Themes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Love, Trust, Courage, Character, Sacrifice, Protection, Gifts, Sense of Call
Leaving Harry
Trust:
Trusting Hagrid
Dumbledore says he would trust Hagrid with his life. McGonagall asks if it is safe to trust Hagrid
with such an important task as retrieving Harry.
Trusting the Dursley’s
Are you sure it is safe to leave him with these people? They are the worst sort of muggles
(people) imaginable. They really are—the only family he has.
Protection:
Protecting Harry
Is this a good or bad thing?
Who is protecting Harry?
In the later books/movies, we see the Dursley’s love as protection
Until he is ready.
Growing up in the Wizard world, Harry would have been famous. Would he have been
ready for that? Would he be the same person if he had, or would the fame have gone to
his head? How does Dumbledore protect Harry in this scene?
Comforting Hagrid
Not really goodbye after all
When we are faced with death (which in this point of the story, there has been a lot of
death), we feel as if we are saying goodbye. It is not really goodbye after all.
The Dursley’s/ Dudley’s birthday
Themes: Family, greed, warning, treatment of inferiors/stranger, fear, punishment, Service
Service:
Harry serves his family, and is treated as an outsider instead of welcoming.
Instead of treating Harry like a son, the Dursley’s treat him as a slave—like he is
indebted to them and like he is a burden to them.
Is life fair?
Harry’s family strives for perfection, to fit in the model of a perfect family—but Harry
interrupted that picture
Greed:
Dudley is spoiled, and greedy.
He complains of only having 36 presents, while Harry is in worn clothes, and given a broom
closet to live in. Harry is kept in a cage.
Gifts:
Dudley is impatient and rude to the snake. Harry has compassion and is polite
What do you see Harry’s gift as at this point?
Harry has a gift to talk to the snake.
Suddenly, Dudley is trapped in a cage. The tables have turned and Harry’s aunt and uncle are enraged. Do
you think Harry knew about the glass disappearing? Do you think Harry was punished for something he
didn’t do?
Harry’s Letter
Themes: Persistence (of letters, of Uncle Vernon), fear (of letters), call, fear of call
Harry lives in a house where he is handed hand-me-down clothes that don’t fit, treated like a slave and
lives in the linen closet under the stairs. What do you think getting a letter meant to him? What would it
be like to have it taken away? Burned?
Do you think the Dursley’s were afraid of the letters? Why?
You can run but you can’t hide—the sense of call in our lives: Harry can’t escape from the letters from
Hogwarts. Even when we try to run from God’s call, we still are hit in the face with that letter.
Why do you think Dudley and Petunia didn’t help Harry?
Dumbledore knows EXACTLY where Harry lives—Cupboard under the stairs, the house on the rock.
Psalm 139
Joy on Harry’s face when the call is flooding the house.
Uncle Vernon tries to hinder the call—tries to keep Harry from reading (accepting) the call.
How do others hinder our call in life?
How do WE hinder the call in our life?
Harry’s Birthday
Themes: Fear, thankfulness, learning who you are, jealousness, unacceptance
Dudley received 37 presents, and a trip to the zoo for his birthday. Harry has a dust cake.
The first present Harry has received since his parents died is a cake from Hagrid…and Dudley eats it.
First time Harry learns who he is (a wizard) and he claims he is “just Harry”. Do we ever feel like we
can’t do something because we are just____? Because we aren’t good enough?
God is strength, refuge, with God, all things are possible
Even though Vernon and Petunia went to the ends of the earth to keep Harry from getting the letter, Harry
still receives the letter (the Call) brought to him by Hagrid
Instead of valuing her sister’s gift, Petunia calls her strange and a freak.
Was she jealous of her sister?
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep
Building up the Body of Christ, many gifts, same spirit.
Insulting Dumbledore
Do not speak ill of brothers and sisters
Diagon Alley/Gringotts/ Ollivanders
Themes: Fear, Joy, knowing where to go, being taken care of, intimidation, Trust
When Harry and Hagrid enter the restaurant, the crowd goes quiet at Harry’s name. What would it be like
to have everyone know who you are, when you don’t know anything about your past?
Parents left money for Harry, taking care of him even after they are gone.
Trusting Hagrid
Hagrid is asking Harry to trust him—as he takes Harry to Diagon Alley, but also to keep secrets
of Hagrid using magic, and of what Hagrid has taken from Vault 713.
Hagrid is taking care of Harry
When you know who God is, how is it that some trust God completely, and some are hesitant to trust
completely?
