more about Nicolas Flamel in books like 'Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century', 'Notable Magical Names of Our Time', 'Important Modern Magical Discoveries' and 'A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry'. They do not find him in any of the common books. Students are not allowed to look in the Restricted Section of the library without special permission in the form of a signed note from one of the teachers. Without this, the librarian, Madam Pince will never let them look there. During holiday Ron teaches Harry Wizard Chess.

On Christmas morning Harry receives several presents; a wooden flute from Hagrid, a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, fifty pence from his uncle and aunt, chocolate frogs from Hermione and an Invisibility Cloak from an anonymous person. The cloak had belonged to Harry's father. Harry enjoyed Christmas dinner. There was excellent food and stacks of Wizard Crackers every few feet along the table. When dinner was finished, Harry is laden down with things he had gotten out of the crackers, including a pack of non-explodable luminous balloons, a Grow-Your-Own-Warts kit, and his own new wizard chess set. Harry uses his invisibility cloak to go unseen to the Restricted Section of the library at night. One of the books shrieks. Harry flees. He almost gets caught by Filch and Professor Snape. Harry enters an empty classroom to hide, finding a large mirror with an inscription across the top which says 'Erised  stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi'. In the mirror he sees his family. The next night Harry returns with Ron. The third night, Professor Dumbledore is waiting for him in the room and explains to him that the Mirror of Erised shows the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts. He goes on to tell Harry that the mirror will be moved to a new location and asks Harry not to go looking for it again. 'It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live.'

Chapter 13: Nicolas Flamel

Harry has nightmares about his parents disappearing in a flash of green light, while a high voice cackles with laughter. Harry finds out that Snape will be referee for his next Quidditch match. He tells Ron and Hermione, who tell him he should not play. At that moment Neville topples into the common room, his legs stuck together by a Leg-Locker Curse, put on him by Draco Malfoy. Comforting him, Neville gives Harry back a Famous Witches and Wizard card from one of the chocolate frogs they gave him to comfort him, and suddenly Harry reads and remembers he saw Flamel's name on this card before. Hermione gets a book from her room and they read about Flamel. He is the only known maker of the Philosopher’s Stone which can transform any metal into pure gold and also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. Flamel's wife's name is Perenelle. They suspect that the three-headed dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone.

Harry, Ron and Hermione practice the Leg-Locker Curse ’Locomotor Mortis’ in case they need to use it on Professor Snape. During a Quidditch match Ron and Neville have a fight with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

After the match Harry follows Snape sneaking into the forbidden forest and listens to him talking to Quirrell.

Chapter 14: Norbert The Norwegian Ridgeback

Harry, Ron and Hermione study for their final exams. While looking up “Dittany in One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi” they meet Hagrid in the library, hiding something behind his back. Trying to figure out what he's hiding, Ron looks in the section where Hagrid was looking, and comes back with books like “Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland”, “From Egg to Inferno” and “A Dragon Keeper's Guide”. They suspect that Hagrid wants to have a Dragon. It is against the law to keep a Dragon, as dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlock's Convention of 1709. Ron says there are still Dragons in Britain, two known species being the Common Welsh Green and the Hebridean Black.

Later they go to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid tells them that many teachers helped to guard the Philosopher's Stone; Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, Professor Quirrell, Dumbledore and Professor Snape.

Hagrid shows them a dragon egg he won the night before from a stranger. He wants to breed it and has taken a book from of the library called “Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit”. The dragon is a Norwegian Ridgeback.

When the egg hatches someone is peeking through the windows. Malfoy has seen the dragon.

Hagrid names his dragon Norbert. Realising he can't keep it, they decide to send it to Charlie in Romania. They send Charlie a letter by owl and he writes them back telling them he would be glad to take the dragon and that he will ask some friends to pick it up at midnight on Saturday from the tallest tower of Hogwarts.

Ron had been bitten on his hand when he helped Hagrid feed Norbert and the wound had gotten infected. He had to go to the hospital wing to have it looked after. Ron left Charlie's letter in a book which Malfoy took. They knew that Malfoy would find the letter and know that they are planning to send Norbert away on Saturday.

Saturday night they take Norbert in a cage under Harry's Invisibility Cloak up the tower. Professor McGonagall finds Malfoy lurking around and sends him back with detention.

