Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Discovering Who You Are

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Discovering Who You Are

When most people think about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, they probably think about magic, Hogwarts, wands, spells, and a boy discovering that he is a wizard.

But underneath all of that magic is something much more relatable: a boy discovering who he really is after spending his childhood being told who he was supposed to be.

The Misfit in His Own Family

Harry grows up with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, the Dursleys, but he is never really treated as part of their family.

Instead, Harry is treated more like a servant. He sleeps in the cupboard under the stairs, wears Dudley’s hand-me-down clothes, and is constantly reminded that he is different and unwanted.

Uncle Vernon especially wants everything about his family to appear normal. Anything strange or outside his idea of what is acceptable is something to fear, reject, or hide.

So when letters begin arriving for Harry, Uncle Vernon goes to increasingly ridiculous lengths to keep them away from him. He knows there is a world Harry belongs to, but he doesn’t want Harry discovering it.

And then Hagrid arrives.

The Birthday That Changes Everything

On Harry’s eleventh birthday, Hagrid gives Harry something far more important than a birthday cake.

He gives Harry the truth.

Harry learns that his parents did not die in the way the Dursleys told him. They were a witch and wizard. Harry himself is a wizard, and he has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Suddenly, all of the strange things Harry has experienced throughout his childhood begin to make sense.

This is where Harry’s journey really begins.

For the first time, he gets to explore where he came from, who his parents were, and—perhaps most importantly—who Harry Potter wants to become.

“Not Slytherin”

One of my favorite moments for this theme comes when Harry puts on the Sorting Hat.

Harry has already learned enough about Slytherin to know that he doesn’t want to be placed there. As the Sorting Hat considers where Harry belongs, Harry makes his own desire clear: not Slytherin.

Eventually, he is placed in Gryffindor.

It's a small moment, but an important one. Harry has spent most of his childhood having decisions made for him. Now he is beginning to have a voice in the direction his life takes.

He isn't simply learning what he is.

He is beginning to decide who he wants to be.

Finding Friends—and a Place to Belong

Hogwarts also gives Harry something he has never really had before: friendship.

He begins forming relationships with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Those friendships aren't perfect, but they become increasingly important as the story progresses.

Harry also encounters Draco Malfoy, whose bullying and attitude provide a very different example of what Harry could choose to value.

For perhaps the first time in his life, Harry has people who stand beside him. He's no longer simply the unwanted boy living under the stairs.

He's becoming part of something.

From the Cupboard to Courage

By the end of the book, Harry's journey has taken him much further than simply learning spells.

He ultimately confronts Professor Quirrell and discovers that Voldemort—the wizard responsible for his parents' deaths—is still a threat. Harry manages to stop Voldemort's immediate attempt to obtain the Sorcerer's Stone, although the larger danger is clearly far from over.

Think about the difference between the Harry at the beginning and the Harry we see here.

The boy who once had very little control over his own life is now willing to put himself in danger to protect others and stop something he believes is wrong.

That is what stood out to me when looking back at Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Yes, it's a story about discovering a magical heritage.

But I think it's also a story about identity, belonging, friendship, choices, and courage.

Harry begins the story as a misfit who has been told, in one way or another, that there is something wrong with him because he doesn't fit the Dursleys' definition of normal.

Then someone finally tells him the truth.

And once Harry knows the truth about where he came from, he gets to begin answering a much bigger question for himself:

Who do I want to become?

That journey is one of the reasons Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone remains such a memorable beginning to Harry's story.