Blogpost 7: The Misunderstood Hero

When I started this blog, I told myself I have to write at least one post dedicated entirely to Severus Snape, the Potions master that has treated Harry Potter with hostility. I must admit that at first, I hated Snape with a passion that almost exceeded that of my hatred for Voldemort. He, after all, was the one who killed Professor Dumbledore, the greatest wizard ever known to mankind. Of course, that is before I knew the whole story.

Snape grieving for the dead Lily Potter

After reading the Half-Blood Prince, my mind kept racing with questions. It made me anticipate the last book where everything would end. I could only imagine the huge WTF expressions on every Potter fans out there when the biggest turnabout in the history of Hogwarts was revealed in the Deathly Hallows book. It turned out that everything Snape did, he did out of his unrequited love for Harry’s mother, Lily Evans. With that, the Harry Potter community – even the whole world who had witnessed the story’s progress – started arguing  on whether Severus Snape was a hero or not.

Emily Asher-Perrin said Severus Snape DoesNot Deserve Your Pity. According to her, Snape should not be pictured as a martyr with tortured soul either. Despite his apparent undying love for Lily, Asher-Perrin still thinks that his actions did more damage than actually help. The author further claimed that Snape’s despicable traits could be somehow traced down to his troubled childhood, with him being the center of bullying of James Potter and his gang, but that doesn’t condone the fact that he sent Voldemort to kill Harry and James to gain personal advantage. What Snape didn’t foresee is that Lord Voldemort would kill the woman he loved. It’s ironic, Snape finally succeeded in removing James Potter, the bane of his existence, only at the expense of the one woman he truly cared about.

“It’s what makes Severus Snape such a mesmerizing character in the first place. He doesn’t want to be coddled by anyone who feels for him, who wants to ease his pain. He would probably feel pretty awkward about Harry using his name to christen one of the Potter brood. Severus Snape doesn’t need pity because he’s not meant to be pitied—the owning of his failures are what make him exceptional,” said Emily Asher-Perrin.

It’s true that Asher-Perrin doesn’t see Snape as a hero or a martyr. I can sympathize with her sentiments that Snape’s bitterness had clouded his better judgment. It’s true that Snape had committed dreadful acts ever since joining the Death Eaters. But there’s one thing that the author and I had agreed on – that Snape is one of the great characters in the Harry Potter world and that he doesn’t deserved to be pitied. Murder is murder, and murder is a crime. No one was given the right to decide on their own in taking other people’s lives.

On the other hand, Todd Fischer thought otherwise. In his article The Redemption of Severus Snape, Fischer was pretty adamant in his expression of his belief that Snape was indeed a hero. The author mentioned that Snape had made a grave mistake when he sold James Potter to Lord Voldemort, all because he wanted Lily Evans to himself. He, then pointed out that this mistake of Snape’s came with a price. Fischer further cited some instances that would paint Snape a hero. He mentioned how Snape had always put his life on the line in saving Harry. All of this was because he deeply loved Lily.

“Loyal, dedicated, brave and courageous. Words many likely never thought to apply to poor Severus. Truly Snape is one of the most tragic heroes of modern literature,” Fischer said.

I think that Snape was a seriously misunderstood character, but it was really because of his own doing. He despised being pitied and so, he chose to be hateful. There was more to him than meets the eye. I was deeply touched to find out that Snape had always been in love with Harry’s mother, Lily. Maybe because I’m a sucker for love, but it’s probably more because of his courageous side. He didn’t want to admit it but he had grown attached to Harry along the way. It was only his hatred for his father that marred such poignant reality. And  if I would be asked whether Snape is a hero or not, I would gladly answer the former.

Blogpost 6: The Inevitable Death

In the fictional book of Harry Potter, Rowling set forth different themes. Most obvious among them is love and friendship, as shown by the Golden Trio. Harry, Ron and Hermione stick together no matter what. Sure, their friendship had been tested a couple of times but they always got through in the end. Despite their obvious differences, they are closely bound by their friendship based on trust. If there's someone he would entrust his life with, that would be his two best friends. Although at one point, he hated the idea of them risking their lives for him but that just shows how much he truly cares for them. The story might be basically about love and friendship, but it is also rife with literary deaths.

