Harry Potter Power

You’ve read the books...
Dr J A Sykley
You’ve seen the films...
Now feel the Power... in your life!

Psychologist Dr J A Sykley shows how the universal themes in the
Harry Potter series can make your life more positive and healthy and
your lifestyle more sustainable.
The Power of Action – This book can help people who are ‘stuck’ in one way of thinking and
Harry Potter Power

break down negative patterns of thinking. – Robyn, university student
The Power of Thoughts – It was awesome how you could take one of the best series of fiction and
compare it with real day life. I liked the way you talked about how everyone can turn their nega-
tive thoughts into positive ones. The Worry-Turner is brilliant! – Baden, 10 years old
The Greatest Power – Contemporary, refreshing, and uplifting… It made me smile.

– Jonty Bush, 2009 Young Australian of the Year, Chief Executive Officer, Queensland
Homicide Victims’ Support Group
The Power of Tragedy – Made me understand my own path in my life. No matter what happens
good or bad, you can make good choices. Never give up. – Heather, Fruit Picker
The Power of Animals – Admirable and worthy. Many young adults would jump at the oppor-
tunity to read a book that would offer them psychological tools to help them on their journey and
make healthy choices. – Erik Gorton, Secretary, Animal Liberation Victoria.
The Greatest Power – Valuable and helpful… I think someone from any age or background will be
able to take away some useful approaches. Dr Dilprasan De Silva, Consultant Psychiatrist
Glass House Books
Cover Images: Joseph Lycett (front); Arone Meeks (back)

Photos: Valerie Vanni
Cover design: David Reiter This book is not licensed or endorsed by, nor is it
Health & Well-being ipoz.biz associated with, J. K. Rowling or Warner Bros.
Glass House Books
Harry Potter Power
Dr Julie-Anne Sykley loves playing with parrots, listening to disco music, going to the beach,
and suppressing her crazy sense of humour – not! She is also a prize-winning psychologist
who has worked as a helping professional for more than 20 years.
Julie-Anne studied psychology in Sydney and Melbourne, waded through crocodile-infested

swamps to earn a doctorate in Darwin, and presented her research on “control and well-
being” in New York. She has been helping young people, people with mental illness, and
violent offenders to deal with issues such as anger, depression, and suicide. As a RAP (Remote
Area Psychologist) in the Northern Territory outback and the Far North Queensland tropics,
Julie-Anne has supported many Aboriginal people in their own communities.
Whilst Julie-Anne thinks she has some resemblance to a high-flying hippogriff, her friends say
she’s more like a small excited owl delivering big news to everyone in this book.
Glass House Books

Brisbane
Readers’ Comments
The Power of Tragedy – “Made me understand my own path in my life. No matter what happens
good or bad, you can make good choices. Never give up.” Heather, Fruit Picker.

The Power of Tragedy – “The best thing about this chapter is its message of hope!” Sarah,
Nurse.

The Power of Tragedy – “Excellent… powerful for young people.” Bill Huntley, Psychologist.

The Power of Thoughts – “This book is so clever! Dr. Sykley creatively uses the Harry Potter
stories so that young people can readily recognise the Dementors of Depression, the Boggarts
of Anxiety and the Manticores of Anger – and then swing into action with some serious dis-
spelling!” Associate Professor James Bennett-Levy.

The Power of Thoughts – “It was awesome how you could take one of the best series of fiction
and compare it with real day life. I liked the way you talked about how everyone can turn their
negative thoughts into positive ones. The Worry-Turner is brilliant!” Baden, 10 years old.

The Power of Action – “Can help people who are ‘stuck’ in one way of thinking and break down
negative patterns of thinking.” Robyn, university student.

The Power of Action – “The best thing about this chapter were the jokes.” Reece, 14 years old.

The Power of Animals – “I thoroughly enjoyed the manner in which you have brought together
so much material from the human-animal interaction of many centuries using Harry Potter.
Animals do have so much to teach humans.” Dr HJ Wirth AM, Honorary President, R.S.P.C.A.

The Power of Animals – “Admirable and worthy. Many young adults would jump at the
opportunity to read a book that would offer them psychological tools to help them on their
journey and make healthy choices.” Erik Gorton, Secretary, Animal Liberation Victoria.

The Power of Nature – “Really makes you think about nature and how it can help you and
others.” Gareth, 19 years old.

The Power of Nature – “We all need to get back to nature.” Susan, Cleaner.

The Greatest Power: Stronger than Hate – “Interesting insights, psychology concepts, and facts
from history.” Madge, Bar Attendant.

The Greatest Power: Bolder than Death – “Contemporary, refreshing, and uplifting.” Jonty Bush,
2009 Young Australian of the Year and Chief Executive Officer – Queensland Homicide Victims’
Support Group.

The Greatest Power: Bolder than Death – “Valuable and helpful… I think someone from any
age or background will be able to take away some useful approaches.” Dr Dilprasan De Silva,
Consultant Psychiatrist.
HARRY POTTER
POWER
FREE YOUR INNER POWER
Dr J. A. Sykley
Brisbane
Glass House Books
an imprint of Interactive Publications
Treetop Studio • 9 Kuhler Court
Carindale, Queensland, Australia 4152
sales@ipoz.biz
ipoz.biz/GHB/GHB.htm
First published by Interactive Publications, 2010

© Julie-Anne Sykley, 2010
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and
the publisher of this book.
Printed in 18 pt Lithos on 11 pt Book Antiqua by Shenghai Chenxi Printing.
National Library of Australia

Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Author: Sykley, Julie-Anne.
Title: Harry Potter power / Julie-Anne Sykley.
ISBN: 9781921479311
Notes: Bibliography.
Subjects: Anxiety--Popular works.

Depression, Mental--Popular works.
Anger.
Grief.
Dewey Number: 152.4

For Terry P.J. Hibberd
A star is what you are at night.
Love Always, J-A

Acknowledgments
Cover Images: Fishing by Torchlight by Joseph Lycett, from the National

Library of Australia (front); artwork copyright Arone Meeks (back)
Jacket Design: David Reiter
Author Photo: Valerie Vanni, Starshots Photographic Studio
The author would like to thank the following people and organisations
for their part in the shaping of this book: Dr Linden Salter-Duke, the
Victorian Writers’ Centre, Frith Luton, Associate Professor James Levy-
Bennett, Dr Dilprasan De Silva, Dr Hugh J Wirth, Erik Gorton, Bill
Huntley, Jonty Bush, Judy Giger, Gareth J Davies, the Rostedt family,
Steven Mitchell, Emily Moler, the Northern Territory Writers’ Centre, the
Writers of Whitsunday, Anna Derham, Marianne Dey, Brad Love and
the Interactive Publications team - Dr David Reiter, Anna Bartlett and
Lauren Daniels.
Please note that while permission has been obtained from the copyright
holder, Bloomsbury, to use quotes from the Harry Potter series, the opinions
expressed within this book are not necessarily those of the copyright holder,
nor of Interactive Publications.
This book should not be viewed as a stand-alone source of advice, but

should be used in conjunction with professional help.

Powers from the world of psyche
Guide the way like stars and sun
Psychology, myth and magic
Called together, bound as one.
So when your tears or fears or nightmares
Cause your fall, your darkest hour
Use good thoughts, skills, actions
And your heart – to free your power!

The Powers
The Power of Tragedy

Can Tragedy Increase Power?
Finding Strength in Tragedy
Tragedy Transforms
The Power of Thoughts

How Thoughts Work: Your Busy Pensieve
Dealing with the Dementors of Depression
Beating the Boggarts of Anxiety
Managing the Manticores of Anger
The Power of Action

Guide Your Action
How to Motivate Action
Take Powerful Action
The Power of Animals

Animal Attraction
Beasts Boost Power
Top Creature Care
ix
The Power of Nature
Free Your Wildest Powers
Eco-Therapy: Heal with Nature
Don’t Break the Web of Life
The Greatest Power

Stronger than Hate
Bolder than Death
Deeper than Mystery
x
Can Tragedy Increase Power?
A s the magic world of Harry Potter shows, power – the ability

to be your happiest, healthiest and highest self – arises from
the strangest and most unexpected places. This includes dark
and difficult situations such as abuse, illness and injury – even the
violent death of a loved one. Tragedies, which arrive in shocking
shapes at first, can also be incredibly empowering. The worst times in
life – as Harry and his friends show – can bring out the best in people
and free the most important power of all: your inner psychological
power.
In Harry’s world, many tragic events, bad conditions and hurt things
invoke power. After all, didn’t a strike from a deadly serpent free
Harry’s courage, which called to a fabulous bird? Didn’t the right
magic words spoken in a cold spooky place underground shift apart
stone walls, carved with snakes, to reveal a secret chamber? And
didn’t a wounded key – the old one with crumpled blue wings –
help Harry to unlock a heavy door deep inside the heart of Hogwarts
Castle? It might seem strange that misfortunes should increase our
personal power. But they can – and do. Would you like to acquire a
Philosopher’s Stone in real life? Well, tragedy could help you find
one.
You see, a crazy and often overlooked side to tragedy in life is its
powerful flip-side. Adversity is a fierce force that bursts closed doors
wide open, bringing people in touch with their true inner selves. It’s
only when people stare for too long at the closed doors that they
miss all the other doors that tragedy has opened for them. There’s no
doubt about it. Big problems can free big personal powers that might
otherwise stay unseen, untapped, unknown and out of our reach…
forever.
Some people already know how to turn tragedy inside out, upside
down and all the way around to their advantage. Tragedy might
3
break some people, but it sure makes others. As a wise Zen monk in
Anthony de Mello’s tale put it:
When my house burnt down

I got an unobstructed view
Of the moon at night!
So if you really want to, you can find the best beauty, freedom and
power in the worst situations. Maybe you have suffered a tragedy. Or
maybe your life has been extra tough lately. Whatever hardships you
may have, there are sure ways to free your inner power.
Do you dare to explore tragedy more closely?

Do you wish to be wiser, truer and more powerful?
Already, here you are – a sign of true power.
Clearly, you are someone destined to be powerful.
Just like Harry Potter and his friends.
4
Finding Strength in Tragedy
When Life Begins Badly
The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are – are – that they’re – dead.
– The Philosopher’s Stone, p. 14
H arry Potter’s life begins with death. Harry is just one year old,
and he becomes an orphan when his parents are killed by
an evil wizard. In fact, much of Harry’s childhood involves
hard and lonely times:
·· Harry has to live with his mean relatives, the Dursleys. They make
Harry sleep under the stairs in a small cupboard full of spiders.
·· Uncle Vernon often gets angry with Harry, taking things out on
him all the time.
·· Harry is frequently punished – locked up in that stair cupboard or
ordered to do extra housework.
·· The Dursleys exclude Harry from many family activities.
·· Above all, the Dursleys never celebrate Harry’s birthday.
A good way to describe Harry’s life is that he is “treated like a dog

that had rolled in something smelly” (Chamber of Secrets, p. 9). Harry’s
future looks bleak. How can a young boy rise above such tragedy?
It may seem strange and curious, but pain, hurt and sadness in life
can actually help people to grow really powerful. Problems help us to
discover strengths like courage and cleverness within ourselves. As
the curious wand-maker Mr Ollivander remarks: “I think we must
expect great things from you, Mr Potter” (The Philosopher’s Stone, p.
65). In point of fact, the bigger the problems in life, the more a person
is likely to learn, grow and profit from those problems. If Harry had
5
not been born against the odds, if he had not experienced the hard
times he did, he may never have developed the strong survival skills
he did. Harry may not have made the same powerful choices that not
only helped him to beat tragedy, but to rise far above it and become
a powerful wizard. It is helpful to remember that if you want to be
more powerful in life, the most important thing is not what happens.
It’s how you respond to what happens. What really, truly matters in
life is how you pick yourself up when you fall.
A tragic or difficult experience that I would like to deal well with is:
6
Make Powerful Choices
Dear Mr Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place
at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
An important turning point in Harry’s life is when he is invited

to attend a magic school. And he accepts. Harry’s choice is a huge
philosophical stepping stone to power.
Harry didn’t have to go to school or learn things. Harry could have

said “No!” or “Why should I?” or “Life stinks” or “We don’t need no
education”. Harry could have made many excuses not to go to school
which would have blocked his path to power.
In psychology, ‘no’ is considered to be a closed response. If not used

with care, no can close a person’s best options and opportunities in
life. Unhelpful ways of saying no, which can decrease your personal
power and damage your health, include:
·· Never trusting anyone

·· Holding tightly on to grudges
·· Criticising everyone all the time
·· Disconnecting and withdrawing from people
·· Refusing to talk about serious problems
Just check out these unhelpful nay-saying responses: “No, I don’t

want anyone to help me. I might get hurt again”; “No, I’m never
going out again. Something awful might happen”; “No, I don’t want
to open up and talk about my problems – I trust no one”. These closed
‘no’ responses are cutting criticisms that do just that – close doors
and cut off options. Saying no in these ways shuts down personal
growth and empowerment. You’re basically telling your inner power
to: “Shut up!”
Constantly saying “No! No! No!” can diminish your personal power
so much that it ends up destroying your whole world. Just as potions
master Professor Snape knows how to stopper death, saying no to
everyone and everything all the time is much like putting a stopper
7
in life. The real tragedy in life is not how much people suffer during
tough times, but how much people miss once they close their minds,
shut their hearts, say no all the time and stop trying to relate to the
world around them.
Harry, however, didn’t say no. Despite the terrible death of his
parents and a terrible time with the Dursleys, Harry did not assume
that the rest of the world was terrible too. When Harry was invited to
attend Hogwarts, he opened his mind and chose to accept. Power is
when opportunity knocks and you answer yes. In psychology, ‘yes’
is considered to be an open response. It embraces open-mindedness
and invites power into people’s lives. When you think about it, yes
keeps doors, windows, options and opportunities open. After all,
fresh air, sunlight, a visit from a friend and positive energy can only
enter through open doors, right? The more people open their minds
and hearts, the more interesting and positive their life experiences
will be.
Just look at what happened when Harry said yes to Hogwarts. Not
only did Harry get to study new things at his new school, but he
also travelled to new places, learned about different cultures and met
other people, expanding and empowering his life experience. The
great poet e.e. cummings once wrote that:
Yes is a world and

In that world of yes
Lie, skilfully curled, all worlds
Get it? Saying yes to one thing opens up a whole bunch of other
new things, opportunities and worlds for you. At Hogwarts, Harry
discovers he has a knack for flying broomsticks. Would Harry have
known he could handle handles, if he hadn’t said yes to Hogwarts?
No wonder Professor McGonagall gets excited: “The boy’s a natural.
I’ve never seen anything like it” (The Philosopher’s Stone, p.112). The
Sorting Hat also tells Harry: “You could be great, you know, it’s
all here in your head” (p. 91). Exactly! Yes is a choice that anyone’s
head can make. True power is not having as many material things
as possible. Many rich and famous people are loaded with clothes,
cars, houses and money. And many are unhappy. Check the facts out
for yourself. A bitter relationship break-up here, a drug overdose or
suicide attempt there, another trip to the drug rehab, or worse, a jail
sentence. Power isn’t having everything. Real power is making the
8
most of anything that comes your way. Whatever happens in our
lives, everyone is free to make powerful choices. Just like Professor
Dumbledore explains:
‘It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than
our abilities.’
– Chamber of Secrets, p. 245
And the real world provides plenty of compelling evidence to back

this up.
Reader’s Digest books, for example, interviewed some really famous

and powerful ‘Yes, I can do it’ people. There’s movie maker Steven
Spielberg who was knocked back from studying at a film school
when he was a young man. Did he say “Oh no! I must be no good at
producing films. This is the end of my movie-making career”? No way!
Instead, Spielberg said “Yes, I can do it!” and went on to become one
of the biggest movie producers of all time. Other people who became
powerful because they said yes after critics told them they weren’t
good enough include: a successful writer who was told she couldn’t
write; a famous dancer who was told she was too short to dance;
and a one-legged boy with cancer who grew up to break the speed
barrier as an Olympic snow-ski champion – that’s Michael Milton.
The great scientist Albert Einstein put it this way: “Great spirits have
always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds”. What
I think he means is don’t let boring and narrow-minded people stop
you from following your dreams. Never say never – always be open
to yes!
During Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat (which stands
for destiny outside our personal control) tells students: “I will tell
you where you ought to be” (The Philosopher’s Stone, p. 88). Harry,
however, makes his own choice.
‘Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.’
‘Not Slytherin, eh?’ said the small voice.
– The Philosopher’s Stone, pp. 90-91
Got it? It’s the choices people make about their situations, rather
than the situations themselves, that determine true power. Tragedy
doesn’t limit power. People’s reactions to tragedies do. Even rapper
Eminem encourages people to have a go in life in his hit song “Lose
Yourself”:
9
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance
This opportunity comes once in life time
Regardless of fate – however tragic – Harry is still free to make his

own powerful decisions. Harry chooses to go to Hogwarts and get
extra education. He chooses to join Gryffindor instead of Slytherin.
He chooses good friends for himself, instead of the wrong sorts like
Draco Malfoy and other thugs. To be truly powerful and overcome
stresses and struggles in life, people can do anything – as long as they
put their mind to it. Harry did. His friends did. And if you choose to,
you can too.
10
Activity – Great Choice
Every choice you make changes your future.

Some choices change and improve things more than others.
To open doors in a situation that makes you feel trapped and unhappy,
make a really passionate pledge like:
I have the power to choose and control my reactions. To free my inner power
and create the best world possible, I solemnly swear that I will focus on and
follow these exciting ideas and actions:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Describe your power-attracting ideas here)
Great! Your new choices have just empowered your life in your
favour.
11
Are You the Next Hero?
‘I wouldn’t be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in future – there
will be books written about Harry – every child in our world will know his name!’
Professor McGonagall is excited again. Why? Because Harry is

going to be a hero. And this fits well with myth because good heroes
are supposed to rise above tragedy, conquer tough challenges and
achieve great power. It seems that Harry, a lonely boy who begins life
under the stairs, is really a hidden hero waiting for a chance to shine.
Are you one too?
Harry’s world has a strong psychological message for anyone who

doubts that young people can do great things. Don’t assume that all
hurt and troubled kids become sad, mad, bad people. They could be
tomorrow’s heroes. That’s right! People from broken homes, people
with troubled lives, people with wounded spirits and people who
feel they have nothing to offer anyone – these are the very people
who are likely to become really resilient, resourceful and powerful
on the inside.
As a matter of fact, important social evidence proves that people

with tragic pasts can achieve incredible success. Hardship can even
give people an edge in life, making them smarter, sharper and sassier
than those who have had it too comfy and cushy for too long. In a
breakthrough book called Greatness: Who Makes History and Why, a
sociologist named D.K. Simonton studied the greatest world figures
in politics, sport, science, art, literature and other areas – and his
findings were astonishing. He found that many great people had
actually suffered a lot of tragedy and hardship when they were young.
For example, many powerful people had lost one or both parents, just
like Harry did. Of 699 eminent figures in world history, Simonton
discovered that “61% lost a parent before age 31” – that’s more than
half. Nearly “one-third of highly accomplished individuals” from
fields like science, politics and the arts were orphans, having lost one
or both parents early on. As you can see, a fair share of the world’s
most inspiring and influential people had lost a mother, father or
both parents. So social experts like Simonton concluded that when
children and teenagers suffer adversity early in life, they are much
more likely to experience distinct character building – a crucial
ingredient for greatness.
12
EXAMPLE: A boy called Ronald rose from tragedy to triumph in
real life. When Ronald was four years old, his father died in South
Africa. A few years later, his mother collapsed on the kitchen floor
in a diabetic coma, leaving Ronald an orphan at the age of 12 years.
He became one of the most famous writers in the whole world.
This boy, with a troubled background, grew up to reign as the king
of fantasy literature. You’ve probably heard of him – he’s J.R.R.
Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings! In a book called J.R.R. Tolkein:
Mastery of Fantasy, biographer David R. Collins described Queen
Elizabeth II presenting Tolkien with a special award of the British
Empire at Buckingham Palace for his distinguished contribution to
literature. Three of Tolkein’s books are among the 20 all-time best-
selling paperbacks. With forty million books in print in more than
40 countries, Tolkien, without a doubt, supports Simonton’s mind-
blowing social conclusion that to attain success of the highest order,
a person may have to suffer first.
As Harry’s world shows – and real evidence proves – tragedies do

not automatically limit people, hinder talent or stop people from
becoming really powerful. Power arises from strange and unlikely
places, remember? Are you feeling unlucky today? Well then, if you
put your mind to it, you could be the really lucky and powerful one
tomorrow.
After 30 years of helping homeless youths, even those involved in

drugs, gangs and crime, a street worker in Melbourne adamantly
believes that young people are strong, smart and good at heart. Les
Twentyman says that many young people live on the streets because
home life is so bad. “Incest victims tell me they feel safer on the
street than in their own bedroom,” he says. But does this mean that
homeless kids are destined to be useless and powerless? No way,
according to Twentyman.
There was a teenage girl I found living with a couple of mates in the
boot of an abandoned car in a rubbish tip some years ago. Do you
know what she’s doing now? Thanks to a Back to School program
and other support, she finished school, went to university and got
an arts degree. Another girl I got to know just after she became
homeless at the age of 15 has recently finished her PhD in science.
Morons? No-hopers? Lacking in skill or motivation? These are our
kids, they are our fellow citizens.
– The Herald Sun, 8 September 2004
13
With the right support and a fair go, people with troubled back-
grounds can rise high above misery, poverty and tragedy. Already,
many young people have turned their lives around completely to
achieve enormous personal success.
No matter what happens in your life, you – just like Harry and his
friends – can find power in any situation. This is because you can:
·· Choose your own attitude

·· Appreciate the things you have
·· Focus your attention on ideas that inspire you
·· Turn suffering into success
·· Use your tragedy to do good and great things in the world
The world famous psychiatrist Dr Viktor Frankl (who himself

survived the shocking concentration camps of World War II) calls
this positive approach to tragedy ‘tragic optimism’.
Where do true heroes come from? According to the song ‘Holding

Out for a Hero’, true heroes and white knights are “fresh from the
fight”. They come from the “rolling thunder”, where the “lightning
splits the sea”, and from the “wind and the chill and the rain”.
Heroes are the strugglers, the survivors and the underdogs. Heroes
are the determined hard-working people that Aussie rock star Jimmy
Barnes cheers on in his song ‘Working Class Man’. Great heroes are
the Anne Franks and the Erin Brockoviches of our world. Despite the
worst setbacks, heroes choose to be positive thinkers, truth seekers
and social leaders. It’s the raw rough stuff that turns someone into a
legend – the best heroes are born from tragedy.
Whoever you are reading this book, I don’t know you, exactly what
problems you might have, how badly you suffer, how much trouble
you think you’re in or how lonely you feel, but I do know this: despite
the odds you think are stacked against you, the hard evidence is that
you have incredible potential to be happy, healthy and powerful. If
you really want to, you can redirect your destiny – right here, right
now – to achieve great personal power. You can be the next hero. It’s
your choice.
14
Activity – Message for a Hero
The words below describe some important personal qualities that powerful
heroes possess.
Each word needs a correct letter to complete it. To start you off, the first
word is already done for you. After filling out all the empty boxes, copy
each mystery letter into the spaces below by matching letters and numbers.
A very special psychological message awaits you…
LO Y ALTY (5)
oNDERSTANDING (2)
HONoSTY (6)
oPENNESS (1)
COUoAGE (7)
oNTEGRITY (9)
KIoDNESS (3)
oONOUR (8)
oRANKNESS (4)
____ Y___ _____ ____
4766 5127 93367 867 1
15
Discover Tragedy’s Treasure
A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with
rubies the size of eggs.
While fighting an evil serpent – at the height of tragic times – Harry

finds treasure: a beautiful and mighty sword. In myths and legends,
treasure often stands for the achievement of personal power. In
Harry’s case, he didn’t just draw out a shiny sword from a black
hat. Psychologically, this adventure means that deep within himself,
Harry found powerful inner treasure: the courage to stand up for
himself and a chance to fight back. Myth’s message? In real life,
tragedy leads to treasure – personal power!
Just like Harry and his friends, many people in the real world have
found great personal riches as a result of their tragic experiences.
EXAMPLE: One of the least likely people to be powerful is now a

world famous TV star. Abandoned as a baby, she now talks to the
whole world. She is the amazing Oprah Winfrey. Who would imagine
that Oprah – African American, poor, neglected and abused – would
rise against all odds to become America’s richest and most influential
woman?
A really important ingredient in Oprah’s success was that she

discovered and developed her rich psychological treasure early on.
When Oprah was a baby, she was sent to live with her grandparents
on a pig farm. As a young child, Oprah used to read prayers from her
bible out loud to the pigs. Her grandparents also encouraged Oprah
to speak at the local country church. At the time, nobody guessed
that Oprah’s practice of public speaking would develop excellent
communication skills for the TV industry. When Oprah was nine years
old, she suffered more trauma. Three people sexually abused her – a
cousin, an uncle and a family friend. But Oprah was determined to
have a bright future. At the age of 19, Oprah got her first job working
in a television studio. Steadily, due to her own determination in the
TV industry, her career grew. Now, after many years, Oprah runs her
own show. In 2004, Time magazine listed Oprah in the top 100 most
influential people of the century. The African American actor, Sidney
Poitier, describes Oprah as “a force of astonishing power that cares
16
about nature and the human family”. Oprah has achieved remarkable
professional and personal power because hard times helped her to
develop inner psychological riches like:
·· The confidence to speak in public

·· A positive and determined attitude
·· A strong desire to help others
Now, Oprah encourages everyone to be powerful. “You can do great

things,” she says.
As many daunting adventures in Harry’s world suggest, difficult

journeys in life can lead us to treasure – invincible inner power. Even
if you’ve been badly hurt in life, somewhere hiding inside you is
buried treasure worth seeking and polishing up. Are you ready to
dig deep?
17
Activity – Treasure Hunt
I, (write your name) …………………………, have endured a long and

difficult journey. These are personal treasures that I have found along the
way, or feel sure to find shortly.
The most valuable personal quality I possess is:
……………………………………………........................…………………………
Rough times have made my life so much richer because I have learned to:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Even when things are really bad, my knack of looking for the positives
helps me to realise that a priceless advantage of my difficult situation is:
………………………………………………………………………………………
A brilliant plan I have developed to move forward is:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Suffering has made me appreciate the things that truly matter in life. The
things I now treasure most are:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Unlike others who may not have experienced hard times, I have become
smarter and stronger in these ways:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Really precious inner strengths that I have developed include:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Eventually, the wounded and crumpled part of my personality will open a

door to an amazing opportunity like:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Well done, treasure seeker! Now copy the first letter from each statement
above into the spaces below to reveal riches beyond compare. The 5th
space is done for you:
P S Y C H O L O G I C A L __ __ __ __ S __ __ __
sted and empowering sources of support:
1. 18
2.
3.
Explore Hippogriff Hope
‘GO!’ Harry and Hermione shouted together.

…
The enormous wings rose… the Hippogriff took off into the air… they were gone.
– Prisoner of Azkaban, p303
A hippogriff helps Sirius Black to fly high and escape from Hogwarts’
West Tower. These magic flying creatures often rescue characters
from dire and distressing circumstances. After all, hippogriffs do
have large wings.
According to legend, hippogriffs (half horse, half griffin) like to fly

long distances over mountains, across oceans, through dreams and
into paradise. By mixing majestic animals like the eagle, lion and
snake together, the hippogriff becomes a true ruler of the sky, earth
and lower world. Although griffins (who guard freedom) and horses
(emblems of courage, self-determination and strength) are traditional
enemies, the hippogriff merges them into one animal. An old phrase,
Jengentur jam grypes equis (to cross griffins with horses), means that
people can overcome impossible scenarios. The modern version is
‘pigs can fly’. So the hippogriff’s message is that we have the power
to defy the odds and achieve the impossible. Since hippogriffs
symbolise inner power and have the ability to transform evil into
good, they would have to be our most inspiring magical creature.
With their mighty wings and unbeatable magic power, hippogriffs
remind us that:
· People do escape from tragedy

· People can free themselves from suffering
· The impossible can become possible
· The powerless can become powerful
Above all, hippogriffs inspire hope!
No wonder a wise philosopher named William James wrote: “Your

hopes… are trying to take you airborne, above the clouds, above the
storms, if you only let them”. Sounds like hippogriff hope to me!
The famous American writer Emily Dickinson also penned a rhyme
about hippogriff-like hope:
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‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –
That perches on the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all.
This poem’s message is that hippogriff hope is always flying around

out there (singing), and is eager to help us.
If you want to be more powerful in the real world, it might prove

wise to remember what hippogriffs mean. Good things can arise
from difficult, unbearable and impossible circumstances. You can
find hope in hopeless situations.
A while ago in Thailand, a swarm of tiny hippogriffs was spotted

flying around the country. Well, sort of. According to a 2004 ABC
news report, the Thai Air Force dropped 120 million white origami
birds from planes in the sky over three warring Thai provinces in the
hope of promoting harmony. Sounds like hippogriff hope to me!
Whatever kind of hippogriff you meet in real life – whether it’s a

Buckbeak, a poem, a white paper bird or some exciting idea that
makes your heart flutter – hippogriffs are powerful psychological
reminders not to despair in the face of tragedy. Whatever happens,
don’t lose hope. Sooner or later, hope will wing your way.
20
Hope Spreads Its Wings
“Hope is the belief that you can get there from here. It involves believing you have
both the will and the way to accomplish your goals, whatever they may be.”
– C.R. Snyder, Psychology Professor
Just as a magnificent hippogriff rescues people from dreadful and

dangerous situations, hope has the power to lift people out of a
bottomless black pit. Hope even helps those who believe that their bad
situation, whatever it is, is utterly hopeless. According to American
psychologist Dr Snyder, hope even saves lives.
When psychologists study the thinking patterns of deeply depressed

and suicidal people, they often find hippogriff-like hope missing. So
to beat suicide, it’s really important to restore a person’s sense of
hope. You see, people who want to kill themselves think things like:
· There is no point to living. I have nothing to look forward to.

