‘Harry isn't more special than anyone else’: Devoted Potterheads Magically Discuss Whether Harry Potter’s Success Came from Real Talent or Sheer Luck

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Oct 29, 2024 11:30 AM EDT

The topic of who are the most powerful wizards in Harry Potter's magical universe is something that is constantly discussed both in the series and by fans all over the world. Questions like, who was a more threatening villain - Grindelwald or Voldemort, or who was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will forever raise Potterheads from whatever slumber they are in and have them arguing over their truth.

The question that arose from this wizarding world discussion is an interesting one, as it delves into the most important character of the series – Harry. A curious Potterhead asked other fans on Reddit whether they think Harry is an actual powerful and talented wizard, or whether his accomplishments and wins were more due to luck and the specific circumstances he was in.

The responses to the question may surprise you, especially since not one response gives a straight answer of yes or no. Keep scrolling to read the full discussion. After you are done, click here to enjoy some hilarious Harry Potter memes.

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  • 01
    Harry was one of the most powerful wizards in his year but he was not on the same level as Voldemort, Dumbledore or Grindelwald.
    via Estanis Banuelos
  • 02
    Was Harry Potter actually an especially powerful and talented Wizard, or were most of his accomplishments just based on circumstance and luck?
    via Fluid-Bell895
  • 03
    Skoldylocks 19h ago • Gryffindor He was a skilled and relatively powerful wizard He had a lot of luck and fortunate circumstances Both are true
    via Skoldylocks
  • 04
    Completely_Bat • 19h ago • Gryffindor Both and neither- he was, as Dumbledore said, "reasonably talented" as far as magical studies go. What does make him exceptional is his courage, his cunning, and his
    via Completely_Bat***
  • 05
    resourcefulness. He uses what he has on hand to excellent effect in any given circumstance; his "lucky" moments are usually only "lucky" because he takes advantage of them wisely.
    via Completely_Bat***
  • 06
    Doublecheeseburg69 18h ago • And the fact he's got a whole squad of friends/mentors that would k. for him.
    via Doublecheeseburg69
  • 07
    MuadD1b 10h ago • Harry's superpower was that he possessed the will to resist. Voldemort's greatest advantage was the fear he inspired in the wider wizard world. They could have defeated him and the dth eaters if they had tried.
    via MuadD1b
  • 08
    • dplans455 16h ago • People forget how cunning he was. Remember the Sorting Hat originally wanted to put him in Slytherin. He only didn't because Harry asked him not to. He has more Slytherin attributes than Gryffindor.
    via dplans455
  • 09
    shishanbushina 19h ago • I would say in terms of raw power he was pretty far up there. He made a patronus at the age of 13 that easily drove away 100 dementors at once. In the grave yard he had the reverse tug
    via shishanbushina
  • 10
    of war with Voldemort with the bead of light between their wands and won. That being said, he lacked the skill or experience to use it effectively. Like in an all out duel with Voldemort he would get obliterated. He really lucked out with the circumstances during the series, and that's how he won.
    via shishanbushina
  • 11
    • ymc18 19h ago • The point was that he was never innately powerful or talented but his moral character and community made him more "powerful" than Voldemort
    via ymc18
  • 12
    letsgo49ers0 • 18h ago • I'd also add that his experiences forced him to learn and use exceptional magic. Everyone in year 3 learned what a patronus was, but only Harry practiced the spell and therefore only Harry could create one.
    via letsgo49ers0
  • 13
    Vivid_Excuse_6547 • 19h ago Yes! I just for into a fight about this with a friend yesterday lol. The whole point is that Harry isn't more special than anyone else. His bravery and his friends are his greatest assets.
    via Vivid_Excuse_6547
  • 14
    aeoncss • 18h ago Gryffindor He wasn't powerful/talented when compared to the likes of Voldemort or even the best of the best of regular wizards/witches, but when you're saying "innately powerful or talented" you have to compare him to the average wizard and in this case he absolutely was both powerful and talented.
    via aeoncss
  • 15
    Warm Ad9669 • 19h ago Gryffindor Luck and circumstance only came with connect to Voldemort and only applies to Voldemort. What he did fighting d th eaters was by his own skill and power. He was a powerful wizard when it came to dada. He had great skill in this area. He also had great skill in natural instinct.
    via Warm_Ad9669
  • 16
    DALTT 18h ago Gryffindor Both. I think the books do a far better job of showing his skill as a wizard growing and him becoming more powerful as the books went on than the films do.
    via DALTT
  • 17
    And in the books there are multiple moments that show he's more advanced than his peers. For example, I think of how in the "Order of the Phoenix" book, Professor Tofty, who is the proctor for Harry's
    via DALTT
  • 18
    Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL, is like, I heard through the grapevine that you can produce a patronus... could you do it for some extra credit? And Harry obliges. And Professor Tofty is absolutely beside himself that a 15 year old can produce a corporeal
    via DALTT
  • 19
    patronus like that... let alone a 13 year old being able to do it, which is when he actually learned the spell, and hold off hundreds of dementors with it no less. There's a lot of moments like this that show that Harry is exceptional among
    via DALTT
  • 20
    his peers. As in, he's an especially talented wizard in comparison to others his age. Sometimes he lacks discipline, whether typical school age 'l don't wanna do my homework', or caused by the external stress he's constantly under, but he's definitely exceptionally talented for his age.
    via DALTT
  • 21
    And he ALSO has a lot of luck. For example, were it not for the twin cores and priori incantatem in the graveyard, and all the other magic that Harry had no part in doing that intertwined Voldemort and Harry, Voldemort absolutely would've succeeded in
    via DALTT
  • 22
    k. ng him in that moment. Because at 14, Harry was not yet skilled enough to take him on. So luck played a big part in it as well. And then of course, a huge part of how he was able to defeat Voldemort were skills that didn't have anything to do with magic...
    via DALTT
  • 23
    His bravery, his wit and quick thinking, his being a natural leader, his loyalty, and of course, him being a good friend and having friends who wanted to be in the trenches with him because he was a good friend. And these were the ineffable things that Voldemort could never understand, which helped lead to Harry's success.
    via DALTT
  • 24
    Useful-Craft9271 • 18h ago • I think he was a better wizard than anyone in his year at hogwarts. He became head auror, you wouldn't want to duel him
    via Useful-Craft9271

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wand geek hogwarts students Harry Potter voldemort hermione granger horcrux discussion owls entertaining magical hedwig Ron Weasley Dobby potterhead reddit thread Reddit Hogwarts
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