The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has been a hit since the first book was published in 1997. Not only did Rowling create a magical world for her audience to take a journey to, but she created amazing characters for her audience to fall in love with. One of her most popular characters is Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts. Throughout the book series and the movies, Dumbledore gives us many life lessons to live by.

1. "It matters not what someone is born as, but what they grow to be."

It's important to grow as a person, and to make sure that you're always working on being a better person. When it comes down to it, the family you're born into and the social class you're born into doesn't matter; it's the person you grow to be that does.

2. "We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."

When things become tough, it's preferable to take the easy route. As satisfying as this may be, in the long run it is far more satisfying to do what is actually right. Nothing good comes easy, after all.

3. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."

No matter who you're standing up to, it takes courage and bravery. But, what people don't realize is it also takes courage and bravery to stand up to someone who you value and who you like.

4. "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light."

When things in life start to spiral downhill, it's easy to keep yourself in darkness, figuratively speaking, but once you realize that there's so much more to live for, happiness can be reached.

5. "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Life is short; have fun and make the most of it while you can.

6. "Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

It was seen as the worst thing to say Voldemort's name, which made everyone fear him so much more. When facing your fears, face them head on and don't let them get the best of you.

7. "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

You could have the most powerful abilities in the world, or you could have very few abilities; but it's whether you choose to use your powers for good or for evil that shape who you are as a person.

8. "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

Most people will treat their equals the way they want to be treated, with respect. But, not everyone treats their inferiors that way. Unfortunately, some will treat their inferiors with disrespect and little care, thinking they are better than them. That will show true character more than anything else.

9. "The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with caution."

Lying to make a person feel better is easy to do; telling the truth whether it be painful or terrible is much more difficult, yet rewarding at the end. Everyone deals with things differently, and it is important to remember that when telling a difficult truth.

10. "Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it."

Hiding your emotions won't make you stronger than if you show them to people. You're human, it's perfectly okay to feel emotions and to let people in. Ignoring and hiding your emotions and problems will only backfire in the end when it hits you all at once.

Although the Harry Potter series may have been fiction, the life lessons that I've learned throughout are incredibly real, many of which come from Albus Dumbledore himself. Rowling has created so much more than another world for Harry Potter fans to live in; she's created reality through fantasy.