一岁的哈利・波特失去父母后，神秘地出现在姨父姨妈家的门前。哈利在姨父家饱受欺凌，度过十年极其痛苦的日子。姨父和姨妈好似凶神恶煞，他们那混世魔王儿子达力――一个肥胖、娇惯、欺负人的大块头，更是经常对哈利拳脚相加。哈利的“房间”是位于楼梯口的一个又暗又小的碗橱。十年来，从来没有人为他过过生日。
但是在他十一岁生日那天，一切都发生了变化，信使猫头鹰带来了一封神秘的信：邀请哈利去一个他――以及所有读到哈利故事的人――会觉得永远难忘的、不可思议的地方――霍格沃茨魔法学校。
在魔法学校，哈利不仅找着了朋友、学会了空中飞行，骑着一把型号为光轮2000的飞天扫帚打魁地球，还得到了一件隐形衣。他发现那里的一切――从上课到吃饭到睡觉都充满了魔力，但是一块魔石出现了，它与哈利的命运息息相关……

Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.