7 Books, 7 Lessons

Twenty years ago, an enthralling, magical world was born. Twenty years later, it is still thriving and growing in the hearts of the people it has touched.
 
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published in 1997. Two years later my mom bought me a copy. At first, I was skeptical because I haven’t tried reading thick books. However, the skepticism vanished when I started reading. Then, I found myself turning page after page after page… never wanting to stop. I was enthralled.
 
I have learned a lot from these seven books. But these are the top 7 life lessons I have gained from reading the Harry Potter series. No, scratch that! I did not just read it. I grew up with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. I was there with them, and I learned these valuable life lessons

• Reading can save a person. I have always felt out-of-place. I have always been the odd one. I have been bullied when I was a kid and I felt like everyone was better than I am. No one knew I was unhappy most of the time. I just hid the insecurities and doubts behind the loud-funny-kid-facade. But, when I entered Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, my life changed. I belonged there, just like Harry who never felt he had a home or family, like Hermione who felt different because she was a witch, like Ron who felt like he isn’t appreciated at home, like Luna who has always been weird, and Neville whose parents were alive but cannot recognize him. We all belonged in Hogwarts. My kid-self was saved
• Family can be found in unlikely places. A family isn’t just found in the group of people who you live with in a structure called a house. It could also be found in a train compartment with people who do not look like you. A family could be found in the headquarters of a secret group with a person who was locked up in a horrifying prison cell because he allegedly betrayed your parents. Family can be the friends whom you feel at home with. Family can be the things that sit on bookshelves—books.
• Love is stronger than fear. Neville was a coward, or was he? This character is fidgety. He is uncomfortable with people, awkward in the class. He only excelled in Herbology. He was seen as a coward. But he stood up against his friends because he believed they were to make a mistake. He even killed Nagini! Now, that is true bravery!
• Love need not be explicit to be shown. Readers have always been dubious of Severus Snape’s character. He was a mystery. He was two-faced for the most part of the series. He despised James Potter, yet saved Harry in a number of situations. He was an unsung hero. A hero who was misunderstood, feared, and despised. He showed his love for Lily Potter by saving her only son, without making his intentions known to everyone. His tragic, but selfless, death left a scar in my heart.
• Magic is real. Magic in the world of Harry Potter isn’t just the spells, charms, jinxes, Horcruxes. Magic is the bond of family and friends. Magic is real in the form of the love that makes us accept people who are different from us. Magic is seen when people show kindness to one another.
• The ones you love never die. The Ressurection Stone can bring back the echo of the dead. The mirror of Erised could let one gaze at the image of the things he desired most. These, however, are not really needed to feel one’s loved ones who died. They stay in our hearts. This is one of the most valuable lessons I have learned from Harry Potter. A lesson that is helping me get through my grandmother’s death.
• Writing can save a person. J.K. Rowling, in the most difficult time of her life, unknowingly created a magical world (which saved me and countless other lives) which saved her and her family. Whenever I feel doubts creeping up, making me not want to write again, I remember J.K. Rowling’s struggle.

 
My life wouldn’t be the same without the magical world of Harry Potter. Needless to say, this magical world is part of who I am today. So, thank you, J.K. Rowling, for creating this world where everyone is welcome and everyone can be at home!