34 Reasons Why We’ll Forever Celebrate Harry Potter’s Birth

That’s right, friends, today is Harry Potter’s 34th birthday! The Boy Who Lived is now a man with a family of his own. It’s been seven years since the final book was published and three years since the final movie was released, yet we still can’t seem to get enough of our favorite wizard. I’m a huge Potterhead who lives for any reason to indulge in butterbeer cupcakes while binge-watching the movies. There are countless reasons that even after all this time, we love Harry and want to celebrate him. In honor of his 34th birthday, here are just 34 of those reasons in no particular order:

1. He is the most generous friend ever.

Remember when he and Ron were on the train to Hogwarts and he bought out the candy trolley for them? Just remember, when trying to make friends, buy an absurd amount of sweets. You will have a bestie for life.

2. He freed Dobby from the wizarding world’s worst family ever and treated him like a friend until the end.

3. Harry grew so much as a person over the course of seven books.

He went from being an innocent little boy just learning about magic, to being the hero and leader that he was destined to be.

4. He protected the Dursleys from Voldemort and The Death Eaters by sending them into hiding when things got bad.

Let’s be honest, most of us would have left them to fend for themselves. Or locked them under the stairs. You know, for safety. . .

5. He always made sure to help Luna out when the Nargles would steal her stuff.

Which happened quite a bit even though she wore a necklace to keep them away.

6. When baby Harry survived the Avada Kedavra curse, he became living proof that love (not hate) was the strongest force in the world.

Which should make all other babies feel like total underachievers.

7. When Ron felt insecure about not having money in Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry told him all about how he had to wear Dudley’s old clothes and how he never received proper birthday presents to make him feel better.

8. After witnessing Cedric Diggory’s murder during the Triwizard Tournament, Harry gathers the strength to bring the body of his fallen friend back to his father.

9. He mourned Dobby and gave him a proper burial sans magic.

He also made sure that he was remembered as a free elf.

10. He ignored teachers’ instructions and hopped on his broomstick to chase Draco and retrieve Neville’s Rememberall.

He didn’t even get in trouble for it either. He scored a spot on the Quidditch team because of his skills. Total badass.

11. The guy seriously faced his own death every school year while managing to get passing grades and play Quidditch.

At least Voldemort always waited until the end of the school year to mess with him.

12. In the face of the aforementioned attacks, Harry always put the safety of his friends first.

13. Let’s not forget when he sassed Professor Snape in class with “No need to call me Sir, professor.”

Oh snap.

14. He founded and ran Dumbledore’s Army in his fifth year at Hogwarts.

No big deal or anything, just a little anti-ministry group of students thrown together and taught defense tactics under the nose of the dictator known as Umbridge. Seriously though, what high school kid has that kind of initiative?

15. The guy loses pretty much everyone he loves and never succumbs to the pain.

He stays strong without shutting down emotionally.

16. In fact, he had so much love and hope in him that his patronus could fend off a hundred Dementors.

17. He was all about forgiveness.

Even after years of torment from Dudley, they make peace and Harry forgives him. It takes a very strong and loving person to do that. I still don’t forgive the fact that this scene was omitted from the last movie, but perhaps one day I can master the art of forgiveness like Harry did.

18.) He saved Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets.

19.) He was super romantic. 

The boy called kisses from Ginny better than firewhisky and compared her to the sun. Swoon. 

21.) In his bravest moment of all, he went to face Voldemort alone knowing that he must die to protect his friends and save the wizarding world.

22.) Along with Ron, he risked his own life and saved Hermione from a huge troll when they were just 11.

23.) The poor kid wasn’t hugged from the time he was 15 months old to the time he was 14 years old.

Yet he was still full of hope that one day he would have someone who loved him.

24.) He named his three kids after the people he loved and lost: Albus Severus, James Sirius, and Lily Luna.

25. He loved Hermione but never in a romantic way.

He just loved her in this pure way that proved that guys and girls can be just friends.

26. He gave excellent advice to his peers and even to his elders.

He was the one to talk some sense into Remus when he found out that Tonks was pregnant and he was thinking of bailing.

27. He never got to celebrate his birthday as a child.

And even after he went to Hogwarts and made friends, every party was interrupted with some Dark-Lord drama.

28. After sacrificing himself to Voldemort, Dumbledore appeared to him and told him that he had a choice to either “move on” or wake up and fight.

And like a true hero, he chose to live and defeat Voldemort for good.

29. He confronted and exposed Snape over Dumbledore’s murder.

30. Most people would have a problem with their two best friends being a couple, but not Harry.

He worshipped Ron and Hermione more than all of us combined.

31. After witnessing a murder/return of the Dark Lord and being mocked by all of his peers, Harry suffers from PTSD

This kid went through way more than just puberty in high school while still managing to save the wizarding world.

32. He went out of his way to rescue Fleur’s sister Gabrielle when he thought she was in danger in the lake during the second challenge of the Triwizard Tournament.

33. Today is also the anniversary of Harry finding out his true identity.

Come on, say it with me. . . “Yer a wizard, Harry!”

34. Most importantly, Harry shares his birthday with J.K. Rowling, the very woman who gave us this world with these characters.

She made our childhood magical when she brought Harry to life all those years ago.

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