For the vast majority of we Millennials, the Harry Potter series (both books and movies) played a large role in our upbringing. For me, the first book came out the year I started pre-school and the last movie came out after I just graduated from high school. My entire childhood and upbringing encompassed both "book ends" of the Harry Potter franchise.
Many of you are also in the same boat and fell in love with the wonderful wizarding world of magic, muggles, and magnificence. But there's more to just enjoying a book/movie series. Harry Potter speaks to us and relates to us in many ways.
Here's 7 things Harry Potter taught me:
1. Your House is your family.
Like a fraternity or a sorority, when you get sorted into a house by the sorting hat at Pottermore.com, it's like coming home. (Special shoutout to all my Slytherins out there!) When you meet someone of your House in public, an instant bond is created and they become your brother, sister and/or new best friend. In our world, maybe your "House" isn't in the Greek System. Maybe it's your intramural team, club or organization. We all have a "House" and the people of that House makes it home. If you haven't found your home yet, don't worry. Your corner of the sky is out there still.
2. The Underdog can win.
Harry Potter was an outcast like so many people feel they are. The stories follow a boy destined for greatness when most of the time he feels abnormal, weird, and unworthy. We're all that boy. We're all destined for greatness but don't always feel as such. Harry reminds us all that our destiny is determined by our choices and not by public opinion or authority figures. For all you Underdogs out there, don't give up hope. You never know what's waiting just around the river bend.
3. Money isn't everything.
Harry's loaded. Like, he's super rich. Trust fund rich. He literally inherited so much money he didn't know what to do with it. In our culture, we grew up hearing that "money is everything". If Harry Potter teaches us anything is that friends are way more valuable than money. Though rich in money, he was richer in friends.
4. Friends are everything.
Harry, Ron and Hermione are the perfect three amigos. They fight, love, and wage war against terrifying villains but what keeps them together is how much they care for each other. They're a perfect example of sacrificial love and what it means to be a friend.
5. Inclusion.
There's a pretty clear schema of racism demonstrated between the "dark arts" and Muggles (if you don't know what a Muggle is, you're a Muggle) as they believe they are superior to the non-magic folk. In 2016, when racism is still a relevant issue, Harry Potter reminds us that no one (one more time for the people in the back...NO ONE) is superior than ANYONE else because of race, religion, or their level of magical possession. Treat those that are different than you as your equal and don't try to take over the world with dark magic.
6. Teachers care more about you than you think.
Not all of the teachers at Hogwarts appeared to have be on the students' side (I'm looking at you Professor Quirrell and Gilderoy Lockhart) all the time. But as the books best show, the professors genuinely cared for their students and for their well beings. McGonagall and Dumbledore loved Harry unconditionally and who would have thought Snape would have ended up a martyr? Teachers are people too and they care for the success of their students. Even when it doesn't appear so.
7. Don't give up hope.
There are literally countless times when Harry could have given up hope and let the darkness win. There was so much social pressure on him that any sane person would have caved after book three. Not Harry. When all looked bleak, he stood his ground and persevered. Friends, when all hope seems gone, keep pressing on. The silver lining may be closer than you think. Cling to your friends, family, Brothers, Sisters, Housemates, God, etc... and the load is infinitely easier to bear.
These are just some of the lessons I've learned. I'd love to hear more about what life lessons y'all have gleaned from Harry Potter too! Follow/Tweet me at @zackrussell64
Cheers,
ZER
