History Fridge / HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone

* Imagine being a parent and your child gets a letter that is addressed very specifically, as in it has the very bedroom they sleep in on the envelope. How many parents had a dose of AdultFear when their magical offspring received their first Hogwarts letter?
** Wizarding parents know this is how it works, and muggleborns get their letter not per post, but delivered by a witch or wizard qualified to explain everything to the child and parents. Harry was an exception probably because knowing the Dursleys, McGonnagall, who signed the letters and is probably the one in charge of getting them sent out, knew all too well explaining is futile with that lot- and Dumbledore, the other person who might have been in charge, remembers Petunia witnessing an explanation thanks to Lily, Petunia's sister, being a witch. [[spoiler: Not to mention, you know, he remembers his correspondence with her.]]

* The protections on the Stone also provide a sort of retroactive foreshadowing for who the villain is. [[spoiler: Quirell]] tells Harry that "there is no good and evil- there is only power, and those too weak to seek it." This clearly points to a personal philosophy of 'power and nothing else.' All but one of the traps ''do not test sheer magical strength''- The Devil's Snare required knowledge of Herbology and the ability to keep one's head in a crisis (and was eventually solved by a simple fire spell), the keys required skill at flying and teamwork, the chess set required strategical knowledge and willingness to [[HeroicSacrifice make sacrifices]], and the potion room is explicitly stated to be a test of logic, instead of magic. What is the only test that appears to be a contest of sheer strength (so much so that Harry and company were lucky they didn't have to fight it) and was probably beaten using sheer strength? [[spoiler: ''Quirell's troll!'']]

* At first the protections guarding the stone seem to be only OK, if they were able to be beaten by three first years. Until you realize it took THREE first years. Each challenge was difficult, but was also set for a specific skill set. The flying keys was designed for someone with quite a bit of athletic skills, while the potions needed someone good at riddles. The troll needed someone who was good at defensive spells, while a chess master has a different set of skills and way of looking at things than some who studies a lot. Even Deadly Snare needed someone was good in Herbology or who reads a lot. Its not the individual tasks were hard, but that the chances of one person being an extremely athletic, logical, strategist who was well read and good at defensive spells is highly unprobable. Even for three very different wizards, two of the tasks had too have already be taken care of them for them (the troll and Fluffy), it still was a challenge. No wonder it took Quirrel all year to figure out how to get past all of them. And ''because'' of this multilayered protection, it almost dictated that, barring a wizard equal to the power of Voldemort himself, it would have required a team of people to reach the Mirror of Erised - and more than likely, a team of people willing to sacrifice their chance at the Stone so one person could move forward. (And given that this stone produces instant riches and immortality, good luck with that.) And of course, Dumbledore's final protection was that only someone who only wanted to find the stone - "find it, but not use it" - would be able to get it. (Which pretty much disqualifies 99.99% looking for the Stone.) One could argue that Harry nearly screwed up the plan, because if Dumbledore's words held true, Quirrelmort would have likely just stood there in front of the Mirror for a long time looking stupid if Harry hadn't shown up and willed the Stone to drop right into his pocket.

* The fact that three 11 year olds and a 12 year old (Hermione's birthday is mid-september) were sent into the ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Forbidden Forest]]'' to find a unicorn that had been badly hurt for ''being out after curfew''. Hagrid even says that a werewolf wouldn't be able to do it. And as we learn in the next book, there's an entire colony of giant spiders in the forest! Oh, and Hagrid even tells them that "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it.'" when Harry and Hermione (and Ron in the movie) are in trouble for helping him! WhatTheHellHero doesn't even begin to cover it!
* Imagine being a parent and your child gets a letter that is addressed very specifically, as in it has the very bedroom they sleep in on the envelope. How many parents had a dose of AdultFear when their magical offspring received their first Hogwarts letter?

* Everyone at first thinks Quirrell's stuttering and turban come from a bad encounter with a Vampire in Albania. He did indeed have a bad encounter, but with Voldemort, so it appears this rumor was false. but Voldemort makes Quirrell drink (unicorn) blood on his behalf.

