Episode 1

Hello everyone, my name is Shreya and today I'll be reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Today in this podcast we will just be reading chapter one. This is my first podcast, so please... Enjoy. Chapter 1. The Boy Who Lived. Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of No. 4 Privet Drive were proud to say that they were perfectly normal. Thank you very much.

they were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious because they just didn't hold with such nonsense mr dursley was the director of a firm called grunnings which made drills He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and nearly had twice the amount of usual neck.

which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over the garden fences spying on the neighbors the dercys had a small son called dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that someone would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister.

But they hadn't met for several years. In fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as un-Dursley-ish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think that the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son too, but they had never even seen him.

This boy was another good reason for keeping the potter's way. They didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that. When Mr. and Mrs. Jersey woke up on the dull gray Tuesday, our story starts.

there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country mr dursley hummed as he picked up out of his most boring tie for work and mrs dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming deadly into his high chair none of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window

at half-past eight mr dursley picked up his briefcase pecked mrs dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss dudley good-bye but he missed because dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the waltz little tyke chortled mr dursley as he left the house he got into his car and backed out of numbers four's pivot drive it was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something

peculiar a cat reading a map for a second mr dursley didn't realize what he had seen then he jerked his head around to look again there was a tabby cat standing on the corner of pivot drive there wasn't a map in sight what could he have been thinking of it must have been a trick of light mr dursey blinked and stared at the cat it stared back as mr dursey drove around the corner and up the road he watched the cat in his mirror

it was now reading the sign that said privilege no looking at the sign cats couldn't read maps or signs mr dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind As he drove towards the town, he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day. But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else.

as he sat in the usual morning traffic jam he couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about people in clothes mr jersey couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes the get-ups you saw on young people he supposed this was some stupid new fashion he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos

standing quite close by they were whispering excitedly together mr dursley was enraged to see a couple of them weren't young at all why that man was older than he was and wearing an emerald-green cloak the nerve of him But then it struck Mr. Jersey that this was probably some silly start. These people were obviously collecting for something. Yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later Mr. Jersey arrived in the grinding car park. He...

his mind back on dress mr jersey always sat with his back towards the window in his office on the ninth floor if he hadn't he might have found it very disturbing he didn't see the owl swooping past in broad daylight the people down in the street did they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead most of them had never seen an owl even at night-time mr jersey however had a perfectly normal owl-free morning he yelled at five different people he made several important

telephone calls and shouted a bit more he was in a very good mood until lunch-time when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the baker's

forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the bakers. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot was whispering slightly too. and he couldn't see a single collecting tin it was his way back past them clutching a large doughnut in his bag then he caught a few words of what they were saying

The potters, yeah, that's right, that's what I heard. Yes, there's Aunt Harry. Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whispers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it. He dashed back across the road, hurried up into his office, snapped at a security not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind.

he put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache thinking no he was being stupid potter wasn't such an unusual name he was sure there were lots of people called potter who had a son called harry Can I think of it, he wasn't even sure if his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey or Harold. There was no point in wearing Mrs. Dursley.

She always got so upset at the mention of her sister. He didn't blame her if he'd had a sister like that, but all the same, those people in cloaks. He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills. That afternoon and when he left the building at 5 o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.

sorry he grunted as a tiny old man stumbled and almost fell it was a few seconds before mr dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak he didn't seem at all upset at being knocked on over the ground on the contrary his Face split into a wide smile, and he said in a squeaky voice that made passers-by stare, Don't be sorry, my sir, for nothing could accept me today. Rejoice, for you know who has gone at last.

Even muggles like yourself should be celebrating this happy, happy day. And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off. Mr. Dursley stood rooted to his spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. he also thought he had been called a muggle whatever that was he was rattled he hurried to his car and set off home hoping he was imagining things which he had never hoped before

because he didn't approve of imagination. As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw, and didn't improve his mood, was the tabby cat. He'd spotted that morning. it was now sitting on his garden wall he was sure it was the same one it had the same markings around its eyes shoo said mr jersey loudly the cat didn't move it just gave him a stern look

Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered, trying to pull himself together. He let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife. Mrs. Dursley had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner... all about the mrs next door's problems with her daughter and how dudley had learned a new word shunt mr dursley tried to act normally when dudley had been put to bed he went to the living room

In time to catch the last report on the evening news. And finally, bird watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusual today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are... hardly ever seen in daylight. There have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why these owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern. The newsreader allowed himself a grin.