Lord Voldemort's death in the Deathly Hallows

Rachel Blum Spencer identified in her article Harry Potter and Running from Death how our instinct for survival is similar to the book's darkest wizard, Lord Voldemort's journey in conquering death. Spencer stated Lord Voldemort's actions were driven by his fear of death. He wanted so much to beat Death itself that he willingly split his soul into seven horcruxes, dark objects that require killing another person. The author of the article suggested that our struggle to fight death actually mirrored that of the Dark Lord's bidding. She explained that we spend millions of money in order to cure our diseases. Yes, we wanted to preserve our health, but this action was subconsciously instigated of our fear of dying. The author further cited the difference between Harry Potter, whose life is circling with death and yet, chose to live the path his mother took; and Lord Voldemort, who has unquenchable thirst for immortality. Despite there being a piece of Voldemort living inside him, Harry still managed to see the light and fight on the right side.

"In the deepest recesses of our hearts we know that we can’t really conquer death, and that we wouldn’t be happy even if we could. Harry Potter reminds us of a truth we always know but often forget—that a life of sacrificial love lets go of death, and thus has nothing to fear from it. In embracing the kind of love that does not attempt to overcome our curse, we are freed to live," said Spencer.

We must admit that, just like Lord Voldemort, we fear death itself. We are like quivering children with blankets thrown over our heads because we're afraid of the dark. The thing we fear the most is fear of death, not death itself. Everyday, people grew anxious on whether they would die today or not. And the story of Harry Potter shows that we should conquer this fear in order for us to live our life to the fullest.

This fear was exhaustively discussed in the article The Wisdom of Fearing Only Fear. The author Phyllis Morris explained the role of fear in the fictional story of Harry Potter series. He emphasizes that fear of the unknown encompasses our fear of death. He said that not knowing what was in store for us after dying made people anxious of death. There's uncertainty on whether there is really life after death. In the book, it is apparent how the Dark Lord wanted to master death because of his fear of dying. He consequently, Morris said, had used that same fear as his weapon in order to conquer death.

"Fearing only fear is wise because fear is in your control – it is your reaction to the danger, evil or pain that induces fear rather than the fear-inducing entity or event itself. It is much harder to control the source of your fear if the source is out of your control (e.g., death or, in Ron’s case, spiders). Therefore, if all you fear is fear, the source of fear – i.e., your reaction to fear – can be controlled and conquered," said Morris.

I cannot help but see an analogy between this quote and the one Hermione Granger said in the second book. In the Wizarding world, it is almost taboo to mention Voldemort's name for it makes people shudder with fear. He was even called He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Hermione said that fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself. This is one of the many reasons why Harry came out victorious in his fight of evil. Harry had conquered his fear whereas Voldemort still remained a cowering, little child, afraid of the dark.

Blogpost 5: Fight for Freeing Dobby

The word slave connotes ownership of a person, much like a property (or chattel). In studying history, slavery was particularly rife when the Spaniards had colonized our country. It's pretty disturbing, considering that the Spanish era lasted for over 300 years. That's perhaps why the Article 3, Section 18(2) of the Philippine Constitution specifically stated that 'No involuntary servitude in any form shall exist.' But in the magical world of Harry Potter, slaves are synonymous to house-elves. They are creatures born into slavery that are bound magically to serve a wizarding family until they die. Sounds horrible? Of course, they can be set free by presenting them clothes but the house-elves sickeningly considered that as the highest form of punishment because of the instilled societal image of house-elves in their minds. We believe "bad" people do bad things and "good" people do the right thing. But in the case of the magical creature, house-elves in Harry Potter, their enslavement is somewhat of a grey area because mostly favors it and believed that it was actually an honor, but Dobby took exception to it.

Dobby, once a house elf. Now, a free one.

