By all means continue destroying my possessions. I daresay I have too many.
J. K. RowlingRead
Oh please," said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?" "I've used it against him," Harry said quietly. "It saved my life last June.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Courage can come in many forms, including using seemingly simple actions to protect oneself from great danger.
In this quote, Zacharias Smith expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of a spell called Expelliarmus against a formidable enemy, Voldemort, suggesting a lack of belief in its power. However, Harry counters by sharing his personal experience where the same spell saved his life, highlighting the theme that even the most ordinary actions can hold significant power when fueled by courage and conviction, especially in the face of grave threats.
Themes
CourageMagicBeliefStrengthSelf-Defense
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech about believing in oneself.
More from J. K. Rowling
All quotes →Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?” James lifted an invisible sword. “‘Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!’ Like my dad.” Snape made a small, disparaging noise. James turned on him. “Got a problem with that?” “No,” said Snape, though his slight sneer said otherwise. “If you’d rather be brawny than brainy —” “Where’re you hoping to go, seeing as you’re neither?” interjected Sirius.
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Depression isn't just being a bit sad. It's feeling nothing. It's not wanting to be alive anymore.
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I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit.
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Imagine losing fingernails, Harry! That really puts our sufferings into perspective, doesn't it?
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The consequences of our actions are always so complicated, so diverse, that predicting the future is a very difficult business indeed.
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