Not always sure why the wand chooses the wizard
Harry is unsure of what to do (Harry doesn’t know how to test a wand)
Is doing great things always a good thing?
He who must not be named did great things—terrible, but great. (Great here is used as vast, not as
good)
Hagrid gives an owl to Harry.
Showing compassion, showing the beginnings of a friendship.
Supper with Hagrid
Themes: fear,
Not all wizards are good
Is Hagrid still afraid of You-know-who?
Why do you think Hagrid is afraid to speak his Voldemort’s name?
How would you respond if someone let you know that someone tried to kill you as a baby…and you
defeated him?
“That’s why everyone knows your name—you’re the boy who lived”
King’s Cross Station/Train Ride
Themes: Confusion, feeling lost, Mother’s guidance, trust, faith, friendship, confidence.
What would you do if you knew there was no such thing as Platform 9 ¾ and your guide left?
Mrs. Weasley helps Harry onto the platform. Would you trust running into a wall?
Faith is the things we can’t explain…running at a train platform, even if it seems to be a brick
wall.
Ron found a friendly face on the train.
Harry’s compassion
The scar is a big deal for a lot of people, but not for Harry.
What is it like to have a know-it-all around you?
Arriving Hogwarts/Sorting Ceremony/First Night at Hogwarts
Themes: Sorting, choices, family, goals, accomplishments, boundaries, acceptance
Houses are like family.
Can you tell the ‘right sort’ of family
Draco sees Ron in his hand-me-down robes as a wrong sort of wizard family. Harry is polite in
saying he can find the good ones for himself—he isn’t rude or boastful, but polite.
1 Corinthians 13? Love is…..?
Dumbledore gives rules at the start of the school year that seem crazy. Do you think all rules are crazy?
The first years are sorted into houses, according to their gifts. Each house works together to become the
family at Hogwarts.
Ron seems relieved to be in the same house as his brothers. Why? Would it have been good for him to be
in a different house?
Should siblings be split?
Choices:
Harry asks the hat to not put him in Slytherin. Does the hat try to sway Harry?
Harry makes the conscious decision to NOT be in Slytherin.
Temptation of Jesus…others?
Acceptance:
Harry is not treated well at his family’s home. Here at Hogwarts, he is treated not only as an equal, but he
is accepted just as he is. (Just as I am) He suddenly has a family that cares for him in the Griffendor
House. It is at Hogwarts that Harry is accepted for who he is. He is loved as a person. For the first time in
his life, he is home, accepted, and loved. He is not treated as a slave, but as a friend. Here, he experiences
being served for the first time in his life (that he can remember)
Servant Song
First Day
Themes: Judging the book by its cover
Does Snape make a good first impression?
Does the list Snape give in the first few moments of his lecture work for good or evil? Could this list be
used to further the family, or for personal gain?
Should we be able to bewitch the mind, ensnare the senses, bottle fame, brew glory and stop death?
Is Snape justified in disliking Harry? Does he dislike him because he is judging that Harry Potter has the
mind of a celebrity?
Mail seems to be a big deal for many of the students at Hogwarts. How do you think Harry feels when he
receives nothing?
Flying Lesson/Third Floor
Themes: Bullying, excitement, persistence, fear, priorities, Control
What was Harry’s response when he was able to bring the broom up so quickly? What was Hermione’s?
Do you think the class was concerned for Neville?
What happens when we feel out of control?
Control of our life…but are we really in control?
Is Draco a bully?
Should Harry have listened to Hermione?
When Harry is named the youngest seeker in a century, how would that feel?
Harry is afraid of making a fool of himself. (Undignified)
‘She knows more about you than you do…who doesn’t?’
Harry struggles with learning about who he is. Do you ever struggle with learning about who you
are?
The trio shouldn’t be on the third floor per the rule that Dumbledore said at the beginning of the year.
Instead of turning around, they go forward. Should they have turned around?
Levitation lesson/Troll/Halloween
Themes: Bullying, helping, fear
Was Hermione trying to help Ron, or showing off?
Was Ron supportive of Hermione?
Have you ever said something you wish you could instantly take back?
James: Tongue is a ruder
Fear of Troll:
Student and teacher alike fear the troll.
When the students head back to their dormitories, Harry realizes that Hermione is alone.
They rush off to warn Hermione….and realize they are late.
Instead of holding the comment against Ron, Hermione helps him accomplish the spell.
Instead of telling on Harry and Ron, she takes the blame. They became friends.
Quidditch
Themes: sportsmanship, fairness, gifts
Harry receives a gift from McGonagall: Would he have been able to play without this gift?
