I was that kid that was obSESSED with Harry Potter. In 7th grade, I dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween. I had the house flags hanging on my walls. My first ever celebrity crush was Draco Malfoy. I wouldn't say that the obsession has gone away, it's just been tamed. As a kid, I loved the series because of the magic. The fantasy of it all. Now, has an almost adult, I not only love it for those reasons but also because of the greater underlying messages laced through the stories. Recently, I've been kind of having a tough time and have been turning back to a childhood favorite for solace. Here are the quotes that have really been helping me through:

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone"

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone"

“Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

“No good sittin’ worryin’ about. What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

“I am what I am an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used her say, ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth bothern’ with.” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

“We are all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

“The world isn’t split into good people and Death Eaters. We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

“It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow up to be” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

“Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

“Don’t let the muggles get you down” -J.K Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"