50 Things We Learned From Harry Potter

Decisions Decisions

The Lesson: Virtue isn’t determined by ability but by choices

As Shown By: Harry and Voldemort’s respective paths are determined not by their capabilities as wizards (although both are extraordinarily proficient in that respect) but by the choices they make along the way. From his first day at Hogwarts, it's made clear by the Sorting Hat that Harry could be a successful Slytherin, should he so choose. “You could be great, you know,” says the hat, “and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that.” However, Potter’s heart is set on Gryffindor, just one of many occasions in which the Boy Who Lived takes a different path from the one chosen by Tom Riddle.

The Power Of Love

The Lesson: A capacity for love is the greatest attribute of all.

As Shown By: It is Voldemort’s inability either to love or to comprehend its power that prevents him from killing Harry the first time around. As Dumbledore puts it, “If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark.”

Beware The Troll

The Lesson: There’s no better way of bonding than taking on a massive troll

As Shown By: Harry and Ron have been squabbling with Hermione, only to patch things up when they band together to outwit the troll in Philosopher’s Stone . As Rowling puts it, “there are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.” Amen to that.

Common Sense

The Lesson: Never tickle a sleeping dragon

As Shown By: I t’s the Hogwarts school motto! It doesn’t really need much further explanation, suffice to say that it’s bloody good advice.

Confidence Is Key

The Lesson: You can achieve anything with self-belief

As Shown By: Throughout the books and films, confidence is presented as a key component of magical proficiency. Hermione is an excellent witch because not only does she study hard, but she believes in herself as well. Neville Longbottom is initially very down on himself, and as a consequence is a hopeless wizard. However, as he grows older and begins to believe in himself, he matures into one of the most important figures in Dumbledore’s Army.

Skin Deep

The Lesson: Never go for a woman purely on the basis of her looks.

As Shown By: This one only happens in the books, but it’s a goody, and so worth including. During their visit to the Quidditch World Cup Ron and Harry are left slack-jawed by the beautiful Veelas, who serve as mascots to the Bulgarian national team. However, when angered, the Veelas suddenly transform into gruesome, Harpy-like creatures sporting scaly wings and ghastly, bird-like faces. “And that, boys,” explains Arthur Weasley, “is why you should never go for looks alone.” True story.

Diversity Rocks

The Lesson: It takes all sorts…

As Shown By:
Time and again, Harry finds himself befriending society’s outsiders, from Hagrid to Dobby to “Loony” Luna Lovegood. And guess what? It’s these very characters who often dig him out of the tightest of spots. Just how many of Hogwarts’ supposed “cool kids” would take a knife in the gut for him as Dobby does?

Star-Maker

The Lesson: One mega-franchise can lead to another

As Shown By:
Robert Pattinson won his first legions of screaming admirers by appearing as Cedric Diggory in Goblet Of Fire . Three years later, he was starring as pasty bloodsucker Edward Cullen in the first Twilight film, and the R-Patz phenomenon was fully underway.

Comeuppance

The Lesson: Always treat those below you with kindness

As Shown By:
This one is evident in Sirius’ shabby treatment of the house-elf Kreacher, whose banishment from 12 Grimmauld Place ultimately leads to his master’s demise. As Dumbledore later remarks, “I warned Sirius when we adopted twelve Grimmauld Place as our headquarters that Kreacher must be treated with kindness and respect. I also told him that Kreacher could be dangerous to us. I do not think that Sirius took me very seriously, or that he ever saw Kreacher as a being with feelings as acute as a human's.”

Down With The Kids

The Lesson: One must never forget what it was like to be young

As Shown By:
Dumbledore’s mishandling of events in The Order Of The Phoenix , in which Harry feels abandoned and Sirius spends his days locked up with his thoughts. “I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all the hallmarks of the failings of age,” he explains to Harry. “Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young... and I seem to have forgotten lately.”

George Wales

George was once GamesRadar's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it. But now he's working at Stylist Magazine.

Latest in Fantasy Movies
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Netflix wants Daniel Craig to join the cast of Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie – but it's not certain if he'll take it
Zoe Saldaña in Avatar
James Cameron's wife cried for four hours after he showed her Avatar 3: "She kept trying to get her s**t back together"
Charli XCX
Charlie XCX is in talks to star in Greta Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia movie - and that is so Brat
Milla Jovovich in In the Lost Lands
Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin's In The Lost Lands could get an on-screen sequel, and Martin is apparently keen too
Dave Bautista in In the Lost Lands
Dave Bautista says playing a vampire is "at the top of my list" after starring in Resident Evil director’s werewolf fantasy In the Lost Lands
Sean Astin and Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood gives unexpected answer on what movie should be removed from cinematic history: "There's nothing pure about it"
Latest in Features
Matt Mercer, Brennan Lee Mulligan, and art from the opening of Exandria Unlimited: Divergence
"He's right to think it's cool, because it is": D&D legends Matt Mercer and Brennan Lee Mulligan on Divergence, sharing worlds, and what they want next from Exandria Unlimited
Monster Hunter Wilds beta and trailer screenshots
The Dark Souls games might be my all-time favorites, but Monster Hunter Wilds beats them in one crucial way: fashion
The Elder Scrolls' Oblivion's most annoying fan holds a torch
Oblivion remake leaks suggest Skyrim's cooler sibling is making a comeback, but I'm worried a modern makeover could bulldoze over the weirdness that makes it great
Ayo Edebiri in Opus
The Bear star's new A24 cult thriller proves Ayo Edebiri needs to be the final girl in a horror movie
Xbox Series X
I love consoles more than anything but Microsoft has me less excited than ever about the Xbox Series X successor
Nintendo 64 console with SummerCart64 inserted on desk with Panasonic CRT TV and Zelda: Nightmare ROM hack on screen.
I've fallen down a Zelda ROM hack rabbit hole, and this nifty N64 flash cart is to blame