One of the most iconic film and book franchises of all time is the beloved Harry Potter world of witchcraft and wizardry.
Of course, if you’re reading this, you already know that – and are looking for some of your favorite lines, quotes, and dialogue from the series to inspire, motivate, and find positivity in your day.
Let’s dig into the best Harry Potter inspirational quotes from the movies. I’ll add clips and the context behind why they were said.
1. “Yer a wizard, Harry”
From: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Said by: Hagrid
The line that started it all—as iconic as it is simple, Hagrid says this to Harry in The Philosopher’s Stone. It’s one of the most inspiring moments in the book and movies for Harry and readers alike.
The idea that an ordinary, poorly treated orphan could be a magical wizard sets everything else up to come and inspires a generation of kids who dreamed of also getting a letter from Hogwarts at age 11. Dare to dream!
2. “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.”
From: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Said by: Albus Dumbledore
It’s hard to find quotes from the great Wizard and Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, that aren’t motivational, but this is one of the most inspiring quotes from the movie and the books.
Harry is questioning his similarity to Voldemort and how the sorting hat almost put him in Slytherin because of it when Dumbledore points out that Harry asked the hat to put him in Gryffindor instead.
Our innate abilities or privileges don’t define us or lack what we’re born into; rather, the content of our character and the choices we make along the way – as well as the responsibility we take for those choices, which is most important.
3. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies. But a great deal more to stand up to your friends.”
From: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Said by: Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore says this inspirational quote on friendship when awarding extra points to Gryffindor at the end of The Sorcerer’s Stone. He also awards extra points to Neville Longbottom, who tried to stop his friends Harry, Ron, and Hermoine from sneaking out and getting in trouble.
He is ultimately in the wrong, as Hermoine needs to temporarily petrify him so they can save the stone from Voldemort’s clutches, but this quote speaks to the power of how difficult it is to stand up to friends when they might be doing something bad.
Hermoine later says in the Half-Blood Prince book, “Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.”
4. “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
From: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Said by: Sirius Black
Expanding on that last line, Harry struggles with this concept when he gets to the Order of the Phoenix, as he increasingly lashes out with anger, impatience, and even “bad impulses.”
While Harry doesn’t yet know it’s because Voldemort has found a way to manipulate their connection, everyone has gone through periods where they make mistakes or worry that they aren’t as good as they thought.
So Sirius says this to Harry to remind him that he’s not a bad person,
5. “Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”
From: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Said by: Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore says this inspiring quote to Harry at a time that’s hard to hear. This quote is often hard to hear because we often want the easy choice to be the right one.
But the right choices are often not easy, and as Harry will soon realize, there’s a lot more pain and hard choices he’ll have to make.
6. “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.”
From: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Said by: Albus Dumbledore
When Harry is “killed” by Voldemort, he finds himself in a mystical train station with none other than the recently deceased Albus Dumbledore and finds himself at the crossroads of a decision.
He could either move “on” into the unknown or go back and face Voldemort, who is still overpowered compared to the forces that want to stop him.
7. “Not my daughter, you bitch!”
From: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Said by: Molly Weasley
This moment is just pure inspiration. I don’t know anyone who didn’t get up in their seat and holler when Molly Weasley stood up for her family and took down Bellatrix Lestrange.
The quote itself isn’t the most, ahem, inspirational – but after everything Voldemort’s war put the Weasleys through, after all the pain Bellatrix has inflicted on Harry and his friends, you can’t help but be a little giddy with glee as Molly kicks some evil wizard ass.
8. “It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”
From: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Said by: Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore makes this astute observation when he and Harry are in the cave to track down Voldemort’s first Horcrux. This is a very inspiring quote about overcoming fear, as most of what is scary about death is the unknown.
If we can reconcile our fear of what we don’t know and accept that it’s okay not to know what happens next, then, in theory, we can overcome our fear of death—a motivational quote for those who fear the unknown and death alike.
9. “My mom always said, the things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end… if not always in the way we expect.”
From: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Said by: Luna Lovegood
One of the best meaningful and positive quotes from the Harry Potter franchise comes from Luna Lovegood, a spacy girl who seems at first to be “looney” but is soon revealed to be introspective and insightful instead.
For instance, Luna is quoting her mom here – and Luna lost her mother at a young age.
In a way, this quote is not just about accepting loss but about the confidence in knowing that nothing is ever really gone – even the ones we lose. They eventually find their way back to us, even if it’s just in our hearts.
10. “Always”
From: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Said by: Professor Snape
This line is one of the most romantic and iconic inspirational Harry Potter quotes. When Snape shares his memories with Harry, it is revealed that Snape has always loved his mother and was always looking out for Harry throughout the entire series.
Even despite multiple times that Harry accused Snape of misdeeds (or Snap conducted misdeeds *cough cough* Dumbledore *cough*) in the name of Lord Voldemort, he was “always” on Harry’s side because of his love for his mother. Inspiring!
In Closing
This series resonated with so many people worldwide because it was a story about love conquering death. It makes sense that it was written by a new mother who had just lost one of her parents.
Because love is such a powerful emotion that drives human connection, discovery, and life itself, it makes sense that it can be so powerful that it conquers evil and death.
That’s why this series is so inspiring. It continues to live on long past the original release of the movies and books and will continue to endure in the hearts of all those who love it: “always.”