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If there's one common thread throughout the Harry Potter series, it's the concept of family. And in true Rowling fashion, the idea of family is nuanced, complex, and powerful. As these nine Harry Potter quotes about family reveal, close familial bonds extend beyond blood relationships or even death.
Harry’s longing for the parents he never really knew is a constant theme, and the living family he does have — the cold and callous Dursleys — are a far cry from the familial warmth he seeks. But family is not only about blood relations, as Harry finds consolation in his relationships with parental figures such as Dumbledore and Sirius. And by learning about his parents from those who knew them, Harry is able to maintain his bond with them long after their deaths.
Furthermore, other characters embody the spirit of a happy family, perhaps none as well as the Weasleys. The seven Weasley children and their parents have all the dynamics of a normal family such as sibling rivalries, a fun-loving father, and a mother who holds them all together. Their warmth and closeness show Harry what a loving family can be like, and they draw him into the fold. Overall, Rowling shows that families can come in many forms, and that the bonds they share are powerful magic indeed.
"The ones that love us never really leave us. You can always find them in here." - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
“He must have known I'd want to leave you."
"No, he must have known you would always want to come back.” - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
"He could hear the self-justifying note in his voice, the plea for her to understand why he did not know what had happened to her sons, but —'Thank goodness you’re all right,' she said, pulling him into a hug he did not feel he deserved." - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
“ 'The thing about growing up with Fred and George,'" said Ginny thoughtfully, 'is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve.'” - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
“ 'You'll stay with me?' 'Until the very end,' said James.'” - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
"Harry was looking at his family, for the first time in his life.The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible sadness." - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever" - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
"You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him." - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Additional reporting by Lindsay Mack
Images: WarnerBros; Giphy (3); WiffleGif (4)
