Friendship - The Meaning

One of the most fascinating bits of Harry Potter was the friendship between Ron, Hermione, and Harry. When I started reading Harry Potter, I was a little kid of nine years, and my idea of a tragedy was getting too much homework and not being able to go down to play, and a villain was a teacher who yelled at me, or a friend who didn't let me sit by the window in the bus. In spite of barely understanding the series on a deep level, what captivated me the most and made me read on was the friendship of our three heroes. From the very beginning, after they fought the troll, till the very last chapter, when they fought alongside each other in the Battle of Hogwarts, though everything - and everyone - changed, their friendship remained.

We've all had friends since the beginning of our lives. Some come and go, and some remain as a constant in our lives - sometimes, the only constant in our lives. In Harry's world, everything was constantly changing. Harry lost his parents at a young age, suddenly Hagrid appeared out of nowhere and took him off to Hogwarts, Harry found out about Lord Voldemort, Dumbledore and Sirius dying...these were some of the big changes. But there were small changes, too. Like when, suddenly, all his Gryffindor mates didn't trust him anymore, and Cho had a boyfriend and didn't seem to like him, then Ron and Hermione getting together...small changes, but very, very important and significant changes in his life. Even the villain wasn't constant. In the fifth book, all of us hated Umbridge more than we hated Voldemort, admit it. Umbridge was the one we wanted dead in that book, not Lord Voldemort.

Yet, throughout the series, their friendship remained. Sure, they had arguments, but then, the essence and meaning of true friendship is that no matter what, you stick together. And they did that. In spite of all the problems in the world, they stuck together, by each others' side, and we see that even 19 years later, when they have their own families, they still retain that friendship.

This is what - in my mind - is the meaning of Harry Potter: to show that no matter what happens in life, there are some friends who will be there for you, forever. You just might not have met that friend yet. Harry Potter, along with an amazing plot and vivid characters, explores the true meaning of friendship and tells us that you do have that one true friend out there.

So whenever I'm feeling down or depressed because life is hard, I remember what Harry Potter teaches us: that don't give up, don't despair, don't worry that no one cares for you. Because there is always that one friend who will give up his life for you.