Character of the Week

Harry Potter

The boy who lived, champion of Gryffindor, hero to the Wizarding World, and agnsty teen. Harry Potter burst into the fantasy genre in 1997 and has stayed in our hearts ever since.

It’s hard to be a hero, it’s even harder to be the hero everyone wanted you to be, but that’s what Harry Potter was. Everyone knew this young wizard’s story, everyone expected greatness from him. While for many that would be too much, Harry time and time again, would rise to the occasion. Growing up he faced an unusual amount of challenges for a boy his age. By the time he was 18 Harry had a godson, he defeated Voldemort 4 times (first as a baby, then in his first year, then Voldemort’s horcrux in his second year, and finally in the Deathly Hallows), he defeated a basilisk, produced a corporeal patronus, fought a dragon, won the Tri-Wizard Tournament, tracked down Voldemort’s horcruxes, and won Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup. Besides Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort, there hasn’t been a witch or wizard come out of Hogwarts with a comparable list of accomplishments. Harry was great, meaning he had moments of greatness, but he wasn’t perfect. He was still just a kid trying to live his life, and in the process he made many mistakes. However, like a true hero he grew from his mistakes, learned how to fix them, and rose to heights he never imagined.

Compare Harry at 11 to Harry at the end of books, if you do that you can really see his growth. At 11, Harry felt like he was nothing, at 12 he gained confidence, at 13 he pushed himself, at 14 he matured some, at 15 he took some steps back, at 16 he felt he was prepared for the world, and at 17 he was risking everything. At the end, Harry understood his purpose, he understood why everything was happening to him, and in the end he was humble about his accomplishments. He defeated the greatest dark wizard of all, and he just wanted to spend time with his friends.

We hope you join us as we celebrate Harry Potter this week with the Character of the Week title. We’re going to dust off the Sorcerer’s Stone “extended version” and sit back and enjoy.

Remember, not all those who wander are lost.

– The Wandering One