In Amy Borsuk's article Hermione Granger and the Fight for Equal Rights, Borsuk sang her praises to the female protagonist of the book and also one of Harry Potter's best friend. The author mentioned Hermione's most admirable work in promoting equality between wizards and magical creatures. She strongly believed that house-elves should demand for fair wages and that every magical creatures that had always been considered dangerous should be given just treatment as well. It's no wonder that Borsuk saw the connection between the young witch and J.K. Rowling, for the British author was, afterall, known for being an activist. Hermione formed the Society for Promoting Elfish Welfare or S.P.E.W. because she felt more passionate about the house-elves, whose place in the hierarchy is right at the bottom. They are treated as slaves, they work hard and do all of their master's bidding without getting anything in return.

"Hermione blunders towards the very people she’s trying to help. She offends them. She thinks it’s so easy. She realizes that as an activist, you don’t have quite as much power as you think you might have. … Then you learn that it’s hard work to change things and that it doesn’t happen overnight. Hermione thinks she’s going to lead them to glorious rebellion in one afternoon and then finds out the reality is very different," says Rowling in an interview.

I'd like to focus on the line it's hard work to change things and that it doesn't happen overnight. I couldn't agree more to this. Nothing in this world is permanent but change, we always reiterated. We want to lose weight but get upset when you're still fat after a 15-minute exercise. We expect someone to like us after we gave them gifts. If we want something, I mean really, really want it that you will die without it, you must prepare yourself to work hard for it. And Hermione Granger realized that when the same house-elves she's trying to help find her efforts insulting and abhorrent. In the end, it was only Dobby who appreciated and loved her passion for promoting house-elves' rights.

On another note, Jasmine Harrison wrote in her article The Curious Case of Dobby and House-elves the different views of the wizarding community regarding house-elves. In the book, Harrison saw two characters that showed strong feelings towards the elves' place in the hierarchy: Hermione Granger and Sirius Black. Hermione Granger is, perhaps, the most passionate among the characters with regards to the injustice of house-elves' treatment. On the flip side, however, Harrison took the attitude of Sirius Black towards house-elves' enslavement as an example. Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather, treated Kreacher with hatred that he originally felt for his evil mother. His grudge towards the mother who disowned him made Sirius act harshly to Kreacher, whose true loyalty lies with Sirius's dead mother.

"Maybe that is the lesson Rowling wants us to learn in all of this: that there are some types of people that you cannot change; that for whatever reason, these people are set in their ways and refuse to budge," said Harrison.

There's that word again: change. Such a big word and yet, it's what we mostly aim for. Despite Hermione's beliefs, she couldn't ignore the fact that house-elves are perversely delighted to become slaves to wizarding families. Much like how Sirius was brought up, being a Pureblood and living in a hostile environment. We see Sirius Black as a hero in the book and yet, his attitude doesn't seem like that of a hero. He treated the house-elf he inherited with contempt as he saw Kreacher as nothing but an extension of his hated mother. Perhaps, it's the same with house-elves for they knew nothing outside of being servants. They were born to serve one family until they die. They were so bound to it that they hurt and torture their selves when they disobeyed their masters. As mentioned above, it does not happen overnight. Change is like plowing a path, it gets easier the more you used that same path. In order to achieve the change that we want, we must open our minds to uncertainties. Afterall, most things are difficult before they get easy.

Blogpost 4: Under the Harry Potter Influence

Books are important tools that go beyond entertaining people. It is a device that ignites our imagination and influences the way a person thinks. There is, of course, the Holy Bible, The Art of War, The Da Vinci Code, and then there's also Harry Potter.

Millions of Harry Potter fans get totally immersed in the story of the famous fictional hero. Suddenly, reading the books doesn't cut it anymore. Harry Potter fans must watch the movie adaptations, dress up in black wizarding robes and hold a wand, join the prestigious fan site Pottermore, and attend events just to meet other fellow Harry Potter fans. Suffice to say that the famous fictional story has had a huge impact over its readers who have grown up alongside The Boy Who Lived. Its avid readers, including myself, can attest to Harry Potter being one of the most influential books in the world.

The Potter effect

In an article entitled Did Harry Potter Influence the Political Views of Millenials, the author Mark Strauss pointed out a study conducted by Anthony Gierzynski, a political scientist at the University of Vermont. The study included interviewing 1,100 Millenial-aged college students from different countries and draw the conclusion that people who grew up with the famous young wizard tend to be more accepting in terms of diversity and see violence or use of deadly force as offensive. Gierzynski particularly discussed his findings on how the Millenials' political view is increasingly becoming susceptible to the influence of the entertainment industry. He reiterated that we are being subconsciously molded by what we read, watch, hear and/or see.