Oliver Wood tries to comfort Harry, but doesn’t really help Harry’s nerves.
Snape is ‘cursing’ the broom.
Hermione is able to help Harry by using her gift of knowledge and magic
After the game, the trio sets off to find Hagrid, who has gained their trust. Hagrid has ‘loose lips’ and
allows more information than should be known. Or, Hagrid has the childlike innocence?
Christmas/Mirror of Esad.
Themes: friendship/family, using gifts well, great power/great responsibility
Are the boys having a bad influence on Hermione?
Harry has received gifts from Hagrid and Professor McGonagall…and now from the Weasley family. Is
this part of the ‘initiation’ into a family?
Harry receives a mysterious gift—with a tag to ‘use it well’. How do we use the gifts we are given well?
Should Harry have gone to the Restricted section? Is this part of ‘using it well’?
What is Snape portraying? Does he seem like a person that can be trusted after his contact with Professor
Quirrell?
When Harry escapes to the Mirror room, this is the first time that he has seen his parents.
How do you recognize someone you have never seen?
The mirror shows the deepest and most desperate desires of our heart
What would the mirror show you?
While the mirror shows us what we want, it gives neither knowledge or truth.
While we are shown what we want, it gives no way of how to get there.
‘It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live’
It does not do to simply be at church on Sunday and forget to live a Christian life.
Hagrid’s Hut/Dark Forest
Hagrid gets in trouble once again for having loose lips, or a childlike faith. He has the trusting ability of a
child for the stranger, willing to trust wholeheartedly.
In research, it is illegal to have a dragon, and Hagrid has one that he has won off a stranger at the pub.
The stranger knows Hagrid’s weaknesses and temptations.
Was Draco harming or helping the trio?
The right thing done for the wrong reasons….
Norbert is sent off to live with a colony of dragons, in a community of his own kind.
Live in community
In the Dark Forrest, Draco and Harry must work together despite not getting along.
There is a great amount of fear in the Dark Forrest, also for safety.
Voldemort fears Dumbledore…as long as Dumbledore is around, he can’t hurt/touch Harry. (Do we want
to get into the Devil fearing God, and as long as we have our belief in God around, the devil can’t touch
us????)
Finals/Saving the Stone
Harry has the warning sign of his scar burning. When do we have warning signs….do we acknowledge
them or ignore them?
Hagrid’s loose lips…not only to the trio, but to the stranger he met at the pub.
When Neville stands up to the trio, he is looking out for not only them, but for his family, the Griffendors.
Harry has concern for his friends, not wanting them to get hurt. That is why he tells them to wait before
he gives the all clear of jumping down the trap door.
Devils Snare:
Things like worry that snare us, that keep us from being able to relax.
Keys: Seems too easy
The trio wouldn’t be able to get to the stone by themselves—they must rely on one another and work
together to complete the tasks at hand
1 Corinthians
Ron realizes he must sacrifice himself—and that it is only Harry that can go on.
No greater love has anyone than this, that they lay down their lives for a friend.
Instead of rushing forward after the game is won, Harry runs to the aid of his friend.
Hermione realizes that there is more to life than just books and knowledge, that friendship and being
humble is important as well.
Who would expect poor stuttering Professor Quirrell?
More than what meets the eye
Can’t judge a book by its cover.
Tempting Harry with the promise of his parents
Matthew and the Temptation of Jesus
Discussion Point:
No such thing as good and evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.
Thoughts?
Can power be used for good and evil>
Where does Voldermort go?
We don’t see him till book/movie 4, but he appears as a memory in movie 2.
Hospital Wing
That leaves a mark
Our Baptism!!!
What happened between you and Professor Quirrel is a complete secret….so naturally the whole school
knows.
Harry’s concern is first for his friends, THEN for the stone. He is not concerned with power,
Flammel has enough elixir to set his affairs in order, but yes. He will die.
Does Nicholas Flammel fear death?
What does it mean to be afraid of death?
A life not lived?
The only way to find the stone is for somebody to want to find it, but not use it.
With the stone gone (temptation), does that mean that Voldermort can never come back?
I’m afraid there are ways in which he can return
Sin (temptation) is never absent from our lives—the tempting of fame, power, glory will always
be there and there are ways for it to sneak up on us.
Harry’s mother sacrificed herself for you—that kind of love leaves a mark, it lives in your very skin. It is
love.
For God so loved the world (John 3:16)
Hermione has changed realizing friends, caring, compassion can be more rewarding than showing off
how much she knows.
End of Year Celebration
Sometimes, our “enemy” comes out on top.
