1991-1992 – The year Harry discovers his true identity and comes to Hogwarts, there to encounter Voldemort again.

Harry receives his first letter from Hogwarts, which Uncle Vernon burns. After he boards up the letter box, letters begin to appear rolled up inside eggs and down the chimney. Read More
A second letter arrives for Harry in the post addressed to ‘Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive.’ Harry, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley wrestle over the letter. Vernon wins the fight and gets rid of the letter (PS3). Read More
When thirty or forty letters come pouring out of the kitchen chimney at number four, Privet Drive, Uncle Vernon has had enough. He packs everyone into the car and drives around for hours. The family ends up in Cokeworth and stay the night in the Railview Hotel. Read More
Harry spent the night before his birthday laying on the cold floor of a shack that was built on top of a large rock, way out to sea, watching his watch tick over until it hit midnight and became officially his birthday. And once it did, he got a visitor… Read More
After trying out a large number of wands, none of which seem quite right, Harry is handed a holly and phoenix feather wand: Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a… Read More
Harry and Hagrid visit Diagon Alley. Harry realizes how famous he is when he is recognized at the Leaky Cauldron. At Gringotts, Harry learns of his parents’ fortune and Hagrid retrieves the Philosopher’s Stone. Harry meets Draco Malfoy for the first time at Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. Harry… Read More
Hagrid retrieves the Philosopher’s Stone to take it back to Hogwarts, and helps Harry to withdraw some gold from the fortune he never knew his parents had left him. (PS5) After entering the huge, grand bank and explaining what they want to a goblin, Hagrid and Harry are… Read More
While shopping in Diagon Alley for Harry’s school things, Hagrid purchases a snowy owl at Eeylops and presents her to Harry as his birthday gift (PS5). Harry later names her Hedwig, a name he finds in A History of Magic (PS6). Read More
Both boys get fitted for their Hogwarts robes at the same time. But Draco talks about Quidditch, being spoiled by his parents, his confidence in being sorted into Slytherin, unkind things he’s heard about Hagrid (who is waiting outside with ice cream), and his belief that Muggle-borns shouldn’t be allowed… Read More
When he is about to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts, Percy Weasley is made a prefect. For this, his parents buy him a screech owl called Hermes (PS5, CS3, PA5). In turn, Percy hands his pet rat, Scabbers, down to his brother Ron (PA4). Read More
After the Dursleys leave Harry near the clearly marked Platforms 9 and 10, he decides to ask the guard about the train to Hogwarts but refrains from asking about the apparently absent Platform 9 3/4. The guard gets annoyed with Harry when it turns out he doesn’t even know where… Read More
Harry catches the Hogwarts Express at 11 am at King’s Cross Station, where he is helped by Molly Weasley and encounters several members of the Weasley family. He and his fellow students then travel until evening to Hogwarts. Harry properly meets Ron Weasley and they share a compartment; he and Ron immediately… Read More
The Dursleys took Dudley “to a private hospital where the staff was very discreet, and said that a wart had got out of control.” (PS6, Sch2)… Read More
Their first view of Hogwarts is a shining castle reflected in the dark Lake. They glide through a curtain of ivy to a small, hidden pebble beach where they disembark, walk up a path, and come to the massive wooden front doors. Read More
At the Sorting Ceremony, Harry is worried that he won’t be accepted, that the Hat will tell him he has to go back to the Dursleys. He thinks, “The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; [he] didn’t feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If… Read More
Harry, who has spent the last ten years of his life being rather poorly fed, is astonished to see a vast display of delicious food appear on the golden plates after the Sorting: Harry’s mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had… Read More
Classes begin at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Harry and Ron get into trouble with Filch when they get lost. He assumes they’re trying to break into the forbidden third floor corridor. Read More
Harry takes Ron to visit Hagrid in his hut near the forbidden forest. While Fang slobbers all over him, Harry tells Hagrid about his classes and that he thinks Snape hates him. Harry reads a Daily Prophet article about the break-in at Gringotts which had happened on July 31. Read More
Harry discovers that Professor Snape actively dislikes him when he embarrasses Harry in front of the rest of the class. However, some of the information Snape gives him was valuable later on, such as the ingredients for Wolfsbane Potion and the proper use of a bezoar to avoid poisoning. Read More
