Blogger's note one: Spoiler alert. Major spoilers. If you didn't read the Harry Potter books, then avoid reading the blog. The spoilers also affect people who watched the Harry Potter movies. Read all seven volumes to experience the complete Harry Potter.
Blogger's note two: I debut my top ten with eleven or more entries. Harry Potter is a good topic to begin top eleven or more.
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is a modern-day classic. The children book series is appropriate for people ages 10-100. Adults must not be embarrassed reading children's books. Adults with any reading level comprehend the story. Harry Potter is no different than many fiction. Life lessons are learned. There is laughter. There are happy moments, sad moments, angry moments, cute moments, and surprising moments. Adults may remember their high school years. Rowling does a good job writing mature themes including politics, bullying, life exceptions, standing up for yourself, strength, bravery, child neglect, and friendships. Read Harry Potter to cure depression. Harry Potter may be better than many self-help books.
The top nineteen is takeaways being an adult or an adult's point of view. These takeaways are from a mature person. These takeaways are from life experience. I except some children understand some takeaways. There are children wiser beyond their years.
One takeaway reminded my years working in commercial real estate. All of Harry Potter's friends, acquaintances, classmates, Quidditch teammates, the Dumbledore's Army (DA), and the Order Of The Phoenix gathered at the end of the secret tunnel for the final battle. Harry felt a mixture of happy, surprise, confidence, and shock emotions people supported him. They got Harry's back. I realized after leaving the industry all of the brokers supported me. The brokers got my back. If I was in trouble with management, then the brokers backed me up. My working days could have been less stressful.
Here are the top nineteen Harry Potter adult perspective takeaways.
19. A Reminder On Gift Behavior. The Christmas gift exchange and birthday gift giving chapters were actions showing love, caring, and thinking about the other person. For example, Molly Weasley gave Christmas sweaters as a family tradition. Give gifts genuinely. Receive gifts with appreciation. Cash is one of the worse gifts to give.
18. Rowling's writing style improved as the series continue. The first volume the ending is rushed. Volume five some chapters are too long some children might lose their focus. Volumes six and seven the chapters are consistent in terms of the number of pages. Some chapters in volumes six and seven end on a cliff hanger. No time pressures can influence a good written book and a great written book. Rowling was time pressured for volume four.
Volumes one to three are character set-up. Volume four the series takes off. Volumes five to seven are addicting.
I approve Rowling wrote one bad word in volume seven. Bellatrix Lestrange dueled Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood. Molly said to Bellatrix intervening, "Not my daughter, you bitch!" I don't recall another chapter Rowling wrote a swear word.
17. Accept Or Reject We Have A Choice. The prophecy was, "Neither can live while the other survives." Destinies. Prophecies. Forecasts. Fortune telling. Predictions. All of them can be interpret in many ways. We have choices how to live our lives. We take responsibility for our actions, thinking, and behaviors. Harry had choices at King's Cross.
16. Smart People Can Be Awesome. Hermione was a perfectionist book-smart student. Rowling did a good job telling the reader smart people can be awesome. Hermione was an example you can be both smart and awesome. Hermione was strong, had high self-esteem, and cared deeply for all the people in her life. Hermione was the strongest among her, Harry, and Ron Weasley; although, Harry strengthen up in volume seven.
Were Harry and Hermione equal strength at the end of the series? There is no right or wrong answer. What's the definition of strength? Voldemort was a stronger wizard than Harry. However, Harry defeated Voldemort. Hermione was weak in terms of physical strength. She could punch well. Could Hermione defeat Voldemort?
15. High School Dropouts. Twin brothers Fred and George Weasley dropped out of Hogwarts in volume five. They started a magic joke shop business named Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes located at 93 Diagon Alley. Harry provided the venture capital with 1,000 galleons. There is no need for a high school education or a college education to be successful. There are successful people who dropped out of college such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg. Richard Branson didn't graduate high school. Did Rowling want to tell her readers education can be overrated?
14. Rubeus Hagrid's Wisdom. I share two favorite Hagrid's wisdom. The first is time. There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 24 hours in a day. Time doesn't slow down when something bad is coming soon. Time doesn't speed up when something good is coming soon. The second is friendship. Hermione felt lonely because Ron hated Hermione's cat Crookshanks tormented Ron's rat Scabbers and Harry thought about his Firebolt broom and Quidditch practice. Ron and Harry ignored Hermione. Hagrid taught Ron and Harry a lesson on friendship telling them, "I thought you two'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats."
13. All Hell Breaks Loose. Volume five Order Of The Phoenix is my favorite volume. Everyone was out of their comfort zone. The comfort routines ended. No more easy life. No more quiet. No more calm. No more expect the usual. The problems were clear and present.
12. The Bad House. The ambitious and cunning Slytherin house produced many dark witches and dark wizards. Some fans may consider Slytherins bad or evil. Rowling told her readers there are always bad people. There is always good vs. evil. Bad people existed yesterday, exist today, and exist tomorrow. On the other hand, good people existed yesterday, exist today, and exist tomorrow.
11. The Media Is A Service Industry. Journalist Rita Skeeter told Harry, Hermione, and Luna how the media conduct business including newspapers such as The Daily Prophet. The media reports what people want to hear. The media must sell itself. The media is a service product. It must make a sales pitch.
10. Molly Weasley Is A Strong Model Mother. Mrs. Weasley kept the Weasley family in motion. She made traditional Christmas sweaters. She was the grease to keep the wheels turning. She made motherhood awesome with energy, strength, organization, and hard work. Tough, discipline, and fair.
9. It's War. Harry defeated Voldemort. The Order Of The Phoenix defeated the Death Eaters. Deaths are inevitable in wars. There are casualties on the winning side. There are casualties on the losing side. Rowling taught a lesson some people must fall for some people to stand.
