As I go through the book, I sometimes get curious about etymology and word origins, as it aligns with my other interests. So for this chapter, many of the locations, buildings and shops stood out. For instance, where does the word "Gringotts" come from? Of course, it was named after the goblin who founded it. From a more mundane perspective, this name is believed to be a combination of two words: Gringo, a Spanish word for a foreigner, as goblins are often othered in wizarding society, and ingot, which is a mass of metal. This word origin is contested, however.

Of course, I highlighted the entire list of school supplies required for first years, as I attempt to reconstruct what a Hogwarts syllabus might have looked like in Harry Potter's time at Hogwarts. The set book list was particularly interesting to me. A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot shows up, and we will only later learn in DH the significance of her as a character, having been a friend of Lily and James when they lived in Godric's Hollow, and later being possessed and killed by Nagini. Other interesting book names and authors include:

•  Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling ("waffling" been a term meaning writing or saying a lot of things with no substance, sometimes called "padding" in American English)


• A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch


• One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore


• Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger ("Arsenius" sounds like "arsenic", a type of poison)
  


• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

One thing many a reader has also pointed out is that the pets allowed at Hogwarts are owl, cat, and toad. However, we know that Ron Weasley is, for some reason, allowed a rat. Why this exception is made is anyone's guess. Rats are generally harmless, at the very least, but not in his case, as we will later learn in PoA, but maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. 

I had two notes on Hagrid and Harry's trip to Gringotts. First of all, they are led around by Griphook, who you may remember to be the goblin who in DH helps the trio break into Gringotts. Secondly, I wanted to mention the significance of the vault number that holds the Philosopher's Stone, 713. 7 is historically a lucky number, and is also a "magical" number in Harry Potter (once you look, you start seeing it everywhere). 13 is an unlucky number (think Friday the 13th, or Sybil Trelawny's prediction of "Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!" in PoA). As well as this, when backwards, 713 is 317, which can be split into the date 31/7, or the 31st of July, which is Harry's birthday, and also the date this chapter takes place. Vault 713 is also just two numbers away from Vault 711, the Black family vault.

Where does the name "Malkin" come from in "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions"? Through some research, I found two possibilities. The first is that Malkin Tower, which was likely located in Lancashire, was a key site of the Lancashire witch trials (also known as the Pendle witch trials) of 1612. The second option is that in the play MacBeth, one of the Weird Sisters (aka, the witches) has a cat named Graymalkin. 

I'm no expert in wandlore, but Harry's experience in Ollivander's really caught my eye, more specifically, what he says about the wands of Harry's parents. First Lily's wnd is made of willow. I wondered if there was any relation to the Whomping Willow, but that's a bit of a reach and conjecture, but curious nonetheless. Ollivander states it is a "Nice wand for charm work" (p. 89), which made me immediately think of the powerful ancient charm she cast on Harry through her love that kept him alive, even wandlessly. Then, he goes on to describe James' mahogany wand as "excellent for transfiguration." (p. 89), which raises brows for two reasons. First of all, Harry's first broom, the Nimbus Two Thousand, is made of mahogany, as we will later learn, so there is a nod to their shared Quidditch talent. Secondly, we will later learn in PoA that Harry's father managed to pull of one of the most difficult feats of transfiguration, becoming an animagus. 

The last thing I was struck by was Harry's first interaction with his holly and phoenix feather wand. The red and gold sparks that fly from the wand, other than being a beautiful image, remind me of a) Harry's nature as a true Gryffindor, and b) Harry's ongoing association with the colour gold. 

In summary

• Etymology of "Gringotts"


• Titles and authors of textbooks


• Ron's exceptional pet


• Griphook and Vault 713


• Where the name "Malkin" comes from


• Harry's parents' wands


• The sparks from Harry's wand