Most mysterious. And now over to Jim McCreven with the weather. Going to be any more showers of ours today, Jim? Well, Ted, said the weatherman. I don't know about that, but it's not only the elves that have been acting oddly today. as far as kent yorkshire and dundee have been phoning in to tell that instead of the rain i promised yesterday they have been downpour of shooting stars perhaps people have been celebrating bonfire night early

It's not until next week, folks, but I can promise a wet night today. Mr. Dosey sat frozen in his armchair, shooting stars all over Britain. owls flying past daylight mysterious people in cloaks all over the place and a whisper a whisper about the potters mrs dursley came into the living-room carrying two cups of tea it was no good

He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. A petunia, dear? You haven't heard from your sister lately, have you? As he expected, Mrs. Jersey looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretend she didn't have a sister. No, she said sharply. Why? Funny stuff on the news, Mr. Desiree mumbled. All streaming stars. And there are a lot of...

funny looking people today in town. So, snapped Mrs. Seriously. Well, I just thought maybe it was something to do with, you know, her lot. mrs dursley slipped her tree through pursed lips mr dursley wondered whether he dared to tell her that he heard the name potter he decided he didn't dare instead he said as casually as he could their son he be about dursley's age now wouldn't he i suppose so said mrs dursley stiffly

What's his name again? Howard, isn't it? Harry. Nasty common name, if you ask me. Oh, yes, said Mr. Doosley, his heart singing horribly. Yes, it's like we'd agree. He didn't say another word on the subject, and Lee went upstairs to bed.

while mrs dursley was in the bathroom mr dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden the cat was still there it was staring down pervert drive as though it was waiting for something was he imagining things could all this have to do anything with the potters if it did if it got out that they were related to the pair well he didn't think he could bear it the dursleys got in bed mrs dursley fell asleep

but mr dursley lay awake turning it all over in his mind his last comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the putters were involved there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about their kind. he couldn't see how he and petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on he yawned and turned over it couldn't affect him how very wrong he was

mr dursley might have been drifting into uneasy sleep but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of the sleepiness it was sitting there as still as the statue its eyes fixed unbrinkly on the corner of perfect drive it didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the street nor when two owls swooped overhead in fact it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all a man appeared on the corner of the cat had been watching appeared so suddenly and silently you

have thought he just popped off the ground the cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed nothing like this man had ever been seen in primord drive he was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both very long enough to tuck into his belt.

he was wearing long robes a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled buckled boots his blue eyes were light bright and sparkling behind half-million spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked as though it had been broken at least twice this man's name was albus dumbledore albus dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in the street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome he was busy rummaging in his cloak looking for something

but he didn't seem to realize he was being watched because he looked up suddenly at the cat who was staring at him from the other end of the street for some reason the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him he chuckled and muttered i should have known he had found what he was looking for inside his pocket it seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter

He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked again. The next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the putter outer until... the only lights left in the whole street were two tiny pin-pricks in the distance which were the eyes of the cat watching him if anyone looked out of the window now

even beady-eyed mr mrs dursley they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement dumbledore slipped the outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it. Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall.

he turned to smile at the tabby but it had gone instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses except the shape of the markings the cat had had around her eyes she too was bearing a cloak an emerald one her black hair was drawn into a tight bun she looked distinctly ruffled how did you know it was me she asked

My dear professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly. You would be stiff if you've been watching sitting on a brick on a wall all day, said Professor McGonagall. All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here. Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. Oh yes, everyone's celebrating alright.

she said impatiently you'd think they'd be a bit more careful but no even muggles have noticed something going on it was on their news she jerked her head back at the dercys dark living-room window i heard it flocks of owls shooting stars well they're not completely stupid they were bound to notice something shooting stars down in kent i'll bet that was daedalus diggle he never had made

sense you can't blame them said dumbledore gently we've had precious little time to celebrate for eleven years i know that said professor mcgonigal irritatively but there's no reason to lose our heads people have been downright careless out on the streets in broad daylight not even dressed in muggle clothes swapping rumors she threw a sharp sideways glance at dumbledore

here as though hoping he was going to tell her something but he didn't so she went on a fine thing it would be if on the very day yuna who seems to have disappeared at last the muggles found out all about us i suppose he really has gone dumbledore it certainly it seems so said dumbledore we have much to be thankful for would you care for a sherbet lemon a what

a sherbet lemon they're kind of muggle sweet i'm rather fond of no thank you said professor mcgonagall coldly as though she didn't even think this was the moment for sherbet lemons as i say Even if you know who is gone. My dear professor. surely a sensible person like you can call him by his name all this you-know-who nonsense for eleven years i have been trying to pursue people to call him by his proper name

Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was answering to Sherbert, finally seemed not to notice. It all gets so confusing if we keep saying you-na-who. "'I've never seen any reason to be frightened of saying a little boy's name.' "'I know you haven't,' said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring.

But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one. You know, oh, that's right, Voldemort was frightened of. You flatter me, said Dumbledore calmly. Voldemort had powers I will never have. because you're too, well, noble to use them. It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madden Proudfriend. Don't make sure that's my ear ruffs.

Professor Morgana shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, the owls are nothing to the rumors. They're flying around. You know what everyone's saying? Why he's disappeared? What finally stopped him?

it seemed that professor mcgonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day for neither as a cat nor a woman had she fixed dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now it was plain that whatever everyone was saying she was not going to believe it until dumbledore told her it was true Dumbledore, however, was choosing another show with Lemon and did not answer. What they're saying, she pressed on.

is that last night voldemort turned out by godric's hollow he went to find the potters the rumor is that lily and james potter are are that they're dead Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped. Lillian James. Oh, I can't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. Oh, Elvis. Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. I know.

