Halloween Countdown: 6 ways in which we grew up alongside The Boy Who Lived.

Welcome to Day 5 of the Halloween Countdown. Today, we are walking down Memory Lane and looking back on how we grew old and grey, along with Harry Potter and his friends. While our transformative incidents may not have involved Buckbeak and Dementors, they were certainly not lacking in the impactful department. Let's a-go!!!

1. Betrayal

While we didn't have to deal with Professors who had 2 faces and the soul of a Dark Lord in them, we can never forget the sting of the first betrayal we experienced. The feeling of being lied to by someone one trusted never goes away.

Like Harry, we were forced to be wary of people and their motives. Not because we didn't want to trust again, but because the fear of betrayal is far stronger than we know. Having a strong support system is essential in building back the broken blocks.

2. Naivete

When we were young, we whole-heartedly believed the tales told by our parents. Good triumphing over evil, the good guys winning and setting an example for us all and so much more.

But as we grew older, we realized that the world is not as binary and black and white as we thought. The rich and powerful go far ahead whilst the poor are left to fend for themselves, fighting for scraps. Harry saw this happen before in his eyes, as people like Umbridge thrived in the Dark Regime whilst the heroes were branded as criminals and murderers.

3. Wondera

Growing up can sap the life out of you. The monotony of routine and responsibilities can make one apathetic and cut them off from their inner child. The thrill of life is buried and stamped out, leaving nothing but bitterness and anger in its place.

However, Harry and his friends never lost their spark. Even in their darkest times, they were ready to place their faith in the unknown. Their open-mindedness and desire to explore helped them overcome their toughest challenges.

4. Rage

The Harry we met in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and the Harry who faced down Voldemort are polar opposites. The boy who happily left his miserable Muggle life behind was long dead. In his place stood a man who had suffered loss after loss and had all but killed his own soul in taking Voldemort down. Any traces of the young boy with bright eyes had been replaced by a man, driven only by rage, vengeance and loss.

We, too, have faced such moments in life. It is a rite of passage for us all and how we choose to respond shapes our life.

5. Loss

As kids, we tend not to think of death and people leaving us. It is too painful to think about and we would rather prefer to talk about happy things like the rainbow visible from the window and the bright red sports car parked outside. However, death is a part of life and arguably is what makes life what it is.

Despite suffering tremendous loss, Harry never stopped. He fought to honor the legacy of those who died, wanting their sacrifice to mean something. Similarly, it is our responsibility to not let our grief overwhelm us. We, too, must learn to live again, with their memories as our North Star.

6. Finality

Back then, the 7 books seemed to be the definite end to the story of Harry Potter. There was no Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, no Fantastic Beasts and no spinoffs in sight. It was an actual complete end.

The end of anything evokes memories and emotions of sadness and melancholy, but that is life as well. Each chapter of life will ultimately end some day and the memories we made will be all that is left to hold on to. As kids, we may not understand it fully, but as adults, we know the feeling of goodbye all too well.

As Mark Twain said, "Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many.” He knew what he was talking about.