Blog Prompt #3: Final Thoughts

I, like many fans, have grown up with Harry Potter and it was hard to see it end. In the beginning it was just about Harry trying to find his place in this new wizarding world. We all watched Harry grow up before our eyes and we grew with him. At the end of the seventh book I was experiencing a lot of different emotions. It was hard to deal with all of the losses that the final book had put me through. With many beloved characters dying all over the place it was hard to find any good that was coming out of the final installment of the book. This final book was a roller coaster of emotions with many ups and downs.

Over Harry, Ron, and Hermione's seven year friendship, however despite all the tragedy  by the end of this book was stronger than ever. This trio has gone through so much together and despite the turbulence in their friendships have managed to stay very loyal to one another. This is something I was very grateful for in the Harry Potter series. The books put a great deal of infancies on friendship and showed that friends will, in fact, screw up but that true friends will stick by no matter what. My favorite example of this in the book is when Ron leaves the group and finds his way back just in time to save Harry. It was really a great example of how many friendships work.

The worst part of the series for me, and this book in particular, was dealing with all of the deaths. From the first death of Hedwig to the many lives lost at the Battle of Hogwarts, so many lives were lost that it was hard to keep reading. The worst deaths for me by far were Fred Weasley and Dobby both for similar reasons. The two characters both seems to have such carefree and optimistic personalities that I felt it was extremely unfair for them to die. To add to that they both died protecting the ones they loved so that shows a great deal about their character.

I also really enjoyed the ending where Ginny was fighting Bellatrix and Molly Weasley steps in to protects he and kills Bellatrix. It was such a powerful scene. After that it only became more powerful when Harry stepped in to protect Mrs. Weasley. I couldn't help but think it was like when Harry's mother saved him out of love. It was almost if Harry was doing his mother a favor by protecting his new mother-figure. It just goes to show how far Harry has come and how many things have come full-circle.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed the series and have learned a great deal from it. Throughout the seven books I have experience many ups and downs with Harry and his friends and I have grown up with them. This series is one that I will have no problem with reading over and over again and even sharing with my own children one day. I am very grateful for it.

Blog Post #3: Going from Observing the Harry Potter Excitement to Actually Experiencing It

I thought I knew what the outcome of the series was going to be. I had seen all of the movies, gone to Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal (where I bought Ginny's wand, natch), and allowed my sister to tell me as many secrets as her heart desired when she was first reading the series over a year ago. (She was so excited, and at the time I idiotically had no plans to read the series ever, so I let her.) But if there's one thing I discovered when I was going through the books, it was that J.K. Rowling is a genius. There were curveballs thrown at me that I never would have expected. (The biggest of all being Snape's very intricate and carefully planned storyline.) It was impossible for me, as I'm sure it was for everybody else, to put the final book down. It was so bad, I walked into work jumping up and down with the book in my hand one day, talking to my 4o-something manager (who is big fan of the series as well) about what was going on and how I was frustrated that I had to work that day instead of continuing to read the book. (Luckily, she understood and didn't yell at me, thank goodness!)

My absolute favorite part of the ending of the book was also a part that I didn't quite understand, and I wish there had been more explanation about it. My favorite character in the series is Neville, and I love that he got to play the part of the hero and kill Nagini at the end. It wasn't Ron or Hermione (though Ron did have a pretty awesome moment when he opened up the Chamber of Secrets to obtain the basilisk fang) or even Ginny. I thought it was great because it showed how confident Neville had become and how strong he really was, but I did not quite understand how he got the Sword of Gryffindor. I know that Voldemort put the Sorting Hat on his head, and that's how Harry had obtained it in Chamber of Secrets, but I didn't quite know how else he could have gotten it from the goblins. Perhaps I missed where she might have explained it?

In terms of the characters, my feelings towards Dumbledore changed a little bit. It scared me that he could have so much power and show so little feeling toward his sister like that. But I don't think it really affected the way I viewed him because I was so eager to find out everything else. And I think so much speculation was put on it--was Rita Skeeter telling the truth? Was Elphias Doge the one that was being honest?--throughout the book that when Dumbledore finally revealed the truth, it seemed sort of expected and not quite as dramatic.