The moment Charlie's friends fly off with Norbert Harry, Hermione and Neville are caught by Filch.

Chapter 15: The Forbidden Forest

Apparently Neville heard Malfoy's story and told Professor McGonagall. She is furious, leading Neville with her. She takes fifty points per student from Gryffindor House and gives them detention. Everybody in school is angry at them (except the Slytherin students) because they all wanted to win the House Cup, and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville has lost Gryffindor a great deal of points at one time.

About a week before exams, Harry overhears Quirrell and Snape talking, and they suspect that Snape now knows how to get by all the obstacles that are protecting the Philosopher's Stone.

The next morning they are told that their detention will be at eleven o'clock at night. Harry, Neville, Hermione and also Malfoy who got detention earlier have to go with Hagrid and Fang into the forbidden forest. They start following a trail of silver Unicorn blood. A unicorn has been hurt badly, the second time in one week since Hagrid found one dead last Wednesday.

Draco and Neville go with Fang, while Harry and Hermione go with Hagrid. Harry wonders if a werewolf could be killing unicorns but Hagrid says they're not fast enough. They encounter Ronan and Bane, centaurs. They do not respond to Hagrid's inquiry of the wounded unicorn. They see red sparks in the sky, meaning the others are in trouble, and Hagrid speeds over there while Harry and Hermione wait on the spot. It only was Malfoy frightening Neville who shot the sparks. Now Harry has to go with Draco and Fang, while Hermione and Neville go with Hagrid.

Harry and Malfoy find the dead unicorn. Suddenly, out of the shadows, a hooded figure comes crawling across the ground, and starts to drink the unicorn's blood. Malfoy screams, the creature comes quickly toward Harry who is transfixed to the spot. Harry feels a screaming pain in his forehead, as if his Scar was on fire. After a while he comes to and finds a centaur standing over him. His name is Firenze.

While he takes Harry back to Hagrid he explains that drinking unicorn blood is a monstrous thing to do. That from the moment the blood touches the lips of the one who slayed the beast, he will lead a cursed life. He goes on to tell Harry that only someone who is desperate and needs the blood to stay alive would do that. Harry understands that it must have been Voldemort, needing enough time to live to get the Elixir of Life.

They go back to the castle.

Chapter 16: Through the Trapdoor

The final exams of the first year begin. They have been given special new quills for the exam, bewitched with an Anti-Cheating spell. Professor Flitwick has them make a pineapple tap-dance across the desk, and Professor McGonagall has them turn a mouse into a snuffbox and Professor Snape has them make a Forgetfulness potion.

Their last exam is History of Magic. Hermione complains she needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager.

Harry is worried about his hurting scar and restless, feeling he forgot something. Suddenly he remembers, that he wants to ask Hagrid about the dragon-egg. They hurry over to Hagrid's hut and start questioning him about how, where and from who he got the egg. In the middle of the story Hagrid mentions that he told the stranger, from who he won the egg in a bar, that it's easy to calm Fluffy down by playing music.

Hurrying to tell everything to Dumbledore they run to Professor McGonagall who tell's them that Dumbledore was called to the Ministry of Magic and left.

Harry decides that he has to get to the Stone first. He will go that night. Ron and Hermione tell him they will go with him. They wait until everybody has left the common room. Harry gets the Invisibility Cloak and his flute from the dormitory. When he gets back to the common room, Neville tries to prevent them from going and breaking the school rules which would cost Gryffindor more house points. Hermione freezes him with a full Body-Bind spell ‘Petrificus Totalus’.

They go to the forbidden room. The door is already open, meaning that Snape already got past Fluffy. They manage to get past Fluffy, the three-headed dog, playing music on the flute, and enter through the trap door. After a long fall they land on a bed of Devil's Snare, a plant. It is trying to entrap them. Hermione sends a jet of bluebell flames on the plant to make it let go.

Next they come to a room with a locked door. Hermione tries an Alohomora charm but it does not work. They see what appears to be birds flying abound them and then realize that what they see are winged keys. Harry manages to catch the correct one and open the door.

After the key-room, they need to get through a room with life-sized chess pieces. Here they must play real-time Wizard Chess. Ron has to sacrifice himself as a player in the game to get Harry and Hermione to the other side.

