Tag: the boy who lived

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

-J.K Rowling

The task of picking a favourite story was daunting, as an avid lifelong reader, it was near impossible. But then I thought of the above quote in J.K. Rowling’s fantasy series, Harry Potter; words are amazing and with them, people are able to create whole new worlds and stories that bring people out of their normal lives and into something, well, magical, which is exactly what J.K. Rowling did for me when I was young.

The story of Harry Potter is well known around the world. On his eleventh birthday, a young boy named Harry Potter discovers that he is a wizard and possesses the ability to use magic.

He is then introduced to the Wizarding World, where unbeknownst to him, he is already famous for being the Boy Who Lived, having survived a killing curse as a baby from the powerful dark wizard, known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

To harness his new found abilities, Harry goes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a boarding school in which young witches and wizards are sorted into houses based on their qualities. There he encounters new friends (and enemies) and find a place in which he finally feels he truly belongs.

Throughout their six years at Hogwarts, Harry and his friends find themselves continually drawn into the struggle against Lord Voldemort, while still navigating the challenges of adolescence and well as understanding and growing their magical abilities. This journey’s story concludes with an epic war between the forces of good and evil at Hogwarts with the final showdown of Harry and Lord Voldemort.

The saga of Harry Potter is one that so clearly follows the rules of storytelling. The story is simple and focused: Harry must defeat Lord Voldemort for the Wizarding World to survive. The characters are highly relatable, as it is easy to find something of yourself in each of them so inevitably you want to keep rooting for them. They also never give up, despite being so young and having many obstacles thrown at them, they persevere and move forward. Yet they each have their own opinions and are not scared to show it; they understand that they all bring something unique to the table that an ultimately help.

“To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.”

– J.K. Rowling

The main theme that resonated with me through all seven books was that of love. Harry’s mother was able to protect him because of the love she had for him, even though she was gone; Harry’s friends continually risk their lives for one another because of the love they share. And even Snape, one of the most despised characters throughout the series, is heartbreakingly redeemed (in my opinion) by love.

The love that is seeped into the whole series is what makes it a great story; it brought purpose, gave the characters a reason to continue fighting, and made the story relatable, even though it’s set in a fantasy world that we can only envision. It is also what brings people back to the story and what audiences will remember when its over.