Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Five major plot points that JK Rowling hinted at

“You’re a wizard, Harry.” These words set the ball rolling for what would turn out to be a multi-billion brand named Harry Potter. But for fans of the franchise, alternatively referred to as Potterheads, it was an alternate universe that they could find solace in. But little did they know when they read the first installment of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, that some of the minor elements in the film would turn out to be major plot points in the following parts. This Throwback Thursday, Firstpost recalls five such hints that JK Rowling dropped which would go on to play integral parts in how the story unfolded. Parseltongue When Harry Potter visits a reptile house with the Dursleys, he finds a snake responding to his conversation across a glass pane. When Harry eventually, and unintentionally, rescues the snake from captivity, it hisses a ’thanks’ and slithers away. It was the first time that Harry was introduced as a parselmouth, much before he realised that he was a wizard. Scabbers Minutes after Harry meets Ron Weasley for the first time, he is also introduced to his rat Scabbers, a rather odd choice for a pet in Hogwarts as the wizardry world is usually crowded with cats, owls and frogs. The rat was revealed to be Voldemort’s aide Wormtail, an animaghus, in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Severus Snape Right at the onset, Rowling builds up Snape as an out and out negative character. His malicious comparisons of Harry to his late father James Potter suggested that there was an enmity between the two but it made complete sense only in the final part, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when it was disclosed that Snape had a soft corner for Harry’s mother Lily Potter. Invisibility Cloak While the fascination attached with this ancestral gift was quite organic, Harry had no inkling about the origin of the object. It played a crucial part in the parts to follow but it was only in the seventh part that Harry realised that the invisibility cloak was a part of the Deathly Hallows. Horcruxes There was no direct mention of or introduction to any of the seven horcruxes (except Harry, of course). But Rowling dropped a subtle hint towards the end of the film. When Harry heaves a sigh of relief that Voldemort is gone for good, Albus Dumbledore confidently warns him that the dreaded evil wizard will return. How was he so confident? Well, Potterheads would know. So just like how a true magician does not show all her cards, Rowling saved the best for the last but not before spilling a few beans all over the first part. The best part, however, is that there might be many more loose ends in the rest of the parts that she has left us to decode. All images from YouTube.