* Hagrid gives Dudley a pig's tail. Ha! How funny! Later in the series we see how seriously the Ministry takes magic cast on muggles - and this is a muggle ''child'', no matter what a jerk he and his parents are. Also note that when Hagrid was angered by Vernon, his immediate response was to turn and attack Mr Dursley's ''son''.

* Ronan also says "Always the innocent are the first victims." The first person to die in the second war was [[spoiler: Cedric Diggory,]] [[NiceGuy a friendly, easygoing kid who'd never hurt anyone]].
** It is also revealed by WordOfGod that Quirrell did not intend to serve Voldemort. He wanted to determine (and if need be defeat) if Voldemort was alive. Unfortunately he found Voldemort and was forcibly taken over against his will, essentially dying from that encounter and was from then on controlled by our BigBad. He was also the first innocent Victim of Voldy's return to power.

* In the shack on the island where Vernon takes the Dursleys, Harry asks Hagrid what happened to Voldermort. Hagrid's response: "Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die." That's exactly what happens: Voldemort doesn't die [[spoiler:because only one-seventh of his soul is in his body at the time.]]
** [[spoiler: Actually it'd be a whole lot less as every time Voldy made a horcrux he'd be splitting an ever smaller fraction of his soul, so he had only 1/32nd of his soul went he went to Godric's Hollow that All Hallow's Eve in 1981]]

** Malfoy's comment about Hufflepuff wasn't just a shot at the House's unspectacular reputation; you'd think that Gryffindor, given its longtime rivalry with Slytherin, would be the House that Malfoy mentioned. But consider that Helga Hufflepuff was implied to be the founder that cared least about blood status and was accepting of everyone - which is the diametric opposite of Malfoy's pro-pureblood, elitist line of thinking.

* Quirrell mentions that he was given the turban as a reward by an African prince for ridding him of a rather troublesome zombie. Zombies in the Harry Potterverse (at least in the United Kingdom) are called "Inferi"... but Quirrell mentions this ''to children'' - they weren't there for the last time Inferi were seen en masse. So how would they know he's lying?
** "Zombie" is a word of African origin. What British wizards call Inferi, African wizards might well call Zombies.

* Hagrid gives Dudley a pig's tail. Ha! How funny! Later in the series we see how seriously the Ministry takes magic cast on muggles - and this is a muggle ''child'', no matter what a jerk he and his parents are.
** Also note, that when Hagrid was angered by Vernon, his immediate response was to turn and attack Mr Dursley's ''son''.
*** Seeing as Hagrid was later revealed to be Half Giant in HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire, the spell was the less severe way compared to what he coulda done to them with his great strength. The movie version of this lampshades it when he nonchalantly bends Vernon's shotgun barrel upwards.
* When the first movie came out, there was a slew of merchandising, including a plushie of Ron's pet rat Scabbers. [[spoiler:Who, two books/movies later, is revealed a disguised Death Eater who was responsible for getting one of his best friends (Harry's dad) killed by Voldemort and framing another (Sirius Black) for the crime. I'm sure every child who bought one could empathize with Ron.]]
** The best bit of this is that ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'' the book was already out and the spoilered bit had been revealed. One can't help but wonder how well that toy sold.

** Doubles as HilariousInHindsight. Snowballing Voldemort in the face? [[CrazyAwesome BRILLIANT!]]

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Ronan the Centaur is angry at Firenze for saving Harry from Quirrell/Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest, as it goes against the stars' foretelling. Harry [[spoiler: ''is'' destined to be killed by Voldemort in the forest, but not until 6 years later]]. --

* When Dumbledore commends Neville Longbottom for trying to stop the Trio, he comments that while it takes courage to stand up to one's enemies, it takes a great deal more to stand up to one's friends, at the time it seemed like he was merely ensuring that Griffindor would win the house cup. However in the last book that we find out that Dumbledore's [[MyGreatestFailure greatest regret]] was not standing up to his friend Grindelwald earlier, which caused the death of his younger sister, and his eventual rise to power.

