It's been almost 10 years since what we all believed to be the last Harry Potter book was released. That's almost 10 years of thinking that our favorite hero had finally reached the end of his story. Almost ten years of believing that good conquered evil and that was all that there was to it. Yet, here we are, in 2016 where most of the "Potter" Generation are adults, struggling through college or entering the work force. Some of the members of this magical fandom are even having children by now. And, in the midsts of this all, our queen (JK Rowling) has released an eighth book in the franchise that defined the childhood of so many children. A sequel that combines the hero that we grew up on, now dealing with many of the problems that his original fanbase are currently dealing with, as well as his child, creating a new hero that pulls in a newer audience. And, I'm sure that I wasn't the only 19-year old rushing to order the book. I'm willing to put money on the fact that the release parties were full of people between 18-30, all dressed up in their Harry Potter merchandise and waving around plastic wands. Because, there's just something about this world that was created through one train ride, on the back of a napkin, that keeps drawing us all in.
1. It's a plot everybody loves
The story of an underdog is always a fan-favorite. People love to hear about the kid who seemingly has no potential rise to the top and overcome every obstacle that came their way. And, JK Rowling didn't just manage to give us the story of one orphan boy fighting to save the Wizarding World. Instead, she showed us the story of a boy forced to live with his grandmother, with two parents who have no idea who he is who plays the key part in defeating the main antagonist in the story. She tells us the story of the Muggle-Born girl who is the brightest witch of her age. And she tells the story of the poor boy who is overlooked due to his many brothers, who stands by his friends until the very end and never fails to fight for what he believes in. You get four underdogs, rising to the top, in one incredible series.
2. Albus Dumbledore
Nobody can pick the Dumbledore quote that is the best. Because, each time he opens his mouth, something either incredibly philosophical comes out, or something hilariously quirky. He acted as Harry's moral guide throughout the series and whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit that he never failed to give the best advice to everybody. And, in his own way, he was always there to save the day. While he may not have always acted in a that seemed to be the best, the things that he did led Harry down the path to saving the Wizarding World. Besides, he's sort of the quirky grandfather that all of us wish we had.
3. The Power of Love
Lily Potter was able to defeat the most powerful wizard of all time by surrendering her life for her son, all because she loved him. And when Harry sacrificed himself to save everybody that he cared about, he killed the part of himself that tied him to Voldemort. Throughout the series, love was a motif throughout the series and it was drilled into the reader's heads. If there was one thing that I got out of the series the first time I read the book back when I was just a tiny little first grader, it was that love was able to conquer anything. The most powerful type of magic was one that everybody and anybody could practice. The power of love.
4. Hermione Granger
Looking past the flawless actress that plays her (forever in love with Emma Watson), Hermione is the best role model that young girls can look for. She's brilliant, she's dedicated, she's loyal, she's the best friend that you'll ever hope to have, and she's an absolute bad ass. She punched Draco Malfoy in the fact, and that alone was enough to make me put Hermione Granger on a pedestal that elevated her higher than any disney princess in the world. But, she also proved to people that girls could be everything that a boy could be and better. Emma Watson, in an interview, talked about how proud she was to play such a strong female role model, because she showed that little girls could aspire to be more than a damsel in distress. And I think the best part is that, even though she's just so naturally beautiful because she's played by Emma Watson (I really love this actress), but she's not made out to be a beauty. In fact, in the books, she's the opposite of eye-catching with her bushy hair and buck teeth. She's not only relatable for girls, but she's somebody to aspire to be like.
5. The Political Aspect
You probably wouldn't know this if you didn't read the books, but Hermione takes on the wizarding world and its racism when it comes to their cruel treatment of house elves after the fourth book when she meets Winky (a character you know nothing about if you didn't read the books). If you read Harry Potter as a kid and you watch the movies at a young age, you enjoy the story because it's entertaining. As you get older, you realize how relevant it is to the real world. And one of the biggest things that it discusses is racism. If it's not the whole blood-purity thing that Voldemort's got going on (Hitler, anybody? or even Civil Rights?) it's the house elves. Even the fifth book focuses on how wizards, especially pure bloods, think that they're better than anybody else in the wizarding world, as was made it clear with Umbridge's distaste for half-breed creatures of any sort. The scene leading up to Dobby's death is so highly remembered because everybody loves Dobby, but to me, it stood out because it was one of JK's deeper messages from the series. It didn't matter that Dobby was just another victim of this war. He was dying a free man (read: elf) and that was all that mattered to him. That, and that he was dying among his friends and had given up his life to save theirs.
6. School's Not The Most Important Thing
Hermione was the brightest young witch of her age. But, she was never going to claim to be the best wizard around. She told Harry after one year together that he was a great wizard and when he protested, she reminded him that there were far more important things than books and cleverness. Because, it is far more important to be brave and to be loyal to one's friends than it is to dedicate your life to increasing your own intelligence. The values that define you as a person are far more important than your IQ-score. It was a lesson that, even after reading the first book when I was in the first grade, I didn't fully grasp until about my third read through of the series and my fourth time watching the Sorcerer's Stone dvd. But, it was one of the most important lessons I took with me from the series, and argumentatively the most important one that I learned from a character who wasn't Albus Dumbledore.
7. Hogwarts Will Always Be There To Welcome You Home
It doesn't matter how long it's been or how old you are. You can pick up a Harry Potter book or turn on one of the movies or play one of the video games or take a trip to Harry Potter World and you'll feel like you're that same little kid that discovered this magical world all those years ago. I still get that same feeling every time I finish the last book when I read the series over again. Even reading The Cursed Child, I felt like I was back to being that eleven year old kid excitedly awaiting the release of the final book in my favorite series or that fourteen year old girl wearing my over priced, Hot Topic purchased Harry Potter shirt while I waited in line for the release of the final movie. It's a franchise. But, it's a franchise that defined an entire generation. No matter how old I get, I know that, when I truly need it, the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter will be waiting for me when I decided to return to Privet Drive.
