Harry looked from Cedric to the cup. For one shining moment, he saw himself emerging from the maze, holding it. He saw himself holding the Triwizard cup aloft, heard the roar of the crowd, saw Cho’s face shining with admiration more clearly than he had ever seen it before… And then the picture faded, and he found himself staring at Cedric’s shadowy, stubborn face.
“Both of us,” Harry said.
“What?”
“We’ll take it at the same time. It’s still a Hogwarts victory. We’ll tie for it.”Cedric stared at Harry. He unfolded his arms.
“You – you sure?”
“Yeah,” said Harry. “Yeah… we’ve helped each other out, haven’t we? We both got here. Let’s just take it together?”For a moment, Cedric looked as though he couldn’t believe his ears; then his face split in a grin.
“You’re on,” he said. “Come here.”
Today is an important day for all of us Harry Potter enthusiasts all over the world. The seventh and last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
But there is one thing that we already know for sure: once again, just like in all the previous books, Harry Potter will continue to bravely do what he believes is right and not what other people expect him to do. By doing this he sets us a great example on how we should live both our personal and professional lives.
Here are some tips from Harry on how to live up to your values and make the best out of your life:
- Hang out with friends who share your values: Ron, Hermione, and many other friends are always there for Harry to keep him true to himself and his dreams. Each of them have their distinct, important roles. So far in none of the books has Harry handled his adventures by himself.
- Find mentors who support your values: Harry has been lucky enough to have studied in a school lead by a great wizard, Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore has taken lots of time to give Harry special training and support to prepare him for the battles that are still ahead. Most importantly Dumbledore has shown a great example in loving and trusting your friends.
- Have good enemies: It’s not like Harry chose his enemy. Voldemort is not someone you’d pick if you were given a choice. But it’s clear that having a clear vision of who or what you’re fighting against will give you strength to fight it. When you know what will happen if you don’t fight for your values, and you don’t like what you see, you fight twice as hard.
- …and don’t be too afraid to name them: This is something I’ve always admired about Harry. When everyone else is so afraid of Voldemort that they refer to him as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who, Harry always just says his name – without even thinking about it.
- Be curious: Curiosity brings Harry to trouble but it also gives him a chance to show his conviction and live up to his values. If he would have just sit back and wait see what happens, most of his adventures would never had taken place. This is something that I find really important: if you want to make a difference with your life, you should actively seek situations to do it.
- Break some rules if necessary: When you see that a person you thought to be dead is wandering on your school’s corridors, it might make sense to put on your invisibility cloak and go check out what’s the deal. Even if it’s forbidden to walk around at night time.
- Be loved and dare to love: In the books love is often mentioned as Harry’s greatest strength and the one thing that separates him from Voldemort. As a baby Harry survived Voldemort’s attacks because his mother loved him so much, and that love is still one his fondest memories that carry him through the darkest of times.
And finally, as Harry says in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: “I love magic”.
