Blog Post #3

I read the series for the first time in this class. Some of the books were better than others, yet Rowling wrote these books in a way that I could not put them down. Especially this last book! I am so glad that I read all of these books because I finally understand what the big deal is about Harry Potter. I was completely shocked at the ending of the book because I had heard rumors that Harry Potter died. After reading, I know that Harry was the one who in fact lived. He continued to be the “boy who lived” and his love for others and his willingness to sacrifice himself kept him alive, which was something I never expected. Rowling used so many twists and turns throughout the series, which lead people wanting more. I think that Rowling expresses friendship and determination in this last book so well, that it allows society to relate to her stories when they read. I think however, death should not have been so prominent in this last book. I think it is very dark for children who are younger to be reading about it. I also think that it gave readers some excitement and it showed readers how far the characters were willing to go to protect Harry’s life and show determination to stand up for something you believe in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s friendship strengthened throughout this series and while you saw moments that tested their friendship, you always knew that they would stick together. They were always willing to help one another, whether they were mad at each other, or didn’t believe in what they were doing.

My feelings towards Dumbledore never changed throughout the series. I always had this feeling that Dumbledore was on Harry’s side. I always believed that he never gave Harry a task that he couldn’t handle. I hated hearing Dumbledore’s past from different people, because I felt like it wasn’t true. Even though Dumbledore failed to inform Harry of major important things in the wizarding world, he had enough faith in Harry to complete the tasks. However, my feeling towards Snape was kind of a rollercoaster. I had times when I liked him and times I didn’t like him, which is what I think Rowling wanted. Snape was a mysterious character who had two sides to him. He had one side who hated Harry with a burning passion and it only got worse throughout the seven years at Hogwarts. However, we knew he had a good side too. I just had a feeling that Snape was out to get Harry and I thought that if Voldemort wouldn’t have kept trying to kill Harry, then Snape would have.

I think that this series could be viewed in any social context. It is so flexible and can relate to so many themes like coming of age, prejudice, friendship, death, oppression, love and the list can go on. It is easy to relate to and you can pretty much fit the context into any sub category you want.

Blog Post 3

For me there were parts of the ending that I guessed and other parts that were a complete surprise. I think Rowling did a good job making sense of everything and that you can go back to earlier books and find parts that foreshadow things that happen at the end of the seventh book. The biggest part I found problematic was when Voldemort kills Harry but not really because Harry is still alive. It opened up a whole new level of magic. The series starts with this type of magic when Harry survives the killing curse when he was a baby. We leaned he survived because of his mother's love that protected him. At the end of the series, though, nobody sacrificed themselves for Harry like his mother did before. The explanantion is that Harry sacrificed his life so the idea that he lived makes sense because since sacrifice is a big theme and Lily sacrificed herself so Harry could live. It still is a little problematic to me of how that type of magic works out, and if it could happen to anyone in the right circumstances.

My view of Dumbledore didn't chnage much. I thought Dumbledore had everything worked out before he died, but my view of Snape changed. I figured he had to be good because Dumbledore continued to trust him and also how Harry always thought Snape was up to something but he never was. Although, the part about the only reason he was on Dumbledore's side was because he loved Lily was a surprise to me. I think Snape found the one person he loved more than anything and he would do anything for her like betray one of the most powerful wizards at the time. I also think Snape had to have a lot of courage and that his love for Lily had to be strong enough that he would betray Voldemort and live a life of deceit and solitary for so long. As for my views of Harry, they didn't change much. Ithink he finally came of age regarding that theme. He was finally able to accept he had to die, but I think he knew he would have to die all along. He finally realized he had to die in order to protect his friends. Ron and Hermione, I think also had to have a strong love for their families and friends to risk their lives throughout the seventh book to try and defeat Voldemort.

I also think the series applies to our society. It has many important themes that apply to children and adults. The idea of racism and how it plays an important role in the series through the discrimination based on blood. Rowling also shows that these ways can be changed. Draco and his mother consistently discriminate based on blood throughout the series. Yet, Draco is unable to kill Dumbledore and Narcissa reports that Harry is dead when she knows he isn't just so she can see her son again. Rowling shows that even in today's culture, we can change and become more accepting and stop racism.