I knew that Ron and Hermione would be together, so that didn't surprise me much. When I went to Wizarding World with my boyfriend, I bought my sister Hermione's wand, and I bought myself Ginny's wand (because I wanted one, too). My boyfriend got mad because his favorite character is Ron, and when I asked why he wanted me to keep Hermione's, he let out a spoiler. So, needless to say, I saw that whole relationship coming long before I started reading the books. But I started really, really liking Ron when he started becoming a hero. When he managed to speak Parseltongue, I thought that was pretty fascinating, and I never expected it out of him. Rowling made a habit of showing that the least likely of people were the biggest heros at the end of the day. I liked that odd twist of events!

Snape is an interesting character for me to think about because I never expected him to go through all of this torture for Dumbledore. His whole story line seemed so completely tangled and complicated that it was one of those things that I had to read several times to fully comprehend, and even now I'm not entirely sure that I do understand it all. It's so fascinating to me that Rowling had all of this in her head the whole time and was able to use foreshadowing in completely unexpected places (like we discussed in class today). I definitely feel more sympathy for him now that I've read the entire series and I know the reasons behind why he did what he did. It kind of makes me want to make him my favorite character. (Though that is highly unlikely--I love Neville too much!)

I experienced the cultural impact of the series was months before I even saw the first movie. I moved to Orlando about two weeks before Wizarding World opened (I was a doing an internship at Walt Disney World for half of 2010). I was sitting backstage at my location (a value resort's food court) in the break room the day the park opened, and I was watching the news before I had to start work. The park's opening was being covered unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was as if the only thing that mattered in the entire world that day was that Harry Potter World was finally open. One of my international friends that I worked with joined me, and she commented on how much she wanted to go there. International interns who didn't have cars were walking to the Publix parking lot in Orlando and taking a trolley all the way to Universal just to see what Hogsmeade looked like. Guests were walking into Intermission Food Court at Disney's All Star Music Resort carrying broomsticks and Butterbeer cups. They were swishing their brand new wands. It was as if my resort (which had so many Mickeys scattered about that it would be impossible to miss them) had completely Apparated onto Universal's property! At first, I was annoyed about all of these changes. Disney World wasn't making any headlines at all, and all of a sudden this magnificent thing comes and steals its thunder! But when I read the books this quarter, I finally understood why: Everybody can find themselves in some part of the books, whether it's relating to a particular character or understanding what it feels like to lose somebody so important to you. These books are huge no matter where you go in the world, and while it's easy to observe that from an outsider's point of view, like I did in June and July (the Latin Americans LOVED Wizarding World!), it's exceptionally wonderful to experience it first hand when you actually read the books.

Blog Number Three

I’ll admit: I put off finishing the seventh Harry Potter book because I didn’t want the series to end. I’ve become addicted. I’ve become the person that I make fun of—people who obsess over Harry Potter. It was hard for me to come to this realization and pass the denial stage. Once I got through it, I have been able to fully appreciate the series and my love of the characters.

Finally, I have finished all seven novels and no longer have to cover my ears when I hear someone shout out, “SPOILER ALERT!” I have gone through emotional ups and downs with each character—love/hate relationships that have blossomed, died out, made me sick, made me cry (theoretically speaking, of course. I am still not that person).

Some of the books I sped through, and some took me over a week to finish. The pacing of the books picked up as they went along. Starting in the third book, “Prisoner of Azkaban,” I really started to get into it; I wanted to know everything about the characters, the plot, the storyline. I couldn’t wait to shut the book in termination and discuss the ending with my friends. Book five came along—“Order of the Phoenix”—and I was brought back down to Earth. The pacing was s-l-o-w. I needed ACTION! I thirsted for more vengeance and adrenaline-pumping duels.

