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“Harry Potter” can undisputedly be called one of the most popular book series of all time. In 2018, The Bookseller magazine published an article stating that the sum of all copies sold of books from the universe exceeded 500 million, and the entire series has been translated into a total of 80 languages.
[ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILER]
Such enormous popularity has resulted in increasingly intense brand promotion. The Harry Potter series gave rise to a massive media franchise known as Wizarding World. It now encompasses all film productions set in the universe, as well as computer games, a play and an online service. In stores, it is increasingly common to come across all sorts of gadgets bearing the Wizarding World logo. Figurines, key chains, T-shirts, sweatshirts – these are just a few examples among the wide range of products that can be found in bookstores, clothing stores or supermarkets.
The huge number of copies sold and the demand for gadgets related to the universe can attest to the fact that many people are interested in the world of Harry Potter and feel a strong attachment to it. Even after reading the entire series of books and movies, readers still want to explore further corners of Hogwarts. Many of them invest in games, among which the highly acclaimed Hogwarts Legacy is a prime example.
What made the Harry Potter series an international bestseller? What was it that made people around the world fascinated by the adventures of the young wizard and his friends? It’s worth taking a closer look and analyzing all the plot elements we love in this series!
Highly Developed Parallel World
Learning about the rules of the fantasy world allows the reader to feel as if he is personally traversing the paths of an unknown reality. And after all, exploring new places is a fascinating adventure! Probably this is why fans of the Harry Potter series feel excitement at the very thought of the unique place that is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Hogwarts is a widely expanded institution, described in great detail in the pages of the novel. It is here that the action of most of the events depicted in the plot takes place. In each of the seven volumes of the saga, the reader has the opportunity to traverse intricate corridors, numerous chambers, and explore rooms that no Hogwarts student has yet had the opportunity to see. In each of such chambers lurk spells that no one would have even thought of before. In other words – so many places remain to be discovered! No wonder readers often find themselves daydreaming about the reality of studying at the famous School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and looking out for their coveted Hogwarts acceptance letter.…
Dynamic Characters
Literary characters who undergo a positive inner transformation as the plot progresses usually provide an object of inspiration for readers. Sometimes the stories presented in books only after the passage of time put certain characters in a completely different light. This proves that a hasty assessment of any person, without first studying his or her story, is likely to be inadequate to reality.
One of the characters in the “Harry Potter” series, whose fate surprised readers the most, was undisputedly Professor Severus Snape. The Potions teacher aroused anxiety or at least frustration from the very first episode involving him. Such emotions were caused by the obvious dislike that Snape decided to meticulously show Harry Potter at every possible opportunity. In a spiteful manner, he constantly pointed out to him the mistakes he was making, highlighted his ignorance, and closely watched his every move, anticipating even the slightest stumble. Such a description of the situation definitely does not bring to mind an atmosphere conducive to the peaceful acquisition of knowledge.
Due to his negative attitude towards most students (and Harry in particular), Snape is a widely disliked character on the pages of the novel. Certainly, on more than one occasion, he was the object of outrage of many readers. In addition, it should not be forgotten that the potions teacher is also known for his dark past – during the First Wizarding War he served Lord Voldemort as a Death Eater. For this reason, the main characters suspected the professor of practicing dark magic until the very end of the seven-book series, which gave a surprising turn of events.
How is it possible that a character who from the very beginning introduces an atmosphere of anxiety and horror has become one of the most admired characters in the series? How is it possible that the murderer of Professor Dumbledore inspired such great respect in Harry that he decided to name his second son in his honor? Everything is explained at the very end of Volume 7!
At the time of his death, Severus Snape gave Harry his own memories – dating back to his childhood years. Then the hero learned that throughout his life the potions teacher had hidden his great love for… Lily Evans – Harry’s mother. After her death, the man became Albus Dumbledore’s closest ally and swore to protect his beloved’s son. But why did he cast a killing spell on a man to whom he was completely devoted? Well, he did so because… he was asked to do so by Dumbledore himself. In Part 6, the headmaster was infected by a curse cast on one of the Horcruxes. He knew from that moment that his death would be inevitable. He also knew that his assassination had been ordered to Dracon Malfoy by Lord Voldemort. In view of this, Albus ordered Severus to kill him the moment Malfoy wanted to do so. So the headmaster did everything he could to spare his student’s soul. Moreover – for the Dark Lord, the directed act of betrayal of the potions teacher was to be an unequivocal proof of loyalty.
But why did Snape show such extreme resentment toward Harry when he had sworn to protect him? At this point, one can speculate that the reason was probably grief over the death of Lily Potter. Thereby, the woman died while standing up for her son. However, this does not change the fact that Severus, throughout the series, did everything in his power to prevent Harry from getting hurt. He also remained faithful to Dumbledore – until the very end. Loyalty, devotion, love – it was these three elements that made up the life of this secretive, grief-filled teacher. These attributes also made the whole world admire the attitude of this character, and his transformation was deeply remembered by fans of the series.
Contrasting Depiction of Good and Evil
Many novels draw the line between good and evil very clearly in their plot. The reader can then unambiguously determine whether the character belongs to the protagonists or rather to the antagonists. The advantage of such a procedure is the introduction of a fairy-tale atmosphere into the story. Fairy tales and legends from every corner of the world are characterized by the fact that in them we can clearly see the boundary between good and bad behavior. As a child, probably most readers were fascinated by the magical and magnetizing world of fairy tales! Introducing this kind of atmosphere into the novel allows you to feel your carefree childhood again and immerse yourself in the world of epic, timeless stories.