Blog Post 3

When I first got the 7^th book the day it was released I felt excited, but at the same time quite depressed. I had grown up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione; it was going to be hard to have to let them go after all these years. After the finishing the 7^th book though, I was not disappointed! I think that Rowling was able to finally wrap up all, well most, of the lose ends I had been wondering about since book 1. I was excited to read that Harry was still alive because I was of the “Harry’s going to die” camp. I thought that the scene right before Harry enters the forest to meet his fate was so moving, I still cry every time I read it. It’s amazing to think that this 17 year old is able to look death in the face after all he has been though and just show no fear. Another particularly poignant moment for me was when Mrs. Malfoy checks to make sure Harry is dead but instead she asks about her son. I believe that this shows how all of Rowling characters are multi-dimensional and have deep feelings just like the rest of us. Rowling has a way of making you believe that these characters could exist in real life, they make normal human errors and have the same faults and strengths that any other non-magical person would have.

I think that because of what I had read so far with this series, I was not particularly surprised to find out about Snape, although I did not see him being in love with Lily coming at all. I figured that he had to be a “good” guy because Snape truly being that evil was just too obvious. Dumbledore on the other hand had always confused me. Even now having read the series more times than I care to admit, I still can’t decide if I am as loyal as Harry is to Dumbledore. Some of his decisions and deception are still hard for me to comprehend. Although I recognize that he truly cared about Harry, it’s still a little alarming to me that he could put such a plan into action and still treat Harry the same or show him so much love. It’s almost cruel considering what Dumbledore had in store for Harry. My feeling about Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn’t really change except that I gained new respect for all of them, especially Harry in sacrificing himself.

In terms of the larger social/cultural context, I feel that this is a fabulous coming of age saga. Not only do we see how children or teenagers grow, but also adults. Personally, I have found it a means of support when going through rough times, as I believe everyone could. Looking at this magical world that seems so innocent and fantastic you would think everything would be all smiles and sunshine, when in fact it is a dark and scary place at times. I think that it allows us as readers a chance to escape our own problematic lives and read how others are dealing with the same issues we deal with everyday, except with magic.

blop post 3

Never having read the books, i did not know what to expect. I was excited and nervous to read the ending of the last book, i could NOT put it down. The ending of the series had a lot of surprises along with many deaths. One of the things i did not like was all the deaths. I understand and get the fact that it is a war and people die but a lot of my favorite characters die, some like Fred, Tonks and Dobby to name a few. Even when Hedwig died, i was upset especially the way Hedwig died was upsetting. My overall feelings of the last book were ones of heart ache, shock, love and fear. Even though there was so much bad in the world at the time for them, they still had each other and all the love and understanding they had for one another was enough to keep them going. Snape, i always had mixed feelings about him. I never knew what to expect with him. I never thought he was particulary bad, but i didnt think he was all that good. After reading the last book though, when was thing was explained, it made so much more sense. He did everything for his childhood crush Lily. Even though it was her son, he was doing it all in her name. When he gave all the memories that he had about talks him and Dumbledor had, it made even more sense about he asked Snape to do. Dumbledore also did not tell Harry a lot, but if he did tell him, things wouldnt have ended like they did. Harry's fate i think may have changed. Also i think, the three best friends (harry, hermione and ron) went through so much during the last part of this book as well. They lost so many people, ron lost his brother. I also they they grew closer as friends and family. Overall i think this series is so strong and well written. Rowling pulls in many ideas from history and pulls it into the wizarding world. I wish there were more books, im so sad its over!

Blog Prompt 3

At the end of the series, I was very happy with the way that things ended. The seventh book really seemed to give the series a good final ending. I really liked all of the parts. When it comes to being problematic, I really did not find anything too problematic as most of everything was resolved. I did not think that all of the deaths that occurred were necessary though. For instance, I was shocked when Hedwig died. I also did not see the point in killing off Dobby. As for the wizards, I did not think that killing Fred, Moody, Tonks, or Remus was needed. They all seemed pointless. I think that the series would have ended exactly the same if they were all included in the final Epilogue. For some reason my feelings towards Dumbledore never really changed. I never saw him as his brother saw him. I always felt that he cared for Harry, as he said he did, and did not mean to harm him, or do anything that Harry could not handle. I always saw him as a mysterious person, really. And that did not change at all throughout the books, he remained mysterious. As for Snape, I'm sure everyone's feelings changed towards him. He always seemed like such a heartless man, especially when he killed Dumbledore. The seventh book really made him seem the most human...someone who had feelings, someone who loved, and someone who would willingly sacrifice himself for someone else. At the end, I guess I got a kind of soft spot for Snape, even after everything. And really, the reasons why he treated Harry as he did made sense--he was jealous of James and Harry reminded him every day of what he never had. Harry, Ron, and Hermione pretty much stayed the same. I appreciated Ron and Hermione a lot more, because their parts in this book were much more prominent. Although they always helped Harry in the previous books, their help in this one was much more pronounced. I guess Harry became more of a person I respected. This all happened because he walked straight into death. Although Harry seemed to continuously did so, as the book even said through his inner monologue, his will to live was always stronger. So to make him walk straight to his so called death really changed how I saw him as a character. He seemed much more brave now. He was no longer just a naive child.
In a cultural context, Harry Potter can just be easily related to. Although everyone is most certainly not marching to meet death and stare it in the face, we all have many concerns that we do face every day. And more importantly, Harry Potter shows how every day relationships evolve and how a teenager copes with them, something we have all experienced. It shows relationships between friends...romantic relationships...family relationships...parental relationships. It is just something that is easy to relate to.

