What we learnt from Harry Potter

Get ready to feel very old – Harry Potter turns 28 this year.

In celebration, here are 5 important life lessons we learned from the Harry Potter books.

Money isn’t everything

A valuable one to learn. Harry may have inherited a vault of gold from his parents, but it couldn’t buy him the thing he perhaps yearned for the most - the family that was lost to him. Ron may have grown up in a household always worrying about money and living in hand-me-downs, but his home was always filled with love. At the end of the day – money really isn’t the be-all and end all.

It’s ok to ask for help

Whilst Harry wasn’t always very open to asking for help, even when he really needed it, his first reaction was to try and do things alone. Harry came to realise over time that there are some battles you can’t fight alone and that your friends want to help you if they can. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

Face your fears head-on

However scary it may seem, sometimes we need to face our fears head-on to get what we want.

Be it facing the Dementors, spiders, or even losing a loved one, sometimes the only way is the hardest way and it’s how we realise how strong we really are.

Never judge a book by its cover

People can surprise you and the saying “never judge a book by its cover” is actually very true. It’s never good to make a rash decision about anyone. A giant could turn out to be a loyal and kind friend, whilst a stuttering teacher may be harboring Voldemort under his turban. Even the likes of Dumbledore have a complicated past. People aren’t always what they seem, no more so than the wizarding world.

Heartbreak is part of life

Sad but true, just as all the main characters showed us in Potter, sometimes things don’t work out as we’d like them to. Even broken hearts and losing those we love show us that ultimately life goes on. We will get over it and smile again and all of it is designed to get us to “the next great adventure” (said Dumbledore himself).