Fluffy was Hagrids obstacle, the Devil's Snare was Professor Sprouts, the keys were Professor Flitwicks, the chess Professor McGonagalls, leaving Quirrell's and Snape's obstacles still to be tackled.

Quirrell's turns out to have been a Troll blocking the way, but it already had been knocked out. Snape's obstacle to guard the Stone is a set of potions, coming with a riddle to define the working of them. Hermione unravels the logic, giving the potion that allows you to continue to Harry, and taking the potion that allows her to go back. Harry takes the potion and steps through the fire-portal to enter the next room.

Chapter 17: The Man with Two Faces

Quirrell, not Snape, turns out to be in the room. He has been the one going after the Philosopher's Stone the whole time. By magic, out of nowhere ropes spring out of thin air and wrapping Harry tightly. Behind Quirrell is the Mirror of Erised. Quirrell's new master is Lord Voldemort. He tries to use Harry to find out where the Philosopher's Stone is. He is muttering to himself. When Harry looks in the mirror, he sees himself putting his hand into his pocket and pulling out a blood-red stone. His  reflection winks and puts the stone back in it's pocket, and as it does, Harry feels it. Somehow he'd gotton the Stone in his own pocket.

Harry lies about what he sees in the mirror to Quirrell. Then Voldemort reveals himself. He is hidden under Quirrells turban; now part of Quirrell himself. Voldemort tells Harry he wants the stone to get the Elixir of Life. He also tells him that he killed his parents. Harry and Quirrell/Voldemort get into a fight and a needle-sharp pain sears across Harry’s scar.

Quirrell lets go of him, hunched in pain, blisters on his fingers. Voldemort commands Quirrell to seize Harry. Quirrell, telling Voldemort he can not hold Harry, is told to kill him. As Quirrell raises his hand to perform a deadly curse, Harry instinctively reaches up and grabs Quirrell's face. Pain building in his head, everything falls into blackness. Harry regains consciousness, looking into the face of Dumbledore. Harry is in the Hospital Wing, tended by Madam Pomfrey where he has been the last three days. She lets Dumbledore talk briefly to Harry. Dumbledore tells Harry that while in London it became clear to him that he should be at Hogwarts. He returned immediately, getting back just in time to pull Quirrell off of Harry. The Stone has been destroyed, Quirrell is dead, Voldemort's presence unknown. Dumbledore also tells Harry that his mother died to save him; that it was he who gave him the Invisibility Cloak at the request of his late father and that his father once saved Snape's life; Snape, seemingly wanting to hurt Harry, in reality working so hard to protect Harry's life to make the score even with Harry's father. Ron and Hermione visit him. Also Hagrid visits him, in tears, feeling guilty for having told a stranger about how to get past Fluffy, resulting in the risk of Harry's life. Harry gets a photo album of his parents from Hagrid. During the end of the year feast, it is announced that Slytherin has the most house points and it appears that they will win the house cup. But Dumbledore awards Ron, Hermione, Harry and Neville an extra 170 points total, thereby making Gryffindor the winner of the house cup.

All of them passed their exams. The next day they board the Hogwarts Express and head back home, where Harry will spend another summer with the Dursleys.

Harry Potter: young wizard in his second year at Hogwarts

Ron Weasley + Hermione Granger: his best friends

Tom Riddle: former pupil of Hogwarts; turns later out to be Lord Voldemort

Lord Voldemort: evil wizard of the Dark Arts; killed Harry’s parents, but didn’t manage to kill him

Harry, Ron and Hermione are back at Hogwarts after the summer holidays. But as soon as the term starts, strange things happen. Several students get petrified. They find a writing on a wall saying: “The Chamber of Secrets has been opened”.

Harry, Ron and Hermione find out that the Chamber of Secrets has been built by Slytherin, one of the school founders. Slytherin only wanted students from wizard families at Hogwarts. Inside the chamber there is something that will help getting rid of the ones who are not from a wizard family. But this chamber, according to the legend, can only be opened by Slytherin`s true heir.

However, Harry is soon suspected to do all the attacks on the students. People think, that he is Slytherin`s heir, because Harry can speak to snakes and this is a typical ability for a Slytherin. What`s more, how could he have survived Lord Voldemort`s attack years ago, when he wasn’t a great Dark Wizard himself???

