Was Dumbledore Right?

In the first chapter, when McGonagall is aghast that Dumbledore plans to leave Harry with the Dursleys Dumbledore responds by saying "Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that before he's ready to take it?" (13). I would argue, that sending Harry to live with the Dursleys over any other wizarding family may have not been the best decision on Dumbledores part.

For one, the Dursleys were neglectful of Harry when he stayed with them. Surely, Dumbledore should have checked in on Harry once or twice to make sure that the Dursleys were suitable people for Harry to live with. Dumbledore's trusting in the Dursleys to explain everything properly to Harry is something that represents how Dumbledore will always try to see the good in people, which makes him a little naive sometimes. For instance, with Snape, Dumbledore continuously trusting him and allowing him to be a professor at Hogwarts, even though Snape repeatedly is genuinely hateful towards students and facors his own house undeniably.

McGonagall is also appalled that Dumbledore chose to explain everything to the Dursleys in a letter rather than in person. It makes the reader wonder if Dumbledore chooses to leave Harry on their doorstep with a letter because it allows there to be no way for the Dursleys to try to refuse their duties. However, only writing a letter is mostly likely not going to have the end result of explaining the full reason for Harry's situation which Harry would deserve to grow up understanding.

While I can see how through Dumbledore's perspective that Harry growing up famous would result in Harry growing up to be spoiled I think the alternative of Harry growing up abused and unknowing of who he is and who his parents are is not any better. McGonagall seems to have a more practical approach to the situation in the first chapter, and Harry's childhood could have been much improved if Dumbledore had listened to her.

The character's unique skills

Harry, Ron, and Hermione find themselves in a challenging series of puzzles while they attempt to reach the sorcerer's stone. If any of them had decided not to go through the trapdoor with the others, then the other two would have been very lucky to make it through alive. Each of the three characters use their own special skills to progress through the challenges.
Hermione uses her knowledge and logic to get them through the challenges. First, she uses her knowledge about the Devil's Snare to save them from being strangled by the plant. Harry acknowledges her ability when he says "Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione" (278). Hermione also uses her logic to choose the correct potion that will allow Harry to pass through the flames. Ron and Harry were both at a loss for ways to escape the Devil's snare, as they kept moving and making the grip tighter. Harry also had no idea how to choose the correct potion, and could have been stuck in the room forever. Without Hermione, Harry never would have made it through the puzzles.
Ron also showed his usefulness twice. Once, he reminds Hermione that she doesn't need any wood to burn the plant. Without this advice, Hermione may not have been able to save them. Ron shows the most usefulness in the chess game. Having played chess all his life, he is very good at it and is able to win the game, even through he sacrifices himself. From earlier games of chess, we know that Harry and Hermione are not very good at it, and therefore could have gotten themselves hurt trying to get through.
Finally, Harry also helps them get through with his unique skill set. First, Harry catches the correct key due to his skill in quidditch. Harry also uses his previous experiences with the mirror of Erised to obtain the sorcerer's stone. Ron and Hermione also tried to catch the keys, but were unsuccessful. They also may not have been able to figure out the trick to the mirror.
Therefore, all of the characters have unique sets of skills that make them a perfect group. What one member may lack, another makes up for. Harry, Ron, and Hermione make the perfect group of heroes.

Hermione's true house

            The Hogwarts houses have specific common themes.  The Gryffindors are brave, the Slytherins are evil and cunning, the Hufflepuffs are kind and accepting, and the Ravenclaws are intelligent.  Of course, though, no student fits into these categories perfectly.  Everyone is their own person with complex personality traits.  One of these prominent characters is Hermione Granger.

At first glance, Hermione absolutely seems to be a Ravenclaw.  She is extremely intelligent.  During her first interaction with Harry and Ron, she tells them she has “learned all the course books by heart, of course” (105) and that she also did a lot of optional background reading about the school and wizarding world.  She is displayed as a know-it-all throughout the whole novel.  With a passionate love for school, she even claims that being expelled would be worse than death.  With all things considered, Hermione seems like a cookie-cutter Ravenclaw.  However, she gets sorted into Gryffindor.

In this novel’s sorting hat song, Gryffindors are defined as “brave at heart” and possessing “daring, nerve, and chivalry” (118).  While Hermione may be intelligent, she also encompasses these Gryffindor traits very well.  In my opinion, the first time we see true Gryffindor in her is after the troll incident on Halloween.  When the professors discover Harry, Ron, and Hermione with the dead troll, they are all quickly going to get punished.  However, Hermione lies to Professor McGonagall by taking the blame and leaving Ron and Harry to look like heroes.  Hermione realizes that they saved her life, and she is willing to take punishment and shame in order for thank them.  Not only does this scene secure their series-long friendship, but it also shows why Hermione was sorted into Griffindor instead of Ravenclaw.

Hermione goes on to perform many more “brave” and “daring” actions throughout the novel.  She sets fire to Snape when she thinks he is cursing Harry during the Quidditch game.  This is another defiant act to authority, which strongly goes against her teacher’s pet persona.   She also uses her intelligence in acts of bravery, such as helping Ron and Harry out of the Devil’s Snare.

Hermione was correctly sorted into Gryffindor.  Although she is intelligent, her bravery always outruns her wisdom.  She proves this when she tells Harry “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery” (287).

The Importance of Quidditch

Quidditch is one of the more fascinating aspects of the wizarding world that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduces to us. It is extremely well developed in its portrayal in the book and just seems to fit in such a fantastic world. Despite all of its glamor, however, Quidditch really shines because it plays a part in advancing the plot of the novel and helps to flesh out some of the main characters of the novel.

