5 Life Lessons from Harry Potter...

I'm a freak - I know. I love re-reading books. Not all books, but certain ones. Just to name a few: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, several Dean Koontz novels, and the Harry Potter series. These books all hold special meaning for me each time I read them.

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, I decided to spend the better part of the past 9 days re-reading all 7 books in the Harry Potter series. Yes you read that correctly: 7 books in 9 days. I find myself re-reading this series every year or two, which means that I've read this series of books approximately 12 times. I certainly know the story in great detail at this point, so why do I keep coming back to these novels over and over again? Harry Potter is a timeless classic of good vs. evil with amazing characters, an incredible storyline, and a wonderfully magical world. (Pun intended.) But it's even more than that. What Harry Potter gives to its readers is important lessons that they can apply to their life. Here are my top 5:

1. When you have the support of your friends, anything is possible: As valiant as Harry Potter is in these books, he would never have gotten as far as he did if it hadn't been for the commitment of his friends - especially Ron and Hermione. Without their support, he most likely would have failed.
2. Never judge a person based on their race, color, origin or any conditions they suffer from: Whether Muggle-born, a house elf, a supposed traitor (Snape), or a werewolf, everyone should be equally valued regardless of their background.
3. It's not always about book knowledge: As Hermione says in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things -- friendship and bravery." Hermione wisely points out that sometimes knowing the right answer is not enough. Even though Harry uses Hermione's knowledge and expertise, it is his courage that makes him able to fight for what he believes in.
4. Life comes down to choices: Dumbledore has one of the best quotes in the series (from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets): "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." The clear indicator of how important choices are is by comparing Harry and Voldemort. Both made choices that affected not only their lives but the lives of others. But who made the better choices?
5. Love conquers all: Time and time again in the books, it's made clear that love is the reason why Harry defeats Voldemort. Voldemort does not feel love and therefore cannot understand the power that love provides which keeps Harry protected throughout his life.

These 5 lessons are just a few out of many that Rowling presents in this amazing series of novels and why I constantly come back to read these books over and over. I still weep at every death! For those haters who want to ban these books because they consider them evil due to the magic elements, I say: "Perhaps you might want to take some time out of your narrow-minded day to actually read the books."

Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for your creativity in writing these amazing novels - and an even bigger thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing who recognized that Harry Potter was a story that must be read by the world.