1. The family you are born into matters much less than the family you choose.

2. Despite what we were taught by When Harry Met Sally, men and women can be friends.

3. “Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.” –Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

4. Bad guys often don’t look like bad guys. Sometimes the ugly, scowling dude swooping around like a bat distracts you from the deceptively normal-looking person you should be worried about.

5. Even bad guys are usually not all bad.

6. No institution can be relied on to do what’s right, especially during wartime—not the press, not the government, not your school.

7. Twins for the wins!



8. “The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end—if not always in the way we expect.” –Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

9. The pen is mightier than the sword, and love might be more powerful than either.

10. “Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” –Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

11. Don’t waste your life being afraid of what follows. “To the well-organized mind, death is merely the next great adventure.” –Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

12. “Never trust anything that thinks for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” –Arthur Weasley, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

13. The best children’s books will reach you at any age. “When I’m 80 years old and sitting in my rocking chair, I’ll be reading Harry Potter. And my family will say to me, ‘After all this time?’ And I’ll say, ‘Always.’” –Alan Rickman



14. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” –Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

15. “It is our choices that tell us who we really are, far more than our abilities.” –Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

16. Never trust a man who shows up with a dragon’s egg in his pocket.

17. Astrology is rubbish.

18. That said, listen to the centaurs.

19. “If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” –Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

20. “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.” –J.K. Rowling. (Okay, fine, it was Benjamin Franklin. But you can tell J.K. Rowling agrees.)

21. “Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.” –Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire



22. Know-it-alls are sexy. And useful to have on your side.

23. “Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery.” –Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

24. “Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.” –Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

25. Most importantly, do not get between a mother and her children.

What did the Harry Potter books teach you?