Blog Prompt #3

How did you feel about the end of the series? What moments did you find particularly poignant, or problematic, and why? How did your feelings towards Dumbledore and Snape change? About Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Why did they change in this way?

In addition, now that you have finished the series, how would you place it in a larger social/cultural context?

Quiz 5 Makeup: The question of choices and environment

The question of choices and environment is a major theme in Rowling’s work. I think that perhaps Rowling leans more toward choices as being responsible for who we are rather than how we grew up. Harry and Voldemort are the perfect example of this, and they are also foils of each other. Harry grew up as an orphan, and was treated terribly by the Dursleys. He was forced to live in a cupboard for the majority of his childhood, and had to cook for them, and suffer some child abuse. Hogwarts was like his first true home, and one of the only places where he felt like he belonged. He was also offered comfort and support by his friends, and offered a guide through Diagon Alley. Voldemort grew up in an orphanage after his mother died, and he too had a miserable childhood (though arguably not as bad as Harry’s). Then, Hogwarts became Voldemort’s beacon of hope. Like Harry, Voldemort was offered a guide through Diagon Alley, although he rejected Dumbledore. It showed his determination to operate alone and be independent, unlike Harry who is aware that he needs help. This choice is one that splits Harry and Voldemort at the very start, and shows which path they are headed down. From the point forward, Voldemort made choices that isolated him, and didn’t allow his “friends” to truly know him and be important to him. Harry, however, thrives in his friendships. Love is the one thing that Harry has that Voldemort does not; the ability to take it, and the ability to give it. Dumbledore emphasizes the importance of this theme in Chamber of Secrets: “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” The point is that everyone is given a family, or lack of; everyone is given abilities and capabilities. What we should judge character by is what we do with what we’re given. I think that’s a very powerful message, and I agree with Rowling entirely. Voldemort ended up with a shriveled, weak soul, but it was by his own doing. He had no one to blame but himself and his quest for immortality. Harry came out of it strong and with a good head on his shoulders, ready to build a life, because he used what was available to him for the better. He could have easily ended up a snobbish fame seeker, or a depressed and desperate individual, but he leaned on his friends for support and in the end, his love paid off.

Neville Longbottom's Character Development

I think that Neville Longbottom has probably developed the most as a character throughout the series, and undergone the most drastic character changes. Neville starts out as a shy, awkward boy who constantly loses things and is teased by Draco. In the first book, we can already see Neville growing up; he doesn’t want Harry, Ron and Hermione to sneak out again because they would get Gryffindor in trouble. Hermione uses Petrificus Totalus on him and they pass through anyway, but Dumbledore honors Neville’s bravery at the end. He says it takes greater courage to stand up to your friends than to stand up to your enemies. I think this is an important observation, because many horrible things have happened in history just because no one stood up to their comrades when they were doing wrong. Projecting this rather broadly, the Nazis had friends who knew they were in the wrong, but no one dared to say anything because they wanted to stay in favor with the Nazi party.
Our perception of Neville continues to change in Goblet of Fire as we learn that his parents were tortured by death eaters, and they are now vegetables in St. Mungo’s. He must have had a lot of strength to visit them and keep a brave face while his mother and father didn’t recognize him. This also reflects on one of Rowling’s major themes; suffering and empathy. Neville’s parents have suffered greatly, and so has Neville, but Neville is compassionate and takes good care of his friends. Neville truly blossoms in Order of the Phoenix. He joins the DA and learns several powerful spells so that he can learn how to fight the Death Eaters with the rest of his friends. He was also one of the six who flew to the Ministry of Magic to “save” Sirius Black, demonstrating his courage and his claim to the Gryffindor name. Then the real ball drops; Neville was the other boy who could have fulfilled the prophecy involving Voldemort. Neville could have just as easily been in Harry’s shoes this entire time, and he would have had a completely different life. The only reason it wasn’t Neville was because Voldemort chose to go to Harry first. I think that’s really shocking and strikes at Rowling’s other theme of choices and how they affect people. It also makes me view the entourage of characters a lot differently. Harry isn’t as special as we seem to think. We’ve become attached to him, and we’ve loved him, but he really isn’t any better in terms of power than poor Neville who keeps losing his pet toad.

