On July 31st of this year, Harry Potter and the Curse Child came out all over the world. It was not my favorite (that honor belongs to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), but it was a great story full of twist and turns. Like all the Harry Potter books we can learn many great and beautiful things from this book. Here are seven things I took away from Harry Potter and the Curse Child:
1. When scars start hurting it is best to tell someone
Harry’s infamous scar starts hurting, and he knows something bad is coming, but true to Harry’s nature or stupidity he doesn’t tell anyone about it, but rather dismisses it until it is too late.
Takeaway: Inside or out of us we all have scars that we have faced or are still facing. When these scars: depression, pain, suffering, past anger, or any number things start to hurt again, please tell someone. The sooner someone knows and the sooner you accept the help they offer the better you will.
“One person. All it takes is one person."
2. The past cannot be changed
In the play, people go back to save the lives of someone. The results are disastrous. At one point Hermione is a mean professor of Defense Against Dark Arts; Ron and her never got married, and in another point, The Dark Lord won The Battle of Hogwarts and rules the Wizarding World; not to mention that Umbridge is headmistress of Hogwarts.
Takeaway: The past cannot be rewritten; it is what shapes and molds us into the people we are today. Sure, we all have regrets and stuff we wish that we could go back and redo, but the thing is that things happen for a reason. Hurt and pain build character; happiness allows us to see what happiness feels like. Don’t try to change the past or correct past mistakes, say you are sorry to those who were hurt (yourself as well), learn from the past but move on.
“It is exceptionally lonely, being Draco Malfoy. I will always be suspected. There is no escaping the past.”
3. Being stuck in the past does not allow for a future
Amos Diggory, yeah you know the father of Cedric who was killed when the Dark Lord rose to power, has spent his life trying to change the fact that his son died. Perfectly reasonable, Cedric was his only son, but he became a miserable man. I am not saying to stop moaning the death of a son, but don’t be stuck in the past. Amos made the mistake of always asking what if; what if this; what if that, he never moved on.
Takeaway: Being stuck in the past is no way to live. Look at how happy you were in the past, before the struggle and the hurt, will not allow you to see the happiness you can have now in the present and you will never be able to look at your future with a bright light. Yesterday is gone, time to move on. Burn the bridges that need to be burned and build the bridges that need to build.
“It’s tough to live with people stuck in the past, isn’t it?”
4. High expectations can be dangerous
Expectations are a good thing, they help us achieve and accomplish; but when you are the son of Harry and Ginny Potter you have expectations so high, they are drowning. Albus Potter was placed in Slytherin. Yes, a son of a Potter and a Weasley wears Slytherin green. The students of Hogwarts and other wizards and witches never really let him forget that; as a result, Albus isolated himself from society and his family. Up until the end, he didn’t believe he could ever meet the expectations that society and his family set for him.
Takeaway: high expectations lead to feelings of perfectionism. Perfectionism is highly associated with eating disorders and suicides. High expectations call for high failure and disappointment. We can set expectations for people, but to compare and contrast peoples’ achievements and failures cause more mental harm that a hammer to the face would. Everyone has flaws, no one is perfect.
"I didn't choose, you know that? I didn't choose to be his son."
5. Humiliation can be dangerous
So young Albus’s plan to save Cedric was to humiliate him, sounds perfect. It worked don’t get me wrong, but the humiliation caused Cedric to become a Death Eater, kill Neville Longbottom, and Neville wouldn’t become the sexiest wizard of our times but he also wouldn’t kill Nagini.
Takeaway: Humiliation and bullying are the exact same thing. The Columbine shooters were two students that had been bullied and humility into isolation where they became monsters. No, it wasn’t the easy access to guns, it wasn’t violent video games; it was people hurting them, abusing them, and leaving them no option but to either kill the bullies or kill themselves, they did both. The big takeaway is to not take guns or violent games away but to stop bullying and teach our society how to be respectful and human again.
“Hogwarts isn't actually that pleasant a place when you don't fit in."
6. Everyone is scared of something
Albus admits to Harry that he believed Harry wasn’t scared of anything. Harry laughs and says that everyone is scared of something.
Takeaway: everyone is scared of something; no one is this great superhero who has nothing to fear. If someone has nothing to fear then they have nothing to live for, and that makes them dangerous and scary.
“You know it’s the strangest of things, but ever since being in the scariest place imaginable I’m pretty much good with fear. I am — Scorpius the Dreadless. I am — Malfoy the Unanxious.”
7. Friendship can save lives and win wars
Ron and Hermione saved Harry’s life loads of times. Harry saved their lives well, and together they won the Dark Lord. Albus and Scorpius (the sons of Potter and Malfoy) are the best of friends and they saved each other’s lives, changes and fixed history, and stopped the Dark Lord of from raising again.
Takeaway: For those who say that there is no such a thing as friendship, read Harry Potter. Friendship is a beautiful thing that saves lives and wins physical, emotional and spiritual wars.
"You — the three of you — you shone you know? You liked each other. You had fun. I envied you those friendships more than anything else."
