We weeped in shock when Dumbledore fell off the Astronomy Tower. We felt guilt having hated on Snape for so long, when we found out who he truly was. We were overjoyed when the Weasley Brothers made it big and we stared wide-eyed as we watched Dobby being set free [in our minds].
Despite being one of the highest-grossing genres, the young adult genre in reading is underrated by most adults. It seems that many overlook books like Harry Potter [specifically] that have much to offer in terms of morals, ethics and the bittersweet combination of good and bad.
J.K Rowling has taught her readers to love, work hard, keep friends close, and struggle to do what is best. Throughout the series, we learn that love is a powerful weapon. It may mean one thing to young adults when they read the series – It may be about witches, wizards, doing the impossible, an easier life and playing Quidditch – but it is so much more when an adult reads Harry Potter.
Personally, this series of 7 books was my portal to the reading world and over this weekend, as I flipped through those familiar pages again, I realized quickly that just as the meaning of a song changes with time, when you re-read the Harry Potter books as an adult, your reading changes too. Here are 5 reasons you should read [or re-read] the Harry Potter series as an adult:
1. “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
This applies to when you’re craving a cake on a diet or having inappropriate thoughts about your neighbour. But, seriously, we all feel rage and frustration – the choice to act on these feelings is still only ours. This is a concept that needs learning beyond age.
2. Appearances can truly be deceiving, so pause before you judge:
Whether it’s Professor Snape we’re talking about or Dumbledore, we need to know someone quite closely before we label them. So every time you meet someone who annoys the life out of you, think of that defining moment when all your distaste for Snape melted into a puddle of love and awe – the moment you knew the true him.
3. Even your smallest actions have consequences – so be prepared:
There are a lot of examples for this, but let’s take the Tale of Three Brothers. On the flipside of power, there is destruction and you need to come to terms with what is gone [the dead cannot be brought back to life]. It’s not all bad – the smallest changes Harry and Hermoine made with the Time-Turner changed the course of their lives.
4. Selfless love is a powerful weapon and shield:
Yes, yes.. A lot of movies and books have covered the same theme, but not quite so intimately. It wasn’t a Romeo and Juliet situation where they couldn’t live without one another – they died so Harry could live [and Harry, in turn, did the same]. Dobby, Dumbledore, Lily Potter, James Potter, Fred Weasley, Sirius Black, Lupin and Tonks.. The list is heartbreakingly long. As Dumbledore put it: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.” So if you have someone worth losing yourself for, hold on.
5. Death cannot transcend love:
Yes, again – Love. As Sirius Black puts it in the movie – “The ones that love us never really leave us.”
Despite being set in a fantasy world, the struggles in the Harry Potter series are genuinely real-world and the characters? Relatable. I suggest if you have time on your hands, re-read the series. Along with the roller-coaster of splendid adjectives, endearing characters and some really good dialogue, there is much to learn from these pages – about love, life, death, friendship and odd personalities [even as an adult].