After I read “Half-Blood Prince” I thought, ‘FINALLY! Snape is the bad guy!!’ All the anger and resentment I felt towards him could be released! That double-crossing, no good, traitor! I wanted the worst for Snape. These feelings all dissolved in the chapter “Tales of the Prince” from “Deathly Hallows.” To know that Snape could love and would do anything--even if it meant looking after Harry--to free himself of the guilt he felt for allowing Lily to die makes any girls’ heart melt. Of course I had to immediately forgive Snape for all his wrongdoing.

The deeper meanings behind the Harry Potter series, dealing with war and worldwide social injustice are hidden in the plotlines, but takes more than a child to take notice. It wasn't until I began reading the books in college and discussing these topics in class that these subliminal messages were brought to light for me. The books also focus a great deal on the ‘gray areas’ of life; how sometimes there isn’t a right or wrong answer—just to go with you gut instincts. The four Hogwarts’ teams are able to teach children about the importance of bravery, loyalty, intelligence, and companionship; and when you combine those four elements together, one is able to set high expectations for themselves and reach their goals.

Blog Post #3

The first time I finished reading the series was very emotional because I grew up reading the Harry Potter series and it was finally coming to an end. I hated the epilogue because it made the finality of the series absolute. I had hoped that J.K. Rowling would decide to write more books about Harry Potter and his friends even though she said that “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was the last one and the epilogue seemed to eliminate that possibility.

Also, the first time I read “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” I was a bit disappointed. The beginning dragged too much in my opinion and I thought that the Horcruxes were destroyed at the end end of the book too quickly and too easily. However, each time I read the seventh book again, I enjoy it even more. I love how Rowling constantly sprinkles references to the other books throughout the last one, creating a little sense of nostalgia. Also, the writing in the last book is impeccable: She ties up so many loose ends extremely neatly.

A poignant scene is when Ron returns and destroys the first Horcrux. Although I was extremely hurt that Rowling had him desert the trio, his return allowed him to redeem himself. That scene felt symbolic for Ron, like he was destroying his fears and jealousy. The other most poignant part of the series is when Snape says to Harry right before he dies, “Look at me” because he wants to see Lily’s eyes one last time. Every time I read that scene, it is just so heart wrenching.

My feelings toward Dumbledore do not change immensely after the completion of the series. He was a brilliant man who always had a plan. It was already evident from the beginning that Dumbledore entrusted a lot of faith in Harry in doing difficult and dangerous things and that Dumbledore always seemed to be orchestrating it behind the scenes. So, I never really felt betrayed by Dumbledore, although Harry had a lot of anger toward him. Also, his companionship with Grindewald does not affect my views of him. Everyone has secrets that they would prefer remained hidden or things that they have done that they are not proud of. But Dumbledore learned from his mistakes of his youth and by the end of his life he grew to be an extremely respectable man.

I never really hated Snape, even though he could be an unlikeable character, because I had a feeling he was actually on the Order's side. By the end of the seventh book he became one of my favorite characters because of his complexity. He had a difficult life and he is flawed in many ways, but in the end, he is a good character. He never gets the respect or gratitude that he deserves, and Snape does not even seek it. He feels remorse for his past wrongs, and by being a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, he works to be a better man every day. Snape puts himself in a very difficult and dangerous situation for Lily, and for the greater good.

My feelings toward the trio remain the same throughout the series. Ron has always been my favorite character out of the trio and he still is at the end of the series. Although they each grow tremendously throughout the books, their growths seem natural and they all still remain true to themselves. I was disappointed in Ron for leaving Harry and Hermione in the seventh book, but as I said, I felt that he redeemed himself.

The Harry Potter series made a huge impact culturally—it was a cultural phenomenon that affected both children and adults. Many places tried to ban the books because of the magical content, which I thought was absolutely ridiculous. J.K. Rowling isn't trying to turn everyone into witches and wizards, rather she is writing an extremely imaginative story. Harry Potter is a story about love, death, friendship and courage. It also provides a social commentary on politics, prejudice, war and social injustice that is very enlightening. I feel that Harry Potter defines my generation, as we grew up with the series.

Blog Post #3: To Have Loved And Lost...