· I just can’t stand life. I will never be happy.
· I feel so miserable that suicide is the only way out.
· I just cause problems for everyone. They are better off without
me.
What’s missing in all these thoughts? Hippogriff hope! People who

feel suicidal are convinced that things will never improve. They
perceive their situation as unfixable and hopeless. Suicidal people feel
trapped in a bad situation from which they believe there is no escape.
They view life as unbearable. Such a huge sense of hopelessness and
powerlessness is dangerous because it can make people want to kill
themselves. Hopelessness is the strongest trigger for suicide. With no
hope of a solution, suicide often seems like the only way out.
To comfort and rescue people from the deadly clutches of deep

despair, hippogriff hope needs to spread its mighty wings and swoop
down quickly. These are the sort of things I would say to anyone out
there who might be feeling suicidal to boost their will to live and
introduce hope into their minds and hearts:
21
This gloomy mood that’s got hold of you will pass. It may be hard
to believe because you’re feeling so down right now, but things will
and do get better. Depression’s biggest weakness is that it never
lasts forever – so please, hang on.
There’s nothing so bad that it can’t be sorted out. For every problem,
there’s a whole bunch of solutions. Just as hippogriffs grab on to
their goals with strong steely talons, you need a chance to grab onto
some solutions. Talking to other people will increase your chances
of spotting good ideas.
Write down five good reasons why you should live. Write these in
your diary. Say them out loud to a friend.
If you didn’t want a best friend to kill themselves because you
really cared about them, what would you say to that friend to
encourage them to live? Now apply your helpful ideas to your
own situation.
Talk to a friend or someone else you trust. If you’re feeling really
troubled, chat to someone who will listen at places like Lifeline,
Kids Help Line or the Suicide Prevention Crisis Line. Check out cool
tools in psychological self-defence at websites like Beyondblue.
If you’re feeling suicidal but are too afraid to talk – text someone
about it, write someone a note. Get the suicidal ideas out there
and away from you. You deserve a chance to live, to be free from
suffering.
If you leave, people who know you will be heart-broken because
they will lose you forever. There are friends, people in your family,
and other people who really do care about you. That’s a strong
reason to live.
If you think that your problems are wrecking your life and stopping
you from being happy, be mindful that suicide is the ultimate life-
wrecker and life-stopper. Problems and miserable moods pass.
Suicide is forever.
Many troubled and suicidal people have shown that there are
powerful ways to break free from bad situations. The world is full
of wonderful things.
Follow your dreams, not the nightmares.
Hang on! Hippogriff hope is on its way. Once it touches you, it will
take you to a better and happier place.
22
Just as a magic hippogriff flies into dangerous situations, psycholog-
ical hope dives down into a private world of suicidal thoughts. Just
as a bright beam of light infiltrates the darkest shadows, hippogriff
hope reaches into the deepest and darkest depths of despair, hunts
out those dire thoughts that trigger feelings of suicide, seizes them
with sharp psychological talons, soars high into the sky far above a
world of low feelings, and lifts sad people to happier places.
To increase your personal power over really stressful, difficult and

potentially suicidal situations, always remember to:
·· Look at a problem from various angles

·· Search for new solutions and escape routes
·· See different ways out of a bad situation
·· Tell someone that you’re hurting
All these ideas attract hope into a hopeless situation and draw power
into a powerless situation. Every good idea you think of is a wing
beat of hippogriff hope that shifts your personal power from:
· Nothing to something
· Impossible to possible
· Hope-less to hope-full
So next time… when you’re really down and you can’t get up.
When you’ve tried so hard but you’re all out of luck. When you feel
downhearted and misunderstood – hang on to high-flying hippogriff
hope. And when and where will hope appear? When will you feel
the wind beneath hippogriff wings? Anywhere and anytime, of
course. And when hope does unfurl its magnificent wings, it will be
a brilliant Buckbeakish ride.
23
Activity – Attract Hippogriff Hope
In the space below, sketch out your own picture of a hippogriff, then
write down a special message of hope that makes you feel truly
happy and free.
Keep this message with you always – in your pocket, in your wallet…
in your heart.
24
Tragedy Transforms
Transform Your World
“Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic

you will learn at Hogwarts,” she said.
J ust as Transfiguration transforms things in Harry’s world,

tragedies transform things in the real world. Ask any wise
philosopher and he or she will be keen to tell you that tragedies
are life’s great transformers. They transform people and their world
forever. Not surprisingly, the word tragedy means ‘turning point’ in
Greek. Likewise, the term crisis is a Chinese symbol that combines
two words: opportunity and change.
On many occasions in Harry’s world, tough times transformed Harry

into a stronger, smarter and better person. For example:
If Aunt Marge hadn’t called Harry a “nasty little liar” and an

“insolent, ungrateful little –” at 4 Privet Drive (Prisoner of Azkaban, p.
27), would Harry have found the inner strength to speak up, pack up
and leave an unhealthy and abusive situation? Family fighting and
too much brandy drinking at the Dursley dwelling were household
hassles that prompted Harry to review his risky situation and then
leave that dismal place.
If Harry wasn’t “stranded, quite alone, in the dark Muggle world,

with absolutely nowhere to go”, (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 29) would a
flying, purple, triple-decker Knight Bus have spotted him, exercised
its official nocturnal rescue duties and taken him to a safe place? A
family feud prompted Harry to leave the scene of a fight and walk
away – straight into a source of purple power!
25
As Harry shows, strong stress kicks butt. Unexpected problems
reveal unexpected solutions. Sticky situations open up strange doors
– especially magic purple bus ones. When Aunt Marge got drunk
and disorderly, Harry raised a riot with his true inner power. Using
his newly found decisiveness, confidence and courage, Harry stood
up for himself and removed himself from an abusive situation. No,
Harry wasn’t hiding from his problems. Rather, Harry was seeking a
safer place to be (he’s a natural Seeker, remember?). Without a doubt,
Marge’s visit shows that toil and trouble doubled can trigger positive
psychological changes that lead to effective action. Tragedy truly
transforms.
Activity – Through the Door…
Before The Door of Change After
Describe how you might have What was your difficult Your experience has changed
been less wise or less skilled experience? Your big you considerably. Somehow
before you encountered a dif- turning point in life? it has opened your mind,
ficult situation. advanced your soul, and
elevated you to a much higher
place in life. Dr Robert Grant
says, “Only when people really
suffer, do they really wake
up.” Sooner or later, your new
powers will show themselves
and shine.
After your experience, what

are your three BEST personal
gains? For example:
- I am more determined than

ever to succeed.
- Because I have lived through
something terrible, my
survival skills are top-notch.
- From now on I will follow
my heart, no matter what.
1.
2.
3.
You have reframed a bad situ-

ation in a positive way. You
appreciate that problems can
be mixed blessings in disguise.
You are setting your inner
power free!
“Break on through to the other

side.”
– The Doors
26
Let Darkness Light the Way
They left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and
flickering, jewel-bright eyes. Harry now carried a large cage which held a beautiful
snowy owl.
A helpful way to look at tragedy is that it’s like a dark, dark shop in
Harry’s world full of great gifts. No matter how dark the night looks,
how bad things seem or how lonely the road of life feels, somewhere
a faint light flickers. It’s just hard to see at the time. Or maybe people
just don’t know how or where to look. Besides, it would be pretty
hard to see owl eyes glittering under the glare of a 300 watt light bulb
in broad daylight!
Many people are afraid of the dark and often associate darkness
with bad and evil things. In myth and psychoanalytical psychology,
however, darkness usually stands for mystery and the deepest
parts of the human mind and soul. Somewhere in that mysterious
darkness, we harbour inner psychological powers that can shed
bright light on all important matters. The only way to find the light is
to face our darkness. In fact, dark and difficult times often encourage
people to see things more clearly than ever before. No wonder the
wise Dumbledore likes the darkness: “It’s lucky it’s dark” (The
Philosopher’s Stone, p. 14).
Some inspiring quotes from the real world capture how dark times
reveal the light. A Latin phrase, In tenebris lucidior, means ‘the brightest
in darkness’. This suggests that difficult times help people to succeed
and solve problems. Obafemi Awolowo, a Nigerian lawyer says,
“There is radiance in the darkness, if we could but see. To be able to
see this radiance, all you need to do is cultivate the courage to look.”
This means that our darkest hour will reveal the best light, maybe in
the form of a bright idea or a brilliant solution.
Inside the darkest places on earth, where the sun and moon never
shine, you can find the most beautiful light. For example:
·· Glow worms produce light all by themselves. They illuminate
dark caves to look like a starry night sky.
·· Fireflies flash their lights at night in dark, dense rainforests.
27
·· On moonless nights, tiny luminous marine organisms create an
effect called phosphorescence, leaving a trail of green-glowing light
on the surface of the sea.
·· Even Pink Floyd’s album cover for Dark Side of the Moon has an
enlightening message. Anyone can experience a colourful awakening
on the dark side.
·· Emily Moler, a 13-year-old Harry Potter fan from Massachusetts
USA, told me that the dark times are “a chance to see a bright Patronus
in a dark alley”.
Just as Knockturn Alley in Harry’s world is a dark and dubious lane

full of strange magic, your best and brightest ideas may appear when
you too are travelling nocturnally down a dark path in life or walking
through a private valley of shadows. The trick is not to be afraid.
Without darkness, you can’t see the moon, the stars, glow worms
and fireflies, remember?
A modern mystic from England, Poppy Palin, writes that “to find
our stars we need to go within, to the velvet dreaming depths of our
soul’s night”. She believes the dark times are:
Wonderful for the one who is not afraid to look beyond. I adore
twilight and shadows, and the desolate landscape, and its hard frost.
I love the deep dank cave, the cawing of crows over stubble-fields,
and that which is resolutely, unapologetically dark! I adore the
concept of the ‘dazzling darkness’, isn’t it so evocative?
Exactly! Darkness evokes light. Tragedy evokes dazzling psycholog-

ical power.
If you are feeling stuck in dark and dramatic times right now, rest
assured. Sooner or later you’ll find the light, that powerful magic in
Harry’s world called Lumos!
28
Activity - Lumos Magic
Whatever your tragedy or difficulty may be, what is its best and brightest
edge? What is your problem’s most brilliant advantage?
Write down your most enlightening ideas here:
Next time you’re in a dark place, or maybe at night time, why not say, shout
or sing your special lumos ideas above as you also:
· Switch on a bright light

· Wave your wand (torch, glowstick, digital wrist watch, whatever)
· Watch your colourful lava lamp
· Light your sparkler
· Fire up your candelabra
· Turn up the disco lights
By putting on a light show, you’re strengthening the impact of your positive

messages.
You’re using powerful ‘affirmation’ strategies (positive self-talk) and

‘visualisation’ (imagination) techniques from the field of psychology.
As a matter of fact, you would really impress a Defence Against the Dark
Arts teacher from Harry’s world.
29
Alchemy’s Best-Kept Secret
‘A stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!’ said Harry… ‘Anyone would
want it.’
During Harry’s first year at Hogwarts, the prize is a Philosopher’s

Stone – a precious jewel that is a great source of power.
According to literature, the Philosopher’s Stone is a mysterious

substance with astonishing powers. It is alchemy’s most famous
symbol of transformation. Alchemists, who use knowledge from
magic, philosophy, chemistry and psychology, have desperately
wanted to make or find this stone. Among its supposed powers is
an ability to transform metal into gold. Such a stone also produces
the Elixir of Life, which makes its drinkers immortal. Over many
centuries, alchemists have tried to change crude materials into fine
and flashy products. They have mixed poor ingredients together
in the hope of getting rich results. Working in secret laboratories,
alchemists would blend gross chemicals like sulphur and mercury
to try to produce pure gold. Alchemists were determined to turn raw
and vile elements into something better, higher and more powerful.
The true power of the Philosopher’s Stone, however, may be

much more personal. Some experts believe that the power of the
stone is not about transforming physical ingredients into material
rewards at all. Rather, the stone represents powerful psychological
change. The stone symbolizes the achievement of inner power at
the highest level. According to the Swiss psychiatrist Dr Carl Jung,
great transformations take place deep inside the human mind and
soul. And it takes time and experience for our psychological states
to develop into something sophisticated or superior. In his famous
psychoanalytical works, Jung believes the Philosopher’s Stone has
strong psychological power and he calls it lapis philosophorum.
While the Philosopher’s Stone has remained an eternal puzzle and

great mystery to many people for centuries, the real power of the
stone may have always been inside us. The playwright Ben Jonson,
for example, describes the stone in The Alchemist as:
30
A stone and not,
A stone; a spirit, a soul, and a body,
Which if you do dissolve it, it is dissolv’d.
If you coagulate it, it is coagulated,
If you make it flie, it flieth.
So, the stone has a spirit and soul – signs of psychological life. And it
flies – just like hope and happiness are said to do. Sure enough, the
word psyche in psychology also means the soul or the very essence
of life, according to the ancient Greeks.
In her book Emotional Alchemy, psychotherapist Dr Tara Bennett-

Goleman confirms that the alchemist’s stone is really about developing
psychological power.
Alchemists, the tales go, sought to use a magical Philosopher’s

Stone to transmute lead into gold. But lead and gold, in the more
philosophical school of alchemy, were metaphors for internal states:
the alchemist’s discipline was one of psychological and spiritual
transformation. Alchemists realized the mystery they sought to
solve was not outside but in the psyche.
Alchemy is about changing “our ordinary state of mind” from a

“lump of coal” to the “clear awareness of a diamond” and turning
“our confused and crippling emotions into the gold of insight”, says
Dr Bennett-Goleman. With the right approach, all people have the
power to turn their heart-breaking experiences into rich psychological
rewards.
Alchemy’s ancient formula lives on today in pop music. As Madonna

declares in her song ‘Express Yourself’, forget about diamond rings
and fast cars, it’s much more important to:
Express yourself
So you can respect yourself
Self-respect and the freedom to express yourself are far more valuable
than material things.
Harry’s magic world often shows us that tragedy is not just a bad
experience. Rather, suffering is an undesirable base element that
can later transform into something better, stronger and higher –
psychological power. In Harry’s case, every time he fights Lord
31
Voldemort some of his old personal qualities dissolve as new and more
powerful qualities emerge. Harry’s fears are steadily replaced with
courage. His self-doubts make way for an increase in self-confidence.
Analytical psychologist Gail Grynbaum calls these evolving changes
in Harry’s personality “alchemical coagulation”. Clearly, Harry’s
world shows us that tragedy can produce pure gold – inner power.
32
A Teen Alchemist
A young alchemist from real life is Bethany Hamilton – a 13-year-old

surfer girl from Hawaii. One day she was floating on her surfboard
in the water, when suddenly:
There was a flash of grey.

That’s all it took: a split second, I felt a lot of pressure and a couple
of fast tugs. I saw the jaws of a shark cover the top of my board
and my left arm. Then I watched in shock as the water around me
turned bright red.
– Australian Reader’s Digest
A shark attacked Bethany. With help from friends and a nearby

hospital, Bethany survived. Her left arm, however, is missing.
Despite her traumatic ordeal, Bethany didn’t keep herself down and
powerless. She didn’t keep asking herself depressing WHY questions
like: “Why did this have to happen?”; “Why do I have to suffer?”;
“Why me?”. Rather, Bethany boosted her psychological power by
asking really helpful WHAT, HOW and WHO questions. Questions
geared to increase her power like: “What do I need to do to recover?”;
“How can I get back into professional surfing?”; “Who can I ask to
help me?”. To achieve a powerful comeback, Bethany surfed every
day. Her dad also lengthened her surfboard by 18 cm and attached a
strap to it, which helped her to swim more easily through the waves.
Only 11 weeks after a shark tore off Bethany’s arm, she entered a
national surfing competition – and came fifth! “It was definitely fun,”
she said.
Without a doubt, Bethany is a top teen alchemist. She used tragedy

to transform herself into a happier, healthier and higher person. She
rose from rock-bottom to find her very own Philosopher’s Stone,
her own philosophical cornerstone – a positive outlook. Bethany’s
winning formula for the Elixir of Immortal Life comes in the form
of her immortal optimism and a spirit that can’t be beaten. The
Philosopher’s Stone has soul and spirit, remember? By appreciating
the things she still had and saying “Let’s go!” to life, Bethany’s
inspiring philosophical breakthrough helped her to free her inner
power and ride the wave of success.
33
At the moment, what sort of alchemist are you?
Are you choosing to stay a helpless prisoner of a tragic past?
Are you holding back your mighty mind, moods and methods?
What powers do you keep stuck at the bottom of your burnt alchemist’s
pot?
If you are someone who has been beaten, bullied, troubled or unloved in life,
then you have the best chance to be a true alchemist. You, who have suffered
the most, may have the most to offer. You, who may not have received much
love early in life, may be the best person to show others, with your sincere
love, just how precious and necessary love truly is. If you feel you are in
a position of the least personal power, then you may well be in the most
powerful position to increase your power and show others what true power
is, what it isn’t, and the best ways to use it.
Despite tragedy, people can surpass troubles and be positive agents of

change.
Treasure or tragedy?
Adventure or adversity?
Victor or victim?
Dare or die?
It’s your choice.
The greatest tragedy in life is never taking a chance, not having a go.
Of course, it is respectfully acknowledged that tragedies can cause great

ongoing hurt. Some pain is hard to mend. Some wounds run deep. Traumatic
events should never be denied, dismissed or trivialised. BUT – if a tragedy
does occur, it is profitable to remember that power can arise from strange
and unlikely places.
If tragedy strikes once, think twice:
·· Power can come from tragedy

·· It is not helpful to view problems only in a negative way
·· Adversity can be a positive and productive force
·· No one in life is automatically a failure
34
·· Despite how difficult or terrible life seems, people can use really bad
experiences to increase their power
·· Tragedy is a mixed blessing in disguise; it can increase anyone’s power
·· The positive power that arises from tragedy may be felt for many years
or even generations to come
·· Tragedy can achieve outrageous fortune
·· Your biggest tragedy could produce your biggest triumph
Inner psychological power – positive thoughts, feelings and actions – is

your most divine and dazzling alchemical asset.
In dark and difficult times, never give up looking for the things that really
matter to you. As La Trobe University’s armorial bearing eternally proclaims
in French:
Qui cherche trouve – Whoever seeks shall find.
35
Activity – What’s Your Alchemy Symbol?
Alchemists love to use fascinating symbols to depict important ideas and

changes.
Symbols summarise information simply, quickly and clearly. Even better,

symbols act as psychological cues – they encourage powerful behaviour and
help people to feel positive. So why not create a striking alchemy symbol
that inspires you to be your happiest, healthiest and most powerful self?:
36
How Thoughts Work:
Your Busy Pensieve
A shallow stone basin lay there… The silvery light was coming from the basin’s
contents, which were like nothing Harry had ever seen before… It was a bright,
whitish silver, and it was moving ceaselessly… It looked like light made liquid – or
like wind made solid – Harry couldn’t make up his mind.
– Goblet of Fire, pp. 506-507
I
n this adventure, Harry falls into a dish of swirling silver thoughts
called a Pensieve. In Harry’s world, the magic Pensieve holds
thoughts poured from a person’s mind. As Dumbledore explains,
when thoughts are examined “at one’s leisure”, it “becomes easier to
spot patterns and links” (Goblet of Fire, p. 519).
The Pensieve is a top metaphor to describe how thoughts work

inside the human mind. In fact, a best-selling work was called the
Pensées – The Thoughts – written by the French philosopher Blaise
Pascal. You see, the word Pensieve combines two words: ‘pensive’
and ‘sieve’. While pensive means to be plunged in thought, the word
sieve means a device that sifts and sorts things. Many people have a
sieve hiding in their kitchen drawers at home. And ancient societies
used sieves to sort harvest crops like corn, wheat and flour. But as
The Element Encyclopaedia of Symbols explains, the sieve has extra
meanings. It is a tool of divine justice used to “select, critically divide
and distinguish things”. So sieves arrange and evaluate information.
Sieves symbolise a process that separates good things from bad things.
They sort helpful material from harmful material, positive ideas from
negative ideas, and right from wrong. Of course, this makes it much
easier to spot patterns and links – just like Dumbledore does using
his own thoughtful Pensieve. Just as a Pensieve works, people can
sift and sort through the many personal thoughts in their own minds.
To increase your personal power in life, an excellent psychological
strategy is to select and use good and helpful thoughts, whilst paying
less attention to negative and harmful thoughts.
In psychology, the technical word for thought is ‘cognition’. Cognitions

are simply thoughts. Just like silver particles that swirl inside a
39
Pensieve, cognitions – thoughts – swirl around inside people’s heads.
Thoughts constantly evolve, revolve and dissolve inside your mind,
moving around ceaselessly just like the silvery Pensieve stuff.
Most importantly, thoughts are powerful. Some thoughts help you

to be happy and healthy, while other thoughts hurt and weaken
you. If people think about really sad things, then they will feel really
sad. When people think about scary things, they will feel scared.
And thinking really foul and bitter thoughts will certainly make
you feel foul and bitter. In contrast, people who think about good
things tend to put themselves in a good mood. You see, we do not
receive information from our world in a passive way. We are always
actively processing information inside our heads. The human mind
is a very busy Pensieve indeed. It constantly sorts and sifts through
incoming information and what it all means. A person’s thoughts
play a huge role in determining how people feel. Or how big or bad
a particular problem appears to be at the time. Some thoughts, like
strong suicidal ones, can be as deadly as a Dementor’s coldest kiss –
they make people want to die. Fortunately, there are ways to sift and
sort thoughts in our minds to stop strong sadness, worry and anger.
In the same way as magic spells dispel evil forces in Harry’s world,
there are powerful ‘cognitive commands’ in the real world to help us
dispel bad moods and bad interpretations of situations. No matter
what happens in your life, you have the power to choose what you
think. And different thoughts will give you different results. If you
choose your thoughts wisely, you’ll increase your power to be happy,
healthy and successful in life. After all, thought patterns do make a
strong impression, as Ron Weasley found out the hard way:
There were still deep welts on his forearms where the brain’s
tentacles had wrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey,
thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else.
– Order of the Phoenix, p. 746
Just as the sticky brain tentacles marked Ron’s skin, the human brain
records and imprints everything we think. So if you think happy,
healthy and powerful thoughts, you will become an expert at good
thinking and feel much happier, healthier and more powerful. Your
thoughts have the power to drag you under and drown you in deep
despair. Or else your thoughts can lift your mood and send you to
the stars. If you want to boost your performance and achieve your
wildest dreams, think positive as often as you can. Just think, power
is only a thought away!
40
Dealing with the Dementors
of Depression
Getting Down with Dementors
The thing behind the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath…
An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest.
The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very
heart…
– Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 66
T
ake care! In Harry’s world, encounters with Dementors are
always depressing. As you already know, Dementors are dark
spirits who seek to destroy their victims with intense despair
and sadness. Professor Lupin explains just how demented they really
are:
‘Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth…
they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happi-
ness out of the air around them… Get too near a Dementor and
every good feeling, every happy memory, will be sucked out of you…
You’ll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life.’
Worst of all, as Lupin explains, Dementors can be deadly:
‘The Dementor only lowers its hood to use its last and worst
weapon.’
‘What’s that?’
‘They call it the Dementors’ Kiss… It’s what Dementors do to those
they wish to destroy utterly… they clamp their jaws upon the
mouth of the victim and – and suck out his soul.’
– Prisoner of Azkaban, pp. 182-183
The intense sadness Dementors cause has tormented a number of

characters in Harry’s world. But perhaps the most frightening thing
about these depressing spirits is that they like to roam widely. Why,
41
these gloomy spirits have even wreaked havoc and despair in other
worlds:
When the chilled, icy wind blew,

In went I,
Into a world I knew nothing about.
Down, down, down went I,
Tumbling into an abyss filled
With a myriad spooks and phantoms
Which preyed on my unsuspecting self.
I was immersed in something

Deeper than a huge black hole,
From which I did not emerge.
These woeful lines do not come from a fairytale or fantasy novel.

They are the personal thoughts of Sandy Jeffs, a woman with a
mental illness. She wrote this poem when she was feeling severely
depressed. You see, ‘Dementors’ are dark metaphors that point to a
real life experience called depression.
When is Depression Severe?
At times, everyone in the real world feels sad, down and depressed.
Sometimes, however, depression gets more serious when sad feelings
become strong or last for a long time. Famous people who have
suffered severe depression include movie star Marilyn Monroe, prime
minister Winston Churchhill and French conqueror Napoleon. Just
as Dementors lower their hoods in Harry Potter’s world, depression
lowers people’s moods, interests, energy and activity levels. Just as
Dementors force people to focus only on bad memories, depression
makes people dwell on sad and miserable things. Just as Dementors
make people want to die, severe depression can also make people
want to die or kill themselves. In fact, the dictionary says that
demented means to be “driven mad, crazy”. So, Dementors capture
the sad spirits and low mood of depression accurately.
When people suffer severe depression, they feel sad almost all the
time and they cry often. Really depressed people no longer enjoy
doing things they used to, so they become less involved in pleasant
and sociable activities. Important physical symptoms in depression
42
include unhealthy appetite, unsettled sleep and tiredness. Depressed
people can also feel extremely guilty, blaming themselves for
problems that are not their fault. They also start believing that they
are worthless and no good. Sometimes the experience of depression
overwhelms people to the point that they feel nothing at all – they
just feel emotionally numb.
If you check out some depressing experiences from Harry’s world,

and how they fit with the medical signs and symptoms of clinical
depression in the real world, this will surely increase your power and
skills to detect, deter and deal with real life depression:
Depression in Harry’s World
Depressed Mood
‘That was the terrible power of the Dementors: to force their victim to…
drown, powerless, in their own despair.’ (Goblet of Fire, p. 191)
Just as Harry’s world suggests, the most important feature of clinical

depression is feeling really sad, low or ‘blue’ most of the time. Since
depressed people are very fragile emotionally, they sometimes cry easily.
Less interested in doing things
‘Harry made no effort to speed up his packing. The very last thing he
wanted to do was to attend the Leaving Feast.’ (Order of the Phoenix, p.
755)
As Harry helps to show, depressed people no longer enjoy doing things

they used to like doing. They become socially withdrawn and less involved
in pleasant activities.
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Negative view of the future
‘He walked slowly and miserably back up through the empty castle,
wondering whether he would ever feel cheerful again.’ (Order of the
Phoenix, p. 759)
Depression involves big changes in thinking. In particular, depressed

people tend to have many negative thoughts. They think that things will
never improve and they believe that there is nothing to look forward to
in life. People who feel depressed become preoccupied with their sad and
miserable thoughts, which is exactly what Dementors want.
Low self-esteem
‘Got any ideas how you’re going to get past your dragon yet?’ said
Moody.
‘No,’ said Harry.
‘… play to your strengths.’
‘I haven’t got any,’ said Harry, before he could stop himself.
(Goblet of Fire, p. 301)
Depressed people believe that they are worthless and no good. Their self-
confidence and sense of competence plummet.
Change in appetite
‘A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn’t been
shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The
waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like
a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin.’
(Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 248)
Physical features of depression include poor appetite. Some people eat

more while many people don’t feel hungry at all. Sirius Black wasted
away because the Dementors’ depressing powers starved and dishevelled
him. (Of course, the Azkaban menu isn’t great either!)
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Problems sleeping
‘Mind spinning over the same unanswerable questions, Harry fell into an
uneasy sleep.’
(Chamber of Secrets, p. 22)
Depression definitely disturbs sleep. People who are depressed may have
trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. Waking up too early is also
common in depression. With all those sleepless nights, it’s no wonder
depressed people lack energy and feel tired.
As Harry’s world helps to show, depression affects different parts of

a person – mood, thinking, behaviour and even their physical health.
According to mental health experts, about one in five people get
depressed, and one in ten depressed people will need help because
their depression is so severe. A person who is really depressed cannot
simply snap out of it. These people need to see a doctor or talk to
someone as soon as possible. If you want to increase your power over
depression, an excellent website that has lots of information about
depression and how to deal with it is BeyondBlue. Check it out!
Depressing Thoughts
‘Yeh’ve no idea,’ said Hagrid quietly. ‘Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was
goin’ mad. Kep’ going over horrible stuff in me mind… the day I got expelled from
Hogwarts… day me Dad died… day I had ter let Norbert go…’
His eyes filled with tears.
In this depressing scene, Hagrid explains that Dementors demented

his thinking so badly that he felt intense misery and cried often.
In Harry’s world, Dementors love to steal happiness and overwhelm

their victims with sadness and despair. So a very cruel weapon of
Dementors is to make people think about sad and depressing things
all the time. This is exactly how depression works in real life. You see,
the thoughts or cognitions of depressed people in the real world also
become demented, distorted and negative. People remember sad
45
experiences often and they pay much more attention to sad things.
As negative thinking intensifies, the feelings of depression also
grow stronger. People tend to feel the way they think, so depressing
thoughts produce, maintain and strengthen the experience of
depression. Unhappy thoughts can easily flood the mind, triggering
strong feelings of depression and ongoing suffering. No wonder
mental health experts have developed special cognitive theories of
depression. As psychiatrist Dr Burns explains:
Your emotions result entirely from the way you look at things. You
must understand what is happening to you before you can feel it.
If your perception is twisted and distorted in some way, your
emotional response will be abnormal.
When you are depressed or anxious, your thoughts will always be
illogical, distorted, unrealistic or just plain wrong.
An American psychologist, Dr Aaron Beck, also noticed that depress-

ed people thought negatively about three particular things:
1) themselves
2) the world
3) the future
This thought pattern is known as Beck’s ‘negative cognitive triad’ – a

bad thought triangle. According to this thought theory, people tend
to have negative thoughts about themselves (eg. “I’m no good”),
negative thoughts about the world (e.g. “Life has no meaning”),
and negative thoughts about the future (e.g. “Things will never
improve”).
Another influential cognitive theory was developed by psychologist

Dr Albert Ellis. His famous rational-emotive theory explains that
foolish, unreasonable or irrational thoughts produce emotional
problems and mood disorders like depression. Dr Ellis says that
“emotional disturbances are largely the result of people thinking
illogically and irrationally”. His theory argues that feelings of
depression arise when people do not interpret experiences as they
really are, but accidentally distort and deform experiences in an
overly negative way.
46
To increase our understanding of depression further, Dr Martin
Seligman also identified a strong negative thinking style. There’s
a really downbeat thought style that tends to make people feel
really helpless, hopeless and depressed. Dr Seligman’s research
showed that depressed people were more likely to attribute blame
to themselves if something failed or went wrong. For example, a
depressed character in Harry’s world might think something like:
“I fell off my magic broomstick because I’m a completely stupid
magician”. Depressed people don’t give themselves much credit for
doing good things either. If something works out well, depressed
people don’t believe they made it happen. An example of such a
depressed attribution in Harry’s world might be: “I only passed the
Potions exam today because Professor Snape was in a good mood for
once, not because I’m good with herbs”. If people blame themselves
for failure and attribute success to things outside their control, then
they are much more likely to feel really hopeless and depressed. It’s
a pretty depressing way to think, says Dr Seligman.
Over the page is a list of the most demented thoughts in depression.

Psychologists call them thinking errors or cognitive distortions. These
types of thoughts are really good at making people feel depressed.
47
Top 10 Demented Thoughts
1. ALL-OR-NOTHING THINKING – also called black and white thinking.

If something falls short of perfect, or people don’t get all their own way,
then people believe they have nothing and that everything is a total disaster.
For example: “I can’t find my Remembrall. This proves that all magic is
against me.”
2. OVERGENERALISING – people think that one bad experience means

that everything is bad. For example, someone who misses watching just one
Quidditch game in seven years says to themselves, “Holy hobgoblins! This
is a stuff-up of global proportions.”
3. FILTERING – when people focus on one bad thing in a situation, whilst

also filtering out all the good information. “So what if I’ve got a fantastic
part-time magician’s job that’s two minutes away from Hogwarts Castle
and pays top Galleons? I hate working on Mondays.”
4. IGNORING WHAT’S GOOD – also called ‘disqualifying the positive’.

