Growing Pains (Not of the Skele-Gro Variety)

Anyone who has experienced their teenage years and lived to tell the tale knows that they are a confusing time of extreme awkwardness and agony. However, they are also a time where adolescents become more aware of the world around them, and begin to develop into adults, both physically and emotionally. In the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling does a beautiful job of conveying the terrible experience nearly all teenagers have when they realize that the world doesn't revolve around them, people aren't separated into "good" and "bad", and being an adult doesn’t mean you have all the answers. These are some of the most important parts of growing up, and Harry Potter is not exempt from these lessons in his coming-of-age tale. Two characters that stand out to me as contributors to Harry’s development are Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

            Throughout the first four books, Dumbledore really does seem to have all the answers. Though he does not always personally save the day, readers get the sense (through Harry’s perspective) that where there is Dumbledore is there is safety; he always has some idea of what the “bad guys” are up to, and he helps provide Harry and the trio with the resources to stop them. I don’t think it was pure coincidence that Dumbledore showed up just in time to save Harry from Quirrel, or that his pet phoenix just happened to show up in the Chamber of Secrets, and he had a clear hand in helping Harry and Hermione save Sirius/Buckbeak. He is powerful, brilliant, morally sound, and a strong paternal figure in Harry’s life. When Harry needs help, explanations, or even just someone to believe he’s telling the truth (basically the entire fifth book), Dumbledore is always his advocate and ally. However, from the end of the fourth book through the end of the series, it is clear that Dumbledore is not infallible. He is still all of the things Harry originally believed him to be, except for one thing—he has flaws. He can’t always protect Harry, and it is difficult for Harry to come to terms with this. This is particularly clear after Sirius is killed in the Ministry of Magic, and Harry becomes furious with Dumbledore in the scene in Dumbledore’s office. He breaks Dumbledore’s possessions and is desperate to make Dumbledore feel some of the pain that he feels, but becomes even more enraged when Dumbledore gets emotional and admits that he has made mistakes in his relationship with Harry. This is an extremely important development and turning point in Dumbledore’s character, which in turn is an important development for Harry. It is a terrifying and sobering moment when he realizes that even Dumbledore’s protection has limits, and that even “the only one Voldemort ever feared” is only human. This is something that every teenager struggles with at some point, whether it is a parent, teacher, or other adult figure who we idolize; grown-ups, even the best ones, make mistakes and are still learning as they go.

Revelations about Snape’s past are also highly relevant to Harry’s development. When he sees “Snape’s Worst Memory” and realizes that Snape was bullied and treated poorly by Harry’s own father, it is extremely confusing for Harry. Apart from him dealing with the less-than-ideal actions of his father, whom he has always idealized somewhat, he has to deal with something even more difficult. Upon learning about Snape’s past, Harry feels that pesky little emotion called empathy toward someone he has always loathed. When Dumbledore explains to Harry in Sorcerer’s Stone that he feels Snape saved Harry so that he could “go back to hating his father’s memory in peace,” to me this sums up why empathizing with Snape is so difficult for Harry. It is so much easier to view someone you dislike as entirely unpleasant with no redeeming qualities, because it makes you feel more justified in disliking them. Once you start to consider the reasons for their unpleasantness, and find common ground with an enemy, it makes it infinitely more difficult to hate them. Learning that there is more to people than first meets the eye, and the ability to feel empathy, are both things that come along with the process of growing up, and readers can connect with Harry in this way.

Harry is impacted by these realizations throughout the rest of the books, and it definitely impacted how I experienced the series as a reader. I grew up along with these books, and so a lot of the coming-of-age elements were definitely relatable for me. The older you get, the more you understand how complex other people truly are, and that we are all constantly evolving and changing. Though this can often make our relationships a bit messy, it helps us grow and develop into better people—whether you’re a muggle or a wizard.