"Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone
The fact that I know that quote off of the top of my head proves so much. It proves that not only just myself, but to many of those in my generation, that Harry Potter wasn't, and isn't, just a phase. It's something that we've become obsessed with and something that we learn every word to. Sure, the series has sort of ended, but J.K. Rowling has come out with some small side things for the fans. For one, Pottermore exists and granted, I don't use the website, but it's basically an online version of the books and it allows you to become a part of the world even further. It's true that Harry Potter has had some pretty big effects on people; here are seven ways that it has altered my life.
FYI: Spoilers Ahead! (But really, the books have been out since 1997 and the movies since 2001 so if you haven't seen it or read it by now, that's seriously gotta change!)
1. "Dobby Is A Free Elf!"
Okay, so I'm sorry but this is something that was always hit me like a train. The fact that Dobby was freed by something as simple as a sock is so awesome. It's really just a sign that it isn't always the big things that matter when helping someone, and sometimes something incredibly small and seemingly meaningless can change the world for somebody. Once Dobby becomes free, it's obvious that his character really does develop. He goes from just a raggedy, old, annoying house elf to a brave, heroic, and eventually, dead house elf that wanted to "Help Harry Potter and his friends"
2. Luna Lovegood.
Guys, if you know Harry Potter, you know that Luna Lovegood, even being a minor character, was so much more. She taught us that it's okay, in fact, it's a good thing to be, "exceptionally ordinary". Luna Lovegood was such a pure at heart character and she really developed into someone we all came to love. Sure, she may have been a tad bit insane, but "[we're] just as sane as I am". Luna really changed things. She had some quotes that really made you think about what impacts a growing teenager. She had to deal with losing her mother at a young age yet she never really let that get the best of her. Sure, Harry may have been the Boy Who Lived, and Hermione may be the "Brightest Witch of her Age", but Luna Lovegood is (I guess you can say debatably), the greatest minor character of all time.
3. "Always..."
"After all this time?" "Always..." Severus Snape was so madly in love with Lily Potter that his Patronus became a doe to match hers. That's literally the greatest thing ever. This man got so disrespected throughout the entire series because he was a double crossing double crosser that at times, I even forgot whose side he was truly on. Snape was so much more than just some mean potions professor who just hated his job because he'd much rather be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts. Snape truly came into himself as a character later on in the series when we found out why he is the way that he is towards Harry. He in some ways, hated Harry because he resembled his father, James, so much. On the other hand, he loved Harry and wanted to just protect him at all costs against He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named because he had his mother's eyes. Snape was an almost refreshing change in the story line because it was so back and forth with whom he stood with and by killing Dumbledore, he really was just taking another step to protect Harry.
4. The Pink Nightmare
Okay, so I don't know how I even can put her on this list but she really did teach me something. She taught me how to hate. I have never loathed somebody so much in the way that I have Dolores Umbridge. This little pink witch is literally the bane of everyone's existence and I'm pretty sure that even Voldemort is a nicer person than she is. I mean come on, she tried to hurt the innocent (not so little) little brother of Hagrid. THAT'S NOT OKAY! She was honestly just the most evil thing ever. Nothing further.
5. “It does not do to dwell on dreams, Harry, and forget to live.”
So, Dumbledore may have had some of the greatest quotes to ever exist. Just about all of his pep talks to Harry were more than just that. They were pep talks to everyone. He allowed you to see that sure, dreaming is a good thing, but if you forget to live, those dreams may never come to life. Dumbledore taught us so much in one series that it's sort of crazy. Being that this is just one of his quotes, and so many other great ones are out there that if I talked about each one, this part would be about a million words. Besides the point! Dumbledore was, and continues to be, an incredibly strong character. I mean who could really go face to face with the Dark Lord and protect Harry at the same time? Who was going to drink poison to take steps to kill Voldemort? Dumbledore. Basically the Greatest Wizard TO EVER EXIST. (Other than in the Goblet of Fire the movie literally took him from 0-100 real quick. HE NEVER FREAKED OUT ON HARRY. HE CALMLY TALKED TO HIM... just sayin'...)
6. "Piertotum Locomotor"
Minerva McGonagall is honestly the greatest. I'm starting to sound like a broken record here because other than the Little Pink One, I've said that about all of these people, but really that only furthers my point that they are truly the greatest. She showed to be such a powerful character within the series. She brought the school together when it needed it the most to fight a full on war, and lived to see another day. She brought down the wrath of Hogwarts onto those who sided with Voldemort and she even went toe to toe with Snape to prove a point and take the first step in taking Hogwarts back. Taking her home back. Outside of the character though, Dame Maggie Smith the actress who played her throughout the movies was suffering from cancer while filming the last movies and yet she vowed to finish filming even through her sickness because she refused to let the fans down. Because of that, I have not only a soft spot in my heart for Professor McGonagall, but for Maggie Smith as well.
7. "Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home".
No, this wasn't really part of the books nor the movies, but it was a quote from J.K. Rowling while she gave her speech at the premiere for Deathly Hallows Part 2. It means so much, because Hogwarts really did become home in a lot of ways. It may just have been a fictional place, but it was a place that we grew to love and a place that we came to fall in love with. The Wizarding World is a place that I will always call home and a place that my heart will always stay with. In her speech, she said "the stories we love best do live in us forever, and whether you come back by page or the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home". So, J.K. Rowling, thank you for giving me a second home. Thank you for creating a world that not only just myself, but millions of people out there have fallen in love with and have grown to a point that we can truly call it our home. We are the Generation of Harry Potter.
