With the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as a both the play and the screenplay, the Harry Potter fandom is suddenly roaring back to life, 19 years later (get it?). Add to that the upcoming movie release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and you have a brand new spark in an age-old fandom. So, to commemorate the revival of Harry Potter fanatics, here are some favorite moments in the Harry Potter world, brought to you by a Harry Potter fanatic.
1. Remember the time in the books when Dumbledore yelled at Harry for putting his name in the Goblet of Fire?
Me neither. But the movies tell a different story, so now the internet is ripe with jokes about it.
2. Everyone always remembers Molly Weasley is as the lovely at-home mom that takes Harry in and gives him a family and a home.
What people seem to forget is in the books when she yells at Bellatrix during the final fight scene, “NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU B*TCH!” after Bellatrix almost kills Ginny. Molly then goes on to defeat Bellatrix, making her a super cool witch mom and not just a homemaker.
3. Let’s talk about all of the *unnecessary* deaths.
Dobby, Hedwig, Lupin, Tonks, Fred… Yeah, basically J.K. Rowling shoved a knife in out chests, twisted it, and then ripped out our hearts. Was it necessary? We don’t think so.
4. Remember that time Dumbledore gave out free points to Gryffindor just because he could?
Hard to forget, since it happened in almost every book. He basically gave Harry points for existing.
5. And okay, let’s remember just how cool Dumbledore actually was.
He made an epic exit with Fawkes the phoenix, and I think we all hope to have sass like that someday.
6. Finally, let us appreciate the incredible cast of characters that J.K. Rowling gave us.
There are characters for the tricksters, the bookworms, the oddballs, the misfits, and even those with bad temperaments. J.K. Rowling gave us all a character to believe in. She gave us each someone to identify with, someone who would know our struggle and show us that it’s okay to be different and that we can be great no matter what. She even made a point during the casting of Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child to say that she never specified Hermione’s race, making it possible for young black women to identify with the lovable bookworm who had the kind of courage that can face down an evil dictator.
J.K. Rowling and her Wizarding World taught us all something. She taught us about love and courage and friendship. She taught us that love defeats hate, and that “happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
