The only thing that would make me like the Harry Potter series more than I do would be if Professor McGonagall and Madame Hooch, the Quidditch coach, were an item.
Alas, that’s the butterbeer talking, I’m afraid. I’m having an extra today in honor of Harry Potter’s 35th birthday (and author J.K. Rowling’s 50th birthday as well). I’m a proud Potterhead, not only because the series is a feat of imagination rarely equaled, but because I love the heart behind the story.
I’m not the only one. The series’ message of social justice and triumph against darkness has been shown to have an actual, positive effect on people’s attitudes towards stigmatized groups. And as Claudia Puig of USA Today put it in her review of the final movie:
On the surface, Harry Potter was a tale of magic. But it also was a story about love, for friends, teachers and family—biological or otherwise—and the ability of love to flourish in the most difficult circumstances.
In other words, as Albus Dumbledore once said, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only someone remembers to turn on the light.” Let’s light some birthday candles for Harry today, then, and think about finding happiness.