            The first time Quidditch is mentioned in the series is also the first time that we meet Harry’s soon-to-be rival, Draco Malfoy. Draco asks Harry if he has his own broom, to which Harry admits he does not, while “wondering what on earth Quidditch could be” (77). Draco continues to ask Harry about his plans at Hogwarts, such as which house he hopes to be sorted into, while Harry continues to feel “more stupid by the minute” (77). This scene helps establish how clueless Harry really is of the wizarding world and all of its secret intricacies, and serves as a bit of foreshadowing for the seeker rivalry between Harry and Draco.

            Once Harry arrives at Hogwarts and begins to learn how to ride a broomstick, he discovers his natural proficiency for the sport. While this discovery conveniently explains how Harry is able to so quickly become a member of Gryffindor’s Quidditch team, it also serves the subtler purpose of connecting Harry to his father in one of the first ways that we see at Hogwarts. First there is Harry’s aptitude for riding a broomstick itself that echoes his father’s past achievements, but Harry also reveals his temper and stubbornness when he races after Malfoy to retrieve Neville’s Remembrall. This scene continues to portray Draco as a malicious bully, while also revealing Harry’s inability to stop any injustice that he witnesses. When Hermione warns him not to follow Malfoy into the sky and instead follow Madame Hooch’s orders to stay on the ground, “Harry ignored her. Blood was pounding in his ears” (148). Harry just cannot stand to sit by and let other people do wrong, and this scene is one of the first times we see Harry risk injury and punishment to help someone else without a second thought. We also get to see that Harry is rewarded by McGonagall for going out on a limb to save Neville’s Remembrall when she invites him to join the Quidditch team, establishing a major theme of the series that actions of goodwill are rewarded and appreciated.

            Harry’s first Quidditch match is another very significant development of the novel. The match is against Slytherin, of course, which helps to reinforce the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or good and evil. Harry’s broom being jinxed also adds to the (ultimately wrong) suspicions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione that Snape is the main villain of the novel. We can see that once the audience has realized how Harry’s broom was out of control, Hermione’s first suspicion is Snape. “Hermione seized Hagrid’s binoculars, but instead of looking up at Harry, she started looking frantically at the crowd… ‘I knew it,’ Hermione gasped, ‘Snape — look’” (190). Although it is eventually revealed that Snape is in fact trying to save Harry by attempting to remove the jinx, while Quirrell is the one trying to kill him, the Quidditch match plays a crucial role in advancing the plot and character development of the novel.

The Purpose of the Four Houses

Regardless of whether you are a die hard Harry Potter fan or not, a majority of people know the premise of the series and are familiar with the four houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. At Hogwarts, all of the students are sorted into one of the four Houses, which creates a sense of community at the school. Upon arrival, each student put on the sorting hat and becomes a part of one of the Houses. The four Houses all have a personality of their own and their students typically embody these characteristics.  The Houses serve a very important role in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and throughout the rest of the series. The Houses serve the purpose of making each and every student feel as if they fit in and create a home away from home.

With the Houses, there is an element of competition throughout the novel. The competition is evident in both an academic and athletic sense. “Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor” (Rowling 114). Having each student’s actions be a reflection of their respective houses also keep the students focused and in line. When the troll was released in Chapter 10, Hermione put herself into a place of danger and was reprimanded by Professor McGonagall as she said, “Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this” (Rowling 178). She does not take points because she is particularly angry, she uses this point deduction in order to teach a lesson and show her concern and disappointment.

On the other hand, the Houses pride themselves on their athletic ability as Quidditch is the most important sport in the wizarding world. Every game played a part in the House cup in terms of both points and pride. In Chapter 13, “As the match drew nearer, however, Harry became more and more nervous...The rest of the team wasn’t too calm, either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin in the House Championship was wonderful, no one had done it for seven years” (Rowling 221).  The House Championship is one of the biggest events at Hogwarts so the characters get nervous and excited for the match each year as it is the most competitive game of the year.
            Overall, the Houses serve the purpose of creating a sense of community and home for the students. The competition between the Houses fuels good behavior and athletic events.

Draco and Dudley

One of the main themes of the Harry Potter series is the battle between good and evil, and the blend between the two as well. Two of the main villains in this book are Draco Malfoy, a wizard boy born into a long line of Slytherins, and Dudley Dursley, Harry’s muggle cousin. There are many traits that Dudley and Draco share that make them “bad” characters, but there are also many distinctions between them.

            The first time Harry meets Draco, JK Rowling writes “Harry was strongly reminded of Dudley” (77). This comes after Draco says to Harry “I don’t see why first years can’t have their own (broomstick). I think I’ll bully Father into getting me one and I’ll smuggle it in somehow” (77). This trait is what particularly reminds Harry of Dudley, which is being a bully and being spoiled. This is Rowling’s way of showing that you should not be a bully, spoiled and you should be generous with others, through two of the main villains. Dudley bullied Harry profusely throughout their childhood, and when Harry goes to Hogwarts, he is then bullied by Draco. This is an important similarity between the two characters.

            However, there is one important distinction between Dudley and Draco, which is that Dudley is extremely ignorant and Draco is very smart and cunning. Through this, Rowling is saying that it is bad to be ignorant and rude, but it is also bad to use your intelligence to trick people and make fun of them. Rowling uses these characters to show moral flaws of people and to teach the young children that read the series how not to act.