In relating this literary procedure to the Harry Potter series, the contrast between the characters comes to the foreground. The flagship example of the clash between good and evil is the struggle between Dumbledore’s Army and the Death Eaters. Hermione Granger initiated a student group to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts together. Acquiring any knowledge in this area during school classes proved impossible, due to the propaganda spread by the new teacher Dolores Umbridge. The woman (by order of the Ministry of Magic itself) was instilling in her students the belief that Lord Voldemort posed no threat to anyone. In view of the tactics adopted, the professor decided not to teach her pupils a single spell during the entire school year that could protect them from the enemy.
Because of Harry’s previous experience in clashing with the Dark Lord and his knowledge of advanced spells (such as the Patronus spell), he was appointed by a group of students (Dumbledore’s Army) as their new teacher. The conspirators meticulously practiced new spells in the Room of Requirement outside of their standard classes. Probably they did not expect that the opportunity to use them all in a real-life duel would come so immediately.…
The Ministry of Magic became the site of a clash between Dumbledore’s Army and Voldemort’s devoted servants, the Death Eaters. Voldemort lured Harry to the Department of Mysteries in order to obtain a prediction regarding the boy’s fate. As a result of this ambush, the students soon found out that it was time to use the skills they had acquired during their training in the Room of Requirement. Both the book and film series epically depict the battle between the characters – a real-life duel between good and evil. This was an exceptionally exciting and gripping episode, which instills hope in the reader that good must always triumph in the end and encourages you to root for your favorite characters!
Exciting Adventures
Nothing focuses the reader’s attention on the plot of a novel as much as fascinating adventures! A large number of gripping events and twists and turns arouse the desire to read the book in one go – until the very end.
Some of Harry Potter’s most exciting and even disturbing adventures were all his journeys made to find the Horcruxes – magical objects in which Lord Voldemort hid particles of his soul. Destroying all the fragments of the Dark Lord’s soul was a necessary action to make his final defeat possible. This, of course, involved numerous dangerous clashes – for the Horcruxes are filled with dark magic. Moreover, each of them was closely guarded, or at least perfectly hidden. In such a situation, danger seemed inevitable. Thus, the reader had the opportunity to observe, among other things, the joint expedition of Harry and Professor Dumbledore to obtain the Slytherin’s Locket, or the intrusion of the main characters into the Gringotts Wizarding Bank to seize the Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup. Each of the adventures presented in the pages of the novel arouses incredible curiosity about the following events and makes the reader want to reach the finale as soon as possible!
Tense Duels
Making a description of a duel is a real display of writing skills! It requires keeping the content highly dynamic, while at the same time presenting a detailed account of the movements, performed sequentially by certain characters. For the director of the film, such episodes are also quite a challenge, because most often they have to create highly impressive and realistic fight scenes that will be able to instantly absorb the attention of the viewer.
The tension-filled duel was primarily the first clash between Harry Potter and Voldemort. As a result of a trap prepared by the Death Eaters, the main character was transferred to the cemetery in Little Hangleton. In this place rested the members of the Dark Lord’s family who were murdered years ago. Using the remains of Tom Riddle (Senior), Peter Pettigrew managed to restore Voldemort to his full power. After the immediate arrival of the remaining Death Eaters, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named decided to finally deal with Harry.
The duel that ensued at that moment probably caused fear in many readers. Would the Boy Who Lived be capable of handling the all-powerful wizard in a fight? Probably many people had serious doubts about this. However, it quickly became clear that the hero is not alone in this clash – at the decisive moment at his side stood the souls of his parents. They managed to divert the attention of Lord Voldemort, thanks to which the hero managed to summon a Portkey and with its help move back to Hogwarts territory. From the beginning, it could be expected that Harry’s first confrontation with the Dark Lord will trigger a whole avalanche of impressions in the reader!
Unexpected Plot Twists
Readers highly appreciate all sorts of plot twists. Such elements of surprise are a great proof of how deeply thought out the story presented on the pages of the novel was planned. Usually this inspires great admiration towards the writer, who in this way has the opportunity to demonstrate originality and creative invention.
The most memorable plot twist of the entire series was the one that readers could learn about as they approached the inevitable finish of the last part. Well, it was then that Harry Potter had the opportunity to see with his own eyes the previously unknown moments of Severus Snape’s life that he passed on to Harry in his memories at the time of his death. Thanks to the knowledge imparted by the headmaster, Harry realized that he himself was Lord Voldemort’s last Horcrux. This moment probably came as a shock to many readers: in order for Dumbledore’s Army to finally defeat the Dark Lord, one of its founders… must die. Yes – this information was like a blow straight to the heart. However, Harry Potter – known to everyone as a boy of incredible courage – decided to sacrifice himself for the sake of humanity.
Those familiar with the featured series, however, know that Harry once again survived the killing spell cast on him by Voldemort. The reason? It is hidden in the leitmotif of the entire seven-book series – it is love. When the main character was a child, he was protected by the love of Lily Potter, who stood up for her son. This time, on the other hand, Harry managed to survive because of the power of love he felt for his friends. He chose to die so that they could live. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?)
Universal Values
“Harry Potter” is likely to remain a timeless series already – carrying many life truths that can be applied to reality at any time. The main message of the seven books is the aforementioned love. According to the narrative used in the novel, it is the one that is able to protect us from even the most terrifying threat. In the plot of the series one can also find a lot of other valuable content. The reader has the opportunity to observe the enormous strength found in friendship, courage, loyalty or determination. All these qualities are equally of great importance in the real world as well.
Summary
All the above-mentioned features of the Harry Potter series prove that it is an extremely valuable novel. It can certainly have a positive impact on young readers, who are becoming more and more intensely familiar with the world around them. The immense popularity of the books in question should no longer come as a surprise. After all – as outlined above – there are very many reasons that make us love Harry Potter!
Recenzja: Natalia Chojnowska
Translate: Natalia Chojnowska
Zdjęcia: HBO Max
Check out our other articles in english i українська!
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