"We're often drawn to stories for reasons that may have nothing to do with our views. This may be its popularity, attention given to it in the media, critical reviews, special effects, advertising, boredom, inadvertent exposure when we have little choice— the reasons go on. And once we're immersed in the book, TV programe, film or whatever, once we've come to identify with certain characters we are, as communications scholars have demonstrated, likely to internalize the lessons of the narrative, and emulate the qualities of those with whom we identify," said Gierzynski.

We all wanted to somehow fit in. Oftentimes, we deny who we really are and started acting like everyone else. In the book, Harry grew up in a hostile environment. His only living relatives treated Harry horribly. He slept in the cupboard under the stairs, often verbally abused by his uncle and cousin, and even had to pretend that he's invisible. He felt all alone. Then all of a sudden, he was told that he was a wizard, that he wasn't 'normal' like his relatives but could do magic. All at once, he finally belonged. And so the readers who grew up with Harry felt a very powerful connection between them and The Boy Who Lived. They find something — a hobby, a place, a friend — and then they stopped feeling alone. They had become stronger.

Additionally, Alyssa Rosenberg expounded in her article Why the 'Harry Potter' books are so Influential All Around the World the reason why said famous magical story topped the Facebook survey of books that have stayed with us. Rosenberg stated that Harry Potter accumulated strong audience because of the diversity of characters J.K. Rowling used in her story. It can also be attributed to the way Rowling introduced the world outside of Hogwarts, starting at the fourth book Goblet of Fire, during the Quidditch World Cup, an event pretty much like a pro-football league where wizards and witches all over the world gather around. Rosenberg said that Harry's interaction with other wizards made the story more influential to its readers.

"But ultimately, I think the sustained influence of 'Harry Potter' is probably more a function of a larger shift in culture that is happening everywhere at once. At a moment when our culture is fracturing into tiny niches, fine-tuned to meet the exact needs of a small but passionate group of people, 'Harry Potter' feels like it might be one of the last truly global book phenomena," said the author.

Harry Potter has various themes: friendship, love, courage, perseverance. But ultimately, Harry Potter is the classic "good vs. evil" coming-of-age story. That is something we can all relate to. We make decisions everyday, whether to wake up early, have eggs for breakfast or wash your hair. No matter how small it seems, we experience struggles. We need to differentiate what is right from wrong. We can see our lives mirrored in those texts, sans the wands and spells. Despite their magical ability, they all have their own flaws, and that is exactly what endeared Harry Potter to us. They are realistic and relatable. With that, I can say that Harry Potter brought us all together in such a way that it ignores differences whether it be race, gender, age or religion.

 

 

 

Blogpost 3: The "Blood" Status Quo

Readers of Harry Potter should be well-informed about blood status in the wizarding world. It could be divided into three: the Purebloods, or those who have magical parents; the Half-bloods, those who have one magical parent and a non-magical parent; and down at the bottom is the Muggle-born or the Mudblood status, those who have non-magical parents. It is said in the book that the word 'mudblood' is the most derogatory term one could use in describing a witch or a wizard. There are, however, instances wherein both parents are of magical descent but the child does not have magical ability. They are called Squibs, and are treated very much the same as the Muggle-borns. 

Hermione Granger's arm, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The entire series revolve around this prejudice against one's purity of blood. Some witches and wizards are under the impression that Muggles are less valuable as human beings than wizards are. In the story, it is Voldemort's belief that the world should be purged of the unworthy, meaning the Muggle-borns and the Muggles themselves. To him, Purebloods are supreme beings and should be preserved. He murdered people and committed other atrocities in the name of blood purity. This racial ideology was first presented in the story by Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter's rival, when he introduced himself and offered Harry his friendship. Later on, Malfoy is also the first one to use 'mudblood' in insulting one of Harry's best friends, Hermione Granger.

Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Amy Green discussed exhaustively this issue in the article Revealing Discrimination: Social Hierarchy and the Exclusion/Enslavement of the Other in the Harry Potter Novels. Green cited examples from the books (all seven of them) that depicts racial discrimination, then further explained each. It was discussed in the article the role of Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger with regards to such issue. Green also pointed out the prejudicial views of the Ministry of Magic, the governing body of the Wizarding world. Under Cornelius Fudge's regime, there is an immense statue of the “Fountain of Magical Brethren” in the Ministry's main building, wherein a wizard inhabits the central place, with a witch, centaur, goblin, and house-elf surrounding him and smiling adoringly up at him. This very much illustrates how the female counterpart of a wizard and all other non-human magical creatures are inferior to the wizard. Another disturbing statue built within the main building of the Ministry is the "Magic is Might" monument. It shows a witch and a wizard sitting on carved thrones made of the naked bodies of Muggles twisted and pressed together to support the thrones of the witch and wizard. It was created under Pius Thicknesse's regime, which is the time when the Dark Lord has taken over the Ministry. This composition further proves Lord Voldemort's unwarranted hatred of Muggles.

Fountain of Magical Brethren

 

Magic is Might

Lisa Hopkins asserts, “One of the things Harry and his peers must evidently learn is tolerance of difference," potentially an admirable aim of the series should this have proven to be a lesson learned. 

When Harry Potter first received his Hogwarts letter, he saw it as an opportunity to be free from his obnoxious relatives. He thought that his life would be 'normal' for once because he belongs at Hogwarts. But ignorant as he was, he stepped into the wizarding community without knowledge about the social hierarchy and the blood purity status that will determine your worthiness as a wizard. Only when Malfoy offered his friendship to him, saying that Harry should be wise to choose whom to associate with, did Harry Potter caught a glimpse of the racial prejudice in the wizarding community. It is, in fact, longstanding, even before Lord Voldemort started his campaign of purifying the world of those unworthy of magic.

Saptarshi Ray saw the fictional world as a reflection of today's real world. In his article Harry Potter: The Spectre of Racial Allegory, he compared racial issues we see today with the Harry Potter story. It is to be noted how he described the world of Harry Potter as filled with multicultural race and yet divided into social hierarchy. Ray iterated how the Harry Potter story actually raises its readers' awareness on the social disparity happening in reality. Rowling raised themes on race, prejudice and discrimination and managed to embed them into a story that the generation today can relate to.

The wizarding community is multicultural yet divided along the lines of a poisoned ideology that warps the ancient teachings of magic to suit its violent bloodlust. The evil Lord Voldemort enjoys killing innocent Muggles and envisions a society consisting of pureblood wizards and witches, despite being half-Muggle himself. 

In the last book of Harry Potter series, it is quite evident that calling a wizard 'mudblood' isn't enough anymore. In order to satisfy Lord Voldemort's distorted belief that Purebloods are supreme beings, innocent Muggles are killed; Muggle-borns are subjected to questioning and if the answers did not reach a certain standard, they would then be sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss. After reading all seven books, it became apparent to me what Rowling is trying to tell the readers. She wanted to show us that living in a world full of prejudicial views is difficult, being a victim of bullying herself. She wanted us to be aware that what seems to be innocent at first will later on take its toll on the victims, leading them to depression or even perhaps, death. Another thing is that in today's society, there is a certain hierarchy, though not visible, but it could be felt. Affluent people have far greater benefits in this society as compared to the poor and beggars. As in the case of Draco Malfoy, who grew up from a rich and Pureblood family. It's hard to break free from the status quo when one grew up with a distorted view of the world. Blame could be pointed to the environment where he grew up: a big, empty house with indifferent parents who have great expectations from him. On the other hand, Lord Voldemort's deep-seated hatred for Muggles stemmed from when he found out of his being a half-blood. He could, therefore be compared to those who originally came from nothing then later on became wealthy. They are hypocrites who couldn't bare to be seen as that same old poor person again and so, developed resentment towards the poor people. Nevertheless, no matter how much time and effort we spend on ending inequality in the society, they seem to be futile. Perhaps it's in our nature. Perhaps, it's what makes us human.

