Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone characters

Appears from the start

An orphaned boy left as a baby on the doorstep of his aunt and uncle after a dark wizard killed his parents and, inexplicably, failed to kill him, leaving only a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Raised without love by the Dursleys, who hide the truth of his past, he grows up believing he is ordinary until he learns on his eleventh birthday that he is a famous wizard, survivor of an attack no one else has ever lived through. He is brave, curious, and quietly kind, and knows almost nothing yet of the world he was born into.

First appears in chapter 6

A friendly, freckled boy from a large, warm, and poor wizarding family, the sixth of seven children, who meets Harry on the train to Hogwarts and becomes his first real friend. Loyal and good-humoured but often overshadowed by his many accomplished older brothers, he is self-conscious about his hand-me-downs and eager to prove himself. He knows the wizarding world Harry is only just discovering, and cheerfully explains it to him.

First appears in chapter 6

A clever, bookish girl born to non-magical parents, who arrives at Hogwarts having already memorized her textbooks. Bossy and rule-abiding at first, and anxious to prove she belongs, she irritates the boys with her know-it-all manner before circumstances turn the three of them into friends. Quick-witted and hard-working, she is often the one who supplies the knowledge that gets them out of trouble.

Also known as Hagrid

Appears from the start

An enormous, wild-haired, warm-hearted man, far taller and broader than any ordinary person, who serves as the keeper of grounds and keys at Hogwarts. Fiercely devoted to Dumbledore, he carries the baby Harry to the Dursleys' house and, years later, is sent to deliver Harry's school letter in person and tell him the truth about who he is. Gruff but deeply gentle, he has a soft spot for dangerous creatures and becomes one of Harry's earliest friends.

Appears from the start

The headmaster of Hogwarts, an elderly wizard with a long silver beard, widely regarded as the greatest of his age and the one dark wizards fear most. Calm, whimsical, and unfathomably wise, he arranges for the orphaned Harry to be placed with his surviving relatives and watches over him from a distance. He speaks in riddles as often as in plain answers and seems to know far more than he says.

Also known as You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

Appears from the start

A dark wizard so feared that most people will not speak his name, who years ago spread terror through the wizarding world before turning on the Potters. He murdered Harry's parents, but when he tried to kill the infant Harry the curse rebounded, seemingly destroying him and leaving Harry alive. Since that night he has vanished, and many believe him dead, though others suspect he is only diminished and hidden, waiting.

Also known as Professor Snape

First appears in chapter 7

The cold, sardonic Potions master at Hogwarts and head of Slytherin house, with sallow skin, black eyes, and greasy black hair. From the first feast he seems to regard Harry with open dislike, and in class he singles the boy out for humiliation. Harry comes to suspect him of wanting the school's hidden treasure and of meaning him harm, and Snape's sneering hostility makes him the obvious villain.

Appears from the start

A stern, sharp-eyed witch, the deputy headmistress of Hogwarts and head of Gryffindor house, who can transform herself into a cat. Strict and correct, with a strong sense of fairness beneath her severity, she is present the night Harry is left with the Dursleys and later teaches him Transfiguration. She expects excellence and rarely shows warmth, but she looks out for her students.

First appears in chapter 6

A pale, sneering boy from a wealthy, old wizarding family who prides himself on his pure blood and looks down on those he considers beneath him. He offers Harry his friendship on the train, is refused, and quickly becomes Harry's arrogant schoolyard rival once both are at Hogwarts, where he is sorted into Slytherin and trails a pair of hulking companions.

First appears in chapter 5

A timid, stammering young man who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts and wears a large turban. Nervous and easily flustered, he seems the least threatening of the teachers, and Harry first meets him briefly in a wizarding pub, where he trembles at the mere mention of the Dark Arts he is supposed to teach.

First appears in chapter 6

A round-faced, forgetful, and timid boy who starts at Hogwarts alongside Harry, forever losing his pet toad and doubting his own abilities. Clumsy and easily frightened, and raised by a formidable grandmother, he is sorted into Gryffindor and struggles at magic, but shows flashes of unexpected nerve.