Katie is in her second year, just twelve years old, when she joins the team as a Chaser (PS11). She is a great addition to the team, earning high praise from Oliver Wood at the beginning of her third year: “But we also know we’ve got the best-ruddy-team-in-the-school,” he… Read More
Madam Hooch instructs the First Years in the basics of flying, using twenty of the school’s sub-par brooms. Neville injures himself falling off his his broom, and Madam Hooch escorts him to the Hospital Wing. While the class is thus unsupervised, Harry and Draco fight it out on brooms… Read More
The trio plus Neville go to meet Draco for the midnight duel in the Trophy Room only to discover that Hermione was in fact correct and it was a trap. The four of them make a run for it, not paying attention to where they are going, and end… Read More
Draco challenges Harry to a duel the evening of their first flying lesson. Draco suggests midnight in the Trophy Room. In reality, Draco is setting Harry up to be caught out of bed after hours and has no intention of dueling anyone. Harry, with Ron in tow as his second,… Read More
He kicks off the ground a bit too vigorously, shoots straight up into the air, then falls off his broom. Madam Hooch takes him to the Hospital Wing, where, as Neville put it later, “Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute” (PS9). Read More
When Professor McGonagall saw Harry fly for the first time, she knew he would be a natural Seeker for the Gryffindor team. On the day of his first practice with Gryffindor Captain Oliver Wood, a brand new Nimbus 2000 arrives for Harry, courtesy of McGonagall. It is accompanied by a… Read More
September 19, 1991 — Harry brings his new Nimbus 2000 broom to the Quidditch pitch at 7 pm. While waiting for Gryffindor Quidditch Captain Oliver Wood to show up, Harry flies around the goal posts, reveling in the responsiveness of the broom. When Wood arrives, he complements Harry’s… Read More
The feast is interrupted by a Mountain Troll who almost kills Hermione Granger; she is saved by Harry and Ron, after which they become friends. Meanwhile, Quirrell, who let the troll in, heads for the Philosopher’s Stone hidden beneath the trapdoor in the third floor corridor – but is… Read More
Harry, Hermione and Ron are standing in the Hogwarts Courtyard on a cold November day, staying warm with a jar full of Bluebell Flames. Snape approaches and they notice he is limping. He tells Harry that library books are not allowed out-of-doors, and takes away Quidditch Through the… Read More
Harry goes to the staff room, hoping to get back the library copy of Quidditch Through the Ages Snape had confiscated earlier that day. The only people in the staff room are Snape and Filch. Filch is helping Snape to bandage a large wound on his leg that has been causing… Read More
For this important Gryffindor v Slytherin Quidditch match – Harry Potter’s first ever, Harry’s friends in the audience support him with a banner reading “Potter for President” and cheer him on. From the stands, Professor Quirrell tries to knock Harry off his broom with magic during the… Read More
Among his Christmas gifts, Harry is astonished to receive is an Invisibility Cloak with an anonymous notes informing Harry that it had belonged to his father, and the admonition to “Use it well” (PS12). Read More
Harry’s first Christmas dinner at Hogwarts is a memorable affair, involving mountains of delicious food, Dumbledore wearing a bonnet, magical Christmas crackers, and the rare vision of tipsy Hagrid kissing the cheek of a blushing McGonagall (PS12). Read More
After Christmas dinner, Ron immediately falls asleep and Harry decides to use his father’s Invisibility Cloak to explore the castle. Under the cloak, he sneaks past the Fat Lady and then decides to go research Nicolas Flamel in the library’s Restricted Section. The library is very dark and the Restricted… Read More
Harry slips into an unused classroom to avoid being caught out of bed by Filch and Snape. Inside the classroom is a tall, ornate mirror. When Harry looks in it, he sees his parents and generations of his family. Harry remains transfixed by what he sees until a noise startles… Read More
Harry takes Ron to the unused classroom where he visited the Mirror of Erised on Christmas night. Once again, Harry views his happy parents surrounded by loads of relatives, but Ron cannot see them. Instead, Ron excitedly views himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain, holding up both the Quidditch… Read More
Dumbledore explains what the Mirror does —  that it shows the deepest desire of a person’s heart — and warns of the danger of losing oneself in the dream it presents. He informs Harry that the Mirror will no longer be found in that disused classroom. Read More
Severus Snape is the surprise referee for this late afternoon match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in February 1992 (PS13). According to Professor Quirrell, this is in order to protect Harry Potter (PS17), although of course the Gryffindors assume that he’s there to cheat in… Read More