Blogpost 2: Harry Potter and the World of Politics

It is apparent how the Harry Potter series have successfully captured its readers' hearts. Be it a child or its adult counterpart, it shows how easy it is to get lost in the words on the pages. Harry Potter is, in a word, a spellbinding story of a young wizard's struggles in fighting evil. It's pretty simple, the same old 'good vs. evil' scheme and yet, people of all ages get addicted to it. Readers feel attached to Harry Potter, having "grown up" with him. The story evolves with time, with the first three books seemingly 'childish' as compared to the other remaining four. It is in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book, the fourth installment of the series, that the story started to progress, becoming darker and more matured. It started to deal with murder of innocent people, the resurrection of the most evil wizard, and, not surprisingly, the corrupt government.

Ministry of Magic logo

In Harry Potter, the Ministry of Magic is the equivalent of a government in the Wizarding world. Just like any other government, the Ministry of Magic is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of laws in the magical community. The Ministry is comprised of seven departments, each dealing with different aspects but has one common goal — to keep the magical community hidden from the non-magical population of Muggles. In the books, the Ministry of Magic is depicted as unreliable and meddlesome.

This is further discussed in The Politics Behind The Wand by Joseph Letts. The article mainly talks about the British Ministry of Magic in the Harry Potter books. Letts first went over different characters of the Ministry employees and how the Ministry was portrayed in the books. It also tackled the various scandals like poor security, conviction of a person without proper trial and accepting bribery from affluent families among others, that almost toppled the wizarding government. Lastly, Letts enumerated the past appointed Ministers and their ways of leading the magical community.

It is somewhat reassuring or alarming to see that whether in fiction or the real world, we can still be confident that some things stay the same.

The alarming spread of corruption not just in our country but in others as well is an issue that affects all of us. We elect these so-called public servants to lead and represent us, only to be disappointed to find out that the same public servants are wasting the trust we put in them. And for what? Money and power. To me, they are one and the same, for having money gives you power that you'll never have if you're penniless. Reading the Harry Potter books taught me a lesson that there will always be a corrupt person in the government no matter how much they make it seem like the opposite. We don't know what went on behind closed doors or under those tables. We, the taxpayers, are blissfully ignorant of how our supposed money were being spent by these power-hungry public servants for their pleasure and personal gain. It's infuriating how they manipulate us and then fed us lies that 'all is well' when in reality people are being murdered left and right.

Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge: "All is Well"

Samantha Love very much talked the same in her article entitled The Politics of Harry Potter: Corrupt Law and Totalitarian Government. Love emphasized the Ministry of Magic's corrupt ways of governing the magical world. Love pointed out how the Ministry controls the Daily Prophet (the newspaper in the wizarding community), therefore hindering the freedom of speech of the wizards; the Ministry's lack of transparency and accountability; the inconsistent justice system and prejudicial views on non-human magical creatures like giants, goblins, house elves and werewolves.

Perhaps the thing we can best learn from Harry’s world is that State power has to be strong enough to enforce the law without being so strong that we have reason to fear the State – in fiction and in reality.  

I'd say the famous Spiderman quote "With great power comes great responsibility" aptly applies to this. Giving an individual the absolute power would, in one way or another, tempt him to abuse it and therefore, turn corrupt. Boundaries should definitely be set in order to avoid this, but as far as boundaries go, they are implemented, evidenced by the three sectors of the government (executive, legislative and judicial). But with these measures in place, abuse of authority is still apparent. Why is that? I think that it is not the power that corrupts these individuals, but fear of losing such power that does it. After experiencing the merits of having so much control, it makes a person drunk with power, thus, would not want to lose that power. This attitude pushes that person to do things like abusing his authority or committing fraud, anything just to preserve that power for himself. Just like in Harry Potter books, the Minister mentioned that laws could be changed if necessary, only because he will benefit from it by discrediting Harry himself. It just shows that be it in fiction or in reality, power is extremely dangerous and that it should not be given to one person longer than necessary.