By chance Harry finds the diary of Tom Riddle, a former student of Hogwarts. But a few days later Harry recognizes that it has been stolen.

Just as Hermione finds out how to come to the Chamber of Secrets she gets petrified, too. And suddenly also Ron’s little sister disappears.

Ron and Harry manage to find the entrance to the Chamber. The last way Harry makes on his own - determined to bring Ginny back alive.

Harry sees Tom Riddle standing next to Ginny. Tom tells him that Ginny has done all the attacks and that she has stolen his diary. She has written in it and he has written back and so he got more and more control over her and finally could manage making her things she couldn’t remember.

Harry is shocked when Tom Riddle turns out to be Lord Voldemort!

Suddenly a huge snake appears and Lord Voldemort tells her to kill Harry.

Harry finally manages to kill the snake and Lord Voldemort disappears.

Harry and Ginny go to Prof. McGonagall`s office to explain her everything. There they are not only expected by Prof. McGonagall, but also by the Weasley-family, happy to have their daughter back. Finally Prof. McGonagall tells them that the petrified pupils have turned back to normal again.

Warner Bros. and Time Warner bought the film rights of the Harry Potter books for a seven-digit number.

The movie cost 80 million Dollars and Joanne K. Rowling has everywhere a right to a say.

All actors come only from England, like Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry Potter, Ron Weasley is played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson is Hermione Granger.

Dudley and Aunt Petunia are supposed to be blond but in the movie they both have dark hair.

In the book, Dudley's best friend Piers Polkiss also goes with them to the zoo, in the film he's not there.

In the book Harry gets Dudley's second room, in the movie he didn't get this room. When the second movie will be launched, people who have not read book 1 may wonder how and when Harry got his own room.

In the book, Harry has to wait another month or so before going to Hogwarts after meeting Hagrid. In the film, Harry must go to the Platform nine and three quarters at the same day.

In the book Hagrid is accompanying Harry in Olivanders, but in the book he is off buying Harry a birthday present.

In the book Harry meets Malfoy first in Diagon Alley at ‘Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions’ store, in the film Harry meets him first at Hogwarts.

In the film, one of the chocolate frogs escapes from the train window. That doesn't happen in the book.

In the film, Hermione fixes Harry's glasses on the way to Hogwarts. In the book, she doesn't.

In the film, the Sorting Hat talks out loud and stays on top of Harry's head, in the book the Hat goes over his eyes and he hears the small voice of the hat in his ear.

In the film, it shows the stairs of Hogwarts moving, in the book it doesn't directly say they do.

The film shows that the reason Harry, Ron and Hermione come across the forbidden door on the 3rd floor is that the staircase moves to the wrong floor. In the book they come across the room during the night, after Draco doesn't show up for the duel and Filch is onto them.

In the book Neville is with Harry, Ron and Hermione when they first see the three-headed dog, in the film he is not.

In the book Professor Flitwick was teaching when Professor McGonagall asked Wood to be excused, in the film it's Quirrell.

In the books, Hagrid's hut was wooden. In the movie it's stone.

In the book Harry and Ron receive their Christmas presents at the foot of their beds, whereas in the movie, they all go down into the common room and collect their presents from under a Christmas tree.

In the film, Professor Dumbledore sends Hagrid's dragon to Romania. In the book friends of Charlie picked Norbert up from the roof.

JKR stated that James Potter was a chaser but in the movie on the award it says that Harry's father is a Seeker.

In the film they show only one Quidditch match. In the book they describe two matches.

In the book Norbert bites Ron and he has to go to Madam Pomfrey at the hospital wing, in the film this doesn't happen.

In the movie those who are in detention were Hermione, Harry, Ron and Malfoy but in the book Neville Longbottom is also included inside the forbidden forest. Harry is paired up with Hermione and Hagrid while the other contains Malfoy, Neville and fang and Neville also produced the red sparks which is a signal of danger. Then Hagrid paired Harry and Malfoy along with fang.

In the film they call the 'forbidden forest', the 'dark forest'.

In the book Firenze the centaur lets Harry ride in his back, in the film he doesn't

In the book it is described that Harry has green eyes like his mother. In the film the colour of Harry's eyes differ from scene to scene.

In the film, Hermione and Harry don't confront the potions-riddle, in the book they do.