Harry and his friends didn’t do these deeds for fame or glory, but because of their character.
Character is what you do when no one else is looking.
Hermione, Ron and Harry have been granted their points, but it is Neville, the boy who forgets, who is the
class ‘loser’ who helps Griffendor win.
It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies,(sin/temptation) but a great deal more to stand
up to your friends.
Character
Peer Pressure
Harry’s picture of family has changed from the beginning of the movie.
Not going home….not really.
Biblical Quotes
Themes in book one: Courage, self-sacrifice, triumph of good over evil, the power of love
The villain sees ‘no good or evil, only power and those too weak to see it.’ Harry and his friends must
understand the difference of good and evil.
The mystery of Harry surviving is the mystery of love. At the beginning of the book, we see Voldermort
as a wizard who went as bad as you could go. We hear of an angel that fell from grace. That angel lured
Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree, thus, Adam and Eve were hit with a curse of death.
Harry’s mother sacrificed herself to save her son.
Romans 5:6-8
6 You
see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very
rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly
dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him
shall not perish but have eternal life.
The Scar
Harry is left with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead after being attacked by Voldemort. Everyone
knows who Harry is by his scar.
Luke 10:18-19
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given
you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the
power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
18
The scar serves as a reminder that the curse of death was broken.
John 20:35-29
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails
were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A
week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the
doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he
said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my
side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus
told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.”
The Acceptance Letter
Psalm 139:1-10
1 You
have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
Call Story: Samuel 3:1-10
3 The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was
rare;there were not many visions.
2 One
night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in
his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the
house of theLORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am;
you called me.”
6 Again
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7 Now
Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to
him.
third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I
am; you called me.”
8A
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and
if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down
in his place.
10 The
LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
God had to send his word in person (Jesus), and Dumbledore had to send with Hagrid (in person)
Hagrid would not stop until he had fulfilled the mission given to him by Dumbledore. We continue to see
the Holy Spirit seeking out those who are lost.
If You know where to go…
Some people have eyes to see spiritual things, others don’t. Prophets and children, are sometime more
likely to be able to see with innocent eyes: To see things others can’t.
Open my eyes, that I may see…..
Matthew 13:15
For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them
When Harry gets to Gringotts: he entered as poor, yet discovered he was wealthy.
Philippians 4:19
‘And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.’
Not only our basic physical and material needs will be met, but also includes “the full riches of
complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in
whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:2)
“God’s Divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us
his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine
nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires”
Harry’s parents have helped him have what he needs in life for his education at Hogwarts.
Later, we see Harry being very generous with his money—a giving heart.
James 2:5
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are
poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he
promised those who love him?
Platform 9 ¾
Hebrews 11:1
11 Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see.
Sorting Hat
Harry was chosen to be a Gryffindor, but also exercised free will.
There is a sense that Harry is destined for something, and we see him going through the process of
choosing to resist evil and being chosen to go into Gryffindor.
Gryffindor is the house of the lion, Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5)
Slytherins are the serpents: the nature is cunning and willing to use any means to achieve their ends. We
see the temptation of Adam and Eve by a serpent. (DO WE WANT TO GO DOWN THIS ROAD???)
Dumbledore’s Warning
We see a parallel here: Dumbledore gives this dire warning, God has given Adam and Eve a dire
warning in Genesis 2:16-17 “And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from
any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Hagrid’s Temptation
James 1:14: For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted
when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed
When the opportunity arises for us to have what we have always wanted or fantasized about having—
even though we know it is wrong—and we are enticed by our desire, that is where temptation begins.
People can become protective of the things they desire—even if it is bad for them.
Finding the Stone
The stone produces the Elixir of Life….Jesus “came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”
John 10:10b
God is not trying to keep us from immortality, but to let us have it when we are ready for it.
Devil’s Snare offers a temporary relief—it is a soft place to land. The initial benefits or pleasures of sin
are devil’s snare because they offer temporary comforts; otherwise who would settle into such a thing?
Proverbs 16:25. Sometimes there is a way that seems to be right, but in the end it is the way to death
Devil’s Snare likes the darkness. It spoils in the light.
1 John 1:5-7 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is
light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him
and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in
the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin.
P-p-poor st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell….
Matthew 7:15-17“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize
them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise,
every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
The magic touch
1 John 5:18- “the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch
them”
Harry’s protection against his evil foe, received as a result of his mother’s love, can remind us of
the protection God offers his children in a world where we too come under the attack of our
evil foe.
John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…those who believe in him will
not perish but have eternal life.