Life Lessons Harry Potter Taught Me

because he would rather take things on alone. But because we are vulnerable when we trust others, trust is a form of bravery. Hope is a form of bravery. In the end, Harry is at his best when he is willing to trust his friends, to trust Dumbledore, and to take a bit of the pressure off himself. And his friends’ trust in Harry is their own form of bravery—they cannot know if he will prevail (and in fact, he doesn’t even know), but they do best when they trust in each other.

And most of all, may we learn to be brave enough to trust others, and to hope. Harry (and Dumbledore, too) is afraid to trust others

need to trust that women are smart and capable. We need to believe ourselves smart and capable. Thank god for the hard-working women in our lives. Thank god for Hermione. Thank god for insufferable know-it-alls.

she keeps it together more frequently than the boys do

But Arthur Weasley is a beautiful example of the way we must be kind, especially when it’s not easy, and also how our kindness should have limits.

Many, especially women, are taught the garbage rule that we must be nice and kind to everyone always. Arthur Weasley and Dumbledore would conditionally agree; be kind until you do not need to any longer.

Many of us have had many best friends, but will lose many best friends, too. And it’s not always from a catastrophic loss, like from an accident or a fight, but often a slower, less noticeable loss, like the way light fades at the end of the day. You notice the light going, but then you look up and it’s become night, and you missed the moment it happened. You couldn’t find that exact moment, even if you tried. It’s no one’s fault but time and distance.

highest form of love to say that someone else’s life is worth as much as yours, sometimes more.

easily our sense of loyalty can be broken—when we’re afraid, it’s easier to abandon our loyalties.

Snape reminds us that we can’t escape our childhood hurts, Lupin reminds us that that might be okay.