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Since the new Fantastic Beasts 3: Secrets of Dumbledore movie (you can buy the screenplay here on Amazon) is now out in wide release, it’s probably time to revisit the best quotes from the Wizarding World.
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.
Whether you want to build confidence or strengthen friendships, or if you’re looking for lines from your favorite characters like Albus Dumbledore, Hagrid, Hermoine, or Ron Weasley, there are all kinds of inspirational quotes across the seven books and eight movies.
Let’s dig into the best and most inspiring Harry Potter quotes down below, along with the clips and context behind why they were said.
1. “Yer a wizard, Harry”
From: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (link to Amazon)
Said by: Hagrid
The line that started it all… as iconic as it is simple when 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 that’s to come and inspired 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 (link to Amazon)
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.
We aren’t defined by our innate abilities or what privileges or lack therefore 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 of all.
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 (link to Amazon)
Said by: Albus Dumbledore
This inspirational quote on friendship is said by Dumbledore when awarding extra points to Gryffindor at the end of the Sorcerer’s Stone. He 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 go save the stone from the clutches of Voldemort, but this quote speaks to the power of how difficult it is to stand up to friends when they might be doing something bad.
As 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 (link to Amazon)
Said by: Sirius Black
Expanding on that last line, Harry still struggles with this concept by the time he gets to the Order of the Phoenix, as he finds himself increasingly lashing out with anger, impatience, and even “bad impulses.”
While Harry doesn’t yet know it’s because Voldemort has found a way to manipulate the connection between them, everyone has gone through periods where they make mistakes or worry that they aren’t as good as they thought they were.
So Sirius says this to Harry to remind him that he’s not a bad person:
Harry Potter: “I just feel so angry all the time. And what if after everything I’ve been through, something’s gone wrong inside me. What if I’m becoming bad?”
Sirius Black: “I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You’re not a bad person. You’re a very good person, who bad things have happened to. You understand? Besides, the world isn’t split into good people and death eaters, we’ve both got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
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 (link to Amazon)
Said by: Albus Dumbledore
Dumbledore says this inspiring quote to Harry at a time that’s hard to hear. In fact, this quote is often hard to hear, because we often soooo want the easy choice to be the right choice.
But the right choices are often not easy… and as Harry will soon come to realize, there’s a lot more pain and hard choices he’ll have to make. But, as Dumbledore says at the end of the quote:
Albus Dumbledore: “But remember this: you have friends here. You’re not alone.”
This is an inspirational quote on doing your best – but it’s always good to remember that you have a community around you to support you, even if you don’t know it right now. Your choices don’t have to be yours alone. Only if you let them be.
6. “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.”
From: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (link to Amazon)
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 he 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. Albus Dumbledore has this to say:
Albus Dumbledore: “Help will always be given to those at Hogwarts who ask for it. I’ve always surprised myself with my ability to turn a phrase. Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it. But I would in this case amend my original statement to this: Help will always be given to those at Hogwarts to those who deserve it.“
This is the motivation Harry needs to go back and face Voldemort – because there are many who will come to help him since he is of honorable intention and willing to put his own life on the line in order to stop Voldemort.
Dumbledore goes on to say another iconic quote, that points to why Harry deserves to win over Voldemort:
Albus Dumbledore: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living. And above all, all those who live without love.”
For it is love that matters most in life above all else. Speaking of love…
7. “Not my daughter, you bitch!”
From: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (link to Amazon)
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.
Obviously, 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 (link to Amazon)
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 to us about death are the unknown.
If we can reconcile our fear of what we don’t know and come to terms with the fact 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 (link to Amazon)
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 find their way back to us eventually, even if it’s just in our hearts.
10. “Always”
From: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (link to Amazon)
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 actually 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!
The reason this series resonated so much with so many different people around the world was that it was a story about love conquering death. It makes sense that it was written by a new mother who 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 not only evil but death itself.
That’s why this series is so inspiring and continues to live on, long past the movies and books’ original release and will continue to endure in the hearts of all those who love it: “always.”
Grant Harvey is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and filmmaker based out of Los Angeles. When he’s not working on his own feature-length screenplays and television pilots, Grant uses his passion and experience in film and videography to help others learn the tools, strategies, and equipment needed to create high-quality videos as a filmmaker of any skill level.