4,224

And I have finally finished another round of the beloved Harry Potter series - seven books, 4,224 pages, and endless enjoyment. I have spent a majority of the past week with my nose buried in a book, as I started and finished the last four books in the series in the span of one week. I don't know how she did it, but J.K. Rowling is probably the most clever person I don't have the pleasure of knowing. The way she created this magical world, full of relatable characters and real-life takeaways will never cease to blow my mind.

The first Harry Potter book was released in 1997, so I would have just been going into the second grade at the time. Granny bought me my very first Harry Potter book, in fact, she purchased every single one of the books for me, but I will admit that I did not fall in love with The Sorcerer's Stone right away.

I picked it back up in fourth grade just before the release of the first movie, and I fell in love with Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and the rest of the Hogwarts crew. I think the books also have special meaning for me because I grew up right alongside Harry and his friends, as I was just 15 when the seventh and final book was released, and 19 when the final movie premiered in theaters. I distinctly remember going to the midnight release of the seventh novel, coming home, and going straight to bed, only to wake up the next morning to read and finish the entire book that weekend so that no one could spoil anything for me. 

I think you can all conclude that I love the Harry Potter series, not only for the truly magical world to which it transports the reader, but the underlying themes of love, friendship, family, loyalty, courage, good versus evil, and so many more. And without further ado, here are just a handful of the most meaningful quotes that I have picked out while reading the series through once more:

• "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live"
• "It takes much bravery to stand up to our enemies, but we need as much bravery to stand up to our friends"
• "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals"
• "It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities"
• "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided"
• "Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike"
• "Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth"
• "Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy"
• "Let us step into the night and purse that flighty temptress, adventure"
• "Of course it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"
• "Where your treasure lies, there will your heart be also"
• "Above all, pity those who live without love"

There are so many memories lodged between the pages of these books, and I (obviously) highly encourage you to read them if you have not done so before. And if you have, read them again, I guarantee you will find even more to appreciate.

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