If you know me well, you know that I am obsessed with Harry Potter. It’s one of the only series of books that has survived the many purges I’ve done on my stuff, and it’s the only series of books that can continue to capture my heart even though I’ve read them countless times.
Ryan and I had the chance to go to Harry Potter World in Universal Studios in Japan this past spring and it was easily one of the best days of my life. If I had the disposable income to buy everything there, I probably would have, but alas, I left only with a Hogwarts shirt and the taste of butterbeer in my mouth.
When I re-read the series again this past year, I contemplated why I love the books so much. Is it the characters? The writing? The escapism? The lessons I learn time and time again? All of the above?
Here’s what I’ve come up with:
1. Growing up with the characters
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out when I was 8 years old. It made it’s way to the US when I was 9, and became a number one bestseller when I was 10.
I distinctly remember being in Chapters with my mom and the first 3 books were on the table when we walked into the store under the “Must Reads” section. My mom asked me if I was interested in trying this book that everyone was raving about. I asked her what it was about, and she told me it was about a little boy who finds out he is a wizard and it’s set at a castle in England.
Nah, I’m not interested.
My mom bought it anyway because she wanted to read it herself, and later convinced me that we should read it together.
From the very first chapter, I was totally captivated by the world of Harry and his friends. I was so captivated that when my 11th birthday rolled around shortly after, I was genuinely disappointed that I didn’t receive my Hogwarts letter.
I will be forever grateful that my mom chose to buy the book even though I said I wasn’t interested because it set the tone for some of my most formative years.
As each Harry Potter book came out after that, I found that I was able to grow and learn alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As I read about their awkward teenage adventures, I experienced my own awkward teenage adventures in my mediocre muggle life. Because I was growing up as they were growing up in the novels, I felt connected to them in a way I haven’t felt with any other characters in a story ever.
The final Harry Potter book came out a few weeks after I graduated from high school. I was on my first trip to Europe, and I hunted down the only English bookstore in Rome to buy a copy. I had finished the book by the time we stepped on the plane to come home a week later.
As the Harry Potter series ended, a chapter closed in my own life, but I was able to take so much of what I had learned from the books with me into the world.
2. Getting lost in a magical world
Harry Potter has always allowed me to escape into a world that is mysterious and magical and so different from my own reality and I love that.
During my darkest years as a teenager, Harry and his friends accepted me as one of their own. They let me learn spells, play Quidditch, and be brave fighting goblins, dragons and snakes. They got me through all the ups and downs that life threw at me, while teaching me exactly what it means to be brave and courageous, and to live with integrity.
Since I read Harry Potter as an adolescent, I have revisited the books many times. Each time, I quickly lose myself in the world of magic; the story, the characters, and all the lessons to be learned. Every time, I feel the same sadness knowing that I will never receive my Hogwarts letter and get to really live in the magical world, but I like knowing that I can always come back to it when I need it.
“No story lives unless someone wants to listen. The stories we love best do live in us forever. So whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.” ― J.K. Rowling
3. Believe in imagination & yourself
Harry Potter also taught me how to use my imagination and believe in the impossible. If I can believe in a world where there are witches and wizards fighting an evil lord, and goblins guarding a bank that is built with an extravagant cart system guarding billions of wizard dollars, then why isn’t it possible for me to believe in myself and my dreams?
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” – Dumbledore
4. Always be brave
The real world is nothing like fighting Voldemort or dealing with Dementors, but sometimes life can feel really heavy. Harry Potter is a reminder to always be brave, always be courageous, and always stick to what you believe is right.
If there is anything that can be learned from this series of novels it is this. Harry never strays from what he believes is true or right, even if it means he might die. He stands up for himself, his friends, and his family. Always.
“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.” – Dumbledore
5. True friendship
Harry, Ron, and Hermione never stray from one another. They have their moments, but at the end of the day, they always have each other’s backs. It’s hard to find a good friend that you can trust to always have your back.
For me, Harry Potter has taught me a lot about the kind of friend that I want to be to the people in my life, and what it truly means to be a good, reliable, trustworthy friend. It has also taught me what I want out of the friends in my life, and allowed me to let go of friends who don’t treat me the way I believe I deserve to be treated.
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” – Dumbledore
6. Dumbledore
Dumbledore is arguably the best character in the Harry Potter series. Time and time again he teaches us how to make the right decision, how to love from the very depth of our being, why we should never give up on our dreams, how to believe in ourselves, and so much more.
He is a fictional character that I wish truly existed; that I wish I could call up for advice when I’m stuck making a difficult choice or dealing with a challenging situation.
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – Dumbledore
7. Words to live by
Last, but not least, the Harry Potter series has some of the best quotes ever; words to live your life by. I’ve shared a few of them already in this blog post, but here are a few more:
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” – Dumbledore
“It is important to fight and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay though never quite eradicated.” – Dumbledore
“I am what I am an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter say, ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth bothern’ with.’” – Hagrid
“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” –Sirius Black
“We are all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.” –Kingsley Shacklebolt
“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” – The Order of the Phoneix
“Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.” – Luna Lovegood
“It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more. ” – Dumbledore
I could continue… but I think you get the picture.
Not only is Harry Potter one of the best fictional stories ever written, but it’s a story that allows you to learn about yourself, and the world around around you. It teaches you to look at the world differently, it encourages you to believe in magic, it challenges you to believe in yourself, and to be brave during hard times. Tthis is why I love Harry Potter and why I will continue to revisit the story time and time again.
Mischief managed. See you tomorrow! 😉