Children’s books before 1997 often avoided death. The first chapter of Philosopher’s Stone opens with a double murder (James and Lily). The entire plot revolves around a stone that prevents death. Rowling’s central theme is that death is inevitable, but what we do with our life is what matters.
Before J.K. Rowling wrote a single word about Hogwarts, the Philosopher’s Stone was a legendary substance in Western alchemy. Believed to have the power to turn lead into gold (chrysopoeia) and grant immortality through the Elixir of Life, the stone was the ultimate goal of alchemists like Nicolas Flamel. Harry Potter and The Philosopher-s Stone -Sorce...