 

Blogpost 1: More Than Just A Children's Book

When asked what they wanted to be when they grow up, kids would mostly answer "I want to become a superhero" or "I want to become a fairy." The similarity between these is that they both have powers — or magic, if you would — which they use to help those who are in need. Growing up, I've always fantasized about becoming a wizard, just like Harry Potter. I remember being so obsessed with the magical literary hero that I started saving money in order to buy books and its official merchandise. I didn't really care that they were expensive as long as I could have tangible proof that will show I am a Harry Potter fan, hence, my blog title. Potterphile is a term my high school friend used to describe people like us.

As we all know, Harry Potter is a literary hero of the fantasy serial books written by British author, J.K. Rowling. It's also a common knowledge about Ms. Rowling's humble start before Harry Potter became a big hit in both the literary world and the big screen. She started writing Harry Potter at the back of receipts in a coffee shop, and it's really inspiring. Before the book gained immense popularity, it took years before the book was published. Despite being successful worldwide, the book also gained its fair share of criticism that includes promoting the use of witchcraft among kids and being an anti-religion.

Ken James of Films for Christ discussed in his article entitled Is the “Harry Potter…” series truly harmless? how Harry Potter series clash with religious beliefs and the word of God itself. It further states how occult practices or use of witchcraft and sorcery are cloaked with seemingly innocent words and beautiful writing style, all embedded in a children's book. Despite these claims, James agreed that Harry Potter is still a phenomenal book that encourages children to read. Although reading is good, the author strongly advices parents to be cautious of what their children is reading, particularly the Harry Potter series, because the use of magic contradicts God's words.

"While some practicing Wiccans flatly deny any link between Potter’s world and theirs, the evidence is undeniably clear that Potter promotes an interest in magic and the occult. Parents, whether Christian or not, must take an active role in what their children are being exposed to and determine what is appropriate. Christians especially should be guided by God’s Word, the Bible."

Although the article gives really good argument, I still find it far-fetched. I've not heard of a person being punished by God just because he read a book. Although Harry Potter shows accurate representation in terms of witchcraft, black arts and black magic, that does not necessarily mean that Rowling's books are evil. It's her job to make the story look real despite it being a fantasy literature. If after reading Harry Potter and parents still deemed it an evil book, I guess it's their prerogative whether to forbid their kids from reading it. As a parent myself, I think it's best to take into consideration first the children's opinion before doing anything drastic.

On the flip side, Perry Glanzer wrote the article The Surprising Trouble with Harry in Touchstone Magazine, which basically speaks of how the Potter books are misunderstood. Glanzer enumerated notions by the critics of the book, then presented an alternative explanation on how they should be viewed. He delved further that Harry Potter shows morality, and not the opposite. In the book, Harry Potter mostly breaks the rules but Glanzer further suggested that Potter doesn't do them for fun but for promoting the good and fighting evil. He argued how the critics failed to see the real, bigger message behind Rowling's words —that the book itself is about friendship, love and bravery —but only seeing the shallow explanation that critics see: Harry Potter is about practice of black magic because it's about witchcraft.

"Christians who take the idea of a cosmic struggle between good and evil seriously should see the Potter series as an ally because it reinforces a core Christian belief currently under attack. In Harry’s world, good and evil are not just “socially constructed” rules made up by those in power to keep themselves in power. An actual cosmic struggle between good and evil exists." 

I agree that Harry Potter should not be taken more than what it truly is: a fantasy book that tells about a struggle of an orphan as he grows up. I've learned a lot from reading Harry Potter. As I grow up, the story matures as well. I admire the great friendship among Harry, Ron and Hermione despite their differences. I love that Harry Potter is not perfect. It aptly portrays a normal teenage life — grades, relationships and family problems — with an exciting add-on of defeating He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I mean, who doesn't like the idea of becoming a hero? The book further supports my belief that grades and intellect are not what school's about. It's about experiences that teaches you far more than your subjects will ever do.

Harry Potter is more than just a children's book. It is a book that talks about witches and dark arts but beneath them are important life lessons. It's always been the primary goal of a writer to captivate their readers with the story. Writers wanted to create an alternate universe where readers could immerse themselves and imagine living a different life in a different world, providing a fantasy to temporarily break away from real life. Stories should be riveting, and Rowling took the gold star in that regard.