For millennials like myself, Harry Potter wasn’t just a franchise; it was life. From the time that Harry enrolled in Hogwarts, to his graduation – we grew up with Harry and shared many of our big adolescent, teen and young adult moments alongside him. When the series ended, it felt as though I lost a piece of my childhood; not in a bad way, just in the sense that it was time to grow up… just like Harry did.
I recently sat down and re-watched the franchise in its entirety – all eight films, all 19 hours and 40 minutes, all 1180 minutes. THE ENTIRE SERIES. (I highly recommend doing this if you get the opportunity, I got to call it ‘work’, so yes it was justified.) It was interesting to re-watch them all at an older age, with more life experience. I picked up on some really important life lessons that can be translated into adulthood. I’ve documented them in this post, so that you can justify watching Harry Potter next time you need life advice for your quarter life crisis. (You can thank me later.)
Not everyone will like you, and that’s okay. Find your tribe, and love them hard.
This one is prominent throughout the entire series. People around Harry are jealous of his gifts and will do whatever they can to destroy him. Not everyone likes Harry, and he is okay with that. Why? Because he found acceptance in Hermione and Ron, and they go out of their way to help him. This is one of the most important lessons that I picked up from Harry Potter. This is something that can carry you through life, and the sooner you can accept it for what it is, the better your life can be.
Words hurt.
This is something we should all be considerate of, because we don’t know what’s going on in everyone’s lives. What you see is only what people choose to show you, which is usually the best part of themselves. It’s like in year one when Ron makes fun of Hermione and she runs away crying. Just because you’re friends with someone, it doesn’t give you an excuse to bad mouth them. Also, if someone makes fun of someone else to make others laugh – said individual should really re-assess their own insecurities.
Friendship and bravery.
This is an underlying theme that runs throughout all of the films. Harry and his friends are placed in many situations where their faith in one another, and their bravery to overcome evil is tested. These tests show you that your character and integrity are way more important than being the ‘best’ at something. I’ve learnt that the best thing you can do is be as strong as you can be, and when you’re not that’s okay too – because you can fall back and count on your real friends. It’s like in the start of year two when Ron risks getting in trouble to bring Harry back to Hogwarts… friendship goals. ⚡️💛
All of your actions have consequences, even if you are Harry Potter.
Shortly after Ron and Harry make it to Hogwarts in year two, they get detention and strong words sent home because they exposed the wizarding world to muggles. This is a classic example of showing that all of our actions and choices have consequences. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you did – you’re responsible for everything you do and no one else. I can speak from experience when I say that it’s better to face up to things on your own terms, rather giving other people an opportunity to manipulate you. Situations can change quickly, so you may as well cut the bullshit and get straight to the point. People might be pissed (dependent on the situation obviously) but for the most part people prefer it when you’re upfront with them. 💯
There really is beauty from ashes.
This one is pretty dope. Even when things are the worst they could possibly be, they can still have beautiful resolutions. Remember in year two when Dumbledore’s bird got set on fire and burnt to ashes? And what happened next? It was reborn, hence beauty from ashes. I can’t stress the importance of this one life lesson, and it was probably the one that resonated with me the most. No matter how hard life gets, there can always be a good outcome.
Spiders will always be disgusting.
You know when Harry and Ron visit the dark forest in year two? That.
You aren’t weak, you’re just being challenged because you’re so strong.
There have been countless times where I’ve felt absolutely useless, and vulnerable because life can be 💩 sometimes. But, I’ve learnt that flipping your perspective changes everything. It’s like when the Dementer is affecting and hurting Harry in year three. He feels like he’s losing his magical capabilities, when in actual fact he’s just being sought after and victimised because his power is so strong. Crazy right?
The only thing you should fear is fear itself.
There’s a part in year three when all of the kids are in class, and they face their fears by bringing them into existence and then turning them into something ridiculous. We can only be scared by the things we fear, and fear only exists if we let it. It’s like when you were younger and were probably scared of the dark at some point. When did you decide to become afraid of the dark? What influenced that choice? What made you choose to overcome that fear? Or, are you still scared? Mind. Blown.
These are the life lessons I learnt from re-watching Harry Potter. And I can’t wait to see what life lessons I can pick up from ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them‘ on November 18.
Featured image source.
