Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Chapters 15–17

by J.K. Rowling
On his eleventh birthday, orphan Harry Potter learns the shocking truth: he's a wizard about to begin his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–14, Chapters 15–17

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alibi
    proof that someone accused of a crime could not have done it
    Excuses, alibis, and wild cover-up stories chased each other around Harry’s brain, each more feeble than the last.
  2. blunder
    make one's way clumsily or blindly
    Poor, blundering Neville—Harry knew what it must have cost him to try and find them in the dark, to warn them.
  3. furor
    a sudden outburst, as of protest
    Harry had forgotten they still had detentions to do in the furor over the points they’d lost.
  4. leer
    look suggestively or obliquely
    “I bet you’ll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won’t you, eh?” he said, leering at them.
  5. scud
    run or move very quickly or hastily
    The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness.
  6. stagger
    walk as if unable to control one's movements
    Half blinded, he staggered backward.
  7. palomino
    a horse of light tan or golden color
    A centaur was standing over him, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.
  8. livid
    discolored by coagulation of blood beneath the skin
    He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar that stood out, livid, on Harry’s forehead.
  9. dense
    hard to pass through because of heavy growth
    They were passing through a particularly dense patch of trees, however, when Firenze suddenly stopped.
  10. dapple
    color with streaks or blotches of different shades
    Harry stared at the back of Firenze’s head, which was dappled silver in the moonlight.
  11. canter
    go at a smooth three-beat gait, of horses
    He turned and cantered back into the depths of the forest, leaving Harry shivering behind him.
  12. sweltering
    excessively hot and humid; marked by sweating and faintness
    It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did their written papers.
  13. bask
    expose oneself to warmth and light, as for relaxation
    The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows.
  14. skulk
    lie in wait or behave in a sneaky and secretive manner
    At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.
  15. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    He landed, sprawled next to Harry.
  16. tendril
    slender structure by which some plants attach to an object
    She had to struggle because the moment she had landed, the plant had started to twist snakelike tendrils around her ankles.
  17. unravel
    disentangle
    Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.
  18. knack
    a special way of doing something
    He had a knack for spotting things other people didn’t.
  19. threshold
    the entrance for passing through a room or building
    They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway.
  20. brace
    prepare for something unpleasant or difficult
    He put the bottle down and walked forward; he braced himself, saw the black flames licking his body, but couldn’t feel them—for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire—then he was on the other side, in the last chamber.
  21. idly
    in a lazy, casual, or aimless way
    “Yes,” said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back.
  22. loathe
    dislike intensely; feel disgust toward
    He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn’t you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead.
  23. in vain
    without a successful result or effect
    I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight...but your mother needn’t have died...she was trying to protect you.... Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain.
  24. sear
    cause a burning or stinging pain
    At once, a needle-sharp pain seared across Harry’s scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled, struggling with all his might, and to his surprise, Quirrell let go of him.
  25. blister
    develop elevations of the skin filled with fluid
    The pain in his head lessened—he looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers—they were blistering before his eyes.
  26. hygienic
    tending to promote or preserve health
    I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic, and confiscated it.
  27. remorse
    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
    “Hagrid!” said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard.
  28. din
    a loud, harsh, or strident noise
    The din was deafening.
  29. abysmal
    exceptionally bad or displeasing
    Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one.
  30. wizened
    lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness
    A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes so they didn’t attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.
Created on Thu Jun 09 18:00:54 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Jun 10 11:00:03 EDT 2022)

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