SPOILER ALERT, Deathly Hallows info to follow



Neville finally seals his maturity in Deathly Hallows, when he kills Nagini and then also refuses to follow the Death Eater’s orders. He plays an instrumental role in the Battle of Hogwarts, showing that he is a capable wizard and a strong young man. Matthew Lewis, the actor who plays Neville, similarly reflects Neville’s drastic change. He looks nothing like he did when he was ten year old. Matthew is now tall, dark, and handsome, and has a lively acting career to look forward to. Many people even had trouble recognizing him as the original Neville.

Blog Post #2: Draco, Shmaco

Draco Malfoy is easily one of the most disliked characters in the Harry Potter series, but he is overlooked as a victim of traumatic experience because most do not like him. From the moment we are introduced to Draco, we see him as disrespectful and spoiled. Once Harry chooses to deny Draco’s help so he doesn’t “go making friends with the wrong sort”, Draco loathes him. It is no secret that Draco, Crabbe and Goyle are the enemies of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but Rowling never chooses to explore the background of three Slytherins like she does the three Gryffindors.
All throughout the novels, we see Draco and his goons tease, taunt, and try to harm the other students. He has no remorse for how anybody else feels, and thinks him and his family are superior to most wizarding families because they are “pureblood”.
In The Half-Blood Prince, we are finally seeing Draco start to crack. He is panicky, worried, and obviously has a secret agenda that he won’t even tell Snape about who is his favorite teacher.
On top of the tower, when he is talking with Dumbledore, we finally learn that his secret agenda was letting in the Death Eaters into Hogwarts through the Vanishing Cabinet. During this conversation, he keeps his wand pointed at Dumbledore the whole time, despite Dumbledore’s weakened state. He keeps mentioning that the Dark Lord has chosen him to carry out this task, but is too afraid to do it. The moment that Dumbledore gets Draco to lower his wand is a breaking point. Draco realizes he does not have what it takes to kill Dumbledore, and therefore Snape must do it because he made the Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa promising her he would protect Draco and perform the task if Draco could not.

SPOILER ALERT! Stop reading if you have not finished the 7th book!!

In the seventh novel, Draco is absent for a majority of it. From what we do see in the beginning, the Malfoy family is pretty much controlled by Voldemort, despite the subtle resistance of Narcissa and Draco. At the battle of Hogwarts, in the Room for Requirement, Harry Ron and Hermione are almost killed by Crabbe’s fire. Despite the fact that they are on the brink of death, Harry goes back for Draco. If that’s not empathy, I don’t know what is. Personally, I feel that Draco has lived the part of the evil Slytherin for so long, and now being part of the Death Eaters and Voldemort having control over his family, he is trapped. I think Harry recognizes this, and feels that Draco can and will change once this is all over. In the forest, Narcissa hides the fact that Harry is actually alive for the information that Draco is safe in the castle. This subtle union between Harry and the Malfoys gave me goosebumps when I was reading it. As much as I hated Draco throughout the novels, he lowered his wand and didn’t kill Dumbledore. Harry was gracious enough to see this, and therefore helped Draco escape the power of Voldemort so he can finally live his own life.

The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore

The coming of age tale experienced by any of the children in the Harry Potter series would make this blog prompt easy to answer, but I feel like taking a less travelled path with my response. For that reason, I am going to talk about the development of Albus Dumbledore.

Obviously Dumbledore begins the series far move developed as a person, but as a character, he remains very much a mystery to the reader. Especially in the first couple of books, Dumbledore is made out to be almost God-like. This observation is even more proficient to in the movies, where Richard Harris gave the character a very mystical demeanor. Earlier on in the series, the language Dumbledore uses makes it seem like he knows everything.

However, as the series progresses, so does the reader’s understanding of Dumbledore’s character. The Goblet of Fire is the first time we see Dumbledore truly not know what to do, and that is when Harry is picked to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. As Harry’s journey becomes more dark and complex, Dumbledore seems to become more vulnerable and less omnipotent.

