Chapter 7 The Sorting Hat and Chapter 8 The Potions Master

Alright so Chapter 7 starts out at Harry and the rest of the 1st year's first time going into Hogwart's. This is also where Harry met Professor McGonagall. They describe her as a very stern woman. Which I think Maggie Smith did a terrific job playing this character in the movie. They follow McGonagall through Hogwart's and into the Great Hall. She tells them that they will be sorted into houses. So she lines them up in front of the front table that has all of the professor's. Albus Dumbledore (Headmaster), Professor McGonagall (Deputy Headmistress/ Transfiguration teacher), Professor Snape (Potion's Master), Professor Quirrell (Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher), Hagrid (Groundskeeper), if there is anybody else at the table, I can't remember and I'm sorry. Anyway so they bring out the sortign hat, which at first looks like an ordinary hat (Harry is very nervous about this "test" because he doesn't know any magic), then it opens up and turns into a face on the top of the hat. Every year this hat sings a song. They don't show this in the movie so I'm going to take part and write it down for you, so everyone can have a share of the awesomeness.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't jude on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in you head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

Yes this is directly from the book, and I'd have to say whoever (I think J.K. Rowling) wrote this did an awesome job! One more thing you find out the Sorting Hat tells Harry that he spends all year thinking up these poems. Pretty crazy. Through out the rest of that part Harry gets sorted into Gryffindor, Malfoy into Slytherin, and Ron and Hermoine into Gryffindor to. Also theres some people that are side characters throughout the series that get sorted. Anyways an important part is that Harry looks at Professor Snape while he is talking to Professor Quirrell and his scar starts burning. Which is something that has never happened to him before. And the rest of chapter 7 is them going up to Gryffindor common room.
Chapter 8 not a very interesting chapter, you find out that there's a guy named Filch who is nonmagical he is pretty much the custodian, but he has a cat named Mrs. Norris who follows students to make sure their not getting into mischief. Harry gets his first letter from Hagrid. And the most important part of the whole chapter I'd say, is Harry having double potions with the Slytherins. As soon as class starts Snape turns on Harry and asks him many questions he doesn't or wouldn't know. (Who doesn't know that a bezoar comes from the belly of a goat). Anyways after potions Harry and Ron walk to Hagrid's hut and meet with him. While there Harry picks up the newspaper to find out Gringott's had been broken into by someone, and happened to break into the very vault that Hagrid and Harry had emptied that day. Curious I'd say.

chapter 6

Ok so chapter 6 was mainly about Harry waiting to go to Hogwarts. So it starts out that Harry comes back from everything. Has pretty much a month before he deports to Hogwarts. the Dursley's didn't want to have anything to do with him at all. But somehow Harry convinced Vernon to take him to King's Cross station. Where he must locate platform 9 3/4, Vernon just abandoned him there because he didn't think it was a real platform, (the old goof). Anyway Harry found the Weasley's and Mrs. Weasley told him how to get onto the platform. With only 15 min. to spare. Thank goodness. So Harry meets Ron for the 2nd time (the 1st time was in Kings Cross), and they get to talking, and their chowing down on some sweets that Harry's never had before. Come to find out that scene where the frog leaps out the window never happened in the book. (that happens a lot). Anyway they meet Hermoine Granger a long the way which in the book makes her sound worse then she looks in the movie. In the movie, ya her hairs a little maddy but shes a pretty cute looking young girl. But in the book, she almost sounds atroshious. I don't know why they do these things. So ya another thing I found out is the conversation that Draco has with Harry and Ron bout hanging out with the wrong sort. Actually happens on the train not in the school. Goyle tried to steal the rest of their candy but Scabbers (Ron's pet rat) defended them and bit Goyle's finger. So in the end of the chapter they get off the train and Hagrid leads the 1st years to some boats that show them their 1st glimpse of Hogwarts, one more thing in the movie they must turn the corner in the boats to see Hogwarts. In the book they can see it from the shore.

More Harry Potter

Alright so in the book I've found out Hagrid and Harry have the conversation about Voldemort in the cabin, but in the movie they are at some bar in Diagon Ally, when Harry decides to bring it up.
So there is something I've got to say, first what would have happened if Hagrid had actually been just some homeless guy who was feeding Harry all this bullcrap. He would be completely dead right now or worse. I know it's kinda funny but just had to put that out there.
Anyway in the rest of chapter 5, Harry and Hagrid go through Diagon Ally. Of course most of the details are left out in the movie. But something that particularly I need to say came up. When Harry went into Ollivander's he went in with Hagrid in the book. But in the movie Hagrid went out to get him an owl. They of course had some conversation in the book. They've already mentioned twice how Hagrid was expelled from Hogwart's, and his wand was snapped in half in the process. But they have not mentioned anything about it in the movie. Oh and by the way when Harry was waving his wand around nothing ever happened in the book other than Ollivander snatching it out of his hand. He didn't break any glass or what not. Some wording to is different I might add.
One more thing to say. When Harry was getting fitted to his clothing (this part was not in the movie), he talked to a boy who was going to be in Slytherin, and doesnt like people who dont even know of Hogwart's before they get the letter. This boy's name is Malfoy, you find out later in the book.
So there are more facts between the book and the movie. Starting to like the movie less and less?

