10 exemplary life lessons from the Harry Potter book series

Can you believe that this year will be exactly 25 years since the first of seven books about a wizard named Harry Potter saw the light of day? Basically, since then we have been able to divide people into two groups - The first being those who just didn’t feel the vibe, and the second being those who even to this day are still waiting hopefully for their letter from Hogwarts. ‍

If you belong to the second group, you will of course enjoy having a look at this list of 10 lessons that can be learnt with the help of this wonderful book series.

#1 Friendship is essential

The inseparable trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron prove to us that having the right people around is priceless. Throughout the series, we are shown repeatedly that friendship is worth its weight in gold, but the whole story in fact carries another very important message in this regard. As we know, Harry was orphaned at a young age -  But as he grows up and is introduced back into the wizarding world,  Ron and Hermione literally become his family. Here we see that the friends who have been with us for years actually cease to be counted as friends, and begin to be seen as an extension of family itself.

#2 Never give up

There is evidence running throughout the story that being fearless and believing in a happy ending pays off. Harry and his friends repeatedly demonstrate for their readers that perseverance pays off, and that success and victory often come exactly in those moments where despite initially thinking that we can’t keep on anymore we still decide to find within us the deepest reaches of our forces and fight on.

#3 People show us the face they want

This works both ways – people can surprise us in both good and bad ways. Professor Quirrell, for instance, who hid Lord Voldemort himself under his turban, was a classic example of the latter, despite his outward appearance. However, Severus Snape was the complete opposite. Harry and his friends were adamant that he was one of Voldemort's most loyal followers, but as we know, the truth was completely different. 

#4 Each of us has a love of our life

Let’s stay with Severus for a moment. As readers we will probably forever remember his “Always” - said to Dumbledore when he asked if Severus still loved Lily, Harry’s mom, after all this time. The deep love he had for her for years must have surprised everyone, but it was proof that each of us has ‘the love of their life’ – that one unique person they will love unconditionally forever. Unfortunately, not everyone can remain in a relationship forever with their one true love, for various reasons. 

#5 Money is not everything

We can clearly see this when we compare Ron to Draco Malfoy. Although Ron's family never had enough money, his home was still filled with laughter, joy and, most importantly, endless love. On the contrary, the Malfoy family was one of the richest in the wizarding world, but none of its members seemed to know what a home filled with happiness and joy was like.

#6 Happiness awaits us outside our comfort zone

Every single part of the Harry Potter series is a perfect demonstration of the idea that if we want to achieve something and if we want to pursue our goals and dreams, there is only one way to do so – and the way forward begins right beyond the borders of our comfort zone. For example, participating in the Triwizard Tournament or looking for horcruxes were really far from anyone’s comfort zones. 

#7 If we are left alone, we must also fight alone

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's friendship was inseparable, but as we know, its foundations shook from time to time, and it was in exactly such moments that Harry was often left alone. So it is true that in each of our lives there are sometimes situations where we will not be able to rely on either our family or our friends — these are the times when we have to fight the hardest.

#8 Self confidence and courage are two different things

Again, we can explain this with the example of two characters, this time contrasting Neville Longbottom and the vainglorious Gilderoy Lockhart, who was literally overwhelmed with his self confidence. As it turned out later, he was a coward who only masked his own incompetence with confidence. The exact opposite was true of Neville, who, although he was constantly overshadowed, proved more than a few times how great his determination, guts and courage were. In this case, too, we are shown that appearances are often misleading. 

#9 Everyone will die, but not everyone actually lives

The words Dumbledore spoke just before he died are literally carved into the hearts of many. Through them he reminds Harry not to pity the dead, but to pity the living – and above all those who live without love. His words should be an eternal reminder for us to love and live life to the fullest every day, for none of us knows which day will be his last. 

#10 Magic is real

Yes, it may sound strange, but we do not mean the kind of magic that was taught at Hogwarts. We are talking about the magic and little wonders of everyday life. After all, life is full of things that we can't explain at all, and we could even argue that we often feel a kind of magic when we spend hours doing some activity we love. That is why one of the paths to true happiness lies in never failing to appreciate these moments of wonder and magic in our lives.