In the final book of the series, Dumbledore’s life is finally fully explained and we learn of all his flaws. He no longer seems like the perfect man that he is portrayed as early in the series, but instead we see he is just as damaged as any other character. He admits his lust for power is his greatest weakness, which is demonstrated by his guest for the Deathly Hallows, which ultimately led to his cursed hand and eventual death.

One of my favorite chapters in the series is the second to last in the final book, when Harry and Dumbledore meet in a kind of limbo. Dumbledore explains everything to Harry and applauds him for being a greater man than he ever was. Between his talk with Harry, and the meeting with Aberforth, Harry finally learns the details of Dumbledore’s family as well as his relationship with Grindelwald. It is a great chapter because Harry is able to ask all of the questions he regretted not asking during Dumbledore’s life, which allowed Harry to settle any doubts he had about the man he respected above all others.

Harry Potter and the Coming of Age

Though it is perhaps the obvious answer, Harry Potter’s transformation throughout the seven books seems to be the most drastic and influential in the series. Throughout the first three books, though Harry certainly grows from a young boy with no knowledge of the wizarding world to a teenager trying to cope with a dangerous position in the wizarding world. He grows by coping with danger and learning about truths of his past that affect his situation. In the fourth book however, Harry is first put to the test when he witnesses the death of Cedric Diggory. From this moment, Harry is changed, and it is not only by the fact that he can now see thestrals, or that he becomes subject to the wrath of Dolores Umbridge: his strength is tested as he is forced to live through and deal with this trauma from which he has suffered. As J.K. Rowling stated herself, death is the most important theme in this series, and this seems to directly correspond with Harry’s maturity. Only a year after witnessing the murder of a friend, Harry witnesses the murder of Sirius Black, who represented the closest this to a parent to Harry. Only a year following this incident, he witnesses the murder of Albus Dumbledore who filled a role that was not only that of a mentor, but that which was nearly fatherly. Thus, by the end of the sixth book, Harry is forced into extreme independence and remarks upon how utterly alone he feels in the world. Therefore, with every father figure having been taken away from him at such a young age, he does not so much step into maturity as he is shoved into it. Therefore, in the seventh book, Harry is an entirely different person from the character introduced in the beginning of the series. Any remaining vestiges of Harry’s innocence that remain in the seventh book are immediately squashed when Harry’s white owl, Hedwig, is killed during Harry’s attempt to flee his childhood home, number four, Privet Drive. Throughout the seventh book, as such a tone indicates, Harry is required to lead rather than follow, and be entirely self-sufficient. As a result, he is uncomfortable in the amount of power that is thrust into his own hands, yet finds success through his own means. Though so many incidences of trauma have undoubtedly had negative effects on Harry, they have, too, made him stronger, and constructed the independence he needs to be successful in hunting down and defeating Voldemort.

Blog #2 Neville's Disadvantage

The more I consider the Harry Potter series as a whole, the more I return to the development of Neville Longbottom throughout the progress of the story. He is more drastically affected than nearly any other character by the influence of choices, including his choices as well as those of others regarding him. It is these choices combined with Neville’s reactions to them that come to define him as an individual.

To begin, Lord Voldemort’s reaction to the prophesy dictates Neville’s identity just as much as it does Harry’s. By choosing Harry over Neville as the singular threat to his power, Voldemort literalizes Harry’s power over him and simultaneously deprives Neville of this position. This decision does little to influence Neville as a person in comparison to the fate of his parents; Neville develops a serious sense of paranoia, disempowerment, isolation, and self deprecation in response to the brutal fate of his parents. This trauma instills an overwhelming fear in him which floods every niche of his life.

Although Rowling’s readers cannot appreciate the magnitude of the trauma that Neville develops in spite of, she depicts the gradual development of his self worth and understanding of his own power given his acknowledgment of it. A few examples of this growth include the moment Neville stands up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione in The Philosopher’s Stone; his decision to join the D.A. to better himself as an individual and wizard as well as his courageous involvement at the Ministry in The Order of the Phoenix; and his incredibly courageous decision to come to Hermione and Ron’s aid against the Death Eaters at the end of The Half Blood Prince. As those who have read the series know, Neville’s climactic acts of heroism toward the end of the seventh installment encapsulates Neville’s tedious and challenging journey of growth and self discovery, especially when juxtaposed to Harry and his journey. Both characters develop in eerily similar and yet drastically different circumstances and, given his significantly disadvantageous response to childhood trauma, Neville’s personal development outshines Harry’s when analyzed properly (not to discredit Harry’s growth and achievements).

