Books

Octavo, 223 pages. In Near Fine condition. Light red cloth spine with gilted lettering. Textblock has gilted edges and a blue silk bookmark ribbon attached to the spine head. JW consignment. Shelved case 2. One of only 4,869 copies printed. 1383117. Shelved Dupont Bookstore.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (titled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" in the United States) is the first novel in the Harry Potter series written by J.K. Rowling. It introduces readers to Harry Potter, a young orphan living with his cruel aunt, uncle, and cousin, the Dursleys. On his eleventh birthday, Harry discovers that he is a wizard when a series of letters from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrives, despite the Dursleys' attempts to prevent him from learning about his true heritage. Hagrid, the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, arrives to inform Harry about his magical abilities and his invitation to attend Hogwarts. Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley, a hidden magical shopping district, to purchase school supplies. There, Harry learns about his parents' history in the wizarding world and acquires his school essentials, including a wand from Ollivanders, the wandmaker. At Hogwarts, Harry is sorted into Gryffindor House and becomes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He also learns about the sorcerer's stone, an object that can grant immortality and turn any metal into gold. Harry overhears discussions suggesting that someone intends to steal the stone, hidden within the school for protection. Throughout the school year, Harry and his friends navigate their classes, facing challenges and uncovering secrets. They suspect that Professor Snape, the Potions Master, is trying to steal the stone, believing he is after the school's Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover a three-headed dog named Fluffy guarding a trapdoor leading to the stone and suspect it's related to Snape's plan. With the help of their skills and courage, the trio bypasses various obstacles set up by the school's professors to protect the stone. In the final chambers, they confront Professor Quirrell, who has been possessed by Voldemort, the dark wizard responsible for the deaths of Harry's parents. Quirrell is seeking the stone for Voldemort, who wishes to regain a physical form by using the stone's powers. During the confrontation, Harry manages to prevent Quirrell/Voldemort from obtaining the stone, which leads to Voldemort's temporary defeat, causing Quirrell to disintegrate. Dumbledore, the headmaster, arrives and explains some details to Harry but leaves many questions unanswered. The school year ends, and Harry returns to the Dursleys for the summer, eager for the next year at Hogwarts and the adventures that await him. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" introduces readers to the magical world of Hogwarts, sets the stage for Harry's journey, and lays the foundation for the overarching battle between good and evil that spans the entire series.

The main characteristic of the 1997 first edition first issue are a print line that reads 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and the crediting of "Joanne Rowling", not JK. On page 53, in the list of school supplies that Harry receives from Hogwarts, the item “1 wand” must appear twice, once at the beginning and once at the end. This mistake was corrected in the second printing of the book (although it re-appeared in some later printings). On the back cover there is a missing “o” in “Philospher’s Stone”. The first edition does NOT have a jacket. The first edition says "Cover illustration Thomas Taylor1997" (with the missing space before 1997) on the copyright page. Only 500 copies of the hardback first edition were printed, with 300 going to public libraries. The remaining 200 hardback copies are the most highly-prized books in modern literature when in a fine condition.