The Supernatural Quotes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

How we cite our quotes: (chapter.paragraph)

Quote #4

"I don't know how the Muggles manage without magic," he said as they climbed a broken-down escalator that led up to a bustling road lined with shops. (5.76)

While Harry's still getting used to the idea that magic exists and witches and wizards are real, Hagrid reminds us that this magic is ancient and long-established, and he can't even figure out how people get along without it. This goes a long way toward establishing the tremendous size and depth of this new world, which Harry's found himself a part of.

Quote #5

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. (5.244)

This is the first time that Harry gets a feel for doing magic himself and the potential thrill that casting charms can bring. He's seen plenty of other awesome magical things happen so far – just being in Diagon Alley is pretty cool – but this is the first kind of magic he's gotten to experience as someone who causes it, rather than someone who watches the effects.

Quote #6

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words. (8.12)

Lest we think that becoming a wizard is all fun and games, Hogwarts reminds us, through Harry, that it's actually very hard work. The students at Hogwarts may have innate wizarding talent, or potential, but that doesn't translate to experience and success right out of the gate. In a way, that's kind of reassuring.