Quiz Make-up: Memory

Memory is a powerful thing in the Harry Potter series; it serves as a magical power all on its own.  There is a saying that hindsight is 20/20, and with things such as the Pensieve memories can be closely examined again and again to become, perhaps, more than 20/20.  Rowling may be using this theme of memories and reminders as a way to express how important it is to learn from the past and to remember certain things, even if one does not want to, because they may come in handy. 

There is also the idea of learning from the mistakes of the past, such as how Hagrid is blamed for opening the Chamber of Secrets in the book of the same title.  Harry is transported into a memory of Tom Riddle’s – or Tom Riddle’s diary – in which Tom Riddle finds Hagrid and blames him.  Harry then feels awkward around Hagrid, thinking maybe he was the one to open the Chamber; later, when Harry realizes it was not Hagrid, he feels very foolish. 

Memories can skew how one remembers events, so taking someone’s word for something, or even viewing their memory of the event, is not necessarily the best choice.  A strong example of the need for memories and how they can serve as a helping hand is with the Patronus Charm.  In order to produce a powerful enough Patronus and fight off dementors – the embodiment of depression – one must procure a strong, happy memory in the front of his or her brain.  This happy memory is what fuels the Patronus and leads it to save you.  The Patronus is the embodiment of the phrase, “Look at all you have to live for.”  A happy memory can be a life-saving grace against a dementor.

Memories can also haunt, and not just he to whom the memory belongs.  The memory of Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets was controlling Ginny without her knowing it or understanding it.  This memory also gave Harry the bad opinion of Hagrid for a while, was controlling a basilisk to kill Harry and a handful of other Hogwarts-goers, and gave Harry and glimpse of the past of Voldemort. 

Harry’s memories of his parents may not be the best, but they gave him the power to break from the Priori Incantatem in the graveyard after the third task.  His parents give him encouragement that he can do this successfully, and then when it is time they assure him that he is ready and should break away to get back to Hogwarts.  Even remembering someone falsely can help anyone through almost anything.  Memory really is a powerfully fascinating thing.

Make up Quiz-Prisoner of Azkaban

The Prisoner of Azkaban introduces us to both Professor Lupin and Sirius Black, two seemingly polar opposites who prove to have a huge effect on Harry’s life.

First we have Professor Lupin. For Harry, Lupin is a breath of fresh air in the world of teachers. Professor Lupin takes a real and genuine interest in Harry, which is something Harry really needs. It is with Lupin’s encouragement and help that Harry is eventually able to fight off the Dementors, which send him spiraling into the darkest and saddest places of his mind. The tragedies in Harry’s life makes the dementors have a much larger impact on him, and so the help from Lupin becomes invaluable. Without Lupin’s lessons, Harry, Hermoine and Sirius would have been kissed by the dementors, ending their lives in the worst possible way.

Professor Lupin also gives Harry insight into his parents’ lives. He is a link to them, having been one of James’ best friends. But in addition to this link to Harry’s parents, I think Professor Lupin really gives Harry someone he can rely on at a point in his life where it seems that everyone is trying to protect him and keep him in the dark about a multitude of aspects, namely the scandal involving Sirius Black and Harry’s parents.

Nearly all of the adults in Harry’s life are trying to protect him from the dark truth of his and his parents’ past. They are doing what they believe is in Harry’s best interest, but their good intentions aside, it still rubs Harry the wrong way. While they are trying to protect him, he feels that these details of the Potter family history should be shared with him, that he doesn’t deserve to be in the dark, even if the truth is painful and ugly. Lupin, to me at least, is an exception to this. While he doesn’t delve deeply into his relationship with Harry’s parents, he is open and honest with him. Lupin has faith in Harry, that he can do the advanced magic required to produce a Patronus Charm and diligently works with him because he has so much faith in Harry.

I think Lupin is also such an important figure to Harry because he is also an outcast. Although we don’t find out until nearly the End of PoA, Lupin is a werewolf; this aspect of him is very relatable to Harry. Before he began at Hogwarts, Harry was an outcast among his family, and by extension, thanks to his portly cousin Dudley, an outcast at school as well. But even at Hogwarts, Harry isn’t an “outcast” per say, but because he is “The boy who lived” he is still set apart from many other people. I think Harry can relate to Lupin because they are both unlike almost everyone else. Although they aren’t similar in and of themselves, their unique character traits (being a werewolf and being the boy who lived) bring them together.

Sirius Black, for a majority of the book, represents the evil of the world. He represents Voldemort’s power and hatred, as well as betrayal and heartlessness.  It isn’t until the end of the book that he transforms from being one of the most evil people imaginable, and when he does, he really takes a 180 degree turn. He becomes a character of unparalleled sympathy, at least for me. Innocent and framed for so many murders, Sirius becomes a symbol of an unjust system (Azkaban). Like Lupin, Sirius is a link to Harry’s parents, having been James’ best friend since their school days. For a few brief moments, Sirius represents salvation for Harry. He is going to save him from the Dursleys. Over the course of the book, Sirius represents many things; first it he is evil incarnate. Then he represents betrayal and the death of Harry’s parents, until he is redeemed and represents salvation and hope for the future for Harry.