* The following summary contains spoilers from the previous book – Harry Potter and the Vault of Time. You should probably read that first. *

The story thus far…

(To get the full experience, read while listening to 'Carry on my Wayward Son', by Kansas)

During his first trip to Gringotts, Harry discovers a small box with a few odds and ends from his parents. He randomly grabs one item, a small wooden box, and later finds that it is, in fact, a shrunken trunk. Inside the trunk is a vanishing cabinet that can be used to access a small training facility his parents had built, where time goes much faster than normal.

Taking advantage of this opportunity to learn some magic on his own before starting Hogwarts, Harry spends his nights in the facility, and, in addition to studying, begins to read his mother's diary. He learns that his parents had been a bit suspicious of Dumbledore, and so, wanting to learn more, he returns to Diagon Alley. He meets Florean Fortescue, a kind old man who owns an ice-cream shop. Florean confirms some of Harry's concerns, and encourages him to keep his eyes open when he goes to Hogwarts to avoid being fooled by Dumbledore's manipulations.

Harry is not overly impressed with the classes at Hogwarts, especially Potions, where the professor seems to be going out of his way to pick on Harry. After Harry is punished for fighting in the halls (while defending himself from Malfoy and his goons), he is shunned and isolated. He eventually quits the Quidditch team. At the end of the year, Harry realizes that someone is trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone from the forbidden corridor, so he, Neville and Hermione try to protect it. They make it through the obstacles, but Harry is the only one to enter the final room. He discovers that the would-be thief is Quirrell, who is possessed by Voldemort. He manages to kill Quirrell, but wanting to avoid possible punishment, deliberately injures himself and takes a potion to temporarily erase the memory.

His deception works. Dumbledore has no idea that Harry has recovered the Stone from the mirror. Now, realizing that Voldemort is still around, Harry is determined to prepare for the war to come. But whatever he does, he'll need to be careful to keep it a secret, because he's still not sure how much he can trust the headmaster…