<P> Thanks to an indiscretion from Hagrid, Harry and his friends work out that the object kept at the school is a Philosopher's Stone, made by an old friend of Dumbledore named Nicolas Flamel, which grants its user immortality, as long as it's constantly used . Harry is also informed by a centaur he meets in the forest that a plot to steal the Philosopher's Stone is being orchestrated by none other than Voldemort himself, who would use it to be restored to his body and come back to power . When Dumbledore is lured from Hogwarts under false pretences, Harry and his friends fear that the theft is imminent and descend through the trapdoor themselves . </P> <P> They encounter a series of obstacles, each of which requires unique skills possessed by one of the three, and one of which requires Ron to sacrifice himself in a life - sized game of wizard's chess . In the final room, Harry, now alone, finds Quirrell, who admits that he had tried to kill Harry at his Quidditch match against Slytherin . He also admits that he let a troll into Hogwarts . Snape had been trying to protect Harry all along rather than to kill him, and his suspicious behaviour came from his own suspicions about Quirrell . </P> <P> Quirrell is one of Voldemort's followers, and is now partly possessed by him: Voldemort's face has sprouted on the back of his own head, hidden by his turban . Voldemort needs Harry's help to get past the final obstacle: the Mirror of Erised . When stood in front of it, the Mirror recognises Harry's lack of greed for the Stone and surreptitiously deposits it in his pocket . Quirrell promptly tries to seize the Stone, but his flesh burns on contact with Harry, proving lethal for Quirrell . Harry passes out and awakens in the school hospital, where Dumbledore explains to him that he survived because his mother sacrificed her life to protect him, and this left a powerful protective charm on him . It is also revealed that the invisibility cloak was left by his father for Dumbledore to keep and give to Harry . Voldemort left Quirrell to die and is likely to return by some other means . The Stone has now been destroyed . The school year ends at the final feast, during which Gryffindor wins the House Cup . Harry returns to the Dursleys' for the summer holiday but does not tell them that under - age wizards are forbidden to use magic outside of Hogwarts . </P> <Ul> <Li> Harry Potter is an orphan whom Rowling imagined as a "scrawny, black - haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard ." She developed the series' story and characters to explain how Harry came to be in this situation and how his life unfolded from there . Apart from the first chapter, the events of this book take place just before and in the year following Harry's eleventh birthday . Voldemort's attack left a lightning bolt - shaped scar on Harry's forehead, which produces stabbing pains whenever Voldemort is present . Harry has a natural talent for Quidditch and became the first person in decades to get on their team in their first year . </Li> <Li> Ronald Weasley is Harry's age and Rowling describes him as the ultimate best friend, "always there when you need him ." He is freckled, red - haired and quite tall . He grew up in a fairly large pure - blood family as the sixth born of seven children . Although his family is quite poor, they still live comfortably and happily . His loyalty and bravery in the face of a game of Wizards Chess plays a vital part in finding the Philosopher's Stone . </Li> <Li> Hermione Granger, the daughter of an all - Muggle family, is a bossy girl who has apparently memorised most of the textbooks before the start of term . Rowling described Hermione as a "very logical, upright and good" character with "a lot of insecurity and a great fear of failure beneath her swottiness". Despite her nagging efforts to keep Harry and Ron out of trouble, she becomes a close friend of the two boys after they save her from a troll, and her magical and analytical skills play an important role in finding the Philosopher's Stone . She has bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth . </Li> <Li> Neville Longbottom is a plump, diffident boy, so forgetful that his grandmother gives him a Remembrall, although he cannot remember why . Neville's magical abilities are weak and appeared just in time to save his life when he was eight . Despite his timidity, Neville will fight anyone after some encouragement or if he thinks it is right and important . </Li> <Li> Rubeus Hagrid, a half - giant nearly 12 feet (3.7 m) tall, with tangled black hair and beard, was expelled from Hogwarts and his wand was snapped in half (resulting in him never to use a wand again), however Professor Dumbledore let him stay on as the school's gamekeeper, a job which enables him to lavish affection and pet names on even the most dangerous of magical creatures . Hagrid is fiercely loyal to Dumbledore and quickly becomes a close friend of Harry, Ron and, later, Hermione, but his carelessness makes him unreliable . </Li> <Li> Professor Albus Dumbledore, a tall, thin man who wears half - moon spectacles and has silver hair and a beard that tucks into his belt, is the headmaster of Hogwarts, and thought to be the only wizard Voldemort fears . Dumbledore, while renowned for his achievements in magic, he shrugs off praise, he is aware of his own brilliance . Rowling described him as the "epitome of goodness". </Li> <Li> Professor Minerva McGonagall, a tall, severe - looking woman with black hair tied in a tight bun, teaches Transfiguration, and sometimes transforms herself into a cat . She is Deputy Headmistress, and Head of Gryffindor House and, according to the author, "under that gruff exterior" is "a bit of an old softy". </Li> <Li> Petunia Dursley, the sister of Harry's mother Lily, is a thin woman with a long neck that she uses for spying on the neighbours . She regards her magical sister as a freak and tries to pretend that she never existed . </Li> <Li> Vernon Dursley is the husband of Petunia Dursley, is a heavily built man whose irascible bluster covers a narrow mind and a fear of anything unusual . </Li> <Li> Dudley Dursley is an overweight, spoiled bully, and cousin of Harry Potter (who uses Harry as his punching bag). </Li> <Li> Draco Malfoy is a slim, pale boy who speaks in a bored drawl . He is arrogant about his skill in Quidditch, and despises anyone who is not a pure - blood wizard--and wizards who do not share his views . His parents had supported Voldemort, but changed sides after the dark wizard's disappearance, claiming they had been bewitched . Draco avoids direct confrontations, and tries to get Harry and his friends into trouble . </Li> <Li> Oliver Wood is Harry's Quidditch captain for the Gryffindor Quidditch team . He plays as keeper . </Li> <Li> Professor Quirrell is a twitching, stammering man who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts . Reputedly he was a brilliant scholar, but his nerve was shattered by an encounter with vampires . Quirrell wears a turban to conceal the fact that he is voluntarily possessed by Voldemort, whose face appears on the back of Quirrell's head . </Li> <Li> Professor Severus Snape, who has a hooked nose, sallow complexion and greasy black hair, teaches Potions, but would prefer to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts . Snape praises pupils in Slytherin, his own House but seizes every opportunity to humiliate others, especially Harry . Several incidents, beginning with the shooting pain in Harry's scar during the start - of - term feast, lead Harry and his friends to think Snape is a follower of Voldemort . </Li> <Li> Argus Filch, the school caretaker who knows the school's secret passages better than anyone else except, possibly, the Weasley twins . His cat, Mrs. Norris, aids his constant hunt for misbehaving pupils . </Li> </Ul>

What is the setting for harry potter and the sorcerer's stone