Harry, Ron, and Hermione arrive just in time to see the baby Norwegian Ridgeback emerge from its egg. The baby dragon sneezes some sparks and almost bites Hagrid (who is delighted). Then everyone realises that Draco Malfoy has witnessed the event through a window. (PS14)… Read More
Ron is helping Hagrid feed Norbert late at night, having gone down to Hagrid’s hut under the Cloak of Invisibility. When Ron is bitten, Hagrid seems more worried about the dragon than Ron (PS14). Read More
Ron’s hand has swollen to twice normal size and turns green after Norbert bites it. He spends the next few days in the Hospital Wing recovering. Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey doesn’t ask too many questions. During that time, Malfoy comes to visit Ron on the pretense of needing to borrow one… Read More
Using the invisibility cloak, Harry and Hermione sneak Norbert up to the top of the astronomy tower, where Charlie’s friends successfully attach Norbert’s crate to their brooms and fly away with the dragon without being caught. Unfortunately, Harry and Hermione forget the invisibility cloak at the top of the tower are… Read More
With Hagrid supervising, they track down a dead unicorn. Harry encounters Voldemort for the first time in the form of a hooded figure drinking unicorn blood. Read More
Harry and Draco are on detention in the Forbidden Forest along with Fang when they view a monstrous hooded creature beside a dead unicorn drinking the animal’s silvery blood. As the creature turns to stare and then crawls on the ground towards them, Draco screams and runs away with Fang,… Read More
When Neville catches the trio sneaking out of Gryffindor Tower after curfew (unbeknownst to him) to go protect the Sorcerer’s Stone he tries to stop them. He steps in front of the portrait hole and says he’ll fight them because he won’t let them get Gryffindor into any more trouble. Read More
After finding out that Dumbledore is gone from Hogwarts, and being unable to convince McGonagall of any danger, the trio decide to go through the trap door themselves to protect the Stone.  Neville tries to stop them in a show of bravery only to be hit with a Full-Body Bind… Read More
When they drop through the trapdoor, they all land in the Snare, which starts to entangle them. Hermione wriggles free, then, remembering what Sprout taught them about Devil’s Snare in Herbology class, uses her Bluebell flames spell to break the boys free. Read More
Harry, Ron, and Hermione mount broomsticks and search through a swarm of flying keys for the one which will unlock the heavy wooden door on the other side of the chamber. They spot it — a silver one with bright blue wings — and corral it with the three of them. Read More
The only way across a large chamber with a chess board for a floor is to play across using massive chess pieces. Ron, the chess expert of the trio, takes the place of a knight and directs the game. He eventually realizes that the only way for Harry and Hermione… Read More
Hermione works out the logic of the puzzle, which she says is an excellent form of defense, since many powerful wizards have no sense of logic. She figured out which potion bottle she needed to drink to go back safely through the purple flames and warn Dumbledore and which one… Read More
Going on alone from the potions room, Harry finds Professor Quirrell and the Mirror of Erised in the next chamber. Harry is shocked to find that Quirrell (and not Snape) has been trying to kill him and get the Philosopher’s Stone. Quirrell tries to use the Mirror of Erised to… Read More
Following his struggle with the Voldemort-possessed Professor Quirrell, a battered Harry Potter is unconscious in the Hospital Wing for three days. Because of this, he missed the last Quidditch match of the 1991-92 school year, against Ravenclaw. There was no alternative Seeker for the… Read More
Harry finally wakes up in the Hospital Wing days after his faceoff with Quirrell. Dumbledore fills in some of the ambiguities that still remained for Harry and his friends after all they discovered. Following his talk with Professor Dumbledore, Harry is released from the Hospital Wing and allowed to attend… Read More
Gryffindor wins the House Cup, but not the Quidditch Cup, which goes to Slytherin. As Dumbledore starts speaking before the feast, Slytherin leads in house points with 472, Gryffindor is last with 312, and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are in the middle. But Dumbledore recognizes the achievements of Harry and his… Read More
In an attempt to protect Harry by making him feel he has no reason to return to Hogwarts for his second year, Dobby intercepts and keeps all mail being sent to Harry by his new friends from school (CS2). Read More
The Flamels live for over six hundred years thanks to Nicolas having created the Philosopher’s Stone. After Lord Voldemort tries to get the Philosopher’s Stone, it is decided that the Stone should be destroyed. The Flamels use the last of the Elixir of Life to stay alive long enough to… Read More