* Why does Dumbledore give Neville 10 points for standing up to Harry, Ron and Hermione at the end? It's not just so Gryffindor will win the cup - Dumbledore remembers what happened when ''he'' didn't stand up to his friend, and he's rewarding Neville for succeeding where he himself had failed.

** Doubles as HilariousInHindsight. Snowballing Voldemort in the face? [[CrazyAwesome BRILLIANT]]

* Everyone at first thinks Quirrel's stuttering and turban come from a bad encounter with a Vampire in Albania. He did indeed have a bad encounter, but with Voldemort, so it appears this rumor was false. but Voldemort makes Quirrel drink (unicorn) blood on his behalf.

** It is also revealed by WordOfGod that Quirrel did not intend to serve Voldemort. He wanted to determine (and if need be defeat) if Voldemort was alive. Unfortunately he found Voldemort and was forcibly taken over against his will, essentially dying from that encounter and was from then on controlled by our BigBad. He was also the first innocent Victim of Voldy's return to power.

* In the first book, Fred and George throw snowballs at Professor Quirrel's turban. Only at the end do we find out that underneath that turban is the most dangerous dark wizard of all time.

* Just a small thing, but in the holidays, Fred and George charm snowballs to bounce off the back of Quirels turban. At the end of the book, it is revealed that [[spoiler: Voldemorts face is on the back of Quirels head, under his turban. So the twins snowballs were hitting Voldemort! THIS MUST BE A CROWNING MOMENT OF FUNNY!]]

** It is also revealed by WordofGod that Quirrel did not intend to serve Voldemort. He wanted to determine (and if need be defeat) if Voldemort was alive. Unfortunately he found Voldemort and was forcibly taken over against his will, essentially dying from that encounter and was from then on controlled by our BigBad. He was also the first innocent Victim of Voldy's return to power.

* The mirror of Erised.. The entire phrase "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" that is carved on the mirror can be read backwards reading "I show not your face but your heart's desire."

FridgeHorror:

FridgeBrilliance:
* When Harry confronts Quirrell in the Mirror's chamber, Quirrell has the remaining fragment of Voldemort physically bonded to the back of his head. In book 7, we find out that [[spoiler: Harry himself ''also'' has a torn-off fragment of Voldemort attached to him, mystically bonded to his soul, as demonstrated by the scar on the ''front'' of his head]]. A Mirror chamber, indeed!
* Why does Dumbledore give Neville 10 points for standing up to Harry, Ron and Hermione at the end? It's not just so Gryffindor will win the cup - Dumbledore remembers what happened when ''he'' didn't stand up to his friend, and he's rewarding Neville for succeeding where he himself had failed.
* Quirrell mentions that he was given the turban as a reward by an African prince for ridding him of a rather troublesome zombie. Zombies in the Harry Potterverse (at least in the United Kingdom) are called "Inferi"... but Quirrell mentions this ''to children'' - they weren't there for the last time Inferi were seen en masse. So how would they know he's lying?

* Why does Dumbledore give Neville 10 points for standing up to Harry, Ron and Hermione at the end? It's not just so Gryffindor will win the cup - Dumbledore remembers what happened when ''he'' didn't stand up to his friend, and he's rewarding Neville for succeeding where he himself had failed.

** Also note, that when Hagrid was angered by Vernon, his immediate response was to turn and attack his Mr Dursley's ''son''.

* When Harry confronts Quirrell in the Mirror's chamber, Quirrell has the remaining fragment of Voldemort physically bonded to the back of his head. In book 7, we find out that [[spoiler: Harry himself ''also'' has a torn-off fragment of Voldemort attached to him, mystically bonded to his soul, as demonstrated by the scar on the ''front'' of his head]]. A Mirror chamber, indeed!

* Hagrid gives Dudley a pig's tail. Ha! How funny! Later in the series we see how seriously the Ministry takes magic cast on muggles - and this is a muggle ''child'', no matter what a jerk he and his parents are.