Analysis of Harry Potter’s Life

Harry lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley. it is obvious that the family does not want Harry there, as his room is just a cupboard under the stairs and they are unkind to him. He is obviously different from his normal uncle, aunt, and cousin, as weird events seem to take place when he is around. We know that Harry is not meant to be a normal human because of the flashback of Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall showing them dropping Harry off at his Aunt's doorsteps. This dramatic irony lets readers know that Harry does not belong in this ordinary world. Harry's call to adventure begins when owls start leaving invitations for Harry to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry's refusal of the call is not actually done by him, it is done by his uncle and aunt, who destroy all of the letters being left for harry. When so many letters are sent that the family can't possibly destroy them all, they take Harry and flee the house. However, the Dursley's attempts to stop Harry from attending Hogwarts are not successful, as Hagrid himself comes to get Harry and introduce him to his new life.

Throughout the Harry Potter series, Harry has multiple mentors, but Hagrid is the first one he ever meets. Hagrid comes to save Harry from the Dursleys, who are trying to keep him from being his true self - a wizard. Hagrid helps Harry navigate the wizard life throughout the novel, as this whole magic thing is pretty new to Harry. The threshold that Harry crosses is his first time entering Diagon Alley, which is a secret wizarding alley filled with toy shops, broom shops, wand shops, and even own shops. Diagon alley is a representation of the wizarding world which Harry is about to enter, and crossing that threshold allows for Harry to have his first personal experience with his new world of magic. Harry makes a couple of very important allies in this novel - Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. When Harry is cornered by a troll in the bathroom, his friends Ron and Hermione help him. Harry's wand is taken and he relies on Ron to save him.

This becomes a regular occurance in the series, as these three become best friends and are always there for eachother in a time of need. Harry's interaction with the troll is also one of his first tests he faces a wizard. What Harry does not know is that much harder tests will soon arrive. Harry's approach to the innermost cave is when he faces Fluffy, the three headed dog blocking the doorway that leads to the actual ordeal. It is important to note that, yet again, Harry has Ron and Hermione by his side. Inside the cave, the three face tests that they need to pass in order to read the final confrontation. They do pass these, which leads the journey to the ordeal. However, Harry must face the ordeal alone without the help of Ron and Hermione. This will make it more difficult for him to succeed, as he usually had someone to bail him out of trouble before this. When Harry reaches the final confrontation, it is revealed that Voldemort is teached up with Professor Quirrell. Voldemort's head is on the back of Quirrell's, which was hidden by a turban before.

Quirrell forces Harry to look into the Mirror of Erised, which shows ones deepest desires. In the mirror, Harry sees himself standing there with his parents. Soon after, Harry gets possession of the sorcerer's stone. Voldemort offers an alliance to Harry, saying that Harry could have his family back, but Harry stays strong and refuses to form an alliance with Voldemort. Voldemort's soul passes through Harry (which was very dangerous for Harry) and he ultimately leaves without the stone. Voldemort will prove to be Harry's biggest enemy throughout the whole series. The reward that Harry gets is that he defeated Voldemort and did not allow his to have possession of the stone, so Voldemort will not be returning for a while. The reward is good for Harry and the entire Wizarding World, as Voldemort is an extremely dangerous threat to Harry and to everyone else. Harry, Hermione, and Ron are all taken to the Hogwarts nursing area. There journey there is not covered in much detail, as Harry suddenly wakes up in a nursing room bed. Harry wakes up in a nursing room bed after his ordeal with Voldemort.

Harry is regaining his strength and is recovering from his injuries from his fight. This is symbolic, as he is resurrected in the sense that he is recovering from the life altering event. The return with the Elixir in Harry Potter's journey would be being completely void of Voldemort's terror. Dumbledore states that he believes Voldemort will return, but Harry has allowed for the wizards to have time to get ready for his arrival and to fight back. Harry is now a known hero and he realizes he is capable of being one, as well. Though he was famous based on something that was not his own doing before, now he is known for being the Boy Who Lived AND the kid that defeated Voldemort.

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