Potter met his best friends, Mr. Ronald Weasley, and Ms. Hermione Granger (later to become Mr. Weasley's wife) on the train to Hogwarts. Potter has said that he really didn't expect Weasley and Granger to stick by him all those years.

At Hogwarts, all were sorted into Gryffindor House, and their personalities differed greatly. For Weasley, "The Slacker", for Granger, "The Know-It-All", and for Potter, "The Boy Who Lived".

On Hallowe'en, a Mountain Troll was let into the school by Professor Quirinus Quirell of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Mrs. Weasley, now head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, recounts the terrifying experience.

"I remember crying over [Ron and Harry's] rejection and bullying, when, all of a sudden, I smelled something absolutely revolting. Like a rat ate a rotten egg, and then passed. That was how bad it was. Luckily, [Harry and Ron] were there to save me. Ron performed the most extraordinary Levitation Charm."

That Levitation Charm would spare Mrs. Weasley from death.

The Trio were caught up in more trouble when they encountered, and conquered, a Cerberus, Devil's Snare, a Potions Riddle, a giant Wizard's Chess set, jinxed flying keys, and more importantly, the Dark Lord himself.

It turns out that Professor Quirrell was hosting the Dark Lord on the back of his head. He was after the Philosopher's Stone, which would give him back his body. In the subsequent fight, Quirrell died and the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed.