Illustration by MinaLima © 2020 Scholastic Inc., from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (MinaLima Edition)
Get comfy and enjoy as Stephen Fry reads an extract from Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived. In this clip, a mysterious group of figures congregate on a perfectly normal street in the dead of night for a very important task...
Listen to the clip and then read on to see what we noticed.
Now that you've listened in, what interesting tidbits did you spot? Here's a few from us.
Meeting Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore
During Chapter One, everything seemed 'perfectly normal, thank you very much' as we followed around Vernon Dursley and learnt about his job and family. Although it wasn't long before we realised not everything was as it seemed, including a mysterious cat that had been hanging around Privet Drive, that turned out not to be a cat at all...
Yes, this is the moment where we meet Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, who seem to be visiting Vernon Dursley's street on a strangely sad but triumphant day. The pair are talking about a young Harry Potter, who is soon to be delivered to the Dursleys, as Harry's biological aunt and uncle, after the tragic death of his parents. It's clear to see that this pair have a great friendship and are both strong characters - but with differing opinions on how to deal with things in the wake of a huge tragedy.
We will meet these characters later in the books... but what did you make of their first appearance? And who did you agree with?
'Harry Potter Day'
So McGonagall and Dumbledore share a disagreement on Privet Drive - deciding what is best for young Harry Potter's future. Leaving him on strangers' doorsteps with a letter does not appeal to Professor McGonagall, but Dumbledore seems intent on leaving Harry where he is most safe.
The clip is strangely bittersweet, as it marks the end of a Dark wizard called Lord Voldemort that had been tormenting the wizarding world. However, this event seems to have occured due to the deaths of Harry's parents. Did you find this moment happy, sad or a bit of both?
Join us next week where we'll be listening to another pivotal soundbite from the first Harry Potter story.
To learn more about the audio books, visit Pottermore's official website, where all the Harry Potter books are available.
The first Harry Potter audiobook is also available to stream free on Alexa from Audible beginning on June 23rd and throughout the month of July by simply saying: “Alexa, read Harry Potter Book One.”