1. We canât change our past, but we can change our future
Despite the inconsistencies that Hermioneâs time turner created for the novelâs plot (because why save only Buckbeak when they could save Lily and James Potter too, am I right?), the above still rings true. Our past shapes us as people, but it doesnât have to shape the course of our lives. While it can be said that all the seriesâ characters are prime examples of this, the most obvious of all is Harry, who lost his parents as a baby and as a result had to live with his retched uncle, aunt, and cousin afterward. And yet, this all changed his life for the better by him choosing to attend Hogwarts. The rest is magical history.
2. Sometimes we have to face our fears to get what we want
s much as weâd all like to stay in the comfort of our bubble, sometimes life requires us to pop it for our own good. In Ronâs case, âfollowing the spidersâ meant finding the answer to rescuing Hermione from her stunned state in the second novel, âHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secretsâ. In Harryâs case, learning to use his patronus meant protecting himself and others from the soul-sucking power of the Dementorâs kiss. In our caseâŠwell, we just have to get through an average day to make it to bed by the end.
3. Money canât buy happiness
You know what people say â money isnât everything. And itâs not, but itâs hard when youâre a young kid unlocking a vault full of galleons to not think it is. And letâs be real, seeing Harry practically rolling in money like Scrooge McDuck probably sparked the inner gold-digger in all of us. That is, of course, until we realized the Mirror of Erised didnât show him a landmine of coins, but rather the reason for his inherited wealth â his deceased parents. Still, think that trolley full of pumpkin pasties were a fair trade for a family? Yeah, didnât think so.
4. We are never truly alone
All of us are subject to the feeling of loneliness, but are we ever truly alone? While seemingly on his own most of the time, Harry Potter always had the support of his friends and guardians, showing us that thereâs no such thing as ever being truly alone. The best example of this in the series for me was when Harry wasnât receiving any letters from his friends all summer, feeling neglected and rejected by them, only to find out Dobby had been hiding them from him the entire time. The next scene that followed, with Ron and the Weasley twins rescuing him in their flying car, was just the cherry on top of the surrounded-by-support sundae.
5. Friends will get you out of trouble, but best friends will get in trouble with you
Sure, a friend will help you out of a predicament (like Lupin did when Snape caught Harry with the Marauderâs Map), but a true best friend will be right there in the thick of it. Any time Harry found himself in a troubling situation, Ron and Hermione faced it with him. I mean, think about it. Can you imagine facing a whomping willow, three-headed dog, and life-size lethal chess set without your best friends? My guess is no.
6. Sometimes we have to face our own battles alone
As much as it helped to have his friends through every obstacle, Harry always ended up confronting his challenger alone and for good reason. We canât rely on our friends or family to somehow save us from our own problems every time. We have to learn to fight our own battles at some point, whether itâs dealing with the petty jealousy of a friend when youâre unknowingly entered in a contest, or defeating a massive basilisk in the demented water park of your schoolâs basement. No one said itâd be easy, but Harry Potter proved itâd be worth it.
7. Animals are sometimes (and often) better company
I donât think any of us needed the Harry Potter series to learn this life truth, but somehow seeing Harry happily flying over the Hogwartâs lake with Buckbeak and stroking Hedwigâs head after a hard day made this lesson 10 times more relatable.
8. Confidence is not the same thing as bravery
While Gryffindor was known for producing the bravest of the Hogwartâs bunch, Ravenclaw was known for producing an imitation hero, and his name was Professor Lockhart. More than anyone in the novels, Gildroy Lockhart proved to us that bravery comes from within and cannot be confused with its egotistical cousin, confidence. And look where all that âbraveryâ got him â a faulty memory, a worthless book deal, and the boot from Hogwarts.
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