Harry Potter has a special place in my heart, as it does for many of us. It has been 21 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released, a long time ago but has the same popularity. I can’t help but reminisce about all the good memories this series gave me.

I remember reading the first few books and dying to be a Gryffindor. And I remember getting older and realizing that it’s okay to be a Slytherin. To be quite honest, there isn’t a major moment of my childhood in which some sort of Harry Potter reference that I hadn't put up in front of my friends. Harry Potter always gave me a sense of comfort and made me feel better. I read and reread the series over and over again. In elementary school and high school, Harry Potter connected me to my peers and our mutual love of the books blossomed into friendships. Harry Potter made me believe in magic. It showed me that anything is possible. It taught me lessons of love, kindness, and most of all friendship.

It has been 21 years since the first Harry Potter film was released. We are old, but some stories are written for a lifetime, and Harry Potter is one of them. 'The boy who lived' became the dream for many, but before Harry Potter took over the cinematic front, the books were already making headlines, selling thousands of copies, and making history. For many, it was a great escape from reality, including myself. While the majority of people have become familiar with the mischievous, brave, and loveable trio on the big screens; the journey to Hogwarts began back in 1997 for many.

Some might say that Harry Potter books are just for kids and teens. However, this is not entirely true. The Harry Potter universe comes alive thanks to the magic weaved by JK Rowling through her words. The whole series of seven fantasy novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story concerns Harry's struggle against Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic and subjugate all wizards and Muggles (non-magical people).

A glance at what we learned from the wizarding world:

The very first lesson we receive from Harry Potter is the importance of friends. One can never succeed in life all alone without a little help from friends. Just take a look at your past, and you will see that your friends were always there when you needed them.

Author JK Rowling was clear about one thing: girls are as strong as boys and it is normal for a guy to cry, and no one is invulnerable. There are several episodes where we see Hermione, Jinny, Luna saving the boys from deadly situations. We also saw Harry, Ron, Nevill, and Draco showing their emotions in front of their loved ones. It makes us believe that it is okay to be in touch with emotions because feelings have nothing to do with gender or sexuality!

As we entered the later books of Harry Potter, we saw how power, corruption, responsibility, and fear move together. Harry Potter taught us tolerance; it told us that no one is inherently good or bad, that power is a concept, and it is our nature how we use it. And even the powerful ones will one day fall and will fade away. You can never cheat death.

Sometimes, we all wish to have the philosopher's stone or the resurrection stone so that we can always keep our loved ones safe and live for hundreds of years. But, in reality, this is not possible. All we have is a little time with our loved ones, as life has never been predictable. So, live your life to the fullest. Cherish every moment you have with your family, friends, and yourself, as you can’t live it again.