I know, he said heavily. Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry, but he couldn't. He couldn't kill the little boy. No one knows why or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's powers somehow break, and that's why he's gone. Dumbledore nodded glumly.

It's true, faltered Professor McGonagall. After all he's done, all the people he's killed, he couldn't kill little boy. It's just astounding. of all the things to stop him but how in the name of heavens did harry survive we can only guess said dumbledore we will never know professor mcgronogel pulled out her lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch out of his pocket and examined it. It was a very old watch.

had twelve hands but no numbers and said little plants were moving round the edge it must have made sense to dumbledore though because he put it back in his pocket and said hybrid's lit i suppose it was he Who told you I'd be here? By the way, yes, said Professor McGonagall. And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places. I've come to bring Harry.

to his aunt and uncle they are the only family he has left now you don't mean you can't mean the people who live here cried professor mcgonagall jumped to her feet and pointed at number four dumbledore you can't i've been watching them all day you couldn't find two people who are less like us and they've got the sun i saw him kicking his mother all the time way up the street screaming for sweets harry potter can't come and live here it's the best place

His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter. A letter, repeated Professor Milano, faintly sitting back down on the wall. Really, Dumbledore? Thank you. Can I explain all of this in a letter? These people will never understand him. He'll be famous, a legend. I wouldn't be surprised if today was not as Harry Potter Day in the future.

there are books written about him every child in our world knows his name exactly said dumbledore looking very seriously over the top of his half-moonglasses it would be enough to turn any boy's head famous before he can walk and talk famous before something he won't even remember can't you see how much better he'll be growing up away from that until he's ready to take it professor mcgonagall opened her mouth changed her mind solid and zen yes yes you're right of course but how is

the boy getting here dumbledore she eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding henry underneath him haggard's bringing him you think it is wise to trust

Hagrid with something as important as this. I will trust Hagrid with my life, said Dumbledore. I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place, said Professor McGonagall, grudgingly. But you can't pretend he's not careless.

he tends to what was that a low rumbling sound had broke the silence around them it grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of headlight it swelled to a roar as they both looked at the sky a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them if the bike was huge it was nothing to the man sitting astride it he was almost twice as tall as a normal man at least five times as wide he looked simply too big to be allowed

and so wild long tangles of bushy black hair and a beard hid most of his face he had hands the size of a dozen lids and his feet in his leather boots were like a baby dolphin in his vast muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets hagrid said dumbledore sounding revealed at last and where did you get that motorbike borrowed it professor

said the giant climbing carefully off the moon vacation young sears blackmanger to me i got him sir no problems were there no sir house was almost destroyed but i got him out of there right before the muggles started swarming around. He fell asleep as we were flying over the bustle. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets.

inside just visible was a boy fast asleep under a tuft of gently hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut like a bullet of lightning is that where whispered professor mcronigle yes said dumbledore he'll have that scar for ever couldn't you do something about it dumbledore even if i could i wouldn't sparse confirming useful i have one myself on my left knee which is a perfect map of london underground we'll give him here haggard we'd better get over with it

took harry in his arms and turned towards dursley's house could i could i say good-bye to him sir said haggard he bent his great shaggy head over harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy whiskery kiss then suddenly haggard let out a howl like a wounded dog shh hissed professor milano you'll wake up the whole I was sorry to have robbed Hagrid, taking out a large sported handkerchief and burying his face in it. But I can't stand it.

Lily and James' dad pulled a little Harry off to live with the Muggles. Yes, yes, it was very sad, and group yourself together, Hagrid, or we'll be fine. Professor McGonagall whispered.

patting haggard gingerly on the arm as dumbledoe stepped over the love garden wall and walked to the front of it he laid harry gently on the doorstep took a letter out of his cloak tucked inside harry's blankets and then came back to the two for a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle haggard's shoulders shook professor

blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually showed from the bull's eyes seemed to have gone out well said dumbledore finally that's that we no business staying here We may as well join the celebrations. Yeah, said John Hagrid in a very muffled voice. I'd best get this bike away. Good night, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, sir.

wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve hacker swam himself to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life with a sore it rose in the air and off into the night i shall see you soon i expect mcgonagall said domodora nodding to her professor mcgonagall blew her nose in reply domodora turned and walked back down the street on the corner he stopped and took out a silver

clicked it once and the twelve balls of the light spread back to the street lamps. The perfect drive was glowed again. Suddenly he could make out a tabby cat. Slinking around the corner, the editor in the screen, he could see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four. Good luck, Harry, he murmured.

he turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone a breeze ruffled the neat hedges of privet drive which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky the very last place would expect astonishing things to happen harry potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up one small hand closed

on the letter beside him and he slept on not knowing he was special not knowing he was famous not knowing he would have been walking a few hours time by mrs dursley's screen and she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles

knowing that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin deadly he couldn't know that at this very moment people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices to harry potter the boy who lived Thank you so much for listening to me read the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. In the next episode, I'll be reading chapter 2 of the same book. And then chapter...

name is The Vanishing Glass. Hope you enjoyed this episode and come back for the next episode. Thank you so much for listening. Bye!