I was glad to discover that I didn’t remember the majority of the Deathly Hallows from the first time I read it. I had vague memories of major plot points, but had forgotten enough to be able to read with the same uncertainty and excitement that comes with reading a new book. I was glad because the Deathly Hallows was the first Harry Potter book to disappoint me. I wasn’t ready for there to be no more Hogwarts classes, no more trips under the invisibility cloak to Hagrid’s house, no more Quidditch, no more House Cup drama. This time I was able to approach the book with a completely different mindset, already knowing not to expect what wouldn’t come. This allowed me to appreciate the Deathly Hallows for what it is, rather than what it is not. And what it is is a masterfully woven (and dare I say perfect?) ending to the greatest series I have ever read.

Perhaps the only moment that remains problematic in my eyes is Ron’s unceremonious desertion of Harry and Hermione in Chapter 15. I still find it unfathomable that he would leave the way he did, after all the life/death scenarios they’ve survived together. I don’t find the locket’s influence to provide an adequate excuse, because Hermione never wavers in her support of Harry, and I had always believed their respective relationships with Harry to be of a similar caliber. Nor do I find Ron’s inner turmoil, which reveals itself when the locket is opened, to be an excuse, because the majority of his exposed fears were irrelevant to his decision to leave. The only adequate explanation in my eyes would be that Harry and Ron did not become as close as I understood Rowling to imply in the first six books. That is just my own perspective on things.

Moments I found particularly poignant usually involve the death of a character. I know some readers find Dobby to be annoying, but I have always found him immensely enjoyable. No one understands why Harry chooses to bury him using physical labor, because no one but Harry seems to understand that Dobby made more of an imprint on the world than most wizards could dream of making. When Harry writes into the grave stone “HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF,” I swear I almost lost it.

Severus Snape’s death was more poignant the second time reading the book, because I already knew the contents of Snape’s memories, as he lay there dying. After all that Snape and Harry had been through, after all of the fights and coldblooded fury, Snape spent his last dying moments giving everything he had to help Harry. Then, in the epilogue, once Harry fully understands Snape’s role in the downfall of Voldemort, Harry calls him “probably the bravest man [he] ever knew.” And I agree.

Reading through the books from beginning to end, I still believe Dumbledore is infallible. I understand why some readers would be furious at his treatment of Harry rather like a tool or a pawn in game of chess, but I am incapable of seeing him that way. In fact, I think the handling of his backstory in the Deathly Hallows only makes him a better character, because it humanizes a character that often fraternized with godliness. He espoused the power of love on regular basis, but such intense advocacy could only come from someone who had witnessed firsthand the consequences of the absence of love, as he had on several occasions in his younger life.

In a larger context, I think the Harry Potter series is unparalleled in its ability to tell a compelling coming of age story in a fantasy setting. It has traditional values running through it about good conquering evil and sacrifice, but it makes it clear (as many fantasy books do not) that it is not always easy to make the right choice, and the even the right choice can sometimes be a gray one. Even Dumbledore struggles between his love for an innocent child and a self-imposed responsibility to help “the greater good.” I think it is also a great book for coming to terms with death, or as Dumbledore calls it, “the next great adventure.” For something so natural and common, death is often ingrained in children as something to fear and to hate. Behind the lines, the Harry Potter books are very much about coming to terms with the deaths of others, whether it’s your parents, your friends, or someone so inspiring that the world is just seems a little bit darker without them. This thematic combination of love and death makes it compelling not just for children, but for people of every age.

Blog Post 3: A Magical Ending of a Magical World

s a reader and a fan of the series, I do not believe that I could have asked for a better ending to the series.  I was one of those people who waited at midnight for the books to come out.  I stayed at home to read the whole seventh book in one sitting.  The series culminated with a battle for Hogwarts, which I just think was absolutely perfect.

I did find some points problematic though.  I was very confused about several points that reading it for the second time I was able to better understand.   The concept that Harry had to die yet did not really die seemed rather convenient and problematic to me.  I also was a bit confused during the final stand off between Harry and Voldemort following how the Elder Wand exchanged hands but did not actually change hands etc.  I think like most, I cried when Doby died, rejoiced when Molly Weasly took down Bellatrix, and was so sad to see Fred among others pass.