Ethical Dilemmas: Make up for quiz #5

There are quite a few ethical dilemmas to be faced in The Half-Blood Prince, many of which stem directly from the Half-Blood Prince himself. Is Harry’s use of the borrowed book cheating? As a student I would disagree. If I rented a text book from the school and it had writing in it that helped me get through the class I would without a doubt use it and not think a thing of it. I don’t think that if a teacher caught me with it that I would even be in trouble. For Harry it is slightly different because of the unknown consequences of the curses jotted in it. There were serious repercussions for his use of the Prince’s hex, using it outside of academics is where I believe the book became unethical. The more important question of ethics is in the Half-Blood Prince himself. How is it possible that Snape can look Dumbledore in his eyes and kill him? This is a man that gave him everything. The fact that Snape has been siding with Voldemort this whole time is a haunting revelation. It really makes you wonder what goes on inside of Snapes’ mind to make him think and do the things that he does. I don’t have any ethical answers to what Snape has done, it purely repulses me. On a lighter end, Slughorn has quite a few ethical issues himself. Should it really be permitted that he holds private parties for his favorite students? I can’t imagine anything like the ‘Slug Club’ being accepted at my high school. I suppose wizarding laws may be different but I don’t see how a teacher can openly be so biased to some students. His objective for the Slug Club is obviously only to get in good with these students to later benefit himself. He is only interested in those who can better him at no charge and has no interest in the good of the students. I understand that teachers do tend to favor certain students at times, but Slughorn is out of control. I am so glad I never had to deal with any teachers like him in high school. The last ethical dilemma I noticed in The Half-Blood Prince was between Dumbledore and Harry. I think after Dumbledore informed Harry about the prophecy the worst was over. Yet, I still think Dumbledore left out monumental amounts of important information for Harry. He never went into detail about how to destroy Horcuxes or even how to go about finding them. He never explained how he burned his hand and also never gave any advice on what to do when facing Voldemort or when that time will come. He never taught him more advanced defense against the dark arts or really anything that would help him in battle. Yes, he gave him useful information about Voldemort’s past but that information can only help him so much. I don’t think that Dumbledore meant to keep out such useful information but he definitely had ethical reasons as to why he didn’t share them. But, he also probably thought there would be more time for that.

Blog 2 : Harry Potter, obviously

When faced with the challenge of pick a few characters who have changed and developed the most during throughout the series it’s quite obvious…all of them have! But seriously, this is a challenge because all of the prominent characters have grown and become better wizards and people. Even the minor characters, for lack of a better word, have grown – Luna and Neville, especially.


One of the most important characters is obviously Harry Potter. I mean, it’s HIS story we’re reading. That being said, we have definitely watched him develop throughout the series. In the first book we meet little Harry Potter, a scrawny eleven-year old who has a pretty rough life. But there are these odd things that keep happening around him. Then the audience finds that he is a wizard, and not just any wizard, one of the most famous wizards of all time! And he’s eleven! So we follow Harry to Hogwarts where he finds friends and ultimately ends up fighting his nemesis, Lord Voldemort. In between those events though, Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised. He gazes into the Mirror and sees his parents for the first time. The thing he most desires in the world is to be with his parents again, to be part of a loving family. Not fame or fortune, like Ron desires. He just wants to be loved, unconditionally. What a desire that most of us take for granted. Flash forward to the third year at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione are fighting against time (literally) to save Sirius Black, whom they have just met and just learned is not actually a mass-murderer. Harry is trying to save his godfather from dementors when someone casts a Patronus charm to save them. At first, Harry thinks it is his father who cast the charm, but later realizes it was he who did it. When Harry tells Dumbledore that he thought at first that it was his father who cast the Patronus to save Sirius, Dumbledore assures him that the dead cannot come back to life. He discusses the topic with Harry, “You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him” (Prisoner of Azkaban 427). So at this point, Harry comes to the realization that despite the incredible feats that magic can achieve, it cannot bring back the dead. In the seventh book, Harry, Ron and Hermione have left Hogwarts and are on a quest to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes. The trio are together and despite challenges (unnamed so as to prevent spoilers!) remain together until the end. Finally, Harry has found his family and is satisfied knowing that his parents would be crazy proud of his accomplishments and the person who he as become. Harry’s story ends with the best happily ever after.. ever – a family for himself, for him to love unconditionally. Harry starts out as this sad, incomplete child, lacking any friends or true family, but ends the series as a complete person, with plenty of love that he is both giving off and receiving. Yay - Happily Ever After!