This is when people under-value the positive things in a situation. For
example: “My assistance to save every witch and wizard in the universe
was nothing at all, really.”
5. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS – when people judge things too quickly,

skip facts and do not check if their judgements are accurate or can be backed
up with evidence. “Those Hufflepuff students didn’t say hello to me in the
corridor. That means they don’t like me.”
6. MAGNIFYING OR MINIMISING – people exaggerate things by making

bad things seem bigger than they really are and making good things seem
smaller than they really are. “Oh no! I’m one kilo overweight. This means
I’m totally obese and will weigh down my new Nimbus 2000.”
7. EMOTIONAL REASONING – people believe their feelings reflect reality.

If people feel bad, they assume that the situation and the world must really
be bad. “I feel depressed and no good. This proves that the whole magic
world is no good.”
8. SHOULD STATEMENTS – are stubborn thoughts. It’s when people

expect that they (or others) should, must or ought to think, feel or do things
in a certain way. And if things are not done these ways, then people feel
depressed, guilty or angry. “I must wear a silk Slytherin cloak studded with
real diamonds to class, otherwise I’m a failure.”
9. LABELLING – people label themselves or others negatively. “I’m a stupid

idiot” or “He’s a half-blood loser”.
10. PERSONALISING – people blame themselves personally for something

that is not their fault or under their control. “My friend forgot to bring sugar
cubes for the baby unicorns today. It’s all my fault for not reminding her.”
48
As you can see, depressed people think to themselves in demented ways
that make them feel like powerless victims. Sad negative thoughts attract,
maintain and increase feelings of depression. No wonder Dementors love
‘em!
Activity – Top 5 Suicide-Stoppers
Sometimes deeply depressed people feel so bad that they start making plans
to hurt or kill themselves. When the Dementor’s icy kiss sets in, people start
to give up on life. If you feel suicidal, or you think you know someone who
is, then it’s important to get help straight away, before the Dementor-driven
feelings get worse. Here are five helpful ideas to increase your power over
depression and suicide, and make a bitter cognitive brew sweet.
STOP – Stop death just as well as Professor Snape can “stopper death” (The
Philosopher’s Stone, p102). To increase your power over suicide, simply
STOP putting suicidal thoughts into action. On your marks, get set… stop!
STOP listing reasons to die. STOP paying attention to bossy suicidal urges.
By halting suicidal actions and ignoring suicide’s brief and desperate pleas
(no matter how bad you feel at the time), you’re effectively “stoppering
death”.
WAIT – Just as Harry and his friends “Stupefy” oncoming harm with magic
spells, a really effective way to outsmart suicide is to stupefy and stall
suicidal action. Even when things look really bad, where’s the rule that says
you have to kill yourself this very moment? Wait an hour. Wait 24 hours. Wait
a week. Wait until you have talked to someone. Put a bit of distance between
yourself and those demanding suicidal thoughts. Suicidal thoughts always
try to trick people into thinking that they have to kill themselves right now
because really sad thoughts can’t stay strong for long. If you delay deadly
ideas, you’ll find that they will fade away and disappear completely.
EXPLAIN – Tell others you’re feeling suicidal. Talk, confide and build
yourself a “DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY” (Order of the Phoenix, p348). Just as
Harry grows strong by forming a secret network of supporters to fight Death
Eaters, build your own army of support against death-triggers by sharing
your suicidal feelings with people you like and trust. Suicidal thoughts are
cowardly; they love picking on people who are all alone. To weaken suicide,
reach out to another human being. Call a friend. See a doctor. Ring up a
counsellor. Go to Accident and Emergency at the hospital. The people there
really want to listen to you and offer support. Suicidal people often feel
much better after talking to someone. Talking relieves pressure – it’s a top
life-saver. Why not make an empowering verbal or written guarantee like
this one:
49
When I start to feel suicidal, I will contact:
1 …………………………………….
(Contact details: …………………………………………................................) or

2 ……………………………………….
(Contact details: …………………………………………...............................)

EXPEL – just as ‘Expelliarmus’ spells disarm enemy forces in Harry’s world,
you can expel and disarm suicidal risks in real life. Got a bottle of pills?
Flush them down the toilet. Got a knife? Lock it in a box for safe-keeping
or take it to your local doctor. Got a gun? Tell a responsible person to take it
off you immediately. Feel like drinking alcohol, taking drugs or listening to
depressing music? These are the very things that will make you feel worse
and more suicidal. Pour the grog down the sink, flush the drugs down the
toilet, and play something so upbeat that it makes you want to dance all
night. When it comes to suicide, expel and exorcise any triggers or hazards
that might strengthen deadly and demented ideas. Get rid of the things that
put your precious life at risk.
TRADE – Anyone for “Quidditch, the most popular sport in the wizarding
world”? (Chamber of Secrets, p8). Not suicide. Suicide hates healthy
competition. If you trade suicidal thoughts with positive and exciting
thoughts, your suicidal feelings will back right down. Get involved in feel-
good activities that are incompatible with suicide. Tell yourself: “Rather
than kill myself, what’s something better I can think about or do instead?”
Think about happy things. Rent out a comedy movie. Ring someone up.
Meet with friends. Have a coffee at the local health centre. Kick a football.
Feed ducks in the park. Suicidal feelings lose power as soon as you get
involved in positive distractions. Trade deadly ideas with exhilarating ideas
that compete with suicide. Make a vow like: “Instead of planning suicide, I
will do these things:
1.
2.
3.
Increase your power over depression and suicide by choosing thoughts and
actions that can only prove positive. If you like, photocopy this page for
yourself or someone else.
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Summon Your Happiest Thoughts
‘EXPECTO PATRONUM!’
A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand.
The cold was ebbing away…

Something was driving the Dementors back.
– Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 281, p. 282
Just as sad thoughts trigger sad feelings, happy thoughts trigger

happy feelings. As Harry’s Patronus Charm above shows, happy
thoughts drive away strong feelings of depression. The Patronus
is simply a strong happy thought summoned by someone in his or
her mind. Positive thinking is powerful cognitive magic, because it
protects people from the harmful effects of depression.
To increase your feelings of happiness and boost your resistance to

depression, here’s some cognitive therapy in action. With help from
Harry and his friends, watch these negative thoughts get restructured
into positive ones:
Powerless Depressing Thoughts Powerful Happy Thoughts
Harry might be thinking: A powerful and positive Patronus

“My mum and dad were murdered. thought is:
How will I ever recover and get ahead “Although this tragic event affects me,
in life?” I will not let it determine who I can
become. I will do my best to be the best
I can. My dream is to be a great wizard
and make my parents proud.”
Hermione might be thinking: A more powerful thought is:

“I didn’t get an ‘Outstanding’ in one “I got ‘Outstanding’ grades in every
Hogwarts school subject. I’m a failure. other subject. Not only am I a smart
My future is ruined.” witch, I have the care and courage to
inspire an elf revolution.”
Ron could think: A much happier thought is:

“No one likes me. Everyone picks on “I’ll find out if I can study psychology
me. I’ll never be popular.” at Hogwarts to perk up my social skills.
My newly found self-confidence and
interpersonal charm will shine so bright
that the Slytherin students will have to
wear sunglasses to look at me.”
51
No, I can’t do it Yes, I can do it
I’m miserable because… I’m grateful for…
I hate this situation How can I make things better?
Life sucks Life’s exciting
I couldn’t help it I’m in control of my behaviour
Oh no, what’s going to happen? What will I make happen?
Bummer, this is terrible Wow! Look at all the advantages!
I feel lonely Who can I reach out to?
There’s really no point trying Everything is worth a try
Now you try…
My negative thoughts My positive thoughts
Anyone can increase their personal power by checking which

thoughts are swirling around their busy Pensieve, sifting through
those thoughts, and then selecting and using the most positive
and productive thoughts. Everyone has the power to summon a
bright and beautiful mental Patronus. By creating happy, exciting,
encouraging and positive thoughts in your mind, you can boost your
feelings of control and well-being instantly and significantly. Thanks
to the power of positive thoughts, everyone is free to feel fantastic!
52
Beating the Boggarts of Anxiety
Beware of Boggarts
A
s you know, in Harry’s world a Boggart is:
A shape-shifter… It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will

frighten us most.
And the name Boggart is a good name for a scary spirit. In folklore,
boggarts, bogeys and bogeymen are frightening spirits. In England,
a land full of haunted castles, a nineteenth century English poet had
a boggart spirit breathe on him. Robert Louis Stevenson reports his
terrifying ordeal in Shadow March:
Now my little heart goes a-beating like a drum,

With all the breath of the Bogie in my hair;
All round the candle the crooked shadows come
And go marching along up the stair.
Well, Mr Stevenson – I think I shall sleep downstairs tonight!
The really important thing about Boggarts and other scary spirits in
Harry’s world is that they help us to understand a state of fear in the
real world known as anxiety. The more we know about anxiety, the
more personal power we will gain to manage this emotion. Although
a little anxiety can be useful, too much anxiety can rob people of their
health and power. To increase your power over anxiety, why not slip a
few psychological ghost-busting tricks up your sleeve? Anxiety, after
all, is the most widespread mental health problem in the world.
53
When is Anxiety Severe?
Just as Dementors symbolise depression in Harry’s world, Boggarts

stand for fear. In the real world, strong and constant feelings of fear
underlie anxiety. When feelings of fear become really strong, severe
and constant, psychologists call this an anxiety disorder or phobia
– the Greek word for fear. Normal levels of anxiety and fear are the
body’s natural alarm reaction. If exposed to a threat or some danger –
such as a Boggart jumping out of a wardrobe – people can experience
many changes:
Body – shorter breaths, upset stomach, nausea, sweating, trembling,

shaking, racing and thumping heart, dizziness, hot flushes, chills.
Behaviour – actions that either avoid the fear or confront it.
Thinking – anxious thoughts, interpretations and comments to
yourself about the frightening situation.
When confronted with something that really scares them, people

(and animals) will react in one of three ways:
·· Fight
·· Flee
·· Freeze
You see, the body is biologically designed to help us fight, flee or

freeze to deal with danger effectively. During the fight-flight reaction,
the body’s adrenal glands release large amounts of a hormone called
adrenalin. Within seconds, adrenalin will:
·· Evoke feelings of dread and terror

·· Speed up the heartbeat
·· Increase breathing rate
·· Produce sweating
·· Cause trembling and shaking
·· Dilate the pupils in the eyes
·· Chill hands and feet
·· Release stomach acid to stop hunger and digestion
·· Induce nausea
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The body’s fight or flight response, if described in Harry Potter terms,
might feel like this:
·· A bunch of Boggarts leaping out of a closet – all at once – startling

you!
·· A herd of unicorns galloping right inside your heart, their swift
hoofs pounding and thumping loudly!
·· A flock of erratic Errol owls whizzing and chattering inside your
mind!
·· An icy Dementor hand stroking your skin, chilling your fingers
and toes!
·· A sudden feeling of dread taking over you, as if you were told that
you have to go and live inside the Forbidden Forest… forever!
·· Hairy spiders – Aragog’s grandchildren – crawling into your bed
at night and onto your skin, looking for a juicy piece of flesh to sink
their pointy, painful pincers into!
As well as the fight-flight reaction, there’s the freeze response, which

is less common. But if it does happen, our muscles will contract
and seize up for a few minutes. This allows the liver and kidneys
to reabsorb the adrenalin that was released during the moment of
intense fear. A really good freeze response from Harry’s world is
when:
Mrs Norris, the caretaker’s cat, was hanging by her tail from the
torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.
‘She has been Petrified,’ said Dumbledore.

– Chamber of Secrets, p. 106, p. 108
The term petrified means to be scared stiff, based on the Greek word
petra for rock. To petrify means to turn to stone; paralyse with terror,
as if you were made to freeze on the spot. Poor Mrs Norris!
To overpower uncomfortable feelings of fear and anxiety, it will help

enormously to understand how thoughts influence anxiety. Unless,
of course, you want to freeze with fear like Mrs Norris!
55
Fearful Thoughts
‘AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHH!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!’
Although these cries of panic happened during a dream, a guaranteed

way to boost feelings of anxiety is to think like this when you are
awake. Anxious thoughts make anxious feelings worse. Really
anxious people are experts at freaking themselves out. They tend
to think about bad things in the worst possible ways. One really
unhelpful thought pattern that plagues anxiety sufferers is the ‘What
If?’ worry pattern. Dr Edward Bourne explains that:
The Worrier creates anxiety by imagining the worst-case scenario.

It scares you with fantasies of disaster and catastrophe when you
imagine confronting something you fear. It also aggravates panic
by reacting to the first physical symptoms of a panic attack. The
Worrier promotes your fears that what is happening is dangerous or
embarrassing. ‘What if I have a heart attack?! What will they think if
they see me?!’
People who worry a lot:
·· Expect the worst

·· Overestimate the chances that something bad will happen
·· Think about failure a lot and exaggerate catastrophes in their
mind
The Worrier is always watching out for any little sign of trouble. If a
Worrier visited Harry Potter’s world, he or she might have anxious
thoughts like these:
· What if my broom won’t fly? I’ll look stupid!

· What if the hippogriff’s wings fall off in the Magical Creatures
lesson?
· What if I can’t ‘swish and flick’ my wand properly?
· I’m useless! Everyone will send me a Howler!
· What if everyone finds out I’m scared of owls/ They’ll make me
live in the owlery!
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· What if a house-elf eats me? – Elves don’t eat people – What if
one tries to anyway?
These thoughts crank the anxiety level right up. Up, up, up it goes!
With anxious thoughts like these, people don’t need Boggarts
jumping out of wardrobes to trigger feelings of fear. Fortunately,
there are powerful ways to fight fright and approach anxiety. Just
as witches and wizards use magic spells to fight frightening forces
in Harry Potter’s world, psychologists use cognitive magic to help
people beat anxiety in the real world. And it works.
Conjure Up Funny Thoughts
‘The thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do
is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.’
In Harry’s world, Professor Lupin gives a lesson on the “Riddikulus

Charm” – a spell that dispels fear. Yet, the logic behind the Riddikulus
charm is not ridiculous at all. Actually, it’s simple, scientific and
super-effective.
A great way to fight fear and anxiety is to replace anxious thoughts

with fun and funny thoughts. Laughter is highly healthy medicine.
When people swap anxious thoughts with funny ones, their anxiety
levels drop. Anxious and happy thoughts are incompatible. That is,
people cannot feel anxious and happy at the same time. So when
you think about funny things, you feel happy instead of scared. This
approach overpowers anxiety and fear.
Harry’s world is full of excellent cognitive therapy tricks to beat anxiety.

The name Dementors, for example, sounds scary and menacing. But
not when Uncle Vernon talks about them. He definitely takes out the
terror out of these scary spirits with his hilarious names:
· “Dementy-whatsits”
· “Dementoids”
· “Demenders”
57
· “Demembers”
· “Dismembers”
– Order of the Phoenix, pp. 34-39
By restructuring your anxious thoughts, you turn something spooky

into something kooky. This cognitive therapy approach shows that:
·· Laughter takes the place of fear

·· Relaxed feelings replace anxious feelings
·· Funny-ness replaces scary-ness
·· Dementors sounds scary, but “Dementoids” – you gotta be
joking!
Hogwarts also applies a fun cognitive strategy to its school motto.

Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus is Latin for: “Never tickle a
sleeping dragon”. Such a slogan makes fire-breathing dragons sound
funny and less scary, which is a fun way to beat anxiety.
Health research shows that humour cuts stress levels in half, helps
your body to stay healthy and even destroys cancer causing cells.
No wonder one Australian hospital set up a ‘laughter room’ where
people recovering from illness, injury and surgery can joke around
and have a good laugh. Research shows that laughter improves your
health and speeds recovery from ill health. It is impossible to feel
stressed or scared when you’re laughing. A funny idea is sure to beat
fear – so long live everything ridiculous!
58
Activity – Look for Laughter
Are you worried or anxious? If so, get ready to unleash your inner comedian.
Replace your most anxious thoughts with the most hilarious thoughts that
you, and perhaps your friends, can think of:
Anxious Thoughts :( Funny Thoughts :)

Example – I feel nervous about my But not when I imagine him picking
job interview. The boss looks pretty his nose and wearing no clothes!
intimidating.

Now you try:
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Worry–Turning
Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a
very long, very fine gold chain
…
He saw a tiny, sparkling hour-glass hanging from it.
…
Hermione turned the hour-glass over three times.
The dark ward dissolved
…
‘It’s called a Time-Turner,’ Hermione whispered.
Just as Hermione turns time around in a magic world, people can

turn worry around in the real world. Although people might not
be “flying, very fast, backwards” in “a blur of colours and shapes”
(Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 288) as Harry’s world describes, what can be
assured is an enormous relief from worry and anxiety. Worry-turning
can, as shown in Harry’s world, help people to feel solid ground
beneath their feet, improve focus and allow some sunshine into their
personal lives.
The magic Time-Turning device in Harry’s world happens to resemble

a powerful worry-turning approach used in psychology. A modern
approach called the “meta-cognitive treatment of anxiety” is helping
people to deal with excessive worry and strong anxiety by getting
people to turn worry away in their minds. That’s fantastic news for
anyone who has been worrying a lot lately.
Just as the Time-Turner in Harry’s world manipulates time, worries

can also be:
· Paused
· Postponed
· Delayed
· Rescheduled
· Relocated
· Transported
· Turned Away
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Why must you worry here and now when you can – if you choose
to – worry later?
Already, Harry demonstrates the psychological skill of worry-

turning:
There was no point worrying yet, he told himself

… what would come, would come… and he would have to meet it
when it did.
– Goblet of Fire, p. 636
Just as Time-Turners transport people to another point in time, Harry

uses the worry-turning trick to transport his worries to another point
in time. If he wants to, he can meet his worries in the future, if and
when they do appear. This is worry-turning in action. And it boosts
your emotional and physical health.
The worry-turning approach is an innovative anxiety treatment. It

works extremely well for people who worry a great deal and suffer
much anxiety. It is especially valuable for people who find it hard to
control their worries or who worry about many different things all
the time. Lots of unwanted worry makes feelings of anxiety worse.
When people worry a lot and have many worries, long worry chains
can form inside the mind, which produces feelings of doom and
dread that become more and more difficult to disperse and shake off.
What does it feel like to worry all the time? One person who suffers
from anxiety in real life describes it like this:
‘There are negative thoughts that plague me, that go around and
around in my head. I feel like I have no control over them. They
don’t do me any good, and they make me feel terrible’
– Copeland, 1992
Professor Adrian Wells is a prominent British psychologist who

pioneered the meta-cognitive breakthrough to stop worry. His new
approach has helped many people to increase their power over
worry. In his book Emotional Disorders and Metacognition, the professor
explains that strong anxiety is fuelled by lots of worries. Dr Wells
says that to stop strong chronic anxiety, people need to change the
worry process – not what they worry about, but how they worry.
Just as Hermione uses a Time-Turner device to turn time, anxious

people can increase their power over worry by using worry-turning
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techniques. That is, people can postpone their worries and worry later
– and as such, turn their worries away. Many people who postpone
the worry sequence to a certain time later in the day often forget to
worry. Or else people decide they do not need to worry after all. This
breaks the worry pattern and helps people to increase their power
over worry dramatically. Some people are able to stop worrying
completely. Remember, the worry-turning approach does not focus
on worry ‘content’ (what people worry about), but the actual worry
‘process’ (the way people worry).
Worry-turning:
·· Stops people from worrying now

·· Delays the action of worry
·· Sends people’s worries into the future, which relieves immediate
stress
·· Re-directs attention to happier things
·· Increases people’s power and control over worry and anxiety
I don’t want you to feel stuck or trapped by anxiety. So if you would

like to forget your worries for a while and increase your power over
worry, then just follow this step-by-step “Worry-Turning” guide.
Give yourself a break from anxiety and a chance to revive your inner
power. Would you like to try?
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Activity – Worry-Turning
Turn worry away by telling yourself that you will worry later.
1. Identify a worry that has been concerning you a lot lately.
2. Choose a time to worry about it (eg. 7pm).
3. Set a time limit to worry about the problem (eg. 5 minutes).
4. When the chosen worry time arrives, and only if you feel you really need
to, worry for the time you set (eg. 5 minutes).
5. If you do not feel like worrying – don’t.
6. If you chose to worry, replace your reason for worrying with a more
powerful reason NOT to worry.
7. Repeat these worry-turning steps for one to two weeks, until your feelings
of anxiety decrease.
8. Your worry pattern should lessen over time.
To increase power over a new worry, repeat the process.
If you feel that your worry is too great or too serious to handle alone, then
‘turn your worry away’ by telling your worry to someone you like and
trust.
The more you practise worry-turning, the more you will weaken the worry
process. Your new powerful thinking style will shine and sparkle, just like
the gold Time-Turner in Harry’s world!
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Managing the Manticores
of Anger
Watch Out for Mean Manticores
‘A manticore savaged someone in 1296, and… everyone was too scared to go near it.’
T
he manticore mentioned in Harry’s world is an aggressive
creature found in myth. It is a good symbol for anger – a
potentially troublesome emotion. It is said that manticores,
angry and terrifying wild beasts, roam the wilderness of Asia and
India. The name manticore comes from the Persian martikhora, which
means ‘man-eater’. With a man’s face, three sets of sharp teeth,
shaggy ears, a lion’s claws and a deadly scorpion sting at the end of
its tail, you don’t want to mess with a manticore.
The French writer Gustave Flaubert recorded an angry maniticore’s

glitzy and gory remarks in a piece called The Temptation of Saint
Anthony:
The iridescence of my scarlet hide blends into the shimmering

brightness of the desert sands. Through my nostrils I exhale the
horror and the lonely places of the earth. I spit out pestilence. I
consume armies when they venture into the desert. My nails are
twisted into talons, like drills, my teeth are cut like those of a saw;
my restless tail prickles with darts, which I shoot left and right,
before me, behind. Watch!
Anger is truly an unruly emotion in the mean-mannered manticore.
Some people in the real world can act like an angry manticore. Maybe
you’ve even heard phrases like: “I spit on you!”; “My boss just ripped
me apart”; “Stop shooting your mouth off all the time”; or “He’s a
65
prickly person”. How about this favourite: “Watch out for that back-
stabber”. Ouch!
When Geshe Gyatso, a Buddhist teacher from Tibet, explains anger,

it sounds like there’s a manticore on the prowl:
Much suffering arises from anger. It prevents us from judging a

situation correctly and it causes us to act in regrettable ways. It
destroys our own peace of mind and disturbs everyone else we
meet. Even people who normally like us are repelled when they see
us angry. When anger is intense, it can even drive some people to
kill.
The manticore manner sure seems angry and destructive – definitely

something to watch out for. To help you deal with bouts of mean
manticore behaviour in real life, this section of the book offers some
of the latest and greatest information about anger and how to manage
it effectively.
Can this book increase your power over anger?

Take the “M.A.D. TEST” to find out…
Activity M.A.D. TEST
(Measure your Anger Degree)
When you approach other people, do they run away

YES NO from you screaming “Help! Here comes the ‘Mood
Monster’!”?
--- ---
--- --- Do you get so angry that, just like Uncle Vernon, your
face turns bright purple and you find it DIFFICULT-
SPEAK-WORDS?
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--- --- If someone yells out “Hey, Ogre of Fury!” do you
immediately turn around to see who is calling you?
--- --- When you’re angry, do you shake so much that the
Weather Bureau thinks there’s an earthquake?
--- --- When you look into a mirror, do you see a fierce
manticore with three sets of gnashing teeth staring
back at you?
SCORE: Each “YES” answer counts as one point
--- 3-5 Unless you want to turn into an utterly mad

manticore, it may pay to pick up some anger control
skills to lower your boiling blood pressure and boost
your inner calm.
--- 1-2 You experience strong anger at times. You will benefit
from some anger management tips so that you don’t
go fully bezerk.
--- 0 OK, so you’re no temper-tornado. But to truly

increase your power over anger it’s best to know a
few psychology tricks in case you ever do feel furious
or run into others who are.
When is Anger Severe?
Mr Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples.

‘I mean “please”!’ said Harry quickly. ‘I didn’t mean –‘
‘WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU,’ thundered his uncle, spraying spit over the table…
‘But I –‘
‘HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!’ roared Uncle Vernon, pounding
the table with his fist
…
Harry stared from his purple-faced uncle to his pale aunt.
In this scene, Uncle Vernon practically explodes with anger. And on

a previous occasion Uncle Vernon was:
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So angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, ‘Go – cupboard
– stay – no meals,’ before he collapsed into a chair and Aunt Petunia
had to run and get him a large brandy.
Oh dear! As Mr Dursley helps to show, anger can involve:
·· Jumping
·· Veins throbbing
·· Yelling
·· Spitting
·· Pounding
·· Face turning purple
·· Difficulty breathing
·· Difficulty speaking
·· Urgent need for alcohol
What Uncle Vernon displays are outstanding features of arousal

pathology – a psychological term for unhealthy, harmful and out-of-
control anger.
A world leading expert on anger, psychologist Dr Raymond Novaco,

explains that anger is:
A negatively toned emotion, subjectively experienced as an aroused

state of antagonism toward someone or something perceived to be
the source of an aversive event.
In plain English, this means that anger is a horrible feeling of hate

against someone or something that you believe bothers you. In other
words, if you think something is annoying and crappy and you
insist that it’s annoying and crappy, how will you feel? Annoyed and
crappy!
Of course, a small amount of anger is useful because it gets people to

act quickly when energy is needed. Anger boosts confidence, energy,
motivation, action and survival. When people or animals think they
are being threatened or challenged, anger is a strong impulse to
defend or protect themselves.
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Unfortunately, anger becomes a serious problem when it:
·· Is too strong
·· Happens too often
·· Lasts too long
·· Involves violence
Too much inappropriate anger can be harmful and deadly.

Mental health expert Trevor Powell says that “anger wrecks more
relationships than any other emotion”. So not only does strong
and inappropriate anger make the angry person suffer, it can ruin
family relationships and friendships. Dr Novaco warns that verbal
aggression (like calling someone nasty names) or physical aggression
(like punching, smacking or pushing someone) are not good ways to
deal with conflict. They are really unhelpful and ineffective ways to
solve problems and deal with stressful situations.
Manticore-like anger isn’t just found in myth or at the Dursley house.

Destructive anger and aggression occurs everywhere in the real
world. Unhealthy anger appears in many different forms:
·· Family fights
·· Bullying
·· Cruelty to animals
·· Violent computer games
·· Road rage, train rage, pub rage
·· Physical and sexual assault
·· Murder
·· Terrorism
·· War
Senior Constable Timothy Ipai, for example, patrols a really angry

province in Papua New Guinea. “It’s a dangerous place, too dangerous
at night”, says the police constable, a member of the Royal Papua
New Guinea Constabulary’s Tactical Response Unit. “I’ve been shot
three times and had my arm chopped.” Fights, armed robberies and
car-jackings are common. A quarrel over a pack of cigarettes turned
into a fight involving axes and bush knives, and a guy had his head
cut off. This place, where 80% of people are unemployed, is swamped
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with home-made and imported guns. The frequent violence appears
to be fuelled by lots of pent up and unhealthy anger. When anger
isn’t managed well and angry feelings start to get out of control and
dangerous, human health suffers.
Angry Thoughts
The anger that had just flared so unexpectedly still blazed inside him… Serve them
right, he thought, why can’t they give it a rest… bickering all the time… it’s enough to
drive anyone up the wall.
In this scene, Harry’s mind seethes with angry thoughts, setting his
anger on fire. You see, angry thoughts intensify angry feelings. Some
people can get angry quickly and stay angry a lot longer than other
people because in their minds, these people:
· Fight against situations

· Resist change; they don’t go with the flow
· Think fighter-like thoughts that stir up anger (eg. “I’m going to
get that person”)
Really angry people tend to have angry thought patterns. This causes
most events to trigger an angry reaction. For example, whenever
Harry uses the ‘M word’, this seems to trigger strong and instant
anger in Uncle Vernon. Although the word ‘magic’ doesn’t upset
most people, it probably reminds Uncle Vernon of angry ideas that
already exist in his mind like “Magic is stupid” or “There’s no such
thing as magic” – because he already hates magic. Angry thoughts
can pop into a person’s mind so automatically and fire up angry
feelings so quickly that people aren’t even aware that they’re getting
angry. Once angry thoughts form inside a person’s mind they, in
turn, bump up the level of physical arousal. Adrenalin is released,
muscles tense up, heartbeat increases and breathing quickens. Some
people describe the experience like this: “My blood is boiling” or
“I’m about to explode” – which Uncle Vernon often nearly does. As
for “veins throbbing” and “face turning purple”, these are loud and
clear physical signs that someone is extremely angry. All in all, anger
involves a chain of events:
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An event happens –> this triggers angry thoughts –> angry thoughts
arouse and aggravate anger.
How angrily people think about things will determine how angry
they will get. People who walk around wanting to fight, attack and
defend their personal territory all the time are already prepared for
battle and prone to anger, even when there’s no need to feel angry.
This is something Sir Cadogan the knight in Harry’s world shows
very well:
He passed the large picture of Sir Cadogan the knight on a landing;

Sir Cadogan drew his sword and brandished it fiercely at Harry,
who ignored him.
‘Come back, you scurvy dog! Stand fast and fight!’ yelled Sir
Cadogan in a muffled voice from behind his visor, but Harry
merely walked on and when Sir Cadogan attempted to follow him
by running into a neighbouring picture, he was rebuffed by its
inhabitant, a large and angry-looking wolfhound.
Obviously, Sir Cadogan’s angry fighter thoughts have already fired

him up for a battle, long before Harry gets anywhere near the knight’s
painting. So when Harry, an innocent and harmless passer-by, does
walk too close to the painting, the angry knight wants to attack him.
In the real world, violent offenders often think anger-provoking

thoughts just before they rob, rape, attack and kill people. A murderer
I assessed in prison had lots of angry thoughts. The destructive
thoughts triggered his angry feelings, which prompted him to kill
someone.
Whilst angry and aggressive people often think they’re tough

and powerful, they’re not. Whoever thinks angrily all the time is
powerless and doomed to suffer. Angry thinking, if it’s intense and
happens often, is excruciating mental pain. As meditation teacher
Geshe Gyatso explains, anger is:
An inner disease that has no beginning and no end. If our mind is

not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we
are living in the very best conditions. Anger destroys both peace of
mind and peace in the world. The root cause of the two World Wars
and of all the wars being fought in various parts of the world today
is anger. Nothing harms us more than anger.
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People who often think angrily and don’t take personal responsibility
for their angry feelings weaken their personal power and risk ruining
their happiness and health. Angry thinkers are much more likely to
suffer heart attacks and stomach ulcers. Worse, angry thinkers will
never be content or satisfied, no matter what happens in their lives.
A restless, angry mind never sleeps – nothing is ever good enough.
The prickly and moody manticore mind is always out hunting, ready
to attack and destroy anything.
Chill with Cool-Calm Thoughts
‘I was telling the truth!’ said Harry, outraged…

