5 Important Lessons Harry Potter Taught Me

Is there any series better than Harry Potter? I dare you to name one and please don’t say Lord of the Rings. (Although, I have thoroughly enjoyed the Hobbit series). The sheer dynamic of friendships and relationships in Harry Potter is enough, to me, to make those seven books and eight movies the best of all time. Not only is Harry Potter one of the most brilliantly written book series of all time, but the lessons that are woven throughout the book are timeless and perfect. Here’s my take-aways from the series:

1. Being smart always wins.

Hermione Granger is the ultimate teacher that being smart is cool. Her wit and smart-girl sarcasm comes in handy throughout the books and she always comes out on top. Even though in the beginning she was made fun of for being too brainy, her kindness and want to help others become better allowed people to see her for what she really is and she gained two true friends because of it. She never cared what others thought of her and packed a mean punch as well (Remember that bad-ass scene with Malfoy?) “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.”

2. Happiness is possible even in the bleakest moments.

Dumbledore told us that “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” In every situation, no matter how terrible or how sad, there is always the chance for happiness. You just have to know where to look for it. There is some good in every situation, no matter how bad it seems at the time. Life is beautiful and the smallest things can bring light to your life, if you open your eyes and mind to seeing them.

3. Things aren’t always what they seem.

The person who seems to be the bad guy, who is calling you out and making fun of you, may be dealing with things that make them that way. Cue: Severus Snape. He “hated” Harry because he couldn’t stand to know that he had any part in the killing of the person he loved the most in life: Harry’s mother, Lily. It physically pained him to have to look at Harry and see Lily’s eyes. He was actually working with Dumbledore to protect Harry the entire time. Snape says: “The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure.” You never truly know what’s going on inside someone’s head and you shouldn’t. Some things are not meant for other people to know.

4. Never give up.

Harry faced more obstacles in a few years than one person faces their entire life. Everyone told him to give up, to stop trying. Yet, he never did. He kept going, kept looking, kept trying and eventually he succeeded. In the face of adversity, he stood strong. Challenges make us stronger. Isn’t it a great feeling to look back on something that no one thought we could do and say that we did it? Dumbledore said: “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or what you can do, it’s the choice to keep going and it’s the choice to try harder that shows what we really are.

5. Love conquers all.

The biggest lesson that Harry Potter teaches us is that love will conquer all. It doesn’t matter what evil you have to face or what bad situations life puts you in, if you have love, you can overcome it. Because love is more than just a feeling, it is a sense of being that can lift a person up. A little love for someone can go a long way and can overcome even the deepest of troubles.