Chapters 1-5 in the Sorcerer's Stone

Alright so I finally started reading the Sorcerer's Stone. It took me more then a couple of days but I finally was able to put my homework down and get around to it. So, so far in the book what has happened is Vernon Dursley had a rather strange day. There were weird looking people walking around, people speaking of a boy named "Harry", and someone saying the word muggles. Then after a weird cat not moving so much around the Dursley's house all day, the night came. A man showed up on the street corner, and took all the lights on the street with a weird device. Left a note with the boy named Harry Potter on the doorstep of the Dursley's, who absolutely hate witches/wizards. Next you find out that pretty much all of Harry's childhood so far he has been a slave to the Dursley's. He must do what they say. He doesnt get anything he wants. Hell they even put him in a cupboard underneath the stairs. Alright I've got a comment about this. Well I dont know if Harry was just to young to know, or maybe I'm being a bit harsh. But didnt he know that there is child abuse laws. I'm pretty sure it is illegal for someone to keep a boys bedroom, somewhere like there, and everytime barely anything happens he gets locked in his room for a week with no food. Now he could just go to the school tell them his situation, and go to a foster home. I'm sure his life couldnt get any worse, by gambling maybe good parents, just saying. Anyway Harry doesnt have very good clothes, his glasses are broken and what not. So what happens next is it is Dudley's birthday (his cousin who is completely spoiled rotten), they are going to the zoo, and miraculously Harry gets to go a long because there is no where else to go, and the Dursley's dont want to leave him at home in case he might "ruin" the house. So while their at the zoo. Harry ends up talking to a snake. Dudley sees him doing it and runs up and throws him out of the way, along with Dudley's friend. Harry gets mad and something strang happens the glass to the Boa Constrictor disappears. Dudley and his friend fall in. By the way, in the movie Dudley's friend is actually not there with Dudley at least we dont see him. Anyway not long after this incident a bunch of letters start coming for a Mr. H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Vernon trys his best to not let Harry have these letters. So after a ton of letters start blasting their way throught the fireplace they decide to go to a little shack in the middle of the sea. By the way, in the mean time apparently they stop at a hotel or something, which doesnt happen in the movie. At the stroke of midnight it was Harry's 11th birthday, and believe it or not as soon as that happened a giant man knocked the door down to the shack. His name is Rubeus Hagrid, and they have a long convo/arguement discussing why Harry doesnt know he is a wizard, how his parents died, and that he is famous. Another thing they change in the movie is, Harry and Hagrid had a convo. discussing about Voldemort. This took place in Diagon Ally I believe or the Leaky Cauldron one of the two. Well in the book they had the convo. at the shack, and even spent the night there! Next that happens in the book is they go to London to Diagon Ally. They have to go through the Leaky Cauldron to get there. Where Harry has his first experience as being famous in the wizarding world. So far that is what I have read and I plan to tell you a many more. Thanks for reading :)

Movie

Alright so I might have forgotten to add the real life characters from the movie.

Harry Potter is played by Daniel Radcliffe

Hermoine is played by Emma Watson

Ronald Weasley is played by Rupert Grint

Albus Dumbledore is played by Richard Harris

Professor Snape is played by Alan Rickman

Professor McGonagall is played by Maggie Smith

Hagrid is played by Robbie Coltrane

I think that might be all the people that might be significant in this movie. So a little details about the movie. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came out in 2001. It was directed by Chris Columbus. It is only 152 minutes long and rated PG. So I guess clearly it is kind of a kids movie. By the way if anybody is interested part 1 of the seventh movie comes out sometime this year, and the part two version is coming out in july 2011. I watched a trailer and it looks super awesome. Well anyway the next post will be starting on my adventure of the differences in the Harry Potter book and movie. So I hope you enjoy.

Getting to know the characters

Alright before I start going off on the things about the book. I think it is important for people to know who the characters are throughout the book.

Harry Potter: At this point if you don't know who this is then you should probably kick yourself (not actually but imagine it). He is the absolute main character in the whole series. The story line follows him. If you don't know he is "the boy who lived" and what that means is as a child, he beat the biggest villian there was to witches and wizards. In the first book nobody knows how exactly he did this but he did. Anyway he's just a small kid with broken glasses and messy brown hair. He comes from a place called number 4 private drive. Which is where his "muggle" (nonmagical people) live.