‘For heaven’s sake, Potter!’ said Professor McGonagall… ‘Do you really think this
is about truth or lies? It’s about keeping your head down and your temper under
control!’
Just as Professor McGonagall encourages Harry to control his anger,

there are wise ways to keep anger under control in the real world –
and stop yourself from turning into a mega-mean manticore. Next
time you are really angry about something, remember that it’s not so
much other people or events that make you angry. It’s your thoughts
about them. Whatever thoughts are disturbing you and causing you
pain, they are just thoughts – and you have the power to change a
thought.
Even if other people are behaving badly towards you, you don’t
have to get angry back at them. Sometimes, people say mean things
because they’re trying to test you or provoke you. Maybe they have
never had a chance to learn good skills so they find it hard to control
their own feelings. Some examples are:
·· I hate you
·· Get lost
·· You make me sick
·· Go on, hit me
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Just as Professor McGonagall tries to help Harry in his world, health
experts in our world like to remind us that we have the power to
control our own thoughts and feelings. Despite copping the worst
anger-provoking insults and actions from other people, you don’t
have to get so angry that you allow your anger to harm you or others.
You can choose your reaction in any situation, even if it’s a really tough
or aggressive one. You can keep cool and just say something calm to
an angry person like “Whatever”, “No worries” or “See ya”. The last
thing an aggressive person expects is for you to go along with them.
Once you start ignoring nasty comments from other people, they
eventually get bored and stop their bad behaviour because there’s
no power struggle. They’re not getting any attention for their mean
behaviour either. You don’t have to let angry feelings stew and brew
inside your mind and overheat your precious Pensieve. Think about
something that makes you feel really calm and relaxed. Or walk away
from a hostile situation – even if it’s only in your imagination.
To be happy, healthy and more powerful in life, there are many great
ways to tame a rising temper and cool down hot and heated thoughts.
Just replace angry thoughts with cool-calm-collected thoughts – that’s
powerful cognitive therapy.
In a book called Beating Anger, British anger expert Mike Fisher

presents a clever plan called BACKOFF to manage the manticores of
anger:
B Breathe
A Adapt
C Calm down
K Keep Cool
O Organise your thoughts
F Feel your feelings
F Forgive yourself and the person
Just like bomb experts defuse explosive devices and their detonation
sequences, this BACKOFF strategy defuses explosive anger sequences.
By breathing well and thinking calmly, people avoid walking through
a potential mine-field of angry thoughts in their minds.
Would you like to know how much your anger is hurting you? Then
ask yourself these things:
73
·· Do you find yourself dwelling on some annoying thing that
happened hours or days or years before?
·· Are you paying too much attention to something that really makes
you angry, while ignoring the good things?
·· Do you find your enjoyment is being spoilt because you keep
thinking about something really irritating?
·· Are you feeling upset because something didn’t go the way you
expected it to?
·· Did you keep criticising yourself for making a really stupid
mistake?
· Did someone else mess up?
Well, then, put the brakes on these angry thoughts. Instead of

building a time-bomb with anger-detonating thoughts, free yourself
to feel good by looking at things in better ways. Stop fuelling your
anger with angry chatter. Instead, increase your power over anger by
shifting your attention away from things that make you feel angry
and think about happier things instead, as Harry’s world helps to
show.
Angry Thought New Cool-Calm Thought
Uncle Vernon yells at Harry: Uncle Vernon could reduce his

anger by thinking something like:
‘HOW DARE YOU THREATEN “Stay calm, Vernon. It’s not good
DUDLEY!’ (Chamber of Secrets, p. 8) to get angry at the kids all the time.
Say something nice, you tough old
rhino.”
Sir Cadogan the knight says: Maybe Sir Cadogan would feel
less angry if he replaced his fighter
‘Come back, you scurvy dog! Stand fast thoughts with calm ones:
and fight!’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 213) “I’m sick of fighting. It would be
much nicer to have a picnic with the
other paintings instead.”
Harry is so sick of Ron and Hermione To reduce his angry feelings and
arguing all the time that he angrily distress, a healthier thought could
thinks: be:
“I don’t want my friends to argue
‘Serve them right… why can’t they give it a because I care about them a lot.
rest?’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 213) Maybe I’ll call us together to work
out some things.”
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Harry gives himself a really unfair and Harry could put things into
hard time when he thinks: perspective and take the pressure off
himself by considering other possible
‘It was his fault Sirius had died; it was causes:
all his fault. If he, Harry, had not been “It’s not fair or helpful to blame
stupid enough to fall for Voldemort’s myself that Sirius died. In fact, it’s
trick...’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 723) unfounded. Obviously, someone
else’s wand struck Sirius when he was
standing next to the magic archway.”
Harry’s angry outburst was triggered by To stop feeling like a walking time-
hot angry thoughts: bomb, a more soothing and powerful
way for Harry to think is:
‘”DON’T TALK ABOUT SIRIUS LIKE “Although the death of Sirius is
THAT!” Harry yelled. utterly devastating, I don’t want to
He was on his feet again, furious, ready take it out on Dumbledore. Maybe
to fly at Dumbledore.’ (Order of the I’ll sit by the lake for a while to cool
Phoenix, p734) down. Then I’ll talk to Dumbledore
and tell him how much I appreciate
him”.
A Manticore thinks angrily: The Manticore could think more

coolly and calmly:
‘Through my nostrils I exhale the horror “Actually, these lonely places are
and the lonely places of the earth. I spit rather wild and beautiful. How lovely
out pestilence.’ it would be to take a leisurely stroll in
the cool open desert at night”.
Other good examples of cool-calm thoughts people could say to

themselves are:
·· Relax.
·· Take it easy.
·· I can handle this.
·· Don’t take this so seriously.
·· Keep calm. Continue to relax.
·· As long as I keep my cool, I’m in control.
·· There’s no point in getting mad.
·· Look for the positives.
·· Getting upset won’t help.
·· Take a deep breath.
·· Forget about that upsetting scene. Thinking about it will only
make me sick.
· Try to shake it off.
· Is there a way to laugh about this?
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Now you try…
An angry thought that troubles me: A cool thought that calms me:
And remember, a big anger trap is to blame other people and outside
factors for your angry feelings. People who say things like “It’s
not my fault”, “She made me hit her” or “I blame my family, they
made me like this” are also saying “I have no power over myself and my
reactions at all. I am completely under someone else’s control”. They are
giving all their personal power away to someone or something that
once made them upset and angry. Sounds like a very excruciating
curse to put yourself under.
To help violent offenders increase their personal power over anger,

the first thing I often did was to encourage them to make smart deals
and sign empowering contracts like this one:
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY ACTIONS
I understand that no one can make me feel angry or make me behave

in a way I do not want to. I am responsible for any changes I want to
make in my life. Other people may help me or try to make it hard for
me, but I am the one who is responsible for my life.
Signed: ______________________
Date: ______________________
Once people stop blaming others, that’s the moment they become
really powerful. When you take personal responsibility, you achieve
instant personal power.
No matter what horrible things have happened to us to make us feel

so angry for so long, every single person out there has the power to
change their life for the better. As psychiatrist Dr William Glasser
explains:
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We cannot change what happened to us. We must accept the fact
that it is not profitable to sit around year after year and cry about
our misfortunes and, at the same time, excuse our inability to help
ourselves on the basis of that same misfortune. All we can change is
what we are doing now.
Cool-calm-collected thoughts will help you to break free from anger.

Why fly at people with fury, when you can think thoughts that help
you to fly free? Whether you showcase a mellow mind or mean
manticore manners – it’s definitely all within your power.
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Activity - The Disappearing Manticore
If there’s a thought that makes you feel so angry that it causes problems in
your life, write it inside this picture of a manticore:
Now read this, or better, say it out loud:
“Nobody gets hurt by my anger anymore because I know that outside

events and other people’s actions do not control me. I am in control of my
thoughts, feelings and reactions.
This is my new cool-calm thought:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My cool thought soothes me and puts me at ease.”
Repeat these cool-calm steps until you feel better, as many times as you
need.
As your levels of anger climb down, imagine the angry manticore fading
away. As you feel more and more relaxed, imagine that the manticore – along
with your angry thoughts and feelings – has disappeared completely.
Hey! You have just successfully overpowered an anger-provoking,

happiness-devouring and health-destroying psychological manticore.
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The Power of Action
Guide Your Action
‘There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it’.
A ccording to Voldemort’s point of view, “there is only power”.

But pure power trips come with a special built-in feature.
Problems!
Power, without guidance, is dangerous. It would be like casting the

most powerful spell imaginable – without learning the basic laws
of magic. Or soaring high above the clouds in a flying Beauxbatons
carriage – without knowing which winged beasts can pull it safely
through the air. Would you sail the open sea on a giant Durmstrang
ship – with no sails or navigating gear? Or leap off Hogwarts Castle’s
tallest tower – without your magic broomstick? Unguided power
is a ‘fool’s paradise’, with no happy flying, smooth sailing or safe
jumping for anyone. Genuine power is not how much you have or
what you have. Money, tyranny and fame aren’t everything. In fact, in
old Greek myth the worst demons ever to be unleashed were ‘Might’
and ‘Force’. Far more important is what you do with what you have.
Unlike Voldemort’s completely unguided approach to power, people
who are truly happy, healthy and powerful really do think carefully
about good and evil. True power derives from well-guided action. To
boost our personal power and feelings of well-being, there are some
really positive ideas we can use to guide our actions well.
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Goodness Achieves Greatness
A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared

…
It sat still and warm next to Harry’s cheek.
This bird from Harry’s world is Fawkes, a magical phoenix. Not only
does a phoenix live forever, it is a symbol that celebrates good action.
In Harry’s world, Fawkes is always doing good, kind and helpful
things.
The mythical phoenix is a beautiful creature, most famous for its

powers of immortality. Every 500 years, this bird resurrects itself by
arising from a nest of fire. Besides eternal life, however, the phoenix
also symbolises pure goodness. Blessed with positive powers, the
phoenix only carries out good actions. A book called Magical Beasts
reports that “the Phoenix is so innocent that it knows nothing of the
bad things in the world. The Egyptian Phoenix lives in the Forest,
existing only on fresh air and dewdrops”.
In a 1957 novel by Edward Ormondroyd, David and the Phoenix, a

good phoenix, spotted high in the cliffs, introduced itself as:
‘Peaceful’ could well describe my general attitude. Meditative. I am

usually to be found Thinking. I have a powerful intellect. I daresay
my name is familiar to you, celebrated as it is in song and story. I am
the one and only, the Unique, Phoenix.
In Harry’s world, the phoenix shows goodness by using its impressive

healing powers. Once, Fawkes cried tears that healed a basilisk bite
on Harry’s arm. The phoenix has such a good reputation in Harry’s
world that an entire organisation is named after it: the Order of the
Phoenix – that’s the good side, of course.
When times get really tough, Fawkes upholds goodness fiercely and
passionately:
Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden
shower of dark blood spattered the floor… the snake was spitting in
agony.
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So how can the phoenix increase our personal power in the real
world? As an everlasting symbol of goodness, the phoenix is always
there for us, guiding our actions in a good way and inspiring us to
take the most positive actions possible. The phoenix is a fabulous
psychological cue that an important ingredient of true power is
virtuous action. Since the phoenix is the only magical beast that
cannot die, its immortality suggests that the effects of good actions
are likely to be long-lasting. The striking phoenix, with its bright
plumage and loving heart, upholds a timeless message for everyone:
good values activate great behaviour. Good influences live on.
Not only is the phoenix’s message (“good actions are powerful”)

inspiring, it is backed up with strong scientific evidence. While some
people, like Voldemort, think that real power is found in external
sources like material riches and absolute rule, one particular path to
power is a sharp phoenix peck above the rest. Research shows that
people only achieve true personal power and authentic happiness
– that is, feel truly happy – when they act for the greater good. For
instance, by helping others, just like a phoenix does. A scientific study
conducted by American psychologist Professor Martin Seligman
showed that when people undertook a self-satisfying ‘fun’ activity
versus a ‘helpful’ activity, the effects of helping someone else (eg.
volunteering at a homeless shelter, helping at a school fete) were
much more positive and powerful than doing a self-only fun activity
(eg. watching a film, eating ice-cream). Actions for the ‘higher good’
produced awesome feelings of happiness that lasted for a long time.
But self-centred pleasure activities only improved feelings of well-
being by a small amount and for just a short time. This may help
to explain why so many people today – who are rich, famous or in
charge at work – can still feel really unhappy. To be genuinely happy
and powerful in life, scientific evidence shows that it would be really
empowering for us to get in touch with our kind inner powers. If you
say “G’day” to a lonely person or make someone you like a cup of
tea, then you are well on your way to feeling genuinely and deeply
happy. Of course, you can always reward yourself with an ice-cream
or movie afterwards.
The famous American psychiatrist Dr William Glasser, who designed

a powerful treatment that involves taking good actions, encourages
everyone to preen and spruce up their ruffled phoenix feathers:
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We must learn to correct ourselves when we do wrong and credit
ourselves when we do right. If we do not act to improve our
conduct, we will not fulfil our need to be worthwhile and we will
suffer. Morals, standards, values or right and wrong behaviour are
all intimately related to the fulfilment of our need for self-worth.
This means that power – feeling fulfilled, feeling good about yourself
and loving others – comes from doing good things, just like the moral
mythical phoenix encourages. To be truly happy and powerful in life,
it pays to look at the world through loving phoenix eyes and show
kindness with a passion that burns like phoenix fire.
Activity – Phoenix Greeting Card
Copy me, cut me or colour me in

Write a good message that’s sure to win
When your reader sees me with your sweet touch
It will have a powerful effect – your card will mean much
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Boost Your Moral Power
‘AVADA KEDAVRA!’
…
But the headless golden statue of the wizard in the fountain had sprung alive…
‘What –?’ cried Voldemort, staring around. And then he breathed, ‘Dumbledore!’
This magic duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort is also a

great moral battle. In Harry’s world, Dumbledore is a wise leader
who guides the good side – the Order of the Phoenix. By contrast,
Voldemort is a shocking villain who leads an evil army of Death
Eaters. With so much moral action in Harry’s world and many people
in real life these days complaining of falling moral standards, there’s
no doubt that moral matters… matter. This means one psychological
thing: it will surely be lucrative to boost your moral power.
In psychology, a moral is “an idea about right or wrong, which guides

action”. Just as Dumbledore guides students well in Harry’s world,
a person can guide their behaviour with good ideas – moral action.
Or, like Voldemort, a person can have bad, dishonest and corrupt
ideas behind their deeds – immoral action. Since Voldemort craves
absolute power, likes to control everything and does not try to guide
his behaviour well, his wizardry style is immoral. As Harry’s world
shows, in its simplest form morality can be split into two sides – good
versus evil. Of course, reality is never that simple!
One of the best ways to boost moral power is to examine it more

closely by throwing people head first into a sticky moral dilemma:
A man named Heinz had a wife who was dying from a disease that
could be cured with a drug manufactured by a local pharmacist.
The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten
times the cost amount. Heinz could not afford the drug and pleaded
with the man to discount the drug or let him pay a little at a time.
The druggist refused, so Heinz broke into the pharmacy and stole
the drug for his wife.
Should Heinz have stolen the drug?
85
A well-known psychologist, Dr Lawrence Kohlberg, invented this
clever “Heinz does drugs” experiment to find out how people:
·· Learn good ways to guide their actions

·· Know ‘right’ from ‘wrong’
·· Understand important ideas like ‘truth’, ‘justice’ and ‘freedom’
·· Develop their moral power
By taking people straight to the scene of a crime and listening to

explanations about what Heinz should do, Dr Kohlberg devised a
highly influential ‘moral reasoning’ theory to explain how people
guide their actions and develop moral power. Not only could knowing
about Dr Kohlberg’s theory help you to increase your moral power,
many adventures from Harry’s world fit really well with this theory
too, as the ‘Moral Power’ matrix shows.
MORAL POWER
Which Actions in Harry Potter are Morally Powerful?
Moral Reasoning Theory Harry Potter Examples
LEVEL 1
- People are still learning what is “right” Learn Magic Laws and Rules
or “wrong”. All apprentice magicians must learn
- People’s actions are geared to satisfy and obey magic codes of conduct. For
personal needs. example:
- Children obey rules to avoid punish- - At Hogwarts, the third-floor corridor
ment. is out of bounds.
- Do not enter the Forbidden Forest.
- Anyone who slays a unicorn will be
badly cursed.
STAGE 1 Treat Truth with Care

People wish to avoid punishment. Harry wants to satisfy his needs to know
For example, “I better not do that, or the truth. The school headmaster, how-
else I’ll be in trouble”. ever, warns Harry that truth can be “a
beautiful and terrible thing, and should
therefore be treated with caution” (The
Philosopher’s Stone, p. 216)
STAGE 2
People seek pleasure to satisfy them- Ordinary Wizarding Levels
selves. “I want that, no matter what!” While passing OWL exams proves new
People do special favours for each oth- students wise, students are still not
er, despite what is fair”. “You scratch fully fledged to use magic without su-
my back, and I’ll scratch yours – don’t pervision.
worry about the others”.
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LEVEL 2
- Social approval and outside consent Nastily Exhausting Wizard Tests
influence people’s actions. NEWTS are a higher Hogwarts quali-
- People try to follow “law and order” fication than OWLS. Students must be
in society. responsible and perform intelligent
- People start feeling guilty because magic – no misuse, thanks.
they fear punishment.
Ministry of Magic
The Ministry is the magic world’s offi-
STAGE 3 cial “law” enforcement agency. Its role
People seek good social feedback from is to ensure the proper use of magic –
others. “What you did was good”. monitor spells and charms, apply pen-
alties for magical malpractice.
Unforgivable Curses
STAGE 4 Students learn three terrible curses,
People obey official law and authority. which are morally guided. It is forbid-
“I do not steal because it is against the den to use these curses against humans.
law”. And there is no room for personal ex-
cuses, for to use the curses is “unforgiv-
able”. Penalty: Life sentence in Azka-
ban.
LEVEL 3
- The highest level of moral reasoning. Hagrid’s Big Entrance
- People express superior moral ideas. Hagrid smashes down the door of a
- Moral judgement involves creative hut, which surely wrecks other people’s
and complex thinking. property.However – Hagrid delivers an
important educational message, cele-
brated Harry’s birthday, and tells Harry
the truth about his parents.
STAGE 5
People’s actions show more concern for Ron’s Flying Car
the community. “I won’t throw rubbish Ron takes an enchanted flying car from
into the sea because this action pollutes the family garage without his dad’s per-
water and hurts marine life”. mission, which seems pretty disrespect-
ful. However, at a higher moral level,
Ron rescues Harry, who is locked up in
STAGE 6 his bedroom.
People guide their actions thoughtfully.
“I know that stealing medicine is wrong Hermione’s Time Travel
and against the law, but I desperately Dumbledore lets Hermione and Harry
need it and cannot get it any other way. use a magic time-turning device to help
I must steal the medicine to save my two special friends, which interferes
friend’s life, or else my friend will die”. with the natural flow of time. Howev-
Sometimes, breaking the law seems less er, time is modified only to perform a
harmful than obeying the law. higher moral action – to save the lives
of Buckbeak and Black.
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As you can see, the moral matrix shows how certain actions in Harry’s
world align with the most powerful moral level – level 3. For example,
Hagrid breaks down the door of a hut on an island, which does seem
like a disrespectful violation of other people’s property. BUT – not
only does Hagrid deliver an urgent message from Hogwarts and
celebrate Harry’s birthday, he rescues Harry from a prison worse
than Azkaban: a dreadful Dursley kidnapping!
On many occasions it seems that Harry and his friends are doing
small ‘wrongs’ to protect (less visible) higher ‘rights’. What is ‘wrong’
and ‘right’ is not always straightforward or black and white. In the
real world, many moral matters are complex.
Remember when Norbert the dragon just hatched out of his egg?
Well, that was a sticky moral predicament that Harry and his friends
had to think through:
‘Hagrid’s always wanted a dragon…’ said Harry.

‘But it’s against our laws,’ said Ron. ‘Dragon breeding was outlawed
by the Warlocks’ Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It’s
hard to stop Muggles noticing us if we’re keeping dragons in the
back garden – anyway, you can’t tame dragons, it’s dangerous. You
should see the burns Charlie’s got off wild ones in Romania.’
In this scene, Ron detected two moral issues – 1) keeping dragons

might hurt magic folk and 2) dragons don’t make the best pets.
Having your own pet crocodile might sound great. But it’s not so
great if such a spectacular creature misses his or her wild home or
you’ve just had a leg chewed off.
Of course, moral power progresses with age, learning and experience.

At Hogwarts, students advance their moral powers further every
year. It’s not until their fourth year, for example, that students get to
learn about the three Unforgivable Curses:
·· Imperius – the power to control others

·· Cruciatus – the power to inflict cruel and painful torture
·· Avada Kedavra – the power to kill
When Hogwarts teaches these powerful curses, students must also

learn the moral laws that go with and govern their magic. Great magic
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requires wise moral reasoning. And the right support and guidance
boosts moral power dramatically. Unfortunately, not everyone gets
the same moral head start in life. Dudley Dursley is a fine example of
how people’s moral power can get stunted or damaged early in life:
Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began
wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned
the table over.
Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger too, because she said
quickly, ‘And we’ll buy you another two presents while we’re out
today. How’s that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right?’
…
Uncle Vernon chuckled.
‘Little tyke wants his money’s worth, just like his father. ‘Atta boy,
Dudley!’
Moral mayhem! When Dudley strikes his aggro pose, mummy

gives him pressies and dad gives him praise. Supernanny would be
horrified!
Without a doubt, the Dursleys are giving positive attention to the

wrong actions – Dudley’s demanding anger. Not only will this
increase the risk of “popkin” turning into an angry, impulsive and
irresponsible “serious serial criminal something-or-other”, it will
reduce his power to be a confident person who feels in control of his
own feelings and behaviour. Rewarding Dudley’s temper tantrum
might make him feel tough at the time, but underneath all that
puppy fat, science says that Dudley most probably feels sad, bad and
worthless.
To be really powerful in life, well-developed moral power counts.

In an important study, the sociologist Dr Ian Grawler found that
the world’s most “memorable champions, make their mark on
history by displaying exemplary human values”. A healthy moral
attitude produces greatness. Superior moral power is such a precious
personal asset that Dr Kohlberg’s theory predicts that only one in
five people will ever reach Stage 6 – the peak of moral competence.
So sophisticated moral power is a prized psychological resource. If
you want to stand out, make a difference and make moral masters
like Dumbledore proud, then why not boost your moral power? If
you always strive to do what’s right, how can you go wrong?
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Activity – Model Moral Power
If you want to achieve moral mastery, some helpful questions to ask might
be:
1. Who is my favourite moral character in Harry’s world?

2. What would my favourite character say or do to help me?
Many people consider that Professor Dumbledore, for example, is a mor-

ally powerful leader. What do you think Dumbledore would say or do if he
found himself in your situation?
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
What might Professor McGonagall advise?

.....……………………………………………………...……………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………....…………………………………………
………………………………………………………....……………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
Or a great Auror?
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
Or a morally powerful figure from real life?

………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………....………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
To be your happiest, healthiest and highest self, it always helps to model a

moral pro!
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How to Motivate Action
‘Stop poking me –’
‘Dobby must poke Harry Potter, sir, he must wake up!’
…
‘It’s too late, Dobby,’ Harry said hopelessly. ‘I’m not doing the task, I don’t know
how–’
‘Harry Potter will do the task!’ squeaked the elf.
L ittle Dobby is a big motivator. It’s Triwizard Tournament time

and as Dobby tries to tell Harry, you have to be in it to win
it. This small elf would make a great sports psychologist or
Olympics coach, motivating people to take powerful action.
What’s your Motive?
In psychology, a ‘motive’ is a personal force that activates and

directs our behaviour to reach a goal. It provides a reason for the
behaviour. The word motivation, which comes from the Latin word
movere meaning “to move”, is used to describe internal states that
initiate, direct and sustain behaviour. People who are motivated feel
compelled to take action.
To do a chosen task well, achieve set goals, overcome challenges and

be more powerful in life, motivation makes a difference. People who
can motivate themselves are better at making things happen. They
are not so easily discouraged by obstacles, barriers or problems in
life.
The field of psychology has some great theories about motivation.

One theory, in particular, has empowered many people to escape
miserable and powerless situations. Two American psychologists, Dr
James Prochaska and Dr Carlo DiClemente, devised a “motivational
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model of change”. Their theory shows how to beat destructive
habits and harmful health problems. Anyone who knows about this
model is in a much more powerful position to stop getting too sad,
stressed, sick or stuck in life. Even if you don’t feel stuck right now,
getting to know this theory could save you from a prison worse
than Azkaban later in life. All around you, information that seems
unimportant now could later mean all the difference between life
or death, winning or losing, or being powerful or powerless. Not
only does this motivational model have a good scientific reputation,
many adventures from Harry’s world illustrate it. Check out the
Motivational Model – Potterised, which outlines the theory’s five
stages of change.
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A Motivational Model – Potterised
5 Stages of What actions are An excellent

Plain English
Change people taking to boost their power? “Harry Potter” example is:
• None! Gilderoy’s Fools Gold

• Cannot or will not change bad habits
1 Pre-Contemplation Not doing it • Awareness is underdeveloped Professor Lockhart denies his true power with a glitzy
• Top motivational moves will boost power bluff.
2 Contemplation • Finding and checking new information Hermione’s Knowledge Quest

• Weighing up pros and cons of changing
• Becoming more aware
Thinking of doing it • Thinking about taking powerful action All that reading and research really pays off.
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3 Preparation • Reviewing themselves and their reality Neville’s Novice Debut
• Believing in their own ability to succeed
Deciding to do it • Starting to try new actions After some serious soul searching, Neville finally
makes a grand stand.
4 Action • Strengthening self-confidence The Dragon’s Message
• Mixing with supportive people
Doing it • Trading harmful habits for healthy ones If you want to deal with dragons successfully, there are
• Taking effective action, reaping rewards a few things you should know.
5 Maintenance • Repeating skills from the first 4 stages Prophets Always Profit
• Reinforcing positive behaviour
Still doing it • Predicting risk to prevent relapse Perhaps Sibyll Trelawney’s enthusiasm for
• Creating a strong & desirable self-image predictions is not all that grim.
− Maintaining personal power! –
Not Doing It (Pre-Contemplation)
It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets

….
Lockhart gulped and dived under his own desk.
Incredible impish insanity! If the Defence Against the Dark Arts

teacher is diving under his desk to hide from small blue pixies, then
maybe he didn’t break with banshees, gad with ghouls and voyage
with vampires like he said he did. As Ron correctly points out,
Gilderoy Lockhart only “says he’s done” all those amazing things
(Chamber of Secrets, p. 80).
Some people, like Professor Lockhart, don’t do what they say they do,
or what they could do, or what they should do. According to Prochaska
and DiClemente, these people are unmotivated and stuck at stage one
– pre-contemplation. At this stage, Lockhart the pre-contemplator
is not taking any powerful action whatsoever to manage monsters
or fight fantastic foes. Pre-contemplaters, like Lockhart, aren’t even
aware that they may have a problem or that their lack of action
keeps them powerless. Even if they’re really stressed and suffering,
pre-contemplating people say things like “What problem?!” or “I
don’t need to change just because my behaviour is killing me”. Even
British TV puppets know that zero motivation to change means zero
power. As Basil Brush the fox says to his boss: “How’s your wife, still
the same? Never mind, we all have our woes”.
As professors Prochaska and DiClemente explain, pre-contemplaters

are completely unmotivated and have:
No intention to change behaviour in the foreseeable future. Many

individuals in this stage are unaware or underaware of their
problems.
If a person from the real world in a harmful situation keeps saying

things like “I don’t need to change” (when it would be helpful for
them to change) – then they are pre-contemplating and keeping
themselves powerless. If Aunt Petunia insists that Dudley is just
“big-boned”, covered in “puppy-fat”, and is “a growing boy who
need[s] plenty of food” – even though his school doesn’t “stock
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knickerbockers big enough for him any more” and he is “roughly the
size and weight of a young killer whale” (Goblet of Fire, pp. 29-30) –
then she is clearly pre-contemplating.
An excessive dependence on anything – food, drugs, alcohol,

gambling, people, whatever – is often a cover for an insecure and
powerless psychological existence. As Peter de Vries says: “Gluttony
is an emotional escape, a sign that something is eating us”. So a
desperate need for things like drugs, fame or money is really just a
poor substitute for love.
To free people from the zombie-like powerless “I don’t want to

change” and “I can’t do it” pre-contemplation stage, Prochaska and
DiClemente offer these ideas:
Know – Be aware that there may be a serious problem. Open your

mind to newer and healthier information.
Show – Express and explore your true feelings. Ask yourself:
“Deep down in my heart, what’s really holding me back? How am
I blocking myself from moving forward?” Talk to other people who
have broken bad habits. Jot down solutions that sound good to you.
Check – How much damage are your unhealthy actions having on
you, your happiness and your world? Use your own damage report
as a springboard to motivate yourself.
In the medical world, when specialists tell drug users, “Don’t do it. You
only get one brain, and it doesn’t repair itself”, they are only trying to
raise people’s awareness that drug damage can be permanent. When
health experts like Dr Claire Fox and Margaret Clark tell people, “It is
not possible to like yourself and do drugs at the same time”, they are
hoping to move people hooked on drugs from the comfortably numb
‘drugs are great’ stage to a healthier way of thinking. When vascular
surgeons say things like “Lose a habit, or lose a limb”, they’re trying
to empower people about the lasting damage smoking does to the
body. They are trying to move people from a powerless position of
cigarette addiction to a much healthier position in life. “I want you to
think about what’s happening here, every time you have a cigarette.
Every time,” says one Australian surgeon in a gory stop-smoking TV
ad. These health experts are giving people important information –
facts and figures that the drug dealers and cigarette companies would
never want you to know – to help people make more informed and
powerful choices.
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An 18-year-old chronic amphetamines user recently told me, “I don’t
have a problem. I’m going to use speed until the day I die”. But if you
give that person some medical information like “Speeding causes
bleeding inside your brain”, and that person thinks about how
drugs might harm their health – even if it’s only for a split-second
– then according to Prochaska and DiClemente’s model, you have
started to move that person out of harm’s way into a more powerful
state of awareness. An unhealthy person might act on your healthy
information some time later, if not now. Sometimes, the only way to
make a health message stick is to make it scary or comical.
In a 2008 TV special called The Oasis: Australia’s Homeless Youth, two

young people from Sydney said they have used heaps of drugs since
their early teens. Why? “I hate myself,” says Hayley. “I smoked heaps
of ice, heaps of crystal. I didn’t care if I died,” says Owen. Although
Hayley and Owen don’t believe in themselves, they were still able to
keep themselves alive all this time. They figured how to survive the
streets. And they stayed in touch with helpers at the Oasis Centre in
Kings Cross. Underneath all the drug use, underneath all the pain
and loneliness, these young people with low self-esteem proved they
have willpower and a heart. Despite being homeless and emotionally
lost, Hayley and Owen still reached out to others and still have loads
to offer. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re at. Everyone
has positive and powerful qualities that they can use to motivate
themselves when they’re ready. Find out what yours are by doing a
Best Bits Blitz.
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Activity – Best Bits Blitz
If you feel stuck in life, don’t despair. Everyone has special strengths lurking inside
them that can be activated anytime to bring out the best in them. Our top qualities,
once we get to know them, are magic motivational keys that can help us to achieve
incredible success. Using the list below, which personal qualities do you believe
really move you to take positive and powerful action in life?
Circle Your Top 10 Qualities here:

Happy Carefree Enthusiastic Cooperative Ambitious
Friendly Brave Patient Honest Sensitive
Caring Perceptive Strategic Assertive Resilient
Scientific Talkative Interested Fearless Persuasive
Artistic Intelligent Grateful Aware Contemplative
Poetic Practical Resourceful Cheerful Clever
Relaxed Athletic Alert Organised Peaceful
Outgoing Easy-going Sympathetic Independent Hilarious
Responsible Confident Logical Forgiving Casual
Determined Passionate Social Understanding Optimistic
Supportive Dreamy Helpful Generous Elegant
Expressive Open-minded Bold Entertaining Kind-hearted
Sincere Gentle Thoughtful Creative Down-to-earth

Curious Polite Daring Spiritual Analytical
Congratulations! You’ve just tapped into a fierce psychological force – motivation.

