Family

I finished Harry Potter 3 and have another amazing thought taken from a conversation between Harry and Dumbledore at the end.

Background information:

In book three, we are introduced to the horrible creatures called "Dementors". They are faceless, hooded creatures that suck the souls out of men. They suck all happiness and hope out of their environment. They are the guards of the wizard prison. The only way to get rid of them is by thinking of an extremely happy memory and conjuring a Patronus. A Patronus is a figure of light in the shape of an animal which is unique for each person. It is extremely difficult magic and Harry has not been able to produce more than a wisp of light so far.

He is by the lake with Sirius Black, an escaped convict from the prison. The dementors who have been searching for Black, come across the lake to suck out his soul. Harry comes to protect him but cannot produce a proper Patronus. Suddenly, he sees one come across the lake and chase them away. As he is fainting from exhaustion, he sees the person who produced it and thinks it is his dad who died when he was a baby.

After they are rescued, they go back in time to try and save Sirius (who is innocent of the crime he was convicted for and is Harry's Godfather). Harry goes to the lake to watch the events unfold hoping to see his father produce the Patronus. Last second, he realizes he saw himself across the lake, the future him. Of course, he wasn't expecting to see himself, so he thought it was his dad. His Patronus takes the shape of a stag, which is the animal his father was able to turn into. His father's nickname among his friends was Prongs because of it.

Harry later tells Dumbledore how foolish he was to think that his father could possibly have been there. Dumbledore says this:

" 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. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? Prongs rode again last night."
"You know, Harry, in a way, you did see your father last night...You found him inside yourself."

Along with love and choices, I feel that family is another major theme of Harry Potter. Harry grows up not knowing his parents but they are major parts of his life regardless. He is always told that he looks just like his dad, except for his eyes. He has his mother's eyes. In the first book, he comes across a mirror that shows the beholders greatest desires. Harry simply sees himself standing among his parents and countless ancestors. His deepest desire is to have a family. In book 3, Harry learns that he will always have his parents. They are in everything he does and can be there for him even though they are gone. I think that is amazing. His Patronus taking the shape of an image of his father is a beautiful way to show this concept.

Choices

That's right, another Harry Potter post. I just love it so much! Today, I finished Harry Potter 2 and again found a quote between Dumbledore and Harry that I love. This time, it has to do with our choices.

New students at Hogwarts get sorted into one of four houses, each with their own unique characteristics and skills. When Harry was sorted in book 1, he heard the Sorting Hat tell him he would do well in Slytherin, but Harry had heard that most of the wizards who come out of Slytherin house go bad, including Voldemort. So he thought hard, "Not Slytherin!" and the hat put him in Gryffindor.

For the next 2 years, this bothered Harry. He often wondered if he was meant to be in Slytherin and would become a bad wizard too. Then in the Chamber of Secrets, he came face to face with a 16-year-old memory of Voldemort who told him they have many things in common including the ability to speak to snakes which is a rare trait that the founder of Slytherin house possessed. This bothers Harry even more.

Later, Harry talked to Dumbledore about it and following is their conversation;

(I know it's kinda long, but to get the full affect, all of it was necessary.)

"'Professor,' he started again after a moment. 'The Sorting Hat told me I'd--I'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while...because I can speak Parseltongue...'

'You can speak Parseltongue, Harry,' said Dumbledore calmly, 'because Lord Voldemort-who is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin--can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I'm sure...'

'Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?' Harry said, thunderstruck.

'It certainly seems so.'

'So I should be in Slytherin,' Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. 'The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it--'

'Put you in Gryffindor,' said Dumbledore calmly. 'Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue--resourcefulness--determination--a certain disregard for rules,' he added, his mustache quivering again. 'Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think.'

'It only put me in Gryffindor,' said Harry in a defeated voice, 'because I asked not to go in Slytherin...'

'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, beaming once more. 'Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities," Harry sat motionless in his chair, stunned."

The part I have highlighted is the point I'm trying to make. Harry is in Gryffindor because he chose it, regardless of the traits or abilities or even circumstances he had. So it is in our lives. We sometimes think we have to be a certain way or become a certain person because that's the life we have been dealt. It couldn't be more wrong. Yes, there are things in life that limit us, but it doesn't mean we have to succumb to them. We have the choice in our lives to become who we want to be. We can choose who we follow and what life we want to live.