I was always rooting for Snape to be a good guy, and I am so glad that he ended up being on the good side.   I continue to adore Dumbledore and am glad that I am able to uphold my high opinion of him after the series.  He is human which makes me enjoy him even more.  I still have high opinions of Harry, Ron and Hermione.  I loved the epilogue because it showed that they were able to move past the trauma of their youth and be well-adjusted happy individuals.

I think that the Harry Potter series is so successful because of its relatable struggle between good and evil.  There is also the fact that it is a coming of age tale making it easier for kids and adults to relate to it.  I have been to the theme park and seen the great love people have for this world and it is easy to see why there is such a fandom following the books.  It truly is just a magical world and it is so amazing that it come from one brilliant mind.

Blog #3: The End of the Harry Potter Series

I was excited to finally read all seven books in the Harry Potter series because I had only gotten through books one through four when they were initially released. As an adult reader, I felt like I could analyze the character development better and anticipate events.

I was surprised that much of Dumbledore’s background was kept from the reader until The Deathly Hallows. His cleverness made him likeable and is how he kept information concealed seamlessly throughout the series. My feelings toward Dumbledore changed when I found out that he was involved with Dark Magic with Grindlewald as a younger man and may have been responsible for his sister’s, Adriana, death.

As a child, Snape was not a likeable character because of growing up in a neglected household. His secretive nature and bitterness toward other characters added to his unattractiveness. I admired Snape’s talent in balancing his two personas as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and a reformed Death Eater. I learned to like Snape even more after Harry views his Penseive towards the end of The Deathly Hallows and sees that Snape cared for Harry’s mother, Lily. He also spent his entire adult life trying to protect Harry by spying on Voldemort for Dumbledore.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stayed true to each other as loyal friends, with bumps in the road at points. Ron struggles with his personal self-doubt and immaturity of constantly being in Harry’s shadow during the series. When Ron is put in situations where he is unsure of what to do, his vulnerability comes out because he is used to being told what to do at home. When Ron accepts that he is loved, he is able to grow into an independent individual rather than second to Harry, which made me think he was finally maturing by the end of the series. Hermione is the most driven and focused out of the trio. Unlike, Ron she is able to think on the spot well when under pressure. I was not too surprised with the epilogue because there was romantic chemistry between Ron and Hermione as well as Harry and Ginny during the series. I was happy to see that they were living as happy adults nineteen years later and had families that were both thriving.

In regards to society at large, the series has impacted readers of all ages tremendously. The popularity grew with the movies and a new Harry Potter theme park in Orlando. Fans develop personal connections with the characters by the end of the series. I personally was very upset with Hedwig’s death because he was Harry’s connection to the wizardry world and his companion when he was living Privet Drive.

Blog Post #3 The End of Harry Potter

I remember when I first finished the Harry Potter series, right after the seventh book came out. I was so sad to find Harry Potter come to an end. Especially with how action packed the second half of the seventh book. I finished the book in about two days after I got it; I wasn't able to put the book down. Now, every time I read the series, I find more and more interesting details. This time around, I finally found out exactly how Harry defeated Voldemort, something that I never quite understood. This was one thing that I never liked about the seventh book; the confusing details that all got shoved into the action packed ending. But, like I said earlier, every time I read the series I find out a little more details about the series.

My favorite chapter in the entire series is “The Prince’s Tale” where we finally find out about Snape’s true allegiance. I remember at the end of the sixth book when Dumbledore died and Snape killed him, it seemed fishy to me about the way Dumbledore addressed Snape. When Snape finally killed him, I felt like there wasn’t something quite right about it. When that particular chapter comes around and Snape is realized to be the hero hidden in the darkness, I loved it. I was always curious about Snape, why he seemed to hold so much grudge against Harry about his father. In this one chapter there are so many different details that come together and in the chapters afterwards it always bugged me that you never hear much about this great secret being out in the open until the very near end when Harry tells Voldemort and then the part in the epilogue where Harry tells his son how Snape was one of the bravest people he knew. Overall Snape’s character is one that goes into very great detail and every time I read it, I love reading how Snape reacts to certain scenes knowing his true nature.