In your top ten list, what do you think is your leading quality? Write it
here:………………..
When you’re ready, activate this quality to free your inner power. For example,
maybe your top quality is ‘curious’. You could bring curiosity to life by getting
stuck into some mind-boggling and soul-stirring information in the library’s secret
sections. Or maybe you would prefer to talk to someone who truly encourages you
to feel and do your best.
If ‘independent’ describes you well, you can activate your independence by making
a strong life-changing decision today. Or maybe you can take time out from your
usual routine to pursue those dreams that make you feel truly alive. Once you get
stuck into your positive qualities, you’ll get unstuck from negative situations. You’ll
start moving yourself to a more powerful personal position in life.
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Thinking of Doing It (Contemplation)
Hermione jumped to her feet.

She was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.
‘I never thought to look in here!’ she whispered excitedly.
At last she found what she was looking for.
‘I knew it! I knew it!’
Why is Hermione so excited? Because – according to motivational

theory – she has identified a problem, she has researched information
about that problem, and she has just found important information in
a book that will increase her power to solve that problem. Hermione
– the contemplator!
As Prochaska and DiClemente’s motivational model suggests, people

at the contemplation stage are on a ‘knowledge quest’. To increase
power over life problems, contemplators:
·· Review their situation

·· Gather information
·· Do research
·· Listen to new ideas
·· Read books, talk to people
·· Weigh up the pros and cons of taking different actions
·· Increase their awareness about issues
·· Get ready to deal with change
Hermione demonstrates all these important features. She visits the

library, investigates information and thinks about possible solutions.
She is a bibliotherapy princess – she reads numerous books to
obtain data and get personal support. Hermione also likes to clarify
problems because she constantly discusses the challenges ahead with
Harry and Ron. These strategies help Hermione, Harry and Ron to
make informed and powerful decisions about what to do. Clearly,
Hermione contemplates considerable information, which informs,
guides and motivates her actions in a really powerful way. Any action
that increases the supply of information is bound to move a person
from a painful position to a happier, healthier and more powerful
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one. In fact, liber, the source of the word library, means “to liberate
and set free” in French and Latin. New facts and ideas gleaned from
books liberate people from ignorance by providing information,
inspiration, freedom of choice, extra options and skills in critical
thinking. This motivates people to take more powerful action.
If anyone doubts the power of knowledge as a force capable of

exerting great change, just look at world history through some Foe
Glass. Oppressive governments know that the best way to stop
change and make people powerless is to deprive people like us of
information. To this day, corrupt leaders around the world demolish
schools, burn books on bonfires, ban spiritual practices and freedom
of speech, assassinate great thinkers or else remove people from their
families and native lands by force.
A radical 1928 novel called Death – based on historical fact and written
in its native Ukrainian language, which was forbidden at the time –
captured how the deliberate destruction of information destroyed
people completely. The brave author, Antonenko-Davydovych,
described how an oppressive government tried to exterminate a
whole nation, wipe out people’s motivation to fight back and shatter
the human spirit. How? By stealing information. The book’s hero,
Kost, mourns for his country’s knowledge, which was heartlessly
stripped and stolen by a cruel enemy:
Loaded carts creaked towards the centre of town for a whole week.
Beautiful oak desks, books in expensive bindings, cupboards, black
doleful pianos – all this was removed from imposing studies, cosy
lounge rooms, and rattled away over the damaged pavement to
some building… But it was far worse with the books. They were
unsystematically dumped on the floor of an empty room in the
public hall and here, on the dirty boards, countless titles from
various fields of knowledge, science and art found a long resting
place. Sooner or later the books would disappear… He grieved over
the books. They could alone secretly tell so much.
George Orwell repeated a similar information-hacking message in his

brilliant novel 1984: “Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak
is to narrow the range of thought?” You see, if there are fewer words,
less information available in the world and less diversity in culture,
this reduces everyone’s power to consider alternatives. If there’s no
information, people may never have anything to contemplate ever
again. Take away people’s words, ideas, books and teachers, and you
remove people’s power to think for themselves. Information is the
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source of contemplation. If you think education sucks and is a form
of thought control, then try ignorance. When there’s no information,
there’s no contemplation, choice, freedom or power.
No wonder spectacular creatures from myth guard knowledge so

fiercely.
‘Answer on your first guess – I let you pass. Answer wrongly

– I attack. Remain silent – I will let you walk away from me,
unscathed.’
The mighty Sphinx that blocks Harry’s path is probably myth’s

most famous knowledge guardian. Fabulous and proud, this lion-
bird-woman perches high on cliff tops, asking travellers to answer
her risky riddles. She symbolizes the supreme puzzle of human life.
Constantly watching the complex meaning of the universe, which
must forever remain a mystery, the Sphinx strives to protect the
world from selfish human harm and exploitation.
These days, a range of Sphinx-like motivational mottos guard

knowledge, encourage people to contemplate information, and
empower people in many ways:
Knowledge itself is power.

(Francis Bacon, 1561-1626)
Read, dare to be wise.

(Tattershall)
I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the

set I go into the other room and read a book.
(Groucho Marx)
Knowledge is a top path to power. People can steal your car, burn
your house, use you, abuse you or dump you completely. But no one
can ever take away your freedom of choice or what you know.
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Activity – Info Shopping Spree
Gathering information and making informed decisions benefits, motivates

and empowers us. As individuals, however, we relate to some types of
information much better than others. How do you like to be informed? Tick
your favourite information sources below:
Magazines – Yeah? Well, which ones?
..............................................................................................................
Books – Name a book that has helped you to survive and thrive.
............................................................................
Computers – Do you like to surf, Tube or chat?
.…………………………………………………
Friends – Good choice! Who?
.…………………………………………………
School – Is cool. It’s a powerful springboard in life. How does it empower

you?
………………………………………………………………………………
………………………....................................................................................
Music – Great! Any particular song, style of music or group?
………………………………………………………………………………
Doctors, teachers, other help experts?
…………………………..............……………………………............……..
Other information sources. Describe them here.
...............................………………………………............………………….
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Deciding to Do It (Preparation)
‘Go on then, try and hit me!’ said Neville, raising his fists. ‘I’m ready!’
In this adventure, Neville makes a grand motivational move. Usually

an under-assertive boy, Neville finally stands up for himself and is
ready for action. Neville must have reached the preparation stage of
his motivational progress.
According to Prochaska and DiClemente’s model, preparation

involves intention plus action. This means: “I want to do it” + “Look!
I’m starting to do it” = Preparation!
To boost your motivational power and help you reach the preparation
stage like Neville did, Prochaska and DiClemente’s theory offers two
useful ideas:
1) Self-evaluate – Review how you feel and think about yourself

and your problems. Decide which values are important to you.
Use some positive images to inspire and excite you to take
action. For example, imagine yourself successfully running in a
marathon, singing in front of a cheering crowd or giving a press
conference as a really famous, well-respected, much-admired
…………………………….. (you choose!).
2) Self-liberate – It’s helpful to believe in your ability to change.

Commit to taking a new course of action. Start practising some
healthier and more powerful actions.
In Harry’s world, Neville re-evaluates himself perfectly. Just before

Neville raises his fists, he says to Ron:
‘Don’t you call me an idiot!… I don’t think you should be breaking

any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to
people!’
Clearly, this shows that Neville has re-evaluated himself – he has

decided that he doesn’t want to be under-assertive anymore and he
has started standing up for himself. Bring it on, Neville!
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Neville also demonstrates ‘self-liberation’ because he:
·· Makes his own decision and commits to this action

·· Believes in his ability to change
·· Starts showing new behaviour – assertive action – by standing up
to others for the first time.
Consider a big health problem in the real world such as cigarette

smoking. Too many people are taking up smoking, becoming
dependant on cigarettes, and dying due to tobacco-related illnesses.
So health warnings about smoking are good examples of preparation
tactics that encourage people to take healthier action. Many warnings
are now being printed on cigarette packets, such as:
·· Smoking is addictive
·· Smoking causes lung cancer
·· Smoking causes heart disease
·· Smoking kills
Although some people complain that these health warnings are bossy
or that the pictures of diseased brains, lungs and feet are gory, the
health experts are just trying to protect people and make up for lost
time. You see, when cigarettes were first introduced, this information
was not available. People didn’t know that cigarettes were such
deadly cancer-sticks. Today’s health experts argue that if we knew
how toxic, addictive and cancer-causing cigarettes were back then,
these deadly drugs would never ever have been allowed to go on the
market. So, by putting really bold messages on the packets, health
experts aren’t telling people what to do, they’re just presenting
eye-opening facts to motivate smokers to take healthy action. I’m just
using cigarette smoking as an example here, but whatever harmful
habits worry you or cause you pain, you have the power to gather
your own information, prepare yourself your way and make up your
own mind.
Just as Neville increases his power to be assertive, here are some small
but good ways to deal with cigarette smoking. If a heavy smoker cuts
back from 60 to 50 cigarettes per day, that’s preparation. If a smoker
gives up ‘morning smoko’ cigarettes from their daily routine, that’s
preparation. If a packet-a-day smoker replaces 5 cigarettes with
5 glasses of water, that’s preparation too. The preparation stage is
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the early stirrings of the action stage that comes next in the motives
model.
Just like Dumbledore, I am proud of Neville’s motivation to show

assertive action:
‘It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just
as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to
Mr Neville Longbottom.’
These ten points will go far to help Neville advance his personal
power, just as your fresh start will advance yours.
Activity – Behaviour Experiment
Do you have a harmful habit that has been causing problems or bothering
you lately?
To achieve instant power, why not tap into stage three of the motivational
model and star in your own psychology experiment? Consider this: What
can you do TODAY – no matter how small, simple or subtle your action
is – to start increasing your power over harmful habits in your life? Maybe
you can:
Talk to……………………… about………..………………………………..……
Ring up..………………………… to help you to………………………………

…………….……………………………………….
Read about this topic.……………………………………………………………
Try out this new healthy behaviour.……………………………………………
Go to this place (eg. friend’s, doctor’s, gym, new age shop): ………………
…………………………………………………
Another idea………………………………………………………………………
Another fabulous idea……………………………………………………………
Another absolutely fabulous idea..………………………………………………
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Doing It (Action)
And there was the Horntail… crouched low over her clutch of eggs, her wings half-
furled, her evil, yellow eyes upon him…
And then she reared, spreading her great black leathery wings at last, as wide as
those of a small aeroplane – and Harry dived. Before the dragon knew what he had
done… he had seized the golden egg.
– Goblet of Fire, p. 309, p. 311
Harry’s world sure has some dangerous dragons. And, just as their
mighty wings unfurl, so does the dragon’s mighty motivational
message.
According to Chinese myth, the dragon is a good-natured creature

with strong magic powers. European dragons, in contrast, tend to
be aggressive and dangerous fire-breathing beasts. Watch out for
dragons with several heads. Medieval folklore says they are much
worse than the one-headed variety. But if you can deal successfully
with dragons, then you may also have mastered the action stage of
motivation theory.
To achieve personal power – deal with your dragons and acquire the
treasure that dragons protect – it may help to apply strategies from
Prochaska and DiClemente’s action stage:
Counter Tough Conditions – switch from harmful habits to healthy

habits and replace stressful reactions with relaxing activities. Say
positive things to yourself to increase power. This replaces self-
defeating thoughts, which destroy power. It’s a bit like using a
Switching Spell in Harry’s world.
Control Your Surroundings – avoid problem places and stay away
from bad influences, like the wrong friends. Re-arrange your social
scene to remove risks – get rid of cigarettes, alcohol and dangerous
magic diaries. Stay away from pubs, drug dealing hubs, and don’t
visit forbidden forests by yourself. Don’t just sit there and listen to
people like Aunt Marge if they have drunk too much brandy – get
up and walk away.
Get Support – talk to people you trust and form alliances with
helpful experts – doctors, teachers, counsellors. Aurors are good
too. Join supportive groups like Weight Watchers and the Order of
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the Phoenix. Don’t mix with untrustworthy drug dealers or Death
Eaters.
Reward Yourself – for making positive changes and taking more
powerful actions. A good example in Harry’s world is that the
Hogwarts houses receive bonus points whenever students take
positive action. Dudley Dursley rewards himself with ice-cream – all
the time!
You can beat your demons and dragons – excessive drugging,

drinking, violence, or some other harmful habit – with effort and
action. Only those who bother to learn, train, prepare, practise and
apply the proper behaviour will become successful dragon-slayers
and successfully conquer destructive behaviour. In the Triwizard
Tournament, Harry successfully implements Prochaska and
DiClemente’s action stage when he deals with his Horntail dragon.
To get the golden egg, Harry:
·· Trains for battle.

·· Begins to believe in his ability – “You’re a damn good flier,” says
Mad-Eye Moody (Goblet of Fire, p. 301).
·· Chooses suitable tools to use – his magic broom, the Firebolt.
·· Mixes with helpful people – Moody gives Harry good advice to
motivate positive action.
·· Acquires information – Harry learns the needed spells to achieve
his goal and obtain the treasure. Harry says to Hermione: “I need to
learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly” (Goblet of Fire, p.
302).
·· Harry prepares and practises. Hermione and Harry “practised.
They didn’t have lunch, but headed for a free classroom… They kept
practising until past midnight” (Goblet of Fire, p. 302, p. 303).
As Harry’s world helps to show, if you want to survive deadly dragons,

surmount treacherous conditions, subdue harmful influences –
and be more powerful in life – it pays to get active. Prochaska and
DiClemente’s action stage in a nutshell is:
Prepare, practise and take responsible action = Power!
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Activity – Action Fever
What’s your top motivational tip? You know, that really special action trick
that sets your passion on fire and keeps you going all day (and maybe all
night) long?
What’s your best ‘swapping spell’? Record it here:
I have swapped THIS negative/harmful action:
…………………………………………...............................................................
With THIS positive/helpful action:
……………………………………………………………...................................
These people give me ‘action fever’. They motivate me so much that I just
can’t get enough:
1.
2.
3.
To maintain healthy, happy and powerful action, I treat myself with these
amazing rewards (Come on, spoil yourself!):
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Still Doing It (Maintenance)
‘Good-day,’ said Professor Trelawney in her usual misty, dreamy voice… ‘And
welcome back to Divination. I have, of course, been following your fortunes most
carefully over the holidays, and am delighted to see that you have all returned to
Hogwarts safely – as, of course, I knew you would.’
Just as Professor Trewlaney uses Divination to predict events in

Harry’s world, the maintenance stage in motivation theory predicts
behaviour in the real world, except that you probably don’t need as
many tea-leaves or as much incense smoke as Trelawney likes to use.
Maintain your motivation by using these four strategies from the

motivation theory. What’s more, you can apply them today.
1. More, More, More
To be powerful in life, one of the best strategies Professors Prochaska

and DiClemente identify is that successful maintenance builds on
each of the processes that came before. This means to take more,
more, more powerful action. Repeat the things that work. People
stay powerful when they keep replicating and recycling helpful
activities learned in the first four stages. To maintain motivation
and establish lasting personal power, it helps enormously to keep
on reading, raising awareness, re-evaluating and rewarding yourself.
For example:
·· Keep talking positively to yourself. Say “I can do it” as often as

possible.
·· Keep reinforcing strong, healthy actions with rewards that excite
you – “I lost weight this week, so I’m going to treat myself by buying/
borrowing a music CD.”
·· Keep swapping bad habits with powerful actions. For example,
keep drinking low-joule drinks instead of high-sugar drinks. Stay
friends with Aurors, not Death Eaters.
·· Keep avoiding harmful things: remove the chocolate supply from
under the bed and don’t grow poisonous mandrakes in the veggie
patch.
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Shaquille O’Neill paraphrases the ancient philosopher Aristotle in
saying: “Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what
you repeatedly do”. This is exactly what Professor Trelawney
demonstrates. No matter how much her Divination classes drive the
students crazy, no matter how off target her predictions are, she keeps
on crystal-ball gazing, she keeps on tea-leaf reading and she keeps on
predicting the future. She maintains her enthusiasm for Divination
no matter what. This makes Sibyll Trelawney a highly motivated
maintenance magician.
Activity – Get More from More
Which actions, when you repeat them often, help you to STAY happy, healthy
and in personal control of your life? For example, if you want to run well in
a marathon, it pays to run at least 60 minutes each day. If you want to get fit
and dance well, it helps to take dance classes on Monday, Wednesday AND
Friday. Or play your How-to-Break-Dance DVD five times a week. The best
way to get hot, hot, hot is to do more, more, more. Maximise motivation and
free your inner power by developing your own individual plan:
My Strategy to Stay Motivated and Powerful
This is what I can’t wait to do on:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
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2. Re-Invent Yourself
If you re-vamp your image in a positive way and see yourself as the
kind of person you want to be, it will help you to maintain powerful
action. In Harry’s world, Sibyll Trelawney’s self-image as a powerful
prophet would surely help her to maintain her power to recall the Lost
Prophecy. After all, the name “Sibyll” comes from myth. The Sibyls
were famous prophets who offered extraordinary visions. Sibyll
Trelawney is a sibyl in Harry’s world – someone who is a prophet, a
Seer, a sorceress. Professor Trelawney also presents herself properly as
a prophet in the way she dresses. With help from her huge spectacles,
an abundance of beaded necklaces and colourful free-flowing clothes,
Trelawney comes across as someone who possesses powerful insight,
an eccentric personality and a creative (and therefore unconstrained)
mind that can see far and wide. According to the motivation model,
Trelawney’s strong belief and image of herself as a strong Seer enable
her to be a strong Seer. In times of need, Professor Trelawney shows
daring Divination and pure prophecy power. Trelawney’s strong,
steady and sincere belief in herself as a proper prophet definitely
helps her to see all with her ‘Inner Eye’ and maintain incredible inner
powers.
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Activity – Who am I… really?
To boost my personal power and confidence, I can give my self-image a

positive and stylish makeover by:
Using a nickname (e.g. “Venus”, “Windrider”, “Dance Lord”, “Cuddles”):
………………………………………………………………………………………
Wearing clothes to make statements about who I am (e.g. hippy, punk, street-wise
rebel, disco-diva):
………………………………………………………………………………………
Decorating myself and wearing stylish accessories (pink hair, punk hair, body glitter,
henna tattoo, natural-look shell necklace, cool sunglasses):
………………………………………………………………………………………
Saying really helpful things about myself – to myself (“I will become what I believe”,
“Watch me dance to the top” or “When I run races, I rock”):
.……………………………………………………………………………………...
Developing a lean, mean motto to motivate myself (“Jump high, reach the sky”,
“I’m grabbing my GOOAAALS!” or “When my stars guide, troubles hide”):
.……………………………………………………………………………………...
Another super idea:
…………………………………………………........………………………………
Another super-duper idea:
………………………………………………………………………...................…
Another supercalifragilisticexpialidocious idea:
………………………………………………..
Well done!
Off you go then – put the book down and go style crazy!
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3. Mix with the Good Sort
According to the motivational model, another big tip for maintaining

powerful behaviour is to find at least one other important person
who values you and the actions you are taking to help yourself. Talk
to friends, teachers, counsellors and doctors. According to the health
experts, if you don’t reach out to good friends it will be much easier
for you to make bad friends. To be powerful in life, it’s worth mixing
with the best.
Activity –Social Sorting
List your three most valuable, trusted and empowering sources of support:
1.
2.
3.
100 positive power points are instantly awarded to your ‘Social Support
House’!
4. Predict to Prevent Harm

“Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at
this school. None of them has died yet.”
The prediction part of motivation theory doesn’t mean making

predictions as dire as Professor Trelawney does. According to
Prochaska and DiClemente, prediction means foreseeing the risks
and hazards that might occur in a certain situation. You can then use
this information to ‘prevent relapse’ – that is, stop yourself getting
trapped in a bad situation. The psychology professors describe
relapse prevention as:
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An assessment of the conditions under which a person was likely
to relapse and development of alternative responses for coping
with such conditions without responding to self-defeating and
pathological responses.
This simply means if you know where you’re likely to stuff up, and
you use clever coping tricks, then you won’t go backwards and stuff
up completely. Trelawney might put it this way: “Keep your eye on
the Grim, and things won’t ever get grim”. That’s prediction power.
It means steering clear of negative people, places and products that
you predict could have a harmful influence. For example, to be
powerful:
·· Avoid people who are likely to hurt you

·· Stay away from bad places
·· Don’t visit places where Death Eaters tend to prowl on dark
nights
If you predict the times and places that you are likely to relapse – get
worse, go backwards or revert to bad habits – then you can prevent
power loss. Both the magic world and the real world can be tough
places. But if you plan, predict and persist, you can protect yourself
and increase personal power.
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Activity – Prediction Power
Are you ready to star-stare, gaze deeply into a crystal ball and have a
go at reading your own psychological tea-leaves? If so, try this…
Predict HARM: What’s a situation that could make you suffer, bring you
down or pressure you to take unhelpful action? For example:
“If I hang around with the neighbourhood gang, they will surely lead me
astray and pressure me to do bad things.”
“I’ve figured out that my weak spot, the thing that makes me get really
angry and lose it, is other people’s criticisms of me.”
Predict PROTECTION: What is a protective measure you could take to

prevent such power loss from happening? For example:
“I can hang out with people who care about what happens to me, and avoid
gangs by spending more time in the library (they hate books!).”
“I can imagine there’s an invisible force-field protecting me, so that I don’t
get so easily upset by other people’s words or actions.”
So now you know some of the hottest motivational moves from the
field of psychology. Flippin’ fairies! Have you reached this part of the
book already? Then you are truly growing more powerful!
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Take Powerful Action
I
n Harry’s world:
Pictures and paintings are animated, brooms fly, time is three

dimensional, animals speak, owls are the mail carriers, and people
can transform themselves. In Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley,
visitors need to move “nocturnally” and “diagonally”. Harry’s
studies take him through hidden tunnels, up in the air or down
watery pipes. Sometimes he moves with the invisibility cloak that
once belonged to his father, and at other times he place-shifts with
the help of transporting “floo” powder.
– Gail Grynbaum, Psychologist
Everything in Harry’s world moves constantly, magically and

powerfully – it is action-packed.
Just as Harry’s world is highly active, it matters what, and how much,
action people take in the real world. Powerful people plan, apply and
refine their actions until their approach works well and they achieve
what they want. People who want to be cooks cook. People who
want to be dancers dance. People determined to survive – the desert,
city streets, war zones – increase their chances of survival when they
adapt their actions, gather provisions, protect themselves and do
whatever it takes. Not only do powerful people take lots of positive
action in line with their goals, but they do so persistently and with
passion. Great cooks love cooking. Great dancers practise until past
midnight. Many war survivors have performed extraordinary feats. A
main difference between satisfied, successful people and unsatisfied,
unsuccessful people in life is that the first lot of people do things.
They take powerful action. You only live once – life is not a movie
you can replay.
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Dumb and Dumber: Stop power loss – now!
‘You see that house upon the hillside, Potter? My father lived there. My mother, a
witch who lived here in this village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her…
… and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage…
but I vowed to find him… that fool who gave me his name.’
In Harry’s world, Voldemort blames the past for his present misery.
“My miserable feelings and evil actions are all daddy’s fault,” the
Dark Lord suggests. If Voldemort’s father really did abandon his
family, then this may have been an incredibly careless, neglectful and
‘dumb’ action. But if Voldemort is choosing to hold on to that idea,
stew over it relentlessly over time and intensify his painful feelings
for many years afterwards, then this action is even ‘dumber’.
In the real world, many people with miserable pasts tend to think in
the same way as Voldemort does. Many people do not mean to, but
they let dumb people who did dumb things to them steal all their
present power. It’s a bit like sacrificing yourself to a vampire from
the past, and just letting that blood-sucker feed on your new energy,
your current vitality. Here are some examples of this kind of power
loss:
·· It’s not my fault I’m so miserable all the time; my family never
loved me.
·· I can’t help smashing things up. My dad used to beat me up all the
time when I was a kid.
·· I use drugs because my first three boyfriends abused me.
·· I boss my girlfriend around because she should do whatever I tell
her – that’s how my family brought me up.
Just like Voldemort does in the cemetery, some people keep

transporting themselves back in time, though they don’t mean to.
They relive the bad old days and keep on hurting themselves by
replaying the worst part of their lives.
People who say things like “I can’t get ahead because of what
happened to me” or “I was treated badly by my family when I was
a kid” are causing a power shut down. “I can’t do that because my
116
parents yelled at me when I was five” merely describes a bad time,
place and condition that happened long ago when that person was
five years old. The reality, however, is that this time has now passed –
gone forever. The more people dwell on history and replay their own
private horror movie, the more power they are surrendering to a bad
experience that doesn’t even exist anymore.
When people keep reminding themselves about how bad and unfair
life has been to them, they are plugging their precious power supply
into a miserable black hole. Personal power from the present gets
sucked down, down, down into that terrible time and place that those
people claim to really hate. They might as well let a Dementor kiss
them. It’s like they’re giving themselves a life sentence in Azkaban,
transporting themselves to a prison which they built all by themselves
using their worst ever memories.
Fortunately, some powerful actions can help people tackle this

terrible time warp. A top approach is ‘reality therapy’ developed by
psychiatrist Dr William Glasser. This clever and upbeat approach
encourages the ‘three R’s’ of action: be Realistic, be Responsible
and do what is Right. It urges people to “get real”, “have a go” and
“take a chance”. It says: “Hey! Don’t worry so much about the past,
especially as you cannot change or control it. Why don’t you do
something positive now to feel better?”
A big secret to personal power is to pay attention to the present and

take positive actions now. Regardless of what happened before, it
makes psychological sense to do things that make you feel better
from now on. Could this psychological approach help Voldemort stop
brooding so angrily over dad’s dirty deeds? Could the Dark Lord
reconsider his father’s ‘dumb’ events, which he still uses to justify
his own ‘dumber’ evil actions now, and be more happy, healthy and
powerful?
Well, if reality therapy was applied to Voldemort’s situation, it would

encourage him to be realistic, responsible and do the right things
along these lines:
“Mr Riddle, we are not interested in your history. Remembering

how bad the past was will not help you. What can you do now to
improve your life and make it better, instead of dwelling on how
badly your father treated you in the past? It is real for you that things
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were difficult before. It is also a reality that you have the power to
take helpful and responsible action now, which will help you to feel
fulfilled and truly powerful. What are some positive actions you can
take right now to feel better and put things right?”
Whether you know it yet or not, now is the most powerful moment
of all. Whatever action you take right now will determine your future
and your future happiness. Bad circumstances don’t limit people,
people’s unhelpful attitudes to those circumstances do.
William James captured ‘now power’ in a nutshell when he said:
To change one’s life:

Start immediately
Do it flamboyantly
Meanwhile, the famous personal power coach Anthony Robbins also

said that:
To free the power within, ask yourself:

What can I do today to shape my destiny?
Whatever happened in your life yesterday, last week, last year or

many years ago, by all means, do not deny it, do not dismiss it, do
not trivialise it. But don’t let the past rule the present. You can take
action that moves you backwards. Or, you can take action to move
yourself forwards. The action you take from now on will determine
how powerfully you move throughout your life. So use the past,
present and future to guide you, motivate you and move you to a
better and more powerful place – now!
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Activity – The Real Deal
If you want to be more powerful in life and beat deadly blasts from
the past, why not be your own reality therapist and apply your
answers to your own situations?
“You had a bad past. What action can you take at this very moment to
improve things?”
“If you’re feeling unhappy, are you sure you are taking the most effective
action right now to move ahead?”
“OK, you’ve got problems. So what are your positive plans?”
“You’re having trouble coming up with helpful ideas. Who can you talk to
for extra support?”
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The Full Monty: Top exposure tips
‘We need to know what it’s r-really like… facing him… facing V-Voldemort.’
As Hermione points out, a big secret to overcoming big fears is to

face them fully.
In the British movie The Full Monty, a bunch of long-term unemployed

steel workers produced a local show as male strippers. Their show
was different to all the other strip shows in one big way. They did it
for real. They exposed themselves fully by removing all their clothes.
In psychology, a similar strategy is “exposure treatment”… No, not
like that! Psychological exposure does not mean running around
madly, in public, naked!
Unlike showbiz, scientific exposure treatment encourages people to

face their fears fully. Professor Lupin shows students that to deal with
Boggarts successfully, they must confront their fearsome Boggart as
soon as it leaps out of the wardrobe. That is, students must meet the
scary spirit face to face – expose themselves to it. This gives time
for the Riddikulus charm to have an effect. The anti-Boggart spell
is a form of psychological exposure. In the real world, psychology
is credited with developing powerful exposure treatments, a highly
active treatment. Exposure to a fear-provoking situation helps people
to overcome strong fear. Just as magic folk have to face Boggarts to
get rid of them, exposure therapy gets people to face their fears in
real life. Facing fears fully flushes out fear. That’s flashy ‘full monty’
exposure.
So how effective is exposure? The International Encyclopedia of

Psychology says that this fear-fighting approach is:
One of the most well-accepted and effective psychological

treatments. Confronting the actual fear situation is more effective
than imagining it.
This means that a well-designed and gradual exposure plan helps

people to deal successfully with fear. As Harry’s world shows,
students get better and better at beating Boggarts the more they
practise. It would be much harder to beat a Boggart if you’ve never
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met one or practised on one before. Even Professor Dumbledore
supports exposure therapy:
‘All this “You-Know-Who” nonsense – for eleven years I have

been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name:
Voldemort.’
– The Philosopher’s Stone, p. 14)
When Harry tries to talk about Voldemort in his first year at Hogwarts
and falters, Dumbledore gives him some sound psychological
advice:
‘Vol – I mean, You-Know-Who –’

‘Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things.
Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.’
– The Philosopher’s Stone, p. 216)
When you think about it, how can Harry, or anyone at all, overcome
something fearful, if they feel too scared to talk about it?
When feelings of fear and anxiety interfere with people’s daily lives
in significant and serious ways, then that fear is called an ‘anxiety
disorder’ or ‘phobia’. Some phobias that people experience include:
·· Agoraphobia – a strong fear of being in open spaces, like a big

Quidditch field.
·· Claustrophobia – a strong fear of being inside closed spaces, like
elevators, telephone booths or small stair cupboards.
·· Arachnophobia – a strong fear of spiders. Bumping into Aragog in
the woods would be a nightmare!
If people want to overcome strong phobias, they need to expose

themselves to their extreme fears. If people fear talking in public, the
only way to overcome that fear properly is to talk in public. That’s
effective exposure!
·· To overcome a phobia of heights, people can take action like

climbing up some stairs.
·· To overcome a phobia of crowded places, people can visit a café or
shopping centre – and stay there until their fear subsides.
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·· To overcome a phobia of snakes, people can look at pictures of
snakes, then watch snake movies, and then maybe cuddle a harmless
python.
Slow and steady steps that suit your individual needs ensure that
exposure works. Here’s a real exposure plan to help people overcome
a fear of spiders from Trevor Powell’s Mental Health Handbook:
1. Look at picture of a spider.

