Twenty-Five Life Lessons Learned From Harry Potter

The Harry Potter phenomenon may be gone but not forgotten.

Calling all Potter Heads in the world! I present to you twenty-five things that we’ve learned from the magical and wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter. For easy reference, I’ve included the names of the novels/films in which you can find these lessons.

1. Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself. (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
2. A person’s life story will always have a chapter that will break your heart. (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
3. Virtue isn’t determined by ability but by choices. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)
4. No actor can pull off evil and unhinged like Helena Bonham-Carter and Imelda Staunton. Seriously, the way Bellatrix Lestrange smirked when she killed Sirius Black froze the blood of many Harry Potter fans! And don’t get me started on the detention scene with Dolores Umbridge and Harry Potter! (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
5. You can have less than fifty lines in a movie yet go on to star in one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. Need a hint as to who found mega success post-Harry Potter? Well his skin sparkles in the sun. Also, the biggest villain in the series grew a nose and went on to head the MI6. (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
6. Death is nothing to be afraid of, as it is life’s next great adventure. (All seven Harry Potter novels)
7. The capacity to love is the greatest attribute of all. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)
8. The imagination knows no bounds. (J.K. Rowling as displayed in all seven Harry Potter novels)
9. There’s no better way of solidifying a friendship like taking down a gigantic three-headed dog, playing a real-life version of Wizards Chess, and nearly getting crushed to death by Devil’s Snare. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone)
10. Butterbeer tastes amazing and can be ordered at Starbucks. Their Butterbeer Frappacino is the closest that the Muggles will ever get to Hogsmeade. (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
11. Within every shy person lies a strong, brave, and confident person aching to be released. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
12. Good people come in all shapes and sizes. Who else but Dobby would take a knife to the gut to protect Harry Potter? And of course there’s Severus Snape. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
13. Reveling in your own celebrity—self-perceived or otherwise—will always lead to your downfall. (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
14. Never accept books from a strange man with long white hair. (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
15. Always treat those below you with kindness and respect. (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
16. Every Potter fan wishes they had Professor McGonagall as their teacher. In Deathly Hallows, she summoned the enchanted coats of armour to fight off the approaching Death Eaters. Now that’s some badass magic right there! (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
17. Don’t believe everything you read, especially if it’s written by Rita Skeeter. (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
18. It is never too late to say sorry. (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
19. “Nuts to this; I’m going to Hogwarts!” has become our motto when the Muggle life gets us down. (All seven Harry Potter books)
20. Ben Hibon was the genius behind the shadow puppet animation that told the Tale of the Three Brothers. Hermione’s narration just made the sequence even more beautiful. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
21. As proven by the Malfoy family, you can have all of the riches in the world and still be unhappy. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
22. J.K. Rowling is ruthless in killing off beloved secondary characters. My heart will never accept Hedwig’s tragic death. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
23. The people who die are always with us. (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
24. Friends can often become the family you need in your life. (All seven Harry Potter novels)
25. You can have a brilliant cast full of British thespians, wicked special effects, and reignite an entire generation’s love for reading yet never win an Oscar. (Just from general observation)