Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Topic Tracking: Friendship

Friendship 1: Harry lives his life without any friends or companions. It is a difficult and weary existence, and he constantly hopes that it will change by some magical miracle. Dudley, however, has numerous friends, all violent and cruel little boys who vow to make Harry's life miserable.

Friendship 2: While Harry waits to go to Hogwarts back at the Dursleys, he finally has one friend - Hedwig the owl, a present given to him by Hagrid. Hedwig becomes a constant companion throughout the remainder of the novel helping Harry and his new friends uncover various plots and schemes at Hogwarts.

Friendship 3: When Ron Weasley walks into Harry's room on the train, the two boys begin a friendship that will last throughout their time at Hogwarts. They share their stories, their family problems, and eventually candy. Ron reassures Harry that he will not feel out of place or behind on information. Harry appreciates Ron's words.

Friendship 4: When Draco Malfoy offers his evil hand of friendship to Harry in the same sentence as he badmouths Ron, Harry refuses. He informs Draco that Harry needs no help finding his own friends and has already done so with Ron. From this point on, Harry and Ron are inseparable friends, while Draco Malfoy becomes their anti-friend - their nemesis.

Friendship 5: Harry and Ron develop their friendship some more, as they spend all their time together in class, in Gryffindor, and fending off Malfoy. Harry has also found a good and loyal friend in Hagrid. They visit him in his shack together and learn about the break-in at Gringotts on his birthday. Hagrid reassures in a friendly way that Snape is mean to everyone - not just him.

Friendship 6: Harry goes to extremes to help his friends. When Draco steals Neville's Remembrall, Harry chases after him on his broomstick to retrieve it. Harry realizes the importance of friends and wants to help them no matter the cost.

Friendship 7: Ron despises Hermione so much because of her pompous demeanor that he makes a derogatory remark aloud to Harry behind her back about how she has no friends. She overhears the comment and runs away in tears. Harry finds Ron's comment upsetting and feels badly for Hermione.

Friendship 8: After the terrifying incident with the troll, Ron, Harry, and Hermione become a trio of best friends. They believe that survival after such a scary brush with death is enough to bring anyone together.

Friendship 9: Faster than he gains it, Harry loses all his good fame and popularity in one night. When he and his friends lose one hundred and fifty points for Gryffindor, Harry discovers that he has no more friends. Ron and Hermione stand behind their friend and remain the only true friends he has at this point.

Friendship 10: When Harry vows to find the Stone that very evening, Ron and Hermione accompany him. They will not allow their friend to enter into a death trap alone and will help him at any chance.

Friendship 11: Ron sacrifices himself in the ultimate expression of friendship. In order to allow his friends to continue to the next chamber, he allows his knight to be killed in the giant game of wizard's chess, rendering him unconscious.

Friendship 12: It is Hermione's turn to express her love for her friends when she answers the riddle and walks through the fire, allowing Harry to proceed to the final chamber underground. She hugs Harry and tells him how great a wizard he is and how important friendship is to her. She realizes that all of her studying is useless without her friends.