What I learned from Harry Potter

I know I promised not to speak about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows until everyone I know had a chance to read it, but it has now been over a week since the release date. If you haven’t read it already, you’re probably not getting to it anytime soon.

As most of you know, I lined up to buy the new Harry Potter at midnight and had finished it by 6am on the release date. While it surely wasn’t my favorite of the series, I do feel it was an excellent way to end the saga. There was enough drama, action, and suspense to keep me entertained, enthralled, and even weeping at times.

Now that the series is over, I do want to reflect upon a few things I’ve learned from all the characters in the series as I watched them grow through the seven books.

• Percival Weasley: While everyone makes mistakes, only the strongest admit that they have made them.
• Neville Longbottom: Whatever your weakness and flaws, nothing can stop you if you are determined and motivated.
• Hagrid: It’s not how you look that makes you memorable, but what you do.
• Dolores Umbridge: Ruling with a heavy hand brings fear, but very rarely does it bring respect.
• Hermione Granger: No matter how smart you are, the only thing that matters is how you put those smarts to use.
• Ron Weasley: When you do something good for the world, it doesn’t matter if someone else takes all the glory: the reward is in knowing you’ve made a difference.
• Harry Potter: Sometimes you can’t make it on your own, so it’s okay to ask for help.
• Severus Snape: Even if it is unrequited, there is no force in the world stronger than love.

I left Snape for the end because, in my opinion, he is the true star of the series; Snape is the one character I have held some kind of strong opinion — whether good or bad — through every book.

Of course, there is one other clear lesson I’ve learned through the series, and this one I’ve learned from J.K. Rowling herself: there’s lots of money to be made in children’s literature.

Quick bonus: if you were left craving for more after Rowling’s vague epilogue, she spills the beans in a special interview you can read about here.