2. Watch a video of spider.
3. Stay in same room with spider in a jar.
4. Pick up jar with spider in it.
5. Open lid of jar and look at spider.
6. Put spider in bucket – look at it.
7. Touch spider in bucket.
8. Put spider on desk.
9. Touch spider on desk.
10. Let spider crawl on hand.
If we wanted to apply exposure therapy to Harry’s world, we could

use these steps:
1. Look at cute photos of Aragog as an egg.

2. Listen to Hagrid’s stories of nursing Aragog.
3. Have a short talk with Aragog.
4. Have a long talk with Aragog.
5. Touch Aragog’s hairy leg.
6. Pat him… on the pincers!
In case your feelings of fear ever get too overwhelming, it’s good to
know that something out there works well. And as Professor Lupin
surely knows, exposure treatment works best when:
·· People expose themselves to things they fear

·· The exposure is slow and gradual, so that people systematically
get less sensitive
·· People expose themselves to their fear often and repeatedly, and
·· People stay in the fearful situation for a while, until their feelings
of anxiety decrease and disappear
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Fear-fighting exposure helps the fear to go away and stay away.
Of course, to deal with really strong fears and phobias it is best to
have professional support, especially from a psychologist, since they
specialise in exposure treatment. Just think, you could have a fear-
fighting lesson with your very own Lupin!
Activity – X-Pose Yourself
Imagine you’re the star of a strip-tease club… stop, stop, stop! Totally wrong
idea!
Catching a cold from flashing your naked X-Rated butt isn’t effective
X-posure!
To boost your personal power, write/draw just ONE good exposure trick
that you could use to beat something that makes you feel really anxious.
EXAMPLE: “I’m too scared to talk in front of everyone. But maybe I can
develop my speaking skills if I X-Pose myself in these ways: Talking in front
of a mirror, and then to a friend.”
Stuck for ideas? Then why not X-Pose your problem to the outside world by
asking someone to help you? This will both weaken the problem and help
you to free your inner power.
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The Power of One: How far can a little act go?
‘Wingardium Leviosa!’
The club flew suddenly out of the troll’s hand, rose high, high up into the air, turned
slowly over – and dropped, with a sickening crack, on to its owner’s head.
Although the ugly troll in the girls’ toilet is twelve feet tall, furious
and stinks, it provides a knock-out message for people in the real
world. What does the toilet troll teach? That taking just one small
action is powerful.
In Harry’s world, a small levitation spell used on a wooden mace made

the difference between success or failure, escape or entrapment, and
life or death in a toilet block. When Ron pulled out his wand, “he heard
himself cry the first spell that came into his head” (The Philosopher’s
Stone, p. 130). Action, no matter how small or unimportant it seems
at the time, can deliver a-mace-ing results.
The ‘butterfly effect’ of chaos theory embraces this ‘power of one’

effect, in that a single action can change everything. If a butterfly
flaps its wings in one part of the world, this can cause a big storm in
another part. The wing-flapping produces a tiny change in the state
of the atmosphere. Over time, this causes a much larger effect. So,
one small move now can change many events later on. One simple
action has the power to cause a whole new set of possible futures and
alternate realities.
In the real world, one drive to another city changed everything for
one famous country music star. Shania Twain turned her whole life
around and upstaged hardship with her early solo act. Born to a poor
family in Canada, Twain’s childhood home often had no electricity
or enough food to eat. Her father deserted the family when she was
two years old. Speaking to an interviewer, Twain explains how one
action saved her and her whole family from a lifetime of misery:
My mother was very depressed – she wasn’t getting out of bed. I

decided that I had to convince her to take us to Toronto, where they
have a lot of good programmes for desperate families. Where we
were living in these small towns, they didn’t have anything. I was
13 then and told my mother to get in the car the next day when my
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dad was gone. I said, “All you have to do is drive.” I don’t know
why she listened to me. We drove to Toronto and went to a shelter.
We finally got fed every day.
The turning point was when Twain convinced her mother to drive
to a new city. Once in Toronto, Ms Twain got a singing job and her
mother worked as a cook in the same club. Twain often worked two
to three jobs because she was determined not to be so poor again.
She was finally on her way to a music career, happiness and a more
powerful life. Even the name Shania means: ‘I’m on my way’. Now,
Ms Twain finances charities that support poor families like the one
she came from.
As Ron’s toilet spell and a country singer’s getaway drive reveal,

power doesn’t require mighty magic or a monster motivational
makeover. One small move, in the right direction, towards a positive
goal, can be powerful. The great American leader Martin Luther King
Jr said: “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole
staircase, just take the first step.”
A poem called ‘The Power of One’ by an unknown author captures

the power of one small action perfectly:
One song can spark a moment,

One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.
One smile begins a friendship,
One hand clasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.
One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.
All it takes is one small action to get stronger, feel happier and make
your world better and brighter. One small action can go a long way,
if not all the way, and it’s all within your power.
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Activity – Stepping Out
A 1000 mile journey starts with just one step. To make a positive difference
to my world now and change my destiny for the better, one small action
I can take today/tonight is: (Draw a travelling footprint below and write
your answer inside it)
Dog
Giant
Phoenix
Homo-sapien (human)
Goblin
Cat
………………………………..
(Or conjure up your own footprint)
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Animal Attraction
Why Are Animals Awesome?
There were cats of every colour, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-
coloured furballs that were humming loudly, and, on the counter, a vast cage
of sleek black rats.
A ny gathering of fur, feathers and fangs in Harry’s world is

bound to be a striking spectacle. As this magical-creature
shop shows, Harry’s world is a zoological treasury that boasts
beasts. Animals – both real and magic species – swoop, pounce,
dive or slither from adventure to adventure. What’s more, Harry’s
world shows that beasts boost power. Some creatures heal deep
wounds. Others drive away the meanest foes. Add to this strong
scientific evidence that animals increase people’s power, and you
will soon see why animals are truly awesome – brilliant, beautiful
and empowering.
Since the earliest times, humans have been strongly attracted to

animals. Ancient cave-dwellers believed that everything in the
universe possesses a ‘spirit’ – especially animal life. After all, animals
eat, sleep, breathe, struggle and love – just like we do. According to
the Encyclopedia of Magic and Witchcraft, the very first magicians in the
world were called “Shamans”. They formed close and collaborative
bonds with beasts, wheeling and dealing with animal spirits. Early
magicians used their local knowledge to find different animals for
food, tools, skins or company. A powerful shaman of a tribe, for
example, might have been able to summon a certain animal to him or
her, like a bear or a buffalo, if he or she had ‘been’ that animal before.
Shamans sought to understand animals, draw strength from their
behaviour, and converse with them. By communicating respectfully
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with the animal kingdom – meditating, chanting, singing or dancing
– our ancestors increased their power to survive and thrive in a tough
and unpredictable world. These old shamanic beliefs prompted ideas
about spirit animals and the Animagi magicians in Harry’s world.
In line with ancient wisdom, Harry’s world respects animals as

spiritual beings. In her very first Divination class, the mystical
Professor Trelawney introduces students to a strange spirit animal:
‘The Grim… The giant spectral dog that haunts churchyards.’

…
‘I don’t think it looks like a Grim,’ Hermione said flatly.
Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike.
‘You’ll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little
aura around you.’
When Hermione initially dismisses the idea of a ghost dog and plays
down animal spirituality, Trelawney delivers a divine warning: close
your mind and deny a possible spirit side to animals, and your own
spiritual power could suffer. In Hermione’s case, Trelawney detects
a weak aura, a sign of an under-developed spiritual state.
Just as Professor Trelawney believes in animal spirits, some of the

most mysterious cultures in the world admire animals in sacred
ways. The oldest living culture on earth upholds the spiritual power
of animals to this very day:
No matter what sort of animal, bird or snake

All animal same like us.
That spirit, always with us.
Listen carefully.
And this spirit… you will feel it.
A wise Aboriginal elder – Australia’s Kakadu Man, Bill Neidje –

shares a 40,000-year-old story about people, animals and the spirit
we all share. According to Aboriginal culture, once upon a dreamlike
time before time, only powerful animal spirits roamed the earth.
Aboriginal people explain that these animals travelled far and wide
forming the land, everything in it and the laws of nature. Since the
earth still carries these original stories, people can – if they look, listen
and act carefully – communicate with mammals, birds, reptiles, fish
and even insects. Just as owls deliver mail in Harry’s world, every
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animal in the real world has power, meaning and an important
message to help us.
What makes animals even more awesome? Besides their supernatural

powers, people have increased their personal power by respecting the
‘super natural’ abilities of animals. For thousands of years, humans
have desired to have those animal abilities that they themselves do
not possess. Who has not wanted to fly in the sky like a bird or swim
under water like a fish? Furthermore, people have always wanted to
improve on abilities that they do share with animals, but that animals
express so much better. A human can run, for example, but a wild
horse runs much, much faster. A person can jump, but nowhere near
as high as a lean, long-legged deer. People who notice or emulate
positive animal qualities are much more likely to learn, prosper and
be more powerful.
What beastly powers might a person, shaman, magician or Animagus

in Harry’s world desire? Below, a snapshot of different animals from
different areas of the world, and their awesome abilities, shows
exactly why it would be so powerful to be a certain creature:
Ant – the most awesome ability of the ant is its social behaviour.
Biologically programmed to care for and cooperate with each other,
ants are the most sociable organism on the planet. If Dumbledore’s
Army of magicians is anything like a highly evolved army of ants, it
will be a powerful force indeed.
Bat – nothing can beat a bat’s power of detection. A bat’s hearing

is so sensitive that it can detect an insect’s footstep. A bat fires off
sound waves from its throat, and then uses its own echo to navigate
the night without error or effort. In Harry’s world, “a thousand
live bats fluttered from the walls” and “swooped over the tables
in low black clouds” in Hogwarts Castle on Halloween night (The
Philosopher’s Stone, p. 127). Were they ‘Detective’ Bats, helping out
the Security Trolls, perhaps?
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Dragonfly – this harmless insect has close links with the magic
realm. Able to live in water (as larvae) as well as in air (as a
winged adult), dragonflies have the power to transform. When
dragonflies hover, their wings make a low hum or droning sound.
According to psychologist Dr Doreen Virtue, these calm vibrations
clean, neutralise and transform harmful energy in the air. Also,
psychology studies show that people who listen to calm music and
drum rhythms, or who repeat nice words to themselves, can clear
the mind of unsettled and intrusive thoughts. These top meditation
tricks transform stressful and unpleasant psychological states into
peaceful and pleasant ones. The wise Dumbledore, who loves
humming to himself, is surely applying this powerful psychological
strategy.
Newt – it makes magical sense that newts are linked to Nastily

Exhausting Wizard Tests in Harry’s world. The newt, a small lizard,
is a traditional magic creature. Three witches threw an eye of newt
into their bubbling cauldron in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. In
magic, the newt symbolises the ability to focus and concentrate,
which is exactly what Hogwarts students need to do if they want to
pass their N.E.W.T. exams.
Octopus – is a marine master of camouflage. Not only can the

octopus change colour, it ejects coloured ink into the water if
threatened. In 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, science fiction writer
Jules Verne described a giant squid camouflaging itself: “The beast
ejected a black stream of liquid. We were blinded with it. When
the cloud had disappeared, the cuttlefish had vanished from sight,
and with it my wretched countryman. Ten or twelve poulps now
invaded the platform and sides of our vessel. We rolled pell-mell
into the midst of this nest of snakes that was wallowing in waves
of blood and ink.” Had the giant squid in Goblet of Fire released its
murky ink into the black lake, Dennis Creevey (the boy who fell into
the water) may never have been found!
Snake – many cultures have feared and revered snakes for centuries.
Since snakes bite, strike, squeeze or poison their prey to death,
they have developed a reputation for being aggressive. Slytherin
students, whose house bears the sign of the snake, often show
unhealthy aggression – they can be rude, arrogant and downright
bossy. Of course, if someone wants to squash your head with a
shovel, then snaky Slytherin aggression can be a bonus behaviour.
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Wolf – just as Professor Remus Lupin, with his wolvish name and
features, bonds with the Potters and helps to nurture Harry, the
wolf’s power lies in its ability to nurture, bond with others and
form sincere relationships. The wolf’s message: you will be more
powerful if you stick with the pack. The wolf is sacred to the native
people of North America and features in the Indian Medicine
Wheel. It is said that when brave warriors die, their souls turn into
wolves. The wolf’s eerie call of the wild beckons us to run free with
the group, making the wolf nature’s most awesome howler.
As these amazing animals from the land, sea and sky suggest, every
living creature on the planet has awesome abilities that have ruled
human hearts since the dawn of time.
Animal attraction lives on in pop music. In their ‘Animal Song’, the

Brisbane pop group Savage Garden sings about a strong desire to be
just like the animals:
I want to live like animals

Careless and free like animals
The power of animals always keeps calling to us, inviting us to live

a free and happy life.
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Activity – My Awesome Animal
Describe an awesome animal (a real or magical creature) that you really

admire and relate to. In your opinion, what makes your animal so
awesome?
An awesome animal I really admire:
Briefly describe your animal’s three most admirable abilities or features
1.
2.
3.
Finished? Good, read on.
This activity uses a psychological technique called ‘projection’, which is

supposed to reveal special things about you.
The animal you chose is supposed to represent your most positive image
of yourself.
The abilities/features that you have just described above point to qualities
that you strongly admire in yourself or desire to develop.
EXAMPLE: If you said you really admire lions because they are 1) confident,
2) independent and 3) rule their territory well, then this suggests that you
too value self-confidence, independence and feelings of personal control
in your own life. Who knows, you might have the so-called ‘big heart’ of a
lion as well.
If you want to free your inner power, you might need to shape up and
showcase your lion-like confidence and independence as much as possible.
Don’t just purr a little – ROAR!
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Shape-Shifting: What It Feels Like
‘Of course he’s a rat –‘

‘No, he’s not,’ said Lupin quietly. ‘He’s a wizard.’
‘An Animagus,’ said Black, ‘by the name of Peter Pettigrew.’
In Harry’s world, an Animagus is a magician who can change into

an animal. This term blends the word animal with the word magus,
which is Latin for “wizard”. As Professor Lupin explains, the Ministry
of Magic keeps “a register showing what animal they become, and
their markings and things” (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 257). By shifting
their human shape into a particular animal, magicians can gain
the unique abilities and qualities that belong to that animal, which
increases their personal power to overcome challenges.
Of course, Harry’s world includes some important Animagi:
Peter Pettigrew – is a magician who can turn himself into a rat named
Scabbers. The rat is a suitable animal for Peter to emulate as a spy
for the bad side, because this fits with the rat’s reputation in Western
culture as a cunning and corrupt creature. However, it may also help
to remember that rats are actually clever, skilful and sweet animals
who, just like us, are trying to survive in a world we all share.
Minerva McGonagall – the senior mistress of magic can change herself

into a tabby cat. Certainly, cats are favourite familiars (traditional
magic creatures) of witches, especially black cats. In the shape of a
cat, McGonagall can prowl Privet Drive with ease.
Sirius Black – a good friend of the Potter family, Sirius Black can
transform into a black dog. Even the name Sirius happens to be the
name of a bright star in the sky known as ‘the dog star’. Disguised as
a dog, Sirius can roam freely in Harry’s world, guiding and protecting
his closest friends.
James Potter – Harry’s father can shift himself into the shape of a
stag. The nickname Prongs refers to the two antlers that grow out of a
stag’s head, which do look like a big pair of prongs. As a stag, Harry’s
dad could easily leap to safety and outrun dangerous enemies.
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Rita Skeeter – the smallest Animagus in Harry’s world may also be
the most cleverly crafted. As a nosy journalist who can change herself
into a “large, fat beetle” (Goblet of Fire, p. 631), both Rita’s name
and behaviour have special animal meanings. When Rita adopts
the shape of a small insect, she can listen to private conversations
without being noticed. In myth and magic, the beetle represents
renewal through decomposition because beetles change raw material
into new material. The dung beetle is famed for changing manure
into nesting material. Along the same lines, Rita the beetle collects
information for her stories, and then turns this raw material into a
new product she calls ‘news’. As gross as it sounds, just like a dung
beetle, Rita makes an awfully good living preparing dung.
Just like the Animagi in Harry’s world, powerful animal shape-

shifters also abound in the real world. The most important Animagi
in medieval Europe were witches. They excelled at shifting between
different guises. According to the Encyclopaedia of Magic and Witch-
craft, the witch is a powerful shape-shifter who:
Almost always has the ability to change shape or cause others to

be turned into other beings. By changing her form or substance she
can appear in human form, as an animal or as a feeling of anxiety or
horror; she also has the capacity to become invisible and to fly often
on a broom, as a ball of fire or as a night bird to meetings.
Ancient Irish Celts were also into animal magic. A book called
Celtic Spirituality explains that nature-loving Augurs (wise men and
women) were:
Master shapeshifters, changing into the animal forms of the raven,

wolf, eagle, or deer. The gift of metamorphosis, or shapeshifting,
was a particular shared talent of the Druids. Legend tells that
ancient Druid Craftmasters used their magic power of faet fiada,
which literally means “the appearance of a wild animal”.
A very cheeky medieval shape-shifter starred in William Shakes-

peare’s play about magic and fairies. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
a forest sprite named Puck remarks:
I’ll lead you about, around,

Through bog, through bush, through brake, through briar:
Sometimes a horse I’ll be, sometimes a hound.
A hog, a headless bear, sometime a fire.
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Once Puck used fairy magic to change a man’s head into that of a
donkey, which proved to be a shocking sight indeed. Similarly, Victor
Krum in Harry’s world could change his head into a shark.
What might it feel like to shape-shift from a human into an animal

in Harry’s world? After swallowing some magic gillyweed, Harry
undergoes an extraordinary transformation:
Harry clapped his hands around his throat, and felt two large slits
just below his ears, flapping in the cold air… he had gills. Without
pausing to think… he flung himself forwards into the water.
The first gulp of icy lake water felt like the breath of life… He
stretched out his hands in front of him and stared at them. They
looked green and ghostly under the water, and they had become
webbed. He twisted around and looked at his bare feet – they had
become elongated… as though he had sprouted flippers.
The water didn’t feel icy any more, either… he felt pleasantly cool,
and very light.
Growing gills and long webbed feet enabled Harry to swim easily
underwater.
In the real world, research in psychology shows that people who

imagine themselves being powerful animals boost their personal
power considerably. A psychological technique called ‘visualisation’
– creating positive images in the mind – is one method that helps
people to feel happier, healthier and more powerful. Some remarkable
evidence shows that cancer patients have cured or at the least
slowed down the growth of their cancer simply by imagining animal
adventures. Ursula Markham’s book on visualisation describes
one cancer patient who cured her cancer by imagining an animal
tournament happening inside her body. A woman with cancer
pictured knights riding on white horses (healthy white blood cells)
fighting and defeating harmful fire-breathing dragons (cancer cells).
This animal adventure got the woman to think positively, which
experts say helped her to beat cancer.
According to Dr Aubrey Fine, a leading animal therapy expert,

people can empower themselves dramatically when they think about
a fast horse, a strong lion or birds in flight. When people conjure
up powerful animal images in their minds or talk about awesome
animal abilities during therapy, they boost their power to solve
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problems and resolve emotional distress. Thinking about a “majestic
eagle soaring freely” or “the beauty in the flight of a flock of birds”
are powerful ways to put yourself in a calm, confident and creative
mood, says Dr Fine.
An excellent example of using animals to boost feelings of freedom

and confidence in the real world is Kelly Clarkson’s uplifting song
‘Breakaway’. The song evokes the image of a bird in flight, a powerful
vision that encourages people to break free from problems and boring
lifestyles:
I’ll spread my wings

And I’ll learn how to fly
I’ll do what it takes
Until I touch the sky
Even the world of sport has filched animal power. “Mighty Richmond
Tigers!” “Brave Footscray Bulldogs!” “Good ol’ Collingwood
Magpies!” Australian Rules Football teams use and embellish
powerful animal images to boost the sporty spirit and performance
of their players.
Why not free your imagination and boost your personal power by
trying some Animagus-style magic yourself? Acquire and admire
your very own animal associate…
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Activity – Do-It-Yourself Shape-Shifting
If you are worried, feeling down, or you just want to lift your mood or confidence a
bit, why not connect to an animal in your imagination for a while, and see how you
feel? After all, if you really want to succeed at something, first you must see yourself
being successful in your imagination, just like top athletes do.
A good time to find an animal that’s right for you is when you’re in bed and ready for
sleep, as your body will be relaxed and your mind more open to creative suggestion.
Clear your head of worries and inner chatter. In your mind, picture yourself standing
in front of a still and silent lake. Let your whole body absorb the lake’s positive
and calm energy. As you look beyond the sparkling surface of the lake into its dark
and mysterious depths, ask for your powerful animal to reveal itself to you. Say
something in your mind like:
“I, ………..........….. (say your name), respectfully invite the animal deemed to be my
best guide to come forth and share his or her wisdom and power with me. May we
forge a true and trusty alliance, helping each other to be happier, healthier and more
powerful.”
Focus on this idea, keeping your mind clear of other thoughts. Make sure your heart
is sending out loving feelings, as spirit animals tend to shy away from negative
or unsettled energy. As you gaze into the darkness, an animal, maybe not clearly
formed yet, may appear. First, a pair of eyes. Then, a face and body. Your special
animal could be a mammal, bird, reptile, insect or something else. Notice the details
about this animal. What sort of eyes does it have? Are they bright, dark or soft? Is
your animal covered in feathers, fur or scales? Does it have a tail? Be sure to notice
your animal’s behaviour. Is your animal quiet, lively, friendly or fiercely protective?
Maybe the head is held high with pride, the tail is swishing happily or the animal is
crouched low – ready to pounce on an important goal.
Imagine yourself absorbing the power and personality of your animal, and going
on an important journey as that animal. Maybe you see yourself galloping across an
open field, soaring high above the cliffs or swimming under the water… whatever
you want to experience! Never be afraid – anytime you want to stop racing, flying or
swimming, simply look for the magic lake and imagine yourself standing back at its
tranquil edge once again. You never know… maybe your animal has left a message
for you to boost your feelings of confidence and well-being. Is there a special word,
picture or sign on the ground at the edge of the lake? Use this message to guide
yourself meaningfully should a special challenge arise in the future.
When all is done, bow before your new friend, humbly thank him or her for the
great experience you’ve just had, and set your animal free to the eternal safety of
the magic lake.
From now on, you will always have a special bond together as you have joined
forces with this animal and have discovered what it feels like to be one.
This activity was kindly co-written and shifted into shape with help from Erik Gorton,
Secretary for Animal Liberation Victoria.
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Whether you shape-shift into an animal as a magician or summon
animal power through meditation, one thing is for sure. Nothing else
comes close to that shape-shifting feeling.
Classic Magic Creatures
Students may bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

Why must Hogwarts students bring animals like the owl or cat or
toad? Not only are these animals familiar to us, they also happen to
be famous familiars. A ‘familiar’ is a traditional magic creature.
In medieval Europe, some animals were seen to be favourite familiars

of witches, wizards and great magicians. These classic magical
creatures also appear in Harry’s world:
·· Owls
·· Bats
·· Cats
·· Rats
·· Ravens
·· Snakes
·· Spiders
·· Toads
In the Middle Ages, most people believed that these animals had magic
powers. Cats, for example, were said to have the power to find lost
objects, diagnose illnesses and remove poison from humans. Other
creatures, such as owls and ravens, were said to perform Divination
– just like Professor Trelawney predicts things – or summon storms
as did the ancient gods. In return for performing magical services,
witches would reward their animals. A delicious food treat, like cake
or fruit, was never wasted. Many people who practised magic and
medicine had great love and respect for their precious familiars,
regarding them not only as equals, but as friends.
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Favourite Magic Creatures
Where in Harry Potter’s World? Magic Powers A Message to Increase Your Power...
Owls – provide a postal service. Knowledge

O A large tawny owl – is the first creature to appear in the books. It
Wisdom
W flew past the window at the Dursleys. Owls have powerful eyesight, excellent hearing, and super-silent flight. If
L Eyelops Emporium – a magic shop that sells owls. Divination you concentrate – just like a swift and silent owl does – you too will see
Hedwig – Harry’s snowy owl, named after a saint. Prophecy things more clearly and grasp your goals, despite the daunting shadows
Hermes, Pigwidgeon, Errol – messenger owls that live with the Visionary power around you and the darkness of night.
Weasley family. Happy hunting!
Communication
Quotes: ‘Hoot!’ Healing
Perception
Crookshanks – Hermione’s fluffy ginger cat.
Cleverness
C Mrs Norris – a scrawny cat with bright bulging eyes. Cats have superior vision. And their eyes change appearance when light
A Snowy, Tufty, and Mr Paws are cats that Harry’s neighbour Mrs Communication strikes them from different angles. It is said that this allows cats to see
T Figgs adores. Independence through deception and disguises in life, just as Crookshanks can see
Professor McGonagoll – is a powerful witch who can change Healing through disguises. If you strive to observe things carefully from different
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herself into a tabby cat. angles, you are bound to maximise your powers of sight and insight.
Protection
Quotes: ‘Meow!’ Flight
Curiosity
Scabbers – a fat, grey rat that has lived with the Weasley family. Cleverness
R Some people might trash your world and violate your space, but remember,
A Peter Pettigrew – a treacherous wizard who disguised himself as Productivity these are the very conditions in which the smart, industrious, and
T a rat. Disease adaptable city rat excels. From the rubble and the rubbish, the slick rebel
Destruction rat rises to power.
Quotes: ‘Squeak!’
Ravenclaw – is a wise Hogwarts House, whose students show ‘a Pure Magic

R ready mind’, ‘wit’, and ‘learning.’ Knowledge
A Rowena Ravenclaw – founded Ravenclaw, one of four Hogwarts All birds are messengers in folklore but only ravens carry magic. Within the
V houses. Prophecy darkness of their glossy black feathers, ravens embrace deep mystery. It is
E Ravens appear in some magic lessons, cawing loudly. Protection here – in the mysterious black void – that you will find your best ideas and
N Communication most inspiring messages to brighten and colour your world.
Raven quotes: ‘Caw!’ Healing
S A boa constrictor from Brazil appeared at the zoo.
N The basilisk – is a deadly mythical serpent. Transformation
A Nagini – Voldemort’s snake.
Renewal Even if you must crawl along the ground because you cannot stand or
K Parselmouth – a person who can speak with snakes.
Reincarnation walk anymore and you are as low as you can go, don’t despair. Just like
E Slytherin House – has a serpent on its Coat of Arms.
a snake, use your sharp senses to monitor activity and good vibes in your
Voldmemort – has strong links with snakes. He controls the Healing surroundings, aiming only for those things that will help you to thrive. Then,
Basilisk, drinks Nagini’s venom, and his followers have snake Aggression when you feel ready – strike and succeed.
tattoos.
Danger
Quotes: ‘Thanksss Amigo!’
The spider is the first creature that Harry has contact with in the
S story. Harry sleeps with them in his stair cupboard and pulls them Creativity
P out of his socks. Chemistry Spiders can help us to win big battles in life. When a Scottish hero
I Aragog – a giant spider in the Forbidden Forest. Intelligence named Robert Bruce was feeling down and despondent in his cave, he
D What’s the answer to the Sphinx’s riddle? ‘Spider’ – a creature you watched the persistent and patient efforts of a spider weave its web.
Industry
E wouldn’t want to kiss. This convinced him to keep fighting against enemy soldiers. Our creative
R Tarantallegra – a dancing spell in Harry’s world, named after the Aggression powers, especially when combined with spider-like determination, help us
tarantula spider. Luck to triumph.
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Life Cycle
Quotes: ‘Click’ go the pincers. ‘Click, click, click.’
Magic
Trevor is a toad that belongs to Neville Longbottom. Alchemy
T Although the toad is famed for producing hallucinogenic poisons in its skin
Transformation and is an “A List” guest at witch festivals, the main message of this creature
O Trevor was a gift from Neville’s Great Uncle Algie.
Transition (which many people view as ugly) is that real beauty is found on the inside.
A Get it? Toads live in dark damp places, where ‘algae’ grows. Still, Trevor could look really cool dressed in a tie and tiara – warts and all!
D Protection
Quotes: ‘Croak!’ Life Cycle
Hidden Beauty
In Harry’s world, there’s one character who loves animals and gets
familiar with just about any familiar or unfamiliar beast: the Care of
Magical Creatures teacher, Hagrid. His animal friends have included
freshly hatched dragons, unicorns, hippogriffs, giant spiders,
skrewts, flobberworms, nifflers and dogs – one-headed and three-
headed varieties! Hagrid doesn’t condemn animals just because they
bite, sting, scratch or poison. He seems to appreciate that animals are
naturally geared to do these things in order to survive and protect
themselves, and he cares for all creatures, great and small. This makes
Hagrid a giant animal ambassador. And just like Hagrid, people
everywhere in the world today are bonding really affectionately with
animals in ways that boost their power.
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Beasts Boost Power
‘Phoenix tears…’ said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry’s arm. ‘Of course… healing
powers…’
I n Harry’s world, tears from a magic bird healed a wound on

Harry’s arm. This is an excellent example showing how beasts
can boost power.
What about the real world?