Dumbledore however was a character that greatly bugged me. I found it very difficult to grasp how much of his past that was never mentioned in earlier books. When reading from Harry’s perspective and finding out how much he is hating Dumbledore for putting him through so much without ever telling him much of anything, I felt Harry’s anger right along with him. Dumbledore’s past was always something of curiosity, who he was as a child and how he gained his reputation as one of the greatest wizards of all time. When Harry visits the “Kings Cross” and Dumbledore is there, I was surprised that Harry didn’t start yelling once more, but Harry had just been through such an ordeal that he had grown past his angst and just wanted answers. When all of Dumbledore’s secrets come out, it makes me still feel uncertain about him. He plays people almost as much as Voldemort does, but in a much different manner. As Dumbledore himself says, he plays a lot on his guessing, and though his guessing usually turns out to be right, it leads Harry, Ron and Hermione through a lot of trouble.

During the series you see a lot of growing from Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry goes from this very angst filled teenager to an adult who has matured so much in order to defeat the wizard who has caused so much trouble and anguish in his life. He is even willing to die to protect all of these people, not even knowing if he will come back or not. This, we know is something that has been with Harry for a long time, this “saving people thing”. So, he matures and becomes stronger and more self-sacrificing than ever before. With Ron, you see him grow also from being a sort of mothered child to being able to take care of himself and others. As Harry says, Ron was used to having three meals a day and being taken care of by someone else. He leaves, and after realizing how much he owed to Harry and Hermione, he returns a different person who is willing to do anything in order to help his friends. We saw this behavior also in other books, like in the Sorcerer’s Stone when he sacrificed himself in the chess game. Hermione’s character also changes: she goes from acting like there is nothing more important than her education at Hogwarts to doing anything, even leaving Hogwarts to help Harry on his quest to destroy Voldemort. In books early on, breaking the rules was just as bad as dying, according to Hermione but now she is willing to do anything to make sure that Voldemort dies. You see these qualities early one, but the really emerge in this final volume.

Over all, I think the series has made a great impact on society. You now have themes parks dedicated to Harry Potter along with many highest grossing films with the final movie coming out in just seven weeks, it will be without a doubt be a huge event to so many fans. When this final bit of Harry Potter comes out, Harry Potter will still manage to work its magic to the hearts of many different young souls and live on for many great ages as a great piece of literature.

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?

Neville's Progression

Harry Ron and Hermione have been able to grow up in many ways together and they have all seen each other progress over a seven year time period. However there are other characters that have shown progression and development over the series that have mad notable changes. One person that really stood out to me as a person that has mad a lot of progression is Neville Longbottom. I believe the he is a person that has had a lot of development because at the beginning of the series he was seen as a very shy and timid character and he was also a very un explained character in  the fact that we knew nothing about his past. During his first year he was constantly teased by the likes of Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Over this time period Harry Potter was a person that tended to be a role model for Neville and Harry even took it upon his self to help Neville out of getting bullied during Madam Hooch's class. Later on in The Sorcerer's Stone Neville breaks out of his timid character and decides to stand up to the trio as they are about to go looking for the sorcerer's stone. When he stands up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione he is showing a significant change in character than he had at the beginning if the novel. Later on in the series he has broken out of his typical shyness and fear of not being a good wizard by becoming very talented in Herbology. He later goes on to assist his friends at the Ministry of Magic towards the end of the fifth book which shows how far he has come. Towards he beginning of the series Neville was uncertain about his magical abilities and was vert shy and timid but over his time at Hogwarts he has proven to be a very skilled and brave wizard.