Ronald Weasley: Harry Potter's best friend throughout most of the series in Harry Potter. He is a red headed lots of freckles kid. Comes from a poor family, with lots of siblings. Tends to be a bit skiddish, but would stick next to Harry even if in danger of his life.

Hermoine Granger: A small girl with big bushy hair (even though she doesn't look like that in the movies). She is really book smart, and tends to know the answer to almost every question she is asked. She is the other of Harry Potter's best friends. They meet on the train on there way to Hogwart's. Really likes the book Hogwart's a History.

Albus Dumbledore: He is the headmaster of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and has been for many and many years. He used to be a teacher at Hogwart's before he became the headmaster.

Professor McGonagall: A teacher at Hogwart's, she teaches Transfiguration. She tends to be strict at most times. But Harry and his gang sometimes end up turning to her for advice.

Professor Snape: The potions teacher at Hogwart's. Mostly throughout the series Harry and his gang think he is usually a bad guy. Though there hasn't ever been a reason for them to prove it. He truly dislikes Harry Potter.

Draco Malfoy: Harry Potter's rival. Draco and his gang are always trying to make it hard on Harry Potter and friends. He comes from a rich family, and plays a big part in the series later on.

Voldemort: Harry Potter's antagonist. He is constantly trying to kill Harry Potter, no matter what the cost. Though in the beginning of he is technically not alive but you'll find out about that later.

J. K. Rowling past and current history

Most of you know that J.K. Rowling was poor and living on the street when she decided to write Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Well believe it or not she had to of started somewhere. So this is where she began.
Something I have already found cool in the first line of her biography was that her parents met at a place called King's Cross Station (Sound familiar?), which is some somewhere in Scotland I think. But if you didnt guess, yes King's Cross is the same place Harry Potter went to get on the Hogwart's Express in the first nearly every book but the 2nd and 7th one (will look up later when I get around to the books). But anyway, her father was in the military and her mother was in the station and was cold. He offered her a part of his jacket, and BOOM! They got married a little over a year later at the age of 19.
They got out of the navy and moved to Bristol (a West part of England), and had a baby name Joanne Kathleen Rowling. Later a second girl named Di. Johanne witnessed her moments after being born.
A couple years later their family moved to Winterbourne where they had stairs and used to play a game called "the cliff game". I'm not exactly sure what that is but I'm sure you can look it up somewhere. Later though when she was about 9 years old they moved once again to Chepstow, in Wales.
She went to a school she hated until she was about 11 years old. This is the place where the Chamber of Secrets is dedicated. Her friend Sean Harris learned how to drive and much of her teenage years consisted of zooming down the highway in Sean’s white car.
Later she moved to Manchester with her current boyfriend at the time and that very weekend she was on a train on her way home, when Harry Potter popped up in her head. She sat in the train for 4 long hours thinking of the details of Harry Potter, the first few pages of most her books don't resemble anything that was later published. While in the making of her first book, Harry's feelings about his dead parents were growing on him. Due to the death of Johann's mother who had died 9 months before. She moved to Portugal and got an English teaching job. While there instead of holding a completed book, she got a daughter. Her marrige didn't work out, but she moved back, and continued writing her book.
She wrote nearly every night, while her daughter would be sleeping. She was desprete to get it done quickly because she felt that if she didn't, she would never finish it. Even though she loved the book sometimes she hated it, such as having to type the thing out. (I find this funny).
So she sent the first 3 chapters to an agent, then to a second agent. About a year later a publisher named Bloomsbury made an offer. She was incredibly excited! Enough that her daughter Jessica looked absolutely terrified. I'm guessing you can tell what happens next.
It seems that she was not living on the streets so the rumor was wrong. I honestly didnt know this myself so I am glad that I read this to tell others the truth. If you have any questions or comments you can leave a comment on my post. Or you can read the link on the right side of my page. Knock yourselves out.

In the beginning...

Hello there, my nickname is Ewok. My blog is going to be about books adapted to movies. As you can tell through my background pictures, my first choice is going to be about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I decided to pick this since 1st I am a Harry Potter fan. 2nd Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 is coming out I believe in November. So I am hoping that I can get around to the last one by then. Not sure if i'm going to do all of the books or not. But anyway in my blog I am going to talk about things that they leave out in the movies. Maybe why they decided to leave these out in the movie. Perhaps some criticism if I have to blow some steam. Possibly anything else I can think of in the future. If anybody has any ideas for me just leave a comment on my blog. It can be maybe a book you want me to read adapted to a movie, or ideas of somethings to blog about. Or even your personal opinion on something I said. Your choice. Thank you for reading.