Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

This my first time read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I watched the movie instead of read the book. And as usual, after I saw the movie, I lost the will to read the original story from the book. In this New Year, there is a blog called Surgabuku, who make an event called HotterPotter to everybody who wants to join in Harry Potter re-reading challenge and that’s a door to me to see the detail words from JK Rowling. 

I prepared a synopsis for you who never read or watch a story of the boy who lived, here it is from Goodreads, hope it’s enough to give a drawing for you about him. And for you who know Harry Potter very well, you can skip this part: 

"Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a Cloak of Invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny cupboard under the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in ten years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter"

And this my random thought about this book, the characters, the message, and the author:

I watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone most instead of the six others series. I really love Harry’s expression when Hagrid told him about the magic world, the world he didn’t know or even imagined for years when he lived with Dursleys. O yeaa..About Dursleys, I can’t say that they are a nightmare for Harry because of the way they treat him. It was just envy from Mrs. Dursley to her sister, Lili Potter, Harry’s mother. So she provides Harry’s needs but at the same time stated to him that he’s not deserved to look better than Dudley, her son. Because when Mrs. Dursley lived with her parents, she felt like number 2 because Lili got a magic and their parents proud of her. It’s a very bad picture for Harry to learn, but Harry was actually able to see the positive way. I do not find a sense of inferiority in Harry that affects his growth. He did have to endure the embarrassment of having to wear all thrift Dudley was oversized, but it didn’t affect his character. This is the first lesson JKR taught me.

The journey to Diagon Alley with Hagrid was really awesome, I can imagine when the first time the magic world (people) meet Harry Potter, they’re all amazed by Harry, but young Harry felt like “what is this, why they are acting like this to me, why me, who am I to be famous”. As a reader, sometimes I want to change a few part of the situation, such as when Harry meets Draco in the place to buy a uniform, Draco doesn't recognize him, Draco is an arrogant and I think he would be surprised if Harry introduces himself. And here I know that Harry Potter (JKR) more humble than me and that was the second lesson JKR taught me.

So many things I love in the way JKR wrote this story, the imagination itself, the characters, the wise Dumbledore, scary Snape, lovable Hermione, and funny Ron. All this things makes me want to have full collection knowledge about the world JKR created. I make a list of things I think brilliant about JKR’s idea, here I share a few for you:

Sorting Hat:

Oh you may not think I’m pretty, but don’t judge what you see, I’ll eat myself if you can find a smarter hat than me – The Sorting Hat, opening lines of the 1991 Sorting Hat song.

It was like a personality test to select every student based on their characters, what’s in their mind, heart, how they behave. Those criteria used to determine the house for them to live, there are Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Revenclaw. That was really awesome, unusual way and an extraordinary idea from JKR. You know the Hat will decide where to put you into, but you can make a choice. Even the Hat said that Harry will become great in Slytherin House, but Harry makes a different choice for his own life. He chooses anything but Slytherin because Ron has told him before about every bad wizard that comes from Slytherin, and Harry chooses not to be. Life it’s a about choice, where you want to be? Where you want to go? What you would become? It’s your choice. When you make a choice you live with it. It will show who you really are.  

Mirror of Erised (Cermin Tarsah):

erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi

It’s written in the mirror, and if you read it backwards, you can see,

I show not your face but your heart’s desire.

The Mirror shows greatest desire of the one looking into it upon its surface. But remember, JKR also said that,

The happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is.

The word Erised is Desire, spelled backwards. So, I think it’s definitely awesome to combine the imagination and such a message to everyone who read the book. It’s a message from JKR to you. I thought it wasn’t about you can’t have a dream, but more is to learn to love ourselves as we are. Don’t forget about the second law in the world that “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”, and how can it be, if you not love yourself first. That was a great reminder from JKR.

Fluffy:

I already know about fluffy in different name, its Cerberus, the guards of the gates of the Underworld from the Greek and Roman Mythology. In Greek and Roman Mythology, Cerberus prevents those who have crossed the river styx from ever escaping. In form of Fluffy, the Dog was placed to keep the door to the Under Hogwarts, from anyone who wants to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone. The unusual point is the Dog will fall asleep when hear a music, wow, that was another message for me. Anything that bad must have a weakness or maybe white side, a scary dog with three head fall asleep very easy when hear a beautiful sound which is music. You can try to face a hard cold person with a smile and kindness, they probably fall for you.

Friendship between Harry – Hermione – Ron:

“There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them”

When they together, they could do great things, fool things or even funny things, ANYTHING. That was lovable friendship. I really like how Hermione influences Harry and Ron to do their homework or takes control after them. The way her control them make them avoid her in the first place. But something brings them together. Hermione loves to read and sometimes it makes me laugh when she yells at them “Oh, HONESTLY, don’t you two read?”  On the other hand Ron sometimes makes a funny comment about his friend like when they just passed Fluffy and need a fire or sunshine and Harry got confused,

“So light a fire” Harry chocked. “Yes..of course..But there’s no wood!”…”HAVE YOU GONE MAD?” Ron bellowed. “ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT!”

Hahahaha that was really enjoyable, funny and makes me love Ron from the beginning.

And after all that, I still have a few Quotes I really likes, there are:

 “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends”  -  it’s when Neville try to stop Harry, Hermione and Ron to go outside the Gryffindor house in the middle of the night.

“Harry – you’re a great wizard, you know”. “I’m not as good as you,” said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him. “Me!” said Hermione. “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery and – oh Harry – be careful” – It’s when Hermione and Harry pass Snape’s spell to become close to the Sorcerer’s Stone, the time when Harry have to go alone, Hermione strengthens him and also worried for him.

“Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.” – That was when Dumbledore explain to Harry about why Professor Quirrell can’t touch him. 

As you see what I describe and the last quote, I think JKR talked about Love, powerful love. That’s why this book is really good for children. It’s not just because it will enrich them with the world of dream and imagination, but also imparts the message to them about the basic way to live and contribute to make peace in this world by love and be loved.

I read a translation version, published by Gramedia and I realize that the book is not complete compare to the English version. But the translation was good and easy to understand. I hope my bad English doesn’t make trouble for you to understand what my fresh thought. 

5 stars for JK Rowling.

Judul: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Penulis: JK Rowling
Penerbit: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Terbit: September 2000
Tebal: 384 hal
ISBN: 9789796558513