I’m a Harry Potter fan. I feel the books are brilliant and a very cool take on the good vs. evil thing. Currently, the Ng family is revisiting Harry & Company because my son started the books and is beginning to enjoy the movies. I’m finding the series is still as entertaining as ever, but I’m also finding something new each time I read.
Whenever I read books with my son, I look for lessons and points of discussion. Today, I’d like to share some of the lessons with you.
It’s OK to Enlist the Help of Your Friends
Harry Potter may be the title character, but make no mistake, he wouldn’t have been as successful with his magic or sleuthing without Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore and a cast of characters too vast to list here. There were times he asked for help and received it, and times he wanted to go it alone, but still had help. Moreover, he gave more of himself in a single year of school than most give in a lifetime.
Make no mistake, it took many different brains and bodies to rid the world of Lord Voldemort. “I can do it myself,” is wonderful but collaborations can rock just as hard. You’re not a failure if you work with others. If you’re stubborn and refuse to get along, things don’t always go as planned.
Smarts and Creativity Trump Magic
Harry Potter’s magic wand was only one of several tools used throughout the series. While it was an essential tool, without skill, smarts and creativity, Harry wouldn’t have succeed. His wand aided him but his ability to think logically and work through situations most people take for granted is what really got the job done. Here in the muggle world, we can’t really wave a magic want around. However, we can toss together a mix of smarts, creativity and some kickass tools and still create some pretty powerful magic.
If a Situation Doesn’t Look Right, You Can Act…or Leave it Alone
If something isn’t quite meshing, you have a couple of options. Leave it be or investigate further…
Harry and his friends had an uncanny ability to sniff out trouble. If something looked out of place, they took the time to figure out why. If they didn’t investigate a hunch, would Quirrel have stolen the Sorcerer’s Stone? Would Ginny Weasley have died in the Chamber of Secrets? Would anyone have recovered all horcruxes?
There’s good kinds of snooping and bad kinds of snooping. Going through your brother’s drawers to find some dirt on him isn’t the good kind of snooping. Going with your gut to expose evil or corruption is a whole other story.
First Impressions Aren’t Always Correct
Remember Snape? He had lots of people fooled, didn’t he? (Truth be told, I kind of had a feeling he was rolling with the good guys.) I often wondered if Harry asked him the right questions if Snape would have been honest with him. For example, “Why did you kill Dumbledore?” or “Are you for the good buys or bad guys?”
It’s easy to make false assumptions. In fact, sometimes people you trust even make up stories about others to elevate their own careers and stature. Only you can make decisions about your relationships. Always give others the benefit of the doubt and don’t fall for gossip and finger pointing.
Good Wins Over Evil in the End
I’m a believer in the straight and narrow. People who count on sneaky tactics or bad practices are eventually called on it. People who try and get one over are usually found out. And most people who do the wrong thing don’t get away with it.
What are some lessons you learned from Harry Potter? Did I get it right here, or am I way off base?
