What is the name of the first chapter of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone?
Answer
The Boy Who Lived
The first chapter of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is titled “The Boy Who Lived.”
The chapter opens on Privet Drive, where Vernon and Petunia Dursley notice unusual events involving owls, cloaked strangers, and celebrations among people who normally hide their magical identity. Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall then leave the infant Harry with the Dursleys after his parents have been killed by Voldemort.
The title identifies Harry through the defining event of his early life: he survived Voldemort’s attack. In the wizarding world, Harry becomes famous before he can understand why. The chapter therefore establishes the central mystery and the contrast between magical society and the Dursleys’ ordinary suburban life.
“The Vanishing Glass” is the second chapter, while “The Sorting Hat” appears later during Harry’s first night at Hogwarts. “Diagon Alley” is a location and a chapter title in some later discussions, but it is not the opening chapter of the first novel.