Anyone who knows me knows how much of a Harry Potter fanatic I am. I have every single book and the complete DVD collection. I have a Deathly Hollows charm necklace hanging on my rear view mirror, and I am currently draped with my Marauder’s Map throw as I’m typing this. I remember being so disappointed when the final book got released because I rushed to the library to check it out and had to be put on a waiting list of over twenty people. It was nearly unbearable. It was a sad day when I realized there will no longer be another movie coming out. I got used to seeing the trailers that ended with that very familiar tune.

The Harry Potter series was an otherworldly fantasy story but still relatable to the kids who grew up with it. Friendship, being late for class, dealing with teachers who we thought were out to get us, crushes, dances, relationships, heartbreak, loss, fear, courage…everything we have to experience some time during our lives, we got to see in these books and films.

Here is a list I created of lessons that I learned from the Harry Potter series:

1.Happiness is possible even in the darkest of moments.

Dumbledore told us that “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” (Prisoner of Azkaban). We’ve seen Harry go through more tragedy than one could think possible, but he always manages to recover and find happiness. I, myself, have been through some trials and tribulations, but I always pulled through. There is always a reason to keep moving.

2. People are not always what they seem.

There are two very good characters that prove that one should not judge a person by what you’ve been told about them: Sirius Black and Severus Snape. Sirius was portrayed as a murderer who betrayed Harry’s parents in the worst way possible. Later we find out he is actually the loving and courageous godfather of Harry. Professor Snape is a complicated character. We were all against Snape in the beginning because of how he treated Harry. Then we found out that Snape was in love with Harry’s mom and was bullied by Harry’s dad. Then we hated him again because we see he is a Death Eater and (spoiler alert) kills Dumbledore. Then we realize he was a double agent all along working for Dumbledore to avenge the death of Harry’s mom and protect Harry from Voldemort. This can be confusing if you don’t follow the story…

3. Sometimes we have to face our fears.

One of my favorite scenes is in The Chamber of Secrets when Harry and Ron find out that they need to follow the spiders if they want to know the answer of what caused Hermione and some other students to become “frozen.” Ron reacts by fearfully stating, “Follow the spiders? Why couldn’t it have been follow the butterflies?” It is no secret that Ron is terribly afraid of spiders. In the end he has no choice but to follow them out into the Forbidden Forest. Harry learns how to use his patronus so he can protect himself and others from the dementors.

4. Sometimes we have to face our battles alone.

Although Harry had his friends to help him with most of the obstacles that came his way, he ultimately had to face Voldemort on his own. I find this a very important lesson for all of us. We can’t rely on our friends or family to somehow save us from our own problems every time. We have to learn to fight our own battles at some point.

5. Love conquers hate.

Now this is very cliché, but its true. It's something I feel we need to remember, especially with all the hate that is in our world today. Harry had many near death experiences. He lost so many people that he loved and cared about. He lost not only people but also his feathery companion, Hedwig, as well. Instead of giving up, he continued to fight for himself and his friends. He fought and won against his greatest enemy. He couldn’t have done this without the love and support of his friends. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny, and the rest of Dumbledore’s Army didn’t have to risk their lives. They chose to be there for Harry. Also, it was the sacrifice of Harry's mother, her love for her son, that saved Harry from Voldemort as a baby.

Harry Potter defines a generation. Those who are in their early 20’s grew up with Harry. As he was learning these lessons, we were learning them alongside him. Harry Potter left a legacy that I honestly do not think will ever be forgotten.

“Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home” – J.K. Rowling.