No longer the "boy that lived" but the "Chosen One"

Over the course of the Harry Potter series many important themes have been explored. Coming of age has been one of the most important premises in guiding the interpretation of characters and the seven book long story itself. The wizarding world places much importance on age, such as the filter put on wizards below the age of seventeen from performing magic freely. Also young wizards are expected to finish out their education before entering into the working world. Fred and George broke this pattern by leaving Hogwarts early and this created much dispute. Harry has been the most prominent character in regards to the theme of “coming of age”. His age is most important since at the moment of entering adulthood the enchantment placed on the Dursley’s House, by his mother’s love, would be lifted; thus placing him and the Dursley family in danger of Voldemort and the Death eaters.


We have seen Harry Potter grow from a misled eleven year old boy who was taken to Hogwarts where he transformed into the “Chosen One”; possibly the most popular and influential wizards of all time. Coming of age does not necessarily mean the moment you reach adult-hood in respects to age or cultural regards. But it means the time in one’s life that they leave childhood and take on greater causes than themselves. For many this point is never reached and others do not feel its respects until very late in life. As for Harry he was forced into adult-hood much sooner than most. At the age of eleven his entire life was turned upside down and he once again had to single-handedly face Voldemort, the most dangerous dark wizard ever. Many adult wizards; including his mentor Dumbledor did not want to acknowledge Harry’s premature entry into adulthood. Even he who knew what Harry would soon be faced with did everything he could to keep him a child and away from the dangerous events that most wizards would never think of contributing to. In book five”The Order of the Phoenix” Dumbledor says “I cared about you too much to tell you about the prophecy”. In this act Dumbledor reveals his wish for Harry to stay young but later regrets this decision since it is evident that Harry became a man many years before. Every book made it clear that Harry Potter was no long “the boy that lived” but he was the “Chosen One” and treated as an adult wizard when given the responsibility to save the entire wizarding world.

Blog Post #2: Draco Malfoy

Draco Malfoy’s character is not shown to have a single redeeming quality in The Sorcerer’s Stone. He is portrayed as a wizard version of Dudley Dursley: a whiny bully who gets whatever he wants and has parents who indulge his every desire. Draco even talks about “bullying” his father when we first meet him. However, in chapter four of The Chamber of Secrets we discover that all is not as it seemed in the first book. We meet Draco’s father, Lucius, for the first time and we simultaneously learn both where Draco gets his pureblood mania from and that Lucius is not at all the pushover he was portrayed to be by Draco. On the contrary, Lucius has lofty expectations of his only son, expectations he doesn’t seem to think are being adequately fulfilled. For example, he scolds Draco for his low grades and, in particular, his failure to beat the muggle-born Hermione Granger on a single exam. Though it is little excuse for Draco’s antagonistic behavior, Lucius’s treatment of Draco gives the reader a reason to feel empathy for his character for the first time. He is the victim of the environment of his youth, filled with powerful wizards, dark magic, and a striking lack of humility.

It’s not until the Half-Blood Prince that a similar event occurs. Draco’s behavior in Books 2-5 continues to be unjustifiable and nasty, but in Book 6 he appears to lose his drive. In chapter twenty-one, Moaning Myrtle describes a boy who is sensitive and bullied, who feels lonely and doesn’t have anyone to talk to, and isn’t afraid to show his feelings and cry. Draco is probably the last person one would think Myrtle is describing and yet we find out later that he’s the one. This is quite a dramatic character reversal. We learn in chapter twenty-seven that the cause of this upheaval is the threat of death if he fails his mission to kill Dumbledore, and the reader is given two options: to believe Draco remains unchanged and is finally reaping what he sewed in the first five books, or to believe Draco has had an existential crisis, the result of which is that he can’t bring himself to do the only thing standing between him and the only objective he’s ever had (to kill Dumbledore and become a revered dark wizard). I choose to believe the latter, and this is reinforced by Dumbledore’s insistence that Draco is not a killer like his father and the other Death Eaters. During his cries of “He’ll kill me! He’ll kill my whole family!” I felt as much empathy for Draco as I’ve ever felt for other characters, and I was truly rooting for him to make the right choice, not just to save Dumbledore but to save Draco too. This sends the reader a strong message about nobody being beyond redemption, even after six books of depravity.

