An orphan learns he is destined to be a wizard and travels to a magical school but finds that evil still lurks there.

I break down movies by their three-act structure. What is three-act structure? I explain it here.

Note: I break the story down into five-minute blocks to make it easier to see the length of each section. Rough time codes follow.

Prolog

Baby Harry Potter is left with the Dursleys, his aunt and uncle by Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid. 5

Act 1

Harry talks to a snake at the zoo and accidentally makes cousin Dudley fall into the snake pen (the inciting incident). His aunt and uncle are very angry about his freakish powers. 10

Harry receives mysterious letters from “Hogwarts”, but the Dursleys keep taking them away. 15

The Dursleys hide out on an island, but Hagrid finds them and tells Harry he is destined to be a wizard, because he survived an attack by evil Lord Voldemort as an infant (introducing the villain, by reputation, anyway). 20

Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley, where they encounter Professor Quirrel (another passing nod to the villain), and Gringott’s Bank for Harry’s inheritance and a package Dumbledore sent him to retrieve. 25

Buying school supplies, Harry is told by wand-seller Ollivander that the wand that suits him is the “brother” of Voldemort’s. Hagrid explains Voldemort killed Harry’s parents (introducing the conflict, except the conflict isn’t really Harry getting revenge on Voldemort; it’s really “what the heck is going on with the package Hagrid picked up at the bank?” altho it does help provide Harry with motivation). 30

Hagrid leaves Harry in King’s Cross Station, where he chances to meet the Weasley family, who help him board the train to Hogwarts (thrusting Harry into the extraordinary world of Hogwart’s. 35

Act 2

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, also first-year students, sit with Harry and share candy on the train ride. 40

The train arrives at Hogwarts Castle (the extraordinary world). A snobby, rich boy, Draco Malfoy, introduces himself. 45

Our three heroes are sorted into Gryffindor house. Draco is sorted into Slytherin, headed by the suspicious Professor Snape. 50

The trio gets a tour and attends classes (venturing into the wilderness). Snape takes an instant dislike to Harry. The trio learns the Gringott’s vault that Hagrid got the package from was burgled. 55

In broom-riding class, Draco argues with Harry and throws something, which Harry zooms after and catches, impressing the teacher into putting him on the “quidditch” team. 60

Harry, Hermione, and Ron go into the wrong hall and encounter a giant, three-headed dog (plot twist 1). 65

Oliver Wood introduces Harry to quidditch, in which Harry’s job is to catch a fluttering “snitch”. Hermione proves adept at learning spells, but a snide comment from Ron alienates her. 70

Professor Quirrell raises the alarm about a troll in the castle. Harry and Ron rush to rescue Hermione and take down a troll (whose threat is a crisis because it raises the stakes to life-or-death)….

Midpoint

…Harry suspects Snape. Harry is gifted a fancy new broom. 75

Harry is nearly injured by a spell a quidditch match, and Hermione stops Snape from casting a spell. Harry catches the snitch to win the match. 80

The trio takes their concerns about Snape to Hagrid, who thinks it’s silly. He lets slip the object belong to Nicholas Flamel. 85

Harry receives an invisibility cloak for Christmas. He uses it to try to research Nicholas Flamel in the library and spies on Snape menacing Quirrell. 90

Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised and sees his heart’s desire: his parents. Dumbledore comforts him and warns him against being entranced by the mirror. 95

Based on her research, Hermione believes Fluffy is guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone, which grants immortality (plot twist 2). Draco catches them out of bed; their punishment is helping Hagrid. 100

While helping Hagrid in the forest, Harry encounters a hooded figure he thinks is Voldemort drinking unicorn blood and are saved by a centaur. He theorizes Snape wants the stone to return Voldemort to full strength (which is more or less the moment the heroes commit themselves to stopping him). 105

Hagrid reveals that music puts Fluffy to sleep and he let it slip to a man in a pub, whom they think is Snape and that Snape will try to steal the stone that night. (This is not exactly an all is lost moment but more of a ticking clock, but note how they realize the theft will occur that very night, the defeat, and get the information they need to stop it at the same time, the secret key). 110

Act 3

Neville Longbottom tries to stop the trio from going out and likely getting into trouble, and they are forced they paralyze him. The trio gets past Fluffy because an enchanted harp has been left playing beside him. Hermione saves them from a deadly plant. 115

Harry catches a key among hundreds of flying keys using his broom skills (which could also be considered the secret key, of course; in a sense all the challenges are). 120

Ron wins a violent, life-size chess match but is injured; Hermione stays with him. 125

Harry confronts not Snape… but Quirrell. The Mirror of Erised gives Harry what he wants (but doesn’t want to use): the Sorcerer’s Stone. Quirrell and Voldemort are one and offer to bring back Harry’s parents for the stone, but Harry refuses. 130

Quirrell and Harry fight. But Harry’s mere touch Harry causes Quirrell to turn to dust (resolving the conflict, by stopping the stone from falling into the wrong hands). Voldemort’s spirit flees, knocking Harry unconscious. 135

Harry wakes up in the infirmary. Dumbledore explains Harry’s mother imbued him with protection from Voldemort….

Epilog

…At the end of year feast, extra points are given to Hermione, Ron, Harry, and even Neville for outstanding courage. As a result of the extra points, Gryffindor wins the house cup (which feels like the resolution of a secondary conflict, but we heard virtually nothing of the house cup earlier). 140

The kids board the train to leave Hogwarts, and Harry thanks Hagrid and says he feels like he has found a real home. 145