In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, on what date does Harry first arrive at Hogwarts?

In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry first arrives at Hogwarts on 1 September 1991.

Harry is born on 31 July 1980, and the film begins shortly before his eleventh birthday. After Hagrid tells him that he is a wizard, Harry buys his school supplies in Diagon Alley and travels from King’s Cross station on the Hogwarts Express. The train departs from Platform 9¾, and the students reach Hogwarts in time for the new school year.

The date is established by the series’ chronology rather than by a prominent spoken date in the film. Harry’s first year runs from 1991 to 1992, while the film’s release year was 2001. Those two years are easy to confuse, especially because the movies were produced over a decade after the story begins.

The Hogwarts school year conventionally starts on 1 September. Harry’s arrival also introduces Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who become his closest friends. The Sorting Ceremony places him in Gryffindor later that evening.