Blog Post #2- Harry is Coming of Age

Within the Harry Potter series you get the definite sense that you are growing up along with the characters. Parallels can be drawn when we compare certain experiences and character development within the series to our own lives. One of the best characters with which we can see development in the series is Harry Potter himself because we get a perspective from inside his thoughts. With a certain amount of empathy we can begin to understand how he personally feels about his experiences and how he has changed or grown as a result of them.

A good example to start off with is when he hears the prophecy and mulls it over for a while. At some book in book six, he goes to Dumbledore’s office for a Pensieve meeting and tells Dumbledore that he has come to the conclusion that he is forced by the prophecy to either become a murderer or be another murder victim himself. To this Dumbledore tells Harry that the prophecy is not a binding contract, but it is actually Harry’s own life that would lead him to do what he has to do. Dumbledore basically says that if the prophecy hadn’t been made, but the experiences in his life had still happened, he would still want to be the one to do Voldemort in. This results in Harry having a better understanding of how he got to where he is by his own experiences and that he does have a matter of free will in his life. Despite knowing this, he still wants to (knows he must) continue on his journey to defeat Voldemort.

Another example happens in the first half of the seventh book. Harry is still coping with the aftermath of Dumbledore’s death. While thinking by himself, he reflects on how he has never grown up with a parental figure to hold his hand through the tough times. His parents died when he was only a year old, he only knew his godfather for about 2 years, and just when things started getting complicated about how to destroy Voldemort, Dumbledore gets murdered. It is then that Harry thinks he should’ve realized from the beginning that he was always going to have to be without anyone wiser than himself helping him. So now he is taking on a more serious undertone and trying to do the task of defeating Voldemort by himself, if his friends would let him that is.

Both of these parts lead up to the fact that Harry is learning more about who he is and who he is to become. The coming of age theme really starts to become a more prominent feature in the series from book 5 on.

Blog Post #2

Hermione Granger plays many roles in the Harry Potter series, often times surprising the other characters and the reader. She is usually described as an adamant follower of rules who is fussy and critical. Some truth does lie in these character traits, but Hermione is not given enough credit for other aspects of her personality. If the series was absent of Hermione, it would have a much colder tone and many of the characters would fail almost all of their endeavors. It could be argued that without Hermione, Harry would not have survived his first year at Hogwarts, and Hermione’s willingness to tirelessly volunteer her time and sacrifice some of her deep rooted beliefs adds tremendously to the overall empathetic tone of the series.

From the moment Hermione Granger makes her entrance in The Sorcerer’s Stone, her intelligence and bossy manner is obvious. It is clear that her mission is to receive top marks and if anyone crosses her that does not express the same life goal, she will do her very best to correct them. What is not evident upon meeting Hermione is that she possesses a great deal of empathy and kindness that will almost always surpass her rigid appearance.

As the series progresses and the plot becomes more complicated, Hermione gradually becomes used to the secrecy that defines her friendship with Harry and Ron as well as the constant rule-breaking she has fallen into. Once Hermione realizes that those in authority do not always have the best interests for the Wizarding community, she has no problem defending herself and begins working against the Ministry. Her passion for house-elf rights demonstrates the devotion she will show to something that she believes strongly about. She has absolutely no support for her cause, but she continues to attempt to defend house-elves, even though they reject her kindness. Many times she does not view a situation the same way Harry does, but her empathy toward him always wins her over. When Harry swears that Sirius is being held by Voldemort in the Hall of Prophecy, she accurately suggests that Voldemort could have caught on to the fact that he and Harry’s minds are connected and could be fooling Harry into coming to the Hall of Prophecy. Although she still rightly suspects that Voldemort could be tricking Harry, she goes with him to the Ministry to support him. She knows she could not change his mind, so she goes to support him even though she doubts him. This act displays the strength of her friendship with Harry as well as empathy because she understands what Sirius represents in Harry’s life.

Her greatest action of empathy so far is her immediate decision to help Harry find the remaining Horcruxes rather than finish school. She is given the option to remain safe (well…) at Hogwarts, but she forfeits the completion of her magical education to help defeat Lord Voldemort. Ron should definitely be pleased that she finally “[sorted] out her priorities.”