8. An Example Of Talent. Voldemort had magical talent when he was a child. He became a powerful wizard. Lily Potter had magical talent when she was a child. Talent is important to be successful; however, it's not required to be successful. Harry had magical talent when he was a child. In my opinion, he wasn't conscious his magical talents living with the Dursleys. Harry became a powerful wizard with training, support, battling struggles, learning, practicing, and luck. Many sports fans know talented professional sports players who never made a successful career. Good examples are first round draft choice busts.
7. An Advantage Or Cheating? Horace Slughorn taught potions in volume 6. Harry and Ron didn't have the textbook. Slughorn lent both used textbooks of Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage. Harry's textbook contained notes written by the Half-Blood Prince. The notes excelled Harry for which potions was one of Harry's worst subjects. Hermione suggested Harry return the used book. Harry refused. Harry earned high grades in his potion assignments for the first time.
Moreover, Harry received an E or Exceeds Expectations in his Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) grades. Did Servius Snape give Harry a passing grade because he wanted Harry to move forward in his education? It's like a teacher giving passing grades to below average students to move up to the next grade.
6. Mudblood Is Racism. A mudblood is a 100% pure human who performs magic. Pure blood wizards and witches say mudblood as a derogatory remark to a 100% pure human wizard or witch. Racism existed yesterday. Racism existed decades ago. Racism existed centuries ago. Racism exists today. Racism exists tomorrow. There are more closet racists than you may think.
5. Go Back To The Past To Understand The Present. Sometimes we must understand the past to understand the present. What happened then what's happening now. My favorite chapter is Snape met Lily for the first time at the playground. The chapter helps me connect the dots or connect the relationships between Snape, Lily, and the Marauders.
4. Life Exceptions. There are life exceptions anywhere and anytime. Harry was given more than his share of exceptions. Harry was given more than his share of special treatment and life breaks. For example, Minerva McGonagall recruited Harry to the Gryffindor Quidditch team when she saw Harry flew with the Nimbus Two Thousand broom during flying lessons. Another example is Hermione used her Time-Turner hourglass necklace to take additional classes in volume three.
There are many gray areas in life. There are inconsistencies. There are double standards. It was okay for girls to visit the boy's dormitories. It was not okay for boys to visit the girl's dormitories.
3. The Heart Lies And The Brain Keeps Secrets. Albus Dumbledore was the greatest wizard in the book. Dumbledore was also the greatest liar and the greatest keeping secrets. Let's be honest. We all lie. We all have secrets. Don't lie you lied to other people. Secrets and lies are part of the formula to be successful.
Rowling wrote, "Secrets and lies, that's how we grew up, and Albus . . . he was a natural . . . ."
2. If People Change, Then Friendships Change. James "Prongs" Potter , Sirius "Padfoot" Black, Remus "Moony" Lupin, and Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew were great friends attending Hogwarts. Time changes people. People change. Friendships change. Pettigrew being the Secret-Keeper betrayed Potter. A best friend turning against another best friend is pure evil.
Another example is Lily and Snape. They were childhood best friends. Their friendship diverged at Hogwarts. Lily associated with James' friends. Snape associated with the Death Eaters.
Honorable Mention. 1. People who watched all eight movies give yourself a plain cake. People who read all seven books and watched all eight movies give yourself a delicious cake with frosting, filling, fruit, candles, and a happy birthday written on top regardless of calendar day. 2. Dumbledore said, "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love." 3. Tom Riddle said, "Greatness inspires envy, envy engenders spite, spite spawns lies."
1. Dumbledore Was Not Perfect. Dumbledore had a trouble past. He was talented, young, and stupid. Dumbledore didn't care for his sick sister. His father died in Azkaban prison for committing a crime taking revenge on the muggles attacking his sick daughter. He was selfish prioritizing to become a powerful wizard searching for the Hallows with his childhood friend Gellert Grindelwald to rule over the muggles.
Dumbledore admitted one mistake in volume five. He cared more about Harry's happiness, peace of mind, and his life than telling the truth about Voldemort and the prophecy.
Nobody is perfect. Every human being had a bad young life or an imperfect young life. We made mistakes in our childhoods, teenagers, and young adult years. We make mistakes today. We make mistakes tomorrow.
Summary
19. A Reminder On Gift Behavior. Give gifts genuinely. Receive gifts with appreciation.
18. Rowling's Writing Style Improved As The Series Continue. Each volume was better than the previous.
17. Accept Or Reject We Have A Choice. We individually choose how to live life.
16. Smart People Can Be Awesome. Smart people can attract people to be with.
15. High School Dropouts. An advanced degree is unnecessary to be successful.
14. Rubeus Hagrid's Wisdom. Nobody speeds up time nor slows down time. Friendships are more important than material objects.
13. All Hell Breaks Loose. A disruption alters security anytime. Be prepared when somebody throws a wrench in a machine.
12. The Bad House. There is always evil.
11. The Media Is A Service Industry. Don't believe everything in the media.
10. Molly Weasley Is A Strong Model Mother. Strong mothers are underappreciated.
9. It's War. Deaths are inevitable in wars.
8. An Example Of Talent. Rowling told the readers what is talent discovered at a young age.
7. An Advantage Or Cheating? Is cheating a valid advantage? Or is using an advantage cheating?
6. Mudblood Is Racism. There is always racism.
5. Go Back To The Past To Understand The Present. Learn the past to understand the present.
4. Life Exceptions. There is always exceptions.
3. The Heart Lies And The Brain Keeps Secrets. People always lie. People always keep secrets.
2. If People Change, Then Friendships Change. Time always change people.
1. Dumbledore Was Not Perfect. All people are not perfect.
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