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.