When the pandemic hit the United States in March, I decided it was time to reread the Harry Potter series. The world has felt devastatingly dark this year and I needed a good story like Harry Potter to keep my mind and heart occupied. I started rereading in March and I finally finished the last book a couple weeks ago when my fall semester started. Here’s some reflections I have after rereading the series:

Journalism

As a journalism student, I couldn’t help but pay attention to the role journalism plays in the wizarding world. From book 4 on, we see the complex relationship between journalism (The Daily Prophet), the government (The Ministry of Magic), and public opinion. I was really surprised that the books are much more political than the movies. While I think the Harry Potter series paints journalism in a negative light, it also shows how powerful journalism can be.

Journalism is not meant to be an ally to the government like it is in the Harry Potter series. It is meant to be a watchdog for the world on a local, nation, and international level. In book 5 when Luna Lovegood’s father publishes Harry’s story of Voldemort returning, we see how powerful the truth can be. I’m going to have to say Rita Skeeter might not be a good journalist lol :p

What if Hermoine was the chosen one?

While I absolutely love Harry’s character, I can’t help but wonder what the books would’ve been like if Hermione was the chosen one. Hermoine works extremely hard in school and is probably a more talented and knowledgeable wizard than Harry. While Harry outperforms her in bravery, the trio never would’ve been able to defeat Voldemort without her. She is a feminist character by being an intelligent young woman, but there’s just a part of me that wanted more for her in 2020.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published in 1997 so she was a great feminist character for the time. I honestly don’t think that the books would’ve become as popular as they did if Hermoine was the main character because oftentimes, when a woman is the hero, men would rather read something else. Even though her character could’ve been more, I think she paved the way for future female protagonists like Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games).

The Wizarding World and it’s Lack of Diversity

While I love the Harry Potter series, it doesn’t take a lot to notice that the books lack racially diverse characters. The minority characters are in the background. There are very few Black characters, very few Asian characters, and no LGTBQ+ characters. I know the first book was written over 20 years ago, but I really wish J.K. Rowling had included more diverse characters.

To be honest with you, I’ve always had a negative opinion of fan fiction until this year. I used to feel annoyed that people would come up with ideas that weren’t actually written by the author. After listening to my favorite podcast, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, I realized how important it is to see ourselves within a story. Everyone deserves the privilege to see themselves and relate to characters in the story no matter their sexuality, race, gender, etc. 

*My thoughts on J.K. Rowling’s transphobic twitter comments here.

Death

One of the most special things about the Harry Potter books for me was the stories around death. When my Nana died in the summer of 2018, I felt lost, frustrated, and isolated. I felt like there were so few people in the world who understood how I felt. Even though we all go through grief at some point, there’s something so isolating about it.

When Sirius died in book 5, I felt so close to Harry. After Sirius dies, Harry craves for any way for his godfather’s death to feel less permanent. There was this line in the book where he says he felt like his life was separated into two chapters: before and after loss. This is how I felt with my Nana. There was my life before and after my Nana died. I wished for one last conversation with her just like Harry wished Sirius would appear in the fire again.

The End

I really enjoyed rereading all the books, but book 7 was by far my favorite. Book 7 had me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book and it was so full of meaning and love. This year has been such an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. I cried from the chapter where Snape’s feelings for Lily were revealed until the end of the book. This pandemic is so stressful and so many lives have been lost this year. It felt so good to cry because this year has brought so many unexpected challenges. 

I’m so happy I reread these books this year. I grew up with Harry Potter and I needed him more than I knew I did this year. I really had no idea when I would have the opportunity to reread these books. There aren’t many positives to this pandemic, but I am grateful I had the time to read this year. Next time I need the wizarding world, I know it will be there for me <3