Do hoots help?
Can meows mend?
Is hissing healthy?
Will croaks cure?
Do squeaks soothe?
As a matter of fact, a growing body of research in psychology is

finding that animals increase people’s power in important and
incredible ways.
Fantastic Friends
Harry walked across the dark room, past Hedwig’s large, empty cage… he hoped
she’d be back soon. She was the only living creature in this house who didn’t flinch
at the sight of him.
In this scene a white snowy owl is Harry’s only friend. As Harry’s

world shows, humans get great comfort and strength from animals
with whom they share their lives. Some popular animals that people
care for in the real world are cats, dogs, rats, fish, tortoises, snakes,
birds, spiders, rabbits, horses, camels and many more. All around the
world, animals everywhere, every day, increase people’s personal
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power. Leading animal experts prefer not to use the term ‘pet’
because this implies that humans own animals as possessions. Do
your parents own you? No. Does your girlfriend or boyfriend own
you? No. Does your boss own you? No way. So, why should we own
animals? It’s much more powerful to think of animals as our friends,
companions and equals, especially because they really, truly are.
Scientific studies show that animal companions benefit people’s

physical health in important ways. For example, animals can:
·· Calm physical reactions in the body

·· Reduce cardiovascular disease – people experience fewer heart
and blood pressure problems
·· Decrease palliative illness – less risk of cancer forming and
growing
·· Quicken recovery rates in hospital
·· Keep people exercised and active
·· Reduce feelings of loneliness, stress and boredom
·· Help people to feel happier
·· Redirect anger in positive ways
·· Provide comfort, support and friendship
That’s right! People who share their lives with animals and care
well for them are physically healthier and emotionally happier than
people without animal friends. According to Australian research
psychologist Jill Charker, simply looking at a fish swim around in
a bowl of water lowers a person’s pulse rate. Some recent research
on fish has found that placing aquariums in private homes and in
hospitals stimulates human appetite and reduces aggression in
people who need constant nursing care. Go, Nemo!
Animal companions not only provide people with something

interesting and lively to look at, they also stimulate other senses.
A really important one is touch; touching a friendly animal has the
potential to lower stress. This is something that Harry finds out when
he bonds with a phoenix:
‘’Lo, Fawkes,’ said Harry quietly. He stroked the phoenix’s beautiful

scarlet and gold plumage. Fawkes blinked peacefully up at him.
There was something comforting about his warm weight.
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The act of touching and stroking a bird like Fawkes comforts Harry
greatly. This activity promotes emotional healing because it’s sociable,
pleasurable and relaxing.
Speaking of birds, do you know how far beaks boost power in the
real world? According to a remarkable report, one feathered animal
settled down a whole institute of disturbed people. That’s right! A
special centre in Washington is supposed to be treating young people
with serious behaviour problems… except there aren’t any problems
every second Saturday. This is because children aged six to twelve
years are looking forward to a visit from their special friends: dogs,
cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. But the star of the show is Pickles – a
black Indian mynah bird with fierce orange eyes just like Buckbeak.
Pickles talks to the children, nibbles their clothes and buttons and
preens their hair. When Pickles isn’t working with people, she
cruises around in cars, listens to music and sings Italian opera for
her church.
As well as sight and touch, animal noises can also calm and soothe
humans. When budgies chirp, cats purr or wild dolphins splash
around at sea, these happy animal sounds comfort people. The call
of one creature gave Harry so much support that it helped him to
deal much better with a painful trauma:
The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air,
and Harry felt as though a drop of hot liquid had slipped down his
throat into his stomach, warming him, and strengthening him.
Harry felt devastated after Voldemort murdered his school friend. But
the sweet sound of Fawkes the phoenix soothed Harry considerably.
This excellent example from Harry’s world illustrates just how
profoundly animals can help our health.
Animal Therapy Adventures
They wandered down to the lake and flopped under a tree. The Weasley twins and
Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the
warm shallows.
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In the real world, the chances of finding a magic octopus’s garden in
the shade like this one are pretty slim. But if you call ‘AAA’ – Animal-
Assisted Activities – you will definitely get something interesting.
An animal-assisted activity, or AAA, is an activity where an animal
assists a human. AAA animals give aid to people who are unwell,
injured, live alone or have special needs. In psychology, a formal
definition of AAA says that it offers “opportunities for motivational,
educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance
quality of life”.
A good example of AAA is when a person brings a dog to visit a

lonely person in an aged care home to say hello. Another example
is when a human brings a rabbit to a child care centre to play with
young children. All sorts of cute and cuddly critters have assisted
humans in these ways. This includes dogs, cats, rats, guinea pigs,
rabbits, birds and horses.
AAA animals boost personal power in many different areas of life:
·· Emotion
·· Communication
·· Confidence
·· Friendship
·· Awareness of surroundings
·· Sensitivity to feelings of others
·· Physical coordination
·· Social skills
·· Spiritual fulfilment
·· Fun
In the real world, a dog called John, for example, helps to cheer up
sick children at hospital:
In the Royal Children’s Hospital orthopaedics ward yesterday, a

visit from therapy dog John lifted their spirits. For eight-year-old
Robert, who was awaiting surgery to have a plate inserted on a hip
fracture as a result of Perthes’ disease, John’s visit took the edge off
a tense time. (Herald Sun, 31 July 2004)
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John is a ‘therapy dog’ who has been visiting sick children for years.
He is part of an Australian program called Visiting Pets as Therapy.
This program involves volunteers who take their pets to hospitals
and nursing homes around the city of Melbourne. Scientific evidence
shows that hospital patients who interact with animals get better
sooner.
In another AAA program, Delta Society Dogs visit a different

children’s hospital. A work experience student, Emma, joined these
dogs during their ward rounds at hospital. She noticed that sick
children “greeted them with such excitement and enthusiasm. Some
of the dogs could do tricks making the children smile and laugh,
which is a medicine in itself”.
In an important book, the Handbook of Animal-Assisted Therapy, Dr

Lynette Hart, of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University
of California, reviewed many studies where animals boosted well-
being. For example, some research demonstrated that looking at
fish swimming in an aquarium in a dentist’s waiting room reduced
the stress levels of people who were waiting for dental treatment.
Another study showed that people with Alzheimer’s disease were
a lot less agitated at home if they had regular contact with animals,
compared to home-bound patients who had none. Animals were
found to calm down children with attention and behaviour problems
too. Some research found that contact with animals reduced feelings
of anxiety for hospitalised psychiatric patients who were suffering
from psychotic illness.
Let me tell you a story about a young man I know, who I will call
‘Ben’. Ben had a major psychotic illness and attended a mental health
centre where I worked. Due to the severe nature of his illness, Ben
showed very little emotion and he was very withdrawn. He never
looked anyone in the eyes or talked to anyone. When Ben came to
the centre, he just walked through the door, right past the reception
desk, and sat down in a lonely corner of the waiting room. One day,
however, Ben spotted something new – a small green parrot with
blue wings. Next time when I came down to take Ben up to my office,
the reception staff waved me over to them. Excitedly, they told me
that Ben had come right up to the reception desk – something he had
never done before. Ben approached staff himself to ask about this
funny green bird with a black face just like Zorro’s. “Dr Sykley, is that
your bird?” Ben asked. “Yes,” I replied. “Her name is ‘Jamaica’.” “Oh,
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she’s pretty. Can I hold her?” So I opened the cage and put Jamaica
on Ben’s hand. Ben kept still so as not to frighten her. Then, Ben did
something I had never seen before – he smiled. Jamaica climbed
up his arm and perched on his shoulder just as the Consultant
Psychiatrist walked past. “Oh, you have a new friend, Ben? That’s
good.” Ben smiled a bit more. And when Jamaica performed her
tricks – like waving hello with her foot and pulling toy cars across
the floor – everyone at the centre stopped and smiled. Over the next
few weeks, Ben attended every therapy group. He did not miss any
medical appointments and he took his medicine every day – just so
that he could see Jamaica. A friendly little parrot boosted the power
of a person with a debilitating mental illness. Sometimes, the best
therapy in the world for a lonely, hurt or unwell person is powerful
animal healing.
Fierce and Fluffy Crime-Stoppers
‘This cat isn’t mad,’ said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked
Crookshanks’s fluffy head. ‘He’s the most intelligent of his kind I’ve ever met. He
recognised Peter for what he was straight away. And when he met me, he knew I was
no dog.’
A cat in Harry’s world beats crime – thrice. First, Crookshanks proves

Sirius Black innocent. Second, the cat reveals the identity of the real
criminal – Peter Pettigrew. Third, the cat comforts Sirius Black – a
person who has spent an awfully long time in a bleak custodial
environment. Dishevelled and estranged, a social outcast from a
correctional centre run by demented prison officers, Sirius Black’s
real jailbreak comes when he bonds instantly and tenderly with a
fuzzy orange creature. Sirius seems calm and content as he strokes
the fluffy head of a large ginger cat.
Just as Crookshanks demonstrates that he can ease stress for prisoners

in Harry’s world, animals are helping to soothe and settle prisoners
in the real world. A variety of animals are bonding with people who,
for many years, have lived separately from the rest of society. Even
more remarkable, animals are helping people behind bars to change
their behaviour for the better. Slowly but surely, many fierce, fluffy,
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cute and crazy animals are pawing, purring or pecking their way into
the lives of people who have never had a friend before. Animals are
restoring trust, encouraging healthy habits and as a result, reducing
the risk of criminal behaviour. Animals seem to have an uncanny
ability to help, heal and empower even the most unresponsive and
seriously disturbed individuals, including troubled offenders. Why
do creatures lead the way as effective crime-stoppers?
·· Animals get people involved in positive activities

·· Animals develop people’s emotional and social skills
·· Animals have a calming effect
·· Animals teach people to respect and value life
Should all serious offenders be viewed as hopeless and untreatable

cases? Not at all. A growing body of evidence provides considerable
scientific proof that animals can and do help offenders to be healthier,
happier and less dangerous.
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Rhino Rescue
‘I fell in!’ he said shrilly… ‘It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me
and pushed me back in the boat!’
‘Cool!’ said Colin, just as excitedly. ‘It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!’
When Dennis falls into the lake, a sea-monster saves him. Whilst meeting
a magic mollusc the size of a submarine is highly unlikely in real life, some
people are having incredible life-changing experiences with other unusual
creatures.
Consider a black beauty like Bahkita. She is a rare Black Rhinoceros who
lives at the Western Plains Zoo in Australia. Thanks very much to a group
of low security offenders, Bakhita has a great new home. The New South
Wales Department of Corrective Services teamed up with the Zoological
Parks Board. The result? Rhino rescue! A small group of prisoners working
in mobile outreach teams visited the zoo. They modified Bahkita’s living
space and resurfaced the ground to make it more rhino-friendly. Now
Bakhita’s home is much more “comfortable [and] should encourage natural
behaviour like rolling and creating mud wallows,” said the Minister for
Justice, Tony Kelly. Gracing the cover of a magazine, Bakhita looks quite
content as she munches on some juicy leaves. Thanks, fellas! But wait.
Who’s really rescuing who? While prisoners were repairing and renovating
Bakhita’s naturalistic home, this one-horned one-off – a creature said to have
inspired the legend of the unicorn – was boosting the skills, confidence and
empathy of the prisoners.
This true crime-fighting story has an empowering message. When

we help animals, everyone wins. Even unwell or tough offenders
(who some say are untreatable and beyond repair) have boosted
their personal power when they connected to creatures. Forensic
rehabilitation studies provide strong evidence that prisoners who
look after animals develop healthier and happier views about life.
“Prisoners who had been written off as unmanageable troublemakers
are finding new meaning to their lives,” says Steve Robertson, Parks
and Wildlife Services of Tasmania, a co-manager of programs that let
prisoners rehabilitate injured birds of prey. Animals boost optimism,
compassion, care skills and more, turning a person’s life around
completely.
Introducing animals into prisons may be the most impressive and

significant of all human-animal interaction.
(Professor Leo Bustad, Compassion: Our Last Great Hope)
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Why are animals such powerful crime-stoppers? I posit that beasts
beat crime on the inside – twice. First, animals get to go inside a top
secret prison world, past many physical barriers like the steel gates,
razor wire and securely locked doors. Second, animals get past even
tougher psychological barriers. They get inside a person’s head and
heart. Animals can change what people think, feel, do and value –
they strengthen inner power. Forensic psychologists call criminal
attitudes and anti-social behaviours ‘dynamic risk factors’. These
risky factors are dynamic because they can change. If people want
to, they can modify their thoughts and behaviours. When offenders
form close bonds with animals, the animals help to shape and shift
unhealthy criminal behaviour. Animals deactivate destructive habits
and they get through negative psychological build-up in emotionally
damaged individuals. Slowly and steadily, every pat, stroke or tickle
from an animal soothes deep hurt, chips away at hardened hatred,
neutralises noxious thinking and acts as an antidote for anger.
Animals can often reach many ‘hard to get to’ and ‘never before
touched’ places in the minds and hearts of people who have never
before experienced a healthy emotional relationship. Whether it’s a
fish tank or a possum pen next to a prison bed, animals are around for
support 24/7 – whereas people usually are not. As for baby animals
who need 24-hour care themselves and frequent feeding sessions,
studies show that these set-ups have improved behaviour even in
the most violent offenders. Animals teach toughened individuals to
respect and value life. A single peck can infiltrate the hardest emotions
that years of sticky-beak therapy may not.
Animals may be one of the most powerful ways to stop violence and
hate crimes in the real world. Professor Leo Bustad argues that people
are born to care and have a natural drive to nurture. If people haven’t
been nurtured well themselves or don’t have anything to care about,
then they struggle to adjust or be healthy. Animals are powerful
crime-stoppers because they teach people to consider the needs of
others. Prisoners who helped to care for animals at the Lotus Glen
Correctional Centre in Queensland, for example, reported feeling
happier and behaved less aggressively than prisoners not involved
in animal activities. Making wooden bush boxes for wild owls to
nest in and growing the right gum leaves for koalas to eat are just
two inventive animal-related projects this prison has started. Animal
programs develop valuable psychological powers because helping
animals has much more meaning than washing dishes or scrubbing
floors. As one offender once told me, “helping animals is different
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because it gets you to think and feel”. When people do something for
the greater good, they feel good – and that’s a really powerful way to
change behaviour for the better, for longer.
Perhaps the most special theory to explain why beasts beat crime is
one that credits the animals. Despite their fierce growls, steely talons
and gnashing teeth, animals are a lot less threatening than people.
“Shut up or I’ll smack you in the mouth”, “You’re hopeless, you
don’t do anything right” and “Why did you do that for, you bloody
idiot?” are things that you will never hear an animal say to a human.
Emotional bonds with animals are 100% abuse-free. Only one animal
– humans – inflicts widespread and deliberate emotional cruelty.
“As nonjudgmental, inexhaustible, fountains of love and loyalty,
animals were natural vehicles for penetrating the shell surrounding
the disturbed, the isolated, the mentally or physically disabled,”
says Dr Bernard Rollin. Since animals are innocent and do not have
malicious intentions, they activate our own uncorrupted innocence.
Animals treat us how we want to be treated, which brings out the best
in everyone. Fierce or fluffy, feathered or fanged, animals promote
healthy behaviour as top crime-stoppers.
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Top Creature Care
How Do Animals Feel?
‘Years ago,’ said Aragog fretfully… ‘They believed that I was the monster
that dwells in what they call the Chamber of Secrets.’
A lthough Aragog is hairy, scary and dangerous, he frets.

Blamed for killing a girl, kicked out of a castle cupboard and
then banished to live in the forest, such appalling treatment
would traumatise any monster-sized arachnid into ‘people-phobia’.
All creatures, even giant spiders, feel fear.
As Harry’s world shows, all creatures great and small, strange and
scary, feathery and leathery, have feelings. From an owl’s delight as
it glides through the night, to the strong despair of a black dog on
the run, to the bold rush of anger that fires up an insulted hippogriff,
animals in Harry’s world express powerful emotions. The more
you understand and appreciate animal emotions, the happier and
healthier your own emotional world will be.
In the real world, scientific evidence proves that animals have rich
emotional lives. Dr Jaak Panksepp, a psychologist and neuroscientist,
has studied animal emotions for more than 30 years. Using cutting
edge scientific techniques like brain imaging, chemical analysis and
superior field observations, Dr Panksepp has gathered hard evidence
which proves that animals, especially warm-blooded mammals, have
feelings.
An important research finding is that mammals have an emotional

centre in the brain called the PAG – periaqueductal gray. When an
organism frets, weeps or feels angry, that’s the PAG at work. It’s
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telling the brain: “Hurry up and release those chemicals that are
going to soothe and comfort me. I need to feel better!” Altogether, Dr
Panksepp has identified seven emotional drives that both animals
and humans experience:
·· Fear
·· Anger
·· Lust
·· Need to get care
·· Need to give care
·· Grief
·· Joy/Play
This rich range of animal emotions is certainly well illustrated in

Harry’s world.
7 Animal Emotions
1 FEAR – ‘The thing that lives in the castle,’ said Aragog, ‘is an ancient
creature we spiders fear above all others.’ (Chamber of Secrets, p. 206)
Aragog, the biggest spider in Harry’s world, experiences strong fear. If we
increase our awareness that animals feel fear, then we free our inner powers
to care and bond better with others. “We do a lot of bad things to animals
because we don’t believe that they feel anything. They’re afraid of death.
They’re afraid of injury. They’re afraid of being alone – like us,” says Mark
Bittner, an unemployed musician from San Francisco, in his film The Wild
Parrots of Telegraph Hill – the first longitudinal study of parrots and how
they bond. It can only help, not hurt, to appreciate that all creatures – even
slugs and spiders – retreat from danger, recoil from pain and have a basic
‘fear’ response.
2 ANGER – ‘What did you call us?’ shouted a wild-looking black centaur…
There was a great deal of angry muttering and tightening of bowstrings
around them. (Order of the Phoenix, p. 664)
Given that these magic creatures have such fiery tempers, it is definitely
unwise to stir up a centaur. If Professor Umbridge is going to provoke animals
and offend centaurs with names like “filthy half-breeds” and “uncontrollable
animals”, then it’s only natural that animals defend themselves from such
attacks. When Umbridge makes the going get tough, the tough centaurs get
going, letting their sharpest arrows fly. For all animals around the world,
anger is natural and necessary for survival.
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3 LUST – There was a funny spluttering noise from behind them.
Pigwidgeon was choking on an overlarge Owl Treat. (Goblet of Fire, p.
140)
It will be hard to beat Pig’s pig-out with a better example of gluttony, which
can be a lot like lust. At any rate, this scene helps to show that creatures, just
like people, can crave things they really like.
4 NEED TO GET CARE – ‘You bought that monster?’ said Ron, his mouth
hanging open.
‘He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?’ said Hermione, glowing.
…
‘Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he’d been in there for ages: no one
wanted him.’ (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 50)
Even a cat that looks like ‘an orange monster’ needs to get care and love, as
Hermione points out. When an animal fails to get the care it is biologically
programmed to receive, the consequences can be tragic. In the real world,
an animal rescue worker recalls the fateful stormy night when he saved
‘Frankie’ – a blue and gold macaw. “I nearly cried for him, his wings had
been butchered and he was so stressed he had virtually plucked himself
clean.” When animals don’t get the nurture they need, they may hurt
themselves or stop eating. This means all animals need our best attention
and care.
5 NEED TO GIVE CARE – The enormous, bear-like dog bounded

forwards. As the werewolf wrenched itself free… the dog seized it about
the neck and pulled it backwards. (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 279)
Sirius Black, in the form of a dog, takes a giant leap forward to care for
Harry. There’s an amazing creature from real life that will also leap off
ledges, climb tall mountains and dive into the deepest oceans to show care.
Each year emperor penguins travel across Antarctica – the most inhospitable
continent on earth. Cold, tired and starving, the penguins struggle against
icy winds, chilly conditions and bitter odds to fulfil an emotional drive.
Why do these crazy penguins risk their lives? To find true love. All penguins
want is a lifelong mate to sing to and care about.
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6 GRIEF – ‘You’re dead Harry Potter… Even Dumbledore’s bird knows
it. He’s crying.’
…
Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers. (Chamber of
Secrets, p. 236)
Fawkes the phoenix may be a magical creature, but animal tears are very
real. Field studies in Africa show that the highly intelligent elephant
expresses a sophisticated grief response. When an elephant dies, others in
the herd will grieve, cry tears, watch over the deceased and even cover the
body of the deceased with dirt, leaves and branches. Elephants also spend a
lot of time touching and holding pieces of ivory and bones from their dead.
No one knows why.
7 JOY/PLAY – Harry saw: a minute owl, small enough to fit into the palm
of his hand, whizzing excitedly around the room like a loose firework.
(Goblet of Fire, pp. 36-37)
Errol is so joyful that he becomes a one-owl Mardi Gras! Psychology
research shows that joy and play are important to many animals in real life.
Dolphins, for example, love to play. They swim next to boats, frolic in the
waves, chase each other, leap six metres out of the water and do somersaults
– just for fun. Scientists call the playfulness of organisms ‘neoteny’. On the
evolutionary scale, dolphins rank high in neoteny because they play almost
all the time, more than any other creature on the planet. When humans
have contact with dolphins and copy their happy, playful and worry-free
behaviour, this elevates the human mood significantly. Dolphins have a
serious message about fun for humans: lighten up! Life can be friendly and
fun for everyone.
As Harry’s world shows and the real world proves, animals show
deep and diverse feelings. If humans want to be more powerful, they
need to give animals the best possible attention and care.
To empower us and enhance our bonds with beasts, animal welfare

experts have designed a guide called the Five Freedoms, Brambell
Report that outlines five things people can do to improve the physical
and emotional lives of animals:
Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition – provide fresh water

and healthy food
Freedom from discomfort – provide suitable shelter and
surroundings
Freedom from pain, injury and illness – provide rapid medical help
Freedom from fear and distress – provide mentally comfortable
conditions
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Freedom to express the most natural behaviour – provide proper
space, surroundings and company with the same species
– Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy
When people appreciate how animals feel and give animals what they
need, then both people and animals can live the best lives possible
– happy, healthy, strong and free. A considerate and compassionate
attitude towards animals and how they feel maximises everyone’s
well-being and power.
Animal Ambassadors Advance
‘It is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn,’ said Firenze… ‘You have slain something
pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half life, a cursed life,
from the moment the blood touches your lips.’
In Harry’s world, a centaur opposes the slaughter of innocent

animals. It surely makes you wonder what Firenze would like to say
about monstrous acts of animal cruelty in our world.
Some animals need protection from exploitation and cruelty so

urgently that it’s enough to make you:
‘“Spew”?’ said Harry…

‘Not spew,’ said Hermione impatiently. ‘It’s S – P – E – W. Stands for
the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.’
…
‘Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can’t believe no one’s done
anything about it before now.’
The well-being of magical creatures is so important that Hermione

forms an official welfare movement called S.P.E.W. This movement is
designed to protect and liberate magical elves.
Just as S.P.E.W. helps elves, the real world provides admirable services
to improve the lives of animals. This, in turn, empowers everyone’s
capacity to survive, thrive and care. Some amazing animal agencies are:
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·· Australia Zoo
·· R.S.P.C.A. – Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals
·· S.A.F.E. – Save Animals From Exploitation
·· W.W.F. – World Wildlife Fund
·· World Society for the Protection of Animals – an international
animal welfare syndicate, with more than 300 agencies in 70
countries.
“Since everyone, even animals and insects, wants to be happy and

does not want to experience suffering, we should try never to harm
any living being,” says Buddhist teacher Geshe Gyatso. “If we kill
even a tiny insect, it causes great suffering to the insect,” he says.
Most importantly, the Buddhist view makes us mindful that if we
hurt animals with malicious intent – even if it’s just an ant – we will
somehow hurt ourselves, personally, spiritually and deeply.
No wonder so many guardians protect animals in Harry’s world.

Standing up for things that matter is the most powerful action we
can take. As Firenze shows:
‘Did Hagrid breed you, like the Thestrals?’ asked Dean eagerly.
Firenze turned his head very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to
realise at once that he had said something very offensive.
…
‘Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans,’ said
Firenze quietly.
As you can see, Firenze defends centaurs as intelligent, proud and

powerful creatures in their own right, not as things for people to exploit
or breed. Firenze surely suggests that if humans respected animals as
equals, humans would be much more powerful themselves, perhaps
through new friendships and inner peace.
With the same passion as Hermione shows with S.P.E.W., concerned

individuals and animal rights groups in real life are desperately trying
to free and heal our inner power by making people more aware that
animals suffer terribly, every day, in many ways:
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Animals We Eat – After visiting animal farms around the world,
even those hidden from public view, Jeffrey Masson had seen it all.
Pigs, cows, sheep, goats, hens, ducks and geese that live and die in
disgusting conditions. Farm animals that are cold, hot, sick, dirty,
locked up, crammed together, kept in artificial darkness, kept in
artificial light, confused, afraid, sad and eerily silent as they wait to
die.
Animals We Wear – Animals are bred, hunted and killed for their skins,
fur, wool and bones. In Australia, for example, sheep get treated badly
because they are sheared for wool during the cold winter months. In
Hungary, farmers rip feathers out of live geese to make pillows and
quilt covers. Vets, scientists and other experts argue that live feather-
plucking is brutally cruel and painful. As for crocodiles, their true
purpose on our planet is not to be a wallet, trophy or a crocodile-
skin handbag for Rita Skeeter leather-lovers (Goblet of Fire, p. 266).
As Australia’s powerful animal ambassador Steve Irwin would have
said, “Crikey! Crocs are gorgeous. They need our love.”
Animal Amusement – Animal ambassadors say it is cruel to hunt,

fish or stuff animals for fun. Some animals suffer at the circus or
rodeo. A big animal welfare issue is duck hunting. Scientific evidence
shows that this sport is exceptionally cruel. Animal experts describe
it as appalling and outrageous. “Every year hundreds of thousands
of ducks are shot over wetlands [and many are] crippled or wounded
and will die unaided within a few hours or even days,” says Dr Hugh
Wirth, an eminent vet and the national president of the RSPCA,
Australia. With more than one million ducks killed or wounded in
just one duck hunting season, “nothing can justify such carnage” he
says. That’s why “fox hunting is now banned in the United Kingdom”
says 19-year-old Harry Potter fan, Gareth J Davies from England.
Just as Hagrid will do just about anything to rescue a weird and

wounded creature, international celebrities from real life are using
their fame to protect endangered animals. Jackie Chan, for example,
is one of the world’s biggest movie stars credited for mixing comedy
with Kung-Fu action. One of his greatest passions, says the Asian
actor, is to support exotic and endangered animals:
“I’m an ambassador for protection of animals, elephants, tigers,

rhino, panther.
I want to teach children about becoming a good person.”
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In the local spotlight, there are powerful heroes like Adrian, who
achieved Letter of the Week in the youth section of an Australian
newspaper. Adrian is a young ambassador for sharks:
“Don’t hunt sharks.

Sharks are great creatures and I do not think they should be hunted.
They do not know it is wrong to eat humans and, if they are hungry,
they go for whatever they can find to eat. If we take the sharks from
the ocean, it may destroy the food chain.”
(The Sunday Herald, “Write Stuff”, 8 August 2004)
Not only do animal ambassadors help animals, they empower

themselves to experience health, happiness and hope in life when
they acknowledge animals as their friends.
How Are You Now Brown Cow? – Harry’s world has a silver stag
called Prongs. Well, the real world has Horns – a brown and white
cow. Animal Liberation Victoria saved Horns “from the slaughter-
house along with 18 other cows. They are now living free in a grassy
paddock”, says this amazing animal welfare group.
The Magnificent Eight – Harry’s world has a red and gold phoenix
called Fawkes. Well, the real world has Millie – a chestnut-coloured
chicken. “When the animal rescue team found Millie crammed in a
battery cage she was severely defeathered and traumatised. Sick and
unable to reach food and water, she was being trampled and pecked
by the other birds in her small cage,” reports Animal Liberation
Victoria. Twenty hens were rescued from the battery farm one night,
but 12 had to be euthanised because their injuries were so horrific.
Millie is one of eight lucky girls who lived. She now enjoys freedom
in a sunny green garden.
Dog Star – Harry’s world has Fluffy, a dog with three heads. The
real world has Faith, a dog with two legs. A rare genetic disorder
stopped the growth of both front legs in this labrador-chow cross.
She was going to be put down, but a kind-hearted person called Jude
adopted the puppy. “We taught her to stand up in the snow. Her legs
got stronger and she started walking upright”. Siriusly, this dog is a
lucky star.
In all, the earth is millions of years old. Yet, in just 200 years or so,
human greed has destroyed the natural planet and its animals at a
shocking rate. One source reports that individual species are vanishing
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10,000 times faster than the natural rate. Animals are becoming
extinct at a rate faster than the dinosaurs. Why are beautiful animals
disappearing? Human greed and selfishness. Without a doubt, the
work of S.P.E.W. and many other animal liberating agencies is urgent,
admirable, important and empowering.
If you bond with animals – sincerely and deeply – you will

experience a whole world of animal magic. If you choose to be an
animal ambassador – even if all you do is throw a few crumbs to a
skinny sparrow – you will free and strengthen superior psychological
qualities. Top qualities like curiosity, courage, kindness and empathy.
You would get an ‘O’ (Outstanding) in Care of Magical Creatures at
Hogwarts, for sure. By helping animals to be happy, healthy and free,
you are doing yourself a world of good. By giving animals hope, you
give human beings hope that we really are a caring and intelligent
species. Your compassion and wisdom to help animals has the power
to send your feelings of well-being to the stars, perhaps to a place as
lovely and magical as the dwelling place of the great starry animals
themselves, way up there with Cancer the Crab, Leo the Lion, the
spectacular Scorpio and more. Now that’s what I call divine personal
power. Wow, what a powerful choice – to be a voice for animals!
When we care for all kinds of creatures, we help ourselves to experience

true personal power and animal magic. As the bravest characters in
Harry’s world demonstrate, when someone has a powerful will, then
there will always be a powerful way to save something you truly,
madly, deeply love:
‘It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures
that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be
executed on the sixth of June at sundown–’
…
‘Come on, Buckbeak,’ Harry murmured, ‘come on, we’re going to
help you.’
…
The Hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably.
On the 6th of the 6th at about 6pm, just when you think that the
number of Buckbeak, an innocent beast, is up, Harry and Hermione
execute a brilliant rescue mission that saves a beautiful creature from
the evil executioner’s axe. Harry and Hermione prove to all of us that
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although human interference is the number one threat to animals,
human care is the number one solution. Anyone with a good heart and
a desire to make a difference can be a powerful animal ambassador.
Activity – NEWSFLASH: Basilisk Brutality Strikes Again!
Brad Love the basilisk is a long mythical snake. But he was rushed to an
animal hospital yesterday after being attacked by a human ‘monster’.
At the Reptile Recovery Ward, Brad – more than 20 metres long – was coiled
up, coiled up and coiled up under a warm hospital blanket – shivering from
shock.
“Just b-b-ecause I’m a s-s-snake, everyone w-wants to bash me with a

sh-SHOVEL!” blurted out Brad, with a definite quiver in his hiss.
Witnesses reported that Brad was dozing on a big rock in the sun when
a camper suddenly spotted him. Panicking like crazy, the mad mortal
yelled, “Snake! Snake! A snake is attacking me!” The camper grasped the
tip of Brad’s tail with a pair of greasy barbecue tongs, then flung the sleepy
serpent right next to a smouldering campfire.
Brad’s medical treatment included rubbing burn balm onto his tender
underbelly and wrapping his singed scales with more than 50 rolls of
bandages. His 12 children didn’t know whether to call him Daddy or
Mummy.
Dr Vivian Viper, a highly qualified herpatologist, is confident that “Brad

will be digesting live baby mice in no time”. Yum!
To encourage positive behaviour towards all creatures, great and small

(and scaly) a huge ‘animal care’ campaign will soon be launched, with this
important message:
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
(OK, free your inner animal ambassador now by filling in the blank!)
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The Power of Nature
Free Your Wildest Powers
Lose Yourself in a Forbidden Forest
‘The forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils.’

O n Harry’s first day of school at Hogwarts, Professor

Dumbledore quickly warns new students about a powerful
place – the Forbidden Forest. In Harry’s world, this forest is
the first piece of wilderness to make a dramatic debut. As an older
student explains: “the forest’s full of dangerous beasts, everyone
knows that.” (The Philosopher’s Stone, p. 95).
The Forbidden Forest is so powerful that the natural terrain around

Hogwarts Castle must be carefully managed. The castle is surrounded
by a vegetable patch, greenhouses and lawns. Is the landscape
surrounding the castle a buffer zone? A protective magic circle to
keep forest forces at bay? Whatever the reason, one can’t help but
wonder what lingers on the edges of a forest that is so forbidden.
The forest’s power reaches a peak when students receive a most

terrifying task:
‘It’s into the forest you’re going and I’m much mistaken if you’ll all
come out in one piece.’
At this, Neville let out a little moan and Malfoy stopped dead in his
tracks.
‘The forest?’ he repeated, and he didn’t sound quite as cool as usual.
‘We can’t go in there at night – there’s all sorts of things in there –
werewolves, I heard.’
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The mere thought of visiting the forest at night petrifies Draco Malfoy
to the spot.
True to lore and legend, the Forbidden Forest in Harry’s world

upholds an ancient and sacred view that forests ‘rule’. Just like Harry’s
world, great forests elsewhere have always been mysterious and
magical places. Tolkien’s fantasy The Lord of the Rings also described
an enchanted and eerie forest:
‘There!’ said Merry. ‘You have left the Shire, and are now outside,
and on the edge of the Old Forest.’
‘Are the stories about it true?’ asked Pippin.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Merry answered. ‘If you mean the
old bogey-stories Fatty’s nurses used to tell him, about goblins and
wolves and things of that sort, I should say no. At any rate I don’t
believe them. But the Forest is queer. Everything in it is very much
more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things
are in the Shire.’
Queer, alive and aware. Must-have ingredients for a forbidding

forest.
Some forests from literature are so sinister that they have traumatised
innocent wanderers completely – like the forest Dante walked into
in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy, Hell, Canto One. For him, this
place seemed worse than death:
Midway upon the journey of our life

I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.
Ah me! How hard a thing it is to say

What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,
Which in the very thought renews the fear.
So bitter is it, death is little more;
Definitely not Dante’s favourite hiking spot, eh?
Why are forests so forbidding? Why do they exert such a powerful

effect? An important psychological explanation alludes to their wild
side. Forests are wild places. Forest foliage is dense, healthy and
plentiful. Vegetation flourishes freely – far away from human control
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and cultivation. Deep in a forest, huge trees may be hundreds of
years old. Some plant species are even prehistoric, like an amazing
rainforest fern that grows on Fraser Island in Queensland. These wild
features make forests seem unsettling, unpredictable and dynamic
places.
Adding to the wild power of forests is their darkness. Since plant life
thrives in wild places, it blocks out the sunlight. The forest canopy
creates a thick organic curtain of darkness, which casts much shade
on the ground below. Since many people believe that darkness is
evil, the dark forest atmosphere is also seen to be evil, something
that surely opposes the good powers of the sun. Shade, shadows and
people’s fear of the dark have enhanced the forest’s dangerous and
menacing reputation. Dark and wild forces is why forbidden forests
rule.
Great forests are certainly revered in real life. There’s the famous
Black Forest in Europe, the great pine tree forests in Canada, bamboo
forests in China and the rich Amazon rainforests of South America.
However, one forest is especially fascinating. A permanent tribute to
this unique forest hangs in one of the grandest buildings in Australia.
Just as the walls and ceilings of the Great Hall in Harry’s world are
magnificently decorated, the Great Hall of Parliament House in
Canberra displays a marvellous tapestry – 16 metres high, woven by
over 1000 members of the Embroiderers’ Guild – that honours this
great forest. The woven words of Margaret Clarke from 1876 describe
an extraordinary forest:
In Australia alone is to be found the Grotesque, the Weird, the

strange scribblings of nature learning how to write. Some see no
beauty in our trees without shade, our flowers without perfume, our
birds who cannot fly, and our beasts who have not yet learned to
walk on all fours. But the dweller in the wilderness acknowledges
the subtle charm of this fantastic land of monstrosities. He becomes
familiar with the beauty of loneliness.
The Australian bush – a rich and rugged landscape that has

empowered Aboriginal people for 40,000 years – may be the most
fascinating and forbidding forest of all. Australia – home to some of
the strangest and loveliest flora and fauna in the world. Australia –
it’s a wild life.
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Activity – What’s Nature Telling You?
In Harry’s world, nature is alive, magical and powerful. All around the real
world, the wisest people on earth have viewed nature in no other way. The
happiest and healthiest cultures in history have listened to, looked after
and loved nature for thousands of years – keeping their environment safe,
healthy and whole. Now you can, too. Get in touch with nature. Awaken
your eco-insight… and re-discover the rich powers of nature!
You can do it now. Get up and go outside. If you can’t go outdoors, look out
through a window or find a nice picture of nature.
When you gaze at the natural scenery, which part of nature do you relate
to the most? What natural features seem to stand out and capture your
attention? Speak to you? Call to you? Is it:
The sky?
The trees?
The top of a grassy hill?
The clouds?
Or a babbling brook?
What important news headline appears in your gorgeous landscape,

seascape or skyscape?
What does nature seem to be saying to you? Does the clear blue sky say
something like: “Hey, don’t worry so much about things, be happy”?
Does an old rainforest tree say, “Notice me. Appreciate me. Learn from me. I
have survived many droughts, floods and difficult seasons. Yet, I still stand
straight and tall and keep on growing. You can too. You will make it, just
like me”?
What about the flowers or clouds? Do they invite you to join them? “Come,
dance with me, sway with me. Relax and play with us”, they might say.
Let the loveliest, deepest and purest parts of nature calm your thoughts,
gladden your heart and free your spirit. Always remember that plants and
animals harbour no bad or malicious intentions; they seek to harm no one.
Describe your special message from nature here:
………………………………………………………………………………………
Now smile!
It’s all-empowering to associate your happiest emotions with nature. This
positive link will help your mind, body and soul to remember that nature is
a beautiful and magical place where dreams blossom, the spirit thrives and
your personal power flourishes.
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Walk On the Wild Side
A loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow.
Mr Weasley’s car was thundering down the slope, headlamps glaring, its horn
screeching, knocking spiders aside… The car screeched… The doors flew open…. The
engine roared… the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a
path it obviously knew.
Go, wild wheels, go! It’s the Weasley family car!
After lying low in an old garage, this fearless forest Ford charges
with a bold barrage and enough gold courage to beat the tyres off the
hottest four-wheel drive! Above all, the Forbidden Forest shows that
forests will empower those who choose to experience the wild side.
After the Weasley motor car crashes into the Whomping Willow,
drives itself off, camps in the forest for a while, and absorbs the
forest’s wild ways, the car itself turns wild. The Forbidden Forest
didn’t just have a ‘Please, start your engine’ effect, it performed a
complete psycho-mechanical makeover. Do you remember the times
when this meek mechanical device used to drive itself carefully into
Mr Weasley’s garage? And stay quietly parked there? Well, from
being a shy mode of domestic transport and one of the most docile
characters in Harry’s world, the Weasley car has grown into a super-
strong, spider-slaying, rescue tank! The Forbidden Forest in Harry’s
world not only proves itself powerful, but it helps others to grow
powerful too.
The Weasley wheels show that wild forest power is not always evil or
frightening. Forests empower those who like to hang around nature.
No wonder so many travellers and nature-lovers long to visit wild
places, just like poet Cecil Alexander, who constantly dreams about
finding magic in a wild forest far away in a 19th Century piece called
‘Dreams’:
Beyond, beyond the mountain line,

The grey-stone and the boulder,
Beyond the growth of dark green pine,
That crowns its western shoulder,
There lies that fairy-land of mine,
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Unseen of a beholder.
Its fruits are all like rubies rare;
Its streams are clear as glasses;
There golden castles hang in air,
And purple grapes in masses,
And noble knights and ladies fair
Come riding down its passes.
This forest of dark green pine is not frightening at all, but a place
that boosts well-being and empowers the imagination, a place full of
beautiful things.
You can absorb nature’s power in the real world too. In Tandeerah’s
Diary, Daphne Rub describes the power she encountered in a wild
forest:
Today I sat on the side of a mountain and was completely

overwhelmed by all its beauty and its aura. With a little effort, I
am able to hold back the tears at weddings and funerals, but in a
rainforest, I am a push over!
Daphne draws personal power from the wild side, by connecting to

the awesome beauty of the rainforest.
As Harry’s world suggests and people’s experiences of nature

show, wild places are extremely powerful. Pure and pristine, free
from human intrusion and interference, many of nature’s forests,
mountains, oceans and deserts have not yet been spoiled, damaged
or corrupted by people. As a result, these special places in nature
remain magical and powerful to this day. Any caring keeper of nature
who places importance on helping rather than hurting nature is sure
to discover powers beyond their wildest dreams.
Your Mind is a Deep Forest
He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky.

On Harry’s first trip aboard the Hogwarts Express, a fantastic

landscape appears. Mountains, forests and a dark sky. A later train
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trip to Hogwarts Castle reveals yet another striking and stunning
landscape:
The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery

outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds
overhead thickened.
The further Harry travels away from the city, the more nature
intensifies. In Harry’s world, nature is growing incredibly powerful.
As the Hogwarts Express transports Harry into darker and wilder
areas, the train trip is obviously a geographical journey. On a deeper
level, however, Harry is embarking on a new personal adventure –
the train trip is also a psychological journey.
According to the psychoanalyst Dr Carl Jung, dark and wild places

that people think or dream about – like the dark forests Harry notices
during his train trip – are supposed to be hidden or unconscious
parts of the human mind. In psychoanalysis, forest forces represent
psychological forces – a person’s private secrets, wishes, fears and
desires. In this sense, a forbidden forest might also be a world of
forbidden and forgotten thoughts deep inside your mind.
Just as forests resemble the human mind, animals that live in forests
may represent our inner personal qualities. According to Dr Jung,
forest creatures can symbolise a person’s private ideas, natural
instincts and wild impulses. Forest animals can be good, dangerous
or neutral. This stands for good, dangerous or harmless parts of
ourselves. If a person, for example, dreams that they have made
friends with a unicorn, this may mean that the person has established
a positive strength in their own personality, perhaps a good quality
like honesty. But if people meet up with dangerous creatures in their
dreams, like wicked fairies or angry mountain trolls, then maybe
they have discovered some risky or angry part of themselves. A
dream about a good creature fighting a bad creature may really be a
psychological conflict between a good idea and a bad idea. Dreaming
about a fight between an owl and a dangerous snake might mean
that the dreamer is trying to choose whether to study really hard for
that final exam (wise owl/good idea) or stay out all night at a party
(sneaky snake/bad idea).
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If we apply Jung’s theory and psychoanalysis to Harry’s world, the
Forbidden Forest comes alive on a whole new level:
Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something definitely moved.

…
Was it a man, or a horse?
Or a wolf, bear or lion? Or troll, dwarf or satyr? On this occasion in

the Forbidden Forest, Harry meets a centaur – a mythical man-horse
beast.
What could a meeting with a forest centaur mean psychologically?

And how is this empowering? After all, Harry does meet three of
them. There’s reddish Ronan, black-haired Bane and Firenze, the
white-blond palomino. Psychoanalytically, these centaurs may mean
that Harry’s own positive innermost powers (like passion, wisdom
and courage) are growing stronger. Since red, black and white are
classic alchemy colours, there is bound to be some sort of powerful
personal process taking place.
In myth, centaurs have many positive meanings. Although centaurs

do like to roam around wild places, drink lots of wine and party hard
with gods of desire, they have some outstanding virtues. The wisest
centaur in Greek myth was Chiron; he was highly educated in art,
music, defence and medicine. When Chiron died protecting someone
else, the gods sent him up to the sky and turned him into the starry
constellation we now know as Sagitarrius. No wonder the centaurs
in Harry’s world keep star-gazing:
Ronan sighed. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. ‘Mars is
bright tonight.’
– The Philosopher’s Stone, p184
True to myth, the centaurs in Harry’s world present themselves as

good and wise creatures who:
·· Study the stars

·· Love nature
·· Oppose animal cruelty
·· Protect the innocent
·· Desire to be free
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At a psychological level, when Harry receives help from centaurs in
the Forbidden Forest, this may mean that he is starting to use his own
positive personal powers. For example, the first time Harry enters
the Forbidden Forest (his own mind) a white centaur (good personal
power) saves him:
He heard hooves behind him, galloping, and something jumped

clean over him, charging at the figure.
…
A centaur was standing over him… he had white-blond hair and a
palomino body.
‘Are you all right?’ said the centaur, pulling Harry to his feet.
Without a doubt, a dark forest has powerful psychological messages

for everyone. Every forest, especially the one in your imagination, is
full of life, magic, light, shadows and power. Of course, one might
shudder to think what could be found lurking deep down inside Mr
Dursley’s jungle of a mind, especially under hypnosis!
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Eco-Therapy: Heal with Nature
Escape Outdoors
They found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still. The grounds were
bathed in silvery moonlight and there was a slight chill in the air.
A t night time in Harry’s world, nature is beautiful and

powerful.
Ask anyone from the real world what their favourite activity is and
many people will tell you that they like to be involved with nature.
Activities that people really enjoy include:
·· Swimming, boating, going to the beach

·· Sitting in a garden
·· Camping
·· Going for a picnic
·· Watching a sunset
·· Walking through the park
When people experience nature to relax, solve problems, get away

from it all, heal themselves and boost their personal power, they are
engaging in nature-guided therapy, or eco-therapy. People are letting
nature guide them in empowering ways. Not only is nature beautiful,
but it is healing and uplifting, with the power to nurse, nourish and
nurture.
No wonder psychologists have tried to tap into the power of nature.

Eco-therapy encourages people to spend time outdoors and to make
contact with nature in physical, touchable and real ways. People are
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out there doing it – interacting with nature in ways that help and heal.
A journalist for Queensland’s Chill Magazine asked a young resident
called Moz what he likes to do for fun. Moz replied: “River rafting
on tractor tubes down Cedar Creek Falls when it’s pumping with a
bunch of mates”. That’s powerful eco-therapy – exciting, healthy and
nature-loving.
Extreme eco-therapy escapes can help you to experience the power of

nature more fully in the wilderness. When backpacker Kristin Alynn
Hussein stood on top of a mountain in Norway she said that:
The view was phenomenal. It was a vision of raw beauty. The

rugged mountain peaks extended upwards like rocky arms
stretching into the heavens. The air was cool and invigorating. I
almost felt entranced as I stood there taking in my surroundings.
A peace and calm fell over my soul like I had never experienced
before. I forgot everything then – all my worries, cares and dramas
of the life I had left behind a few short hours earlier. All was gone –
all but myself and the paradise.
– Living Now, 2001
When people visit the great outdoors and immerse themselves in

nature, the powerful feelings of well-being that they get from these
wild and remote places can last a lifetime.
Escaping outdoors is a powerful way to deal with worry and break

away from stress. Spending time with nature replaces negative
feelings with positive ones. Nature can even inspire solutions to
really troublesome problems. Aboriginal people in Australia are
famed for a powerful form of nature therapy known as walkabout or
going bush. Cathy Newman, a senior writer for National Geographic
magazine, visited Aboriginal communities at the tip of Australia. In
her article on the Cape York Peninsula, she describes how walkabout
helped to save the life of an Aboriginal woman from Aurukun who,
at the time, suffered great hardship. The woman had recently lost
three family members – one to a car crash, one to suicide and one to
alcoholism:
How can she bear such loss?

‘She goes bush.’
To go bush. To escape, for a while, into nature. To draw sustenance
from the land. Physical sustenance. Spiritual sustenance.
For a few hours I go bush, drive outside of town, stop and gulp the
astringent eucalyptus-scented air.
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‘Come, look,’ says my guide and in the spindly arms of a mangrove
tree shows me the bower of a fawn-breasted bowerbird.
Going walkabout means to visit beautiful and powerful places in

nature, respecting the land and feeling that you are part of that land,
as urged by traditional Aboriginal law.
Harry’s world, in line with powerful eco-therapy, suggests that when

people interact with nature more closely and appreciatively, nature
will come alive:
An area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed

into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights – meaning hundreds of actual
living fairies were sitting in the rose bushes that had been conjured
there, and fluttering over the statues.
An important message in this adventure is that if you stop and take

the time to experience nature fully – look closely at a garden, gaze
deeply at a rose – you are much more likely to notice that nature
is alive. You may become aware that nature’s energy vibrates at
different levels, which can bring you closer to the hidden magic of
nature. Who knows, maybe you will even glimpse an invisible fairy
world, just like Harry did.
Australian psychologist George Burns explains that spending time

with nature boosts people’s power in many different and important
ways. For example, nature:
·· Improves physical health

·· Reduces stress and tension
·· Relieves headaches
·· Encourages healthy actions like exercise and relaxation
·· Lessens unhealthy habits like drinking alcohol or gambling
·· Boosts confidence
·· Brings people closer to each other
Eco-therapy is simple and easy to apply, yet so effective and powerful.

Whether you explore a wild forest, swim in the sea or simply walk
on the grass in your bare feet, let nature heal you and free your inner
power.
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Activity – Eco-Getaways
Some great eco-getaways in Harry’s world could be:
AFTERNOON DELIGHT: If Harry wanted to cheer up his friend Cho, he

could take her for a ride above the green countryside on his Firebolt – just
on sunset.
A PLEASANT ESCAPE: If Hermione wanted to have a break from studying,

she could visit the lake and watch dragonflies hover around the reeds and
water lilies.
CONFIDENCE BOOST: If Ron wanted to recapture the confidence he had

when he played the part of a brave knight, he could go horse riding through
the meadow.
A MELTING MOMENT: If Neville felt that he was missing his parents a

lot, maybe he could brighten his mood by sitting in the morning sunshine.
As the day grows warmer and sunnier, Neville could imagine his parents
growing stronger and healthier too.
ROMANTIC GETAWAY: If Hagrid wanted to make his date with Madame

Maxime extra special, maybe he could take her boating one evening around
the lake. Together, they can listen to crickets chirp, bullfrogs croak and wild
owls hoot.
MOONLIGHT MAGIC: If Dumbledore wanted to unwind away from his

busy castle, he could settle into a comfortable deckchair in the courtyard
and watch the moon rise. The moon, after all, is an ancient mistress of mood
that enhances our emotional and spiritual power.
Anyone can design a great eco-getaway and experience the positive influence
of nature. Want to try? Think of a nature-guided adventure that you would
love to experience.
My favourite eco-getaway would be (write or draw your idea here)…
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Imagine Your Own Oasis
Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place… a velvety black
ceiling dotted with stars… bewitched to look like the sky outside.
It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn’t
simply open on to the heavens.
As the enchanted ceiling at Hogwarts shows, people can summon

the power of nature with their imaginations. Even if you live in a
big city, study or work in an office block or are stuck in hospital, you
can escape to any oasis you wish with the unlimited power of your
imaginative mind.
Getting people to imagine beautiful scenes in nature is one of the

most powerful ways to ease stress, boost your mood and improve
your health. With the help of your imagination, you can:
· Walk along a white sandy beach

· Admire a field of wild flowers
· Float down a cool, clear stream
· Wander through a sandy desert
Scientific evidence in psychology shows that just thinking about

nature boosts personal power. When people imagine natural scenery,
their stress levels drop and feelings of well-being grow stronger.
As people think about nature, their breathing, blood pressure and
heart rates slow down. Thinking about nature reduces the chances of
heart disease and stroke. Some health experts report that imagining
beautiful places in nature can even stop or slow down the growth of
cancer.
Harry had a powerful island daydream once, after a pair of large,

brightly-coloured birds flew into his room. His flashy friends help
to illustrate ‘imaginal eco-therapy’ – the power to imagine nature in
your mind:
They put him in mind of palm trees and white sand.

Given the ease with which a parrot, acting as a physical cue, can
create island magic, it is not surprising that Harry likes these birds.
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Harry’s World
Sight Sound Smell Taste Touch Your Special Activity
A pale and Owls hooting Nuts roasting Creamy but- Stroking an owl’s Looking at stars from the
pearly winter softly terbeer super-soft feathers highest Hogwarts tower
sky Aromatic herbs
Forest leaves in potions class Wild mint picked Dangling your Sitting next to a warm fire
Snowy moun- rustling in the at midnight feet in the lake on in the Gryffindor com-
tain peaks wind Sweet smelling a hot day mon room
woods and Bertie Botts’
A bright or- Haunting mer- spices burning Every Flavour The velvet surface An outdoors Hallowe’en
ange sunrise music in a phoenix Beans. Well, of moss-covered feast on the castle lawns
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nest maybe not every statues
A purple sky ‘Phoenix flavour! ‘Their robes billowed and
‘littered with song… ‘The delicious ‘Rain; Harry felt swirled around them as
tiny silver the most beauti- smell of baking ‘Pumpkin heavy drops fall they splashed across the
stars’ (Order ful pumpkin’ (The Pasties, Caul- onto his face’ flooded vegetable patch’
of the Phoenix, and welcome Philosopher’s dron Cakes, Li- (Chamber of Secrets, (Order of the Phoenix,
p675) thing’ (Goblet of Stone, p126) quorice Wands’ p127) p344)
Fire, p576) (The Philosopher’s
Activity – Ensnare Your Senses
Stone, p76)
smell and taste. Dare to ensnare your senses with help from the guide below…
people’s favourite activities often involve nature, people can make the most
feelings of well-being by stimulating your five senses – sight, hearing, touch,

good to them. Experience nature’s power more fully and strengthen your
of their adventures according to what looks, sounds, feels, smells and tastes
The more senses you use, the more power you can draw from nature. Since
The Real World
The blue sky Waves rushing Fresh air A juicy mango A wild wind whipping Walking through misty moun-
onto the beach through your hair and tains
Golden sun- The sweet scent of Ripe raspberries picked off clothes
beams A babbling pine trees the bush Surfing the waves, having fun in
brook Snowflakes falling on your the sun
A colourful Fragrant frangipani Baked potatoes eyelashes
rainbow Frogs croaking flowers Tumbling down a grassy hillside
Bush tucker – Kakadu Standing under a waterfall
The view from a Listening to Tangy orange, lime, plums, pandanus nuts, Sitting around a fire
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cliff top birds and lemon scents honey ants. Swimming in Douglas Hot
while walking Springs in the Northern Visiting the beach in winter –
Moonlight through a grove of ‘Quality Quandong Juice’ Territory, where you can windswept, dramatic
sparkling on the citrus trees (Janet Lloyd, Tongue Tied feel hot and cold water at
water in the Whitsundays) the same time! Dancing in the moonlight
Your World – You Choose
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Don’t Break the Web of Life
Dodge a Grave Choice
‘What are you doing in our Forest?’ bellowed the hard-faced grey centaur…
‘Your Forest?’ said Umbridge… ‘I would remind you that you live here only because
the Ministry of Magic permits you certain areas of land –’
An arrow flew so close to her head that it caught at her mousy hair in passing…
centaurs bellowed… The sound of their wild neighing laughter echoing around the
dimly lit clearing and the sight of their pawing hooves was extremely unnerving.
‘Whose Forest is it now, human?’ bellowed Bane.
I n Harry’s world, mythical centaurs protect a magic forest. When

Professor Umbridge utters ideas that the Forbidden Forest
belongs to the Ministry of Magic, the forest centaurs are sure to
let her know that this human approach to nature is unnatural and
unacceptable. The earth’s forests have been here for millions of years.
Ethically, no one owns them. Not even governments like the Ministry
of Magic.
As the centaurs suggest to Umbridge, the business of owning, buying

or selling land was never nature’s idea. The only reason why real
estate transactions exist today is because a long time ago some humans
who had physical and social clout at the time (tyrants and rulers with
armies and weapons, who seized territory and made land claims)
decided that nature could be, should be and would be bought, sold,
owned and exploited by humans for humans. Natural forests were
once sacred and spiritual places until oppressive medieval armies
and imposing religions invaded and then the land became territory.
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A famous Aboriginal music group from Australia, Yothu Yindi, clearly
defies land ownership in “Treaty”, a song about inappropriate land
possession:
This land was never given up

This land was never bought and sold
The planting of the Union Jack
Never changed our laws at all
At present, the planet is experiencing one of the biggest crises of the

century: global warming. Scientists all over the world are reporting,
with increasing urgency, that the world’s atmosphere is heating up.
In a compelling article called “The Heat Trap”, National Geographic
magazine explained that the earth warms up because certain gases
get trapped in the planet’s atmospheric blanket. This is known as
‘the greenhouse effect’. Most importantly, humans are producing or
increasing these gases by:
·· Clearing forests – carbon dioxide

·· Clearing mangroves and coastal vegetation – carbon dioxide
·· Bush burning – nitrous oxide
·· Garbage – methane
·· Factories, cars and homes – carbon dioxide
·· Air conditioners, fridges, aerosol cans – chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs)
·· Chemical fertilizers – nitrous oxide
·· Cattle and farm animal industries – methane
·· Power stations – carbon dioxide
Global-warming activities that sustain human greed, and not need,

will result in total terminal power loss – the rapid death of our planet
and all life on it. Nature is hurting and she needs your help.
186
187
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Keep Nature Powerful
I arise to-day
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendour of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
This hymn, written 1,300 years ago by Saint Patrick of Ireland, means
“Thanks, nature. You free my inner power!” After all, who can forget
the colourful sunsets, full moons and wild winds howling in Harry’s
world? To keep ourselves powerful, it makes perfect sense to keep
nature powerful, too.
Although people might be the world’s biggest problem, the good news
is that people are also the world’s biggest solution. An organisation
called Earthwatch also believes this to be true. This means that the
Earth needs you. Why not take a moment to absorb an important
message from our planet? “Heeeeeellllllp!” Or in Draco Malfoy’s
supposed last words: “I’m dying, look at me!” (Prisoner of Azkaban, p.
90). This means that we – you, me, him, her, us and them – are critical
in keeping the dying web of life alive.
Fortunately, there are highly effective ways to keep nature powerful.

Midnight Oil sings about it. Australian scientist of the year Dr Tim
Flannery studies it. And Greenpeace (and centaurs) fight passionately
for it. Nature conservation – the great race to save our planet. As many
people already know, valuable ways to keep nature and ourselves
powerful are to:
·· Put rubbish in the bin

·· Avoid using poisons and pollutants
·· Recycle, recycle, recycle
·· Preserve wild places
·· Make friends with forests, dote on deserts, obsess about oceans
and please, leave that hollow tree standing – owls need a home!
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With the same determination as a bunch of burrowing gnomes,
school students from Queensland are striving to save the planet with
a nature-friendly campaign. Their powerful message isn’t beamed to
millions of stupefied television viewers. It doesn’t flash on a digital
screen, as big as a giant, in Times Square. In true blue Aussie style,
these Queensland youngsters have put their message on show in the
best location possible exactly where it counts – a brick dunny. Yep,
this school’s environmental message is stuck on the side of a lavatory
block in Australia’s mango capital – Bowen – at the edge of the Coral
Sea. What’s their message? Well, it’s a powerful toilet turtle tale that
goes like this:
Turtles nest at Horseshoe Bay

In the soft sand their eggs they lay
The young they paddle out to sea
Eating fresh jellyfish for their tea
If a plastic bag comes floating by
It looks like a jellyfish to the turtle’s eye
So when they gobble the plastic up
In the tummies the plastic’s stuck
So don’t let your discarded litter
Get into the ocean for the turtle’s dinner
Say no to plastic bags when downtown
And keep the turtles safe and sound.
– Students from Bowen State School, Queensland
You can either work with nature or against it. Live in harmony or
destroy everything. Marvel at the life of a tree or just put another log
on the fire, baby. Take powerful action or watch the world die at your
feet. Only until people live thoughtfully and collaboratively with
nature can we live in peace, find inner peace and truly call ourselves
a powerful and intelligent species.
If human greed, pollution and overcrowding continue, then we and

the world will not. Prize winning environmental scientist David
Suzuki and his associate Peter Knudtson worry that the rapid
destruction of nature is already leaving people “psychologically
dissociated from their natural surroundings and spiritually adrift”.
What this means is that if you destroy nature, you end up destroying
your true inner power.
As far back as 1895, eminent psychoanalyst Dr Carl Jung expressed

concern that:
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Man… is no longer involved in nature. No river contains a spirit, no
reptile is the embodiment of wisdom, no mountain cave the home
to a great demon. No voices now speak to man from stones, plants,
and animals. His contact with nature has gone.
To empower ourselves, we must empower nature and listen

respectfully to its wise and timeless stories.
In Harry’s world, the magic Flutterby Bushes quiver with excitement.

Maybe it’s because they live in a world of green forests, misty
mountains, white snowfields and clear lakes. Or maybe, being magical
plants, they sense the presence of people in the real world who care
what happens to nature. Power is not putting a cigarette butt in the
bin or saying “No” to a plastic bag at a supermarket because you feel
you have to. True power is doing it because you know, deep in your
heart, that everything deserves to live in the healthiest, happiest and
strongest way possible.
Don’t just think biodegradable, think bio-do-great-able!. As

the famous Dutch impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh once said:
“If you truly love nature, you’ll find beauty everywhere”. Let nature
flourish and you will nourish – and free – your inner power.
Activity – Create a Positive Environment
To help people manage their feelings and live well with the natural
environment, the field of psychology is trying to find:
A useful understanding of the reciprocal impacts of people and the

natural environment… and achievable and effective solutions”.
– Australian Psychological Society Position Statement 2008

Psychology and the Natural Environment
www.psychology.org.au/publications/
This means that people and nature affect each other. If nature suffers, we
suffer. If we improve the planet’s health, human health improves. To help
everyone create a positive environment, the Australian Psychological
Society suggests many good things we can do. Think about these ways to
create a better world.
Learn about the ENVIRONMENT, consider and compare different views.
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Understand that environmental problems can bring up strong FEELINGS
like FEAR, ANGER or despair.
Know you can turn bad feelings into ACTION.

Bond with NATURE – HOLIDAY in a natural environment.
Spend TIME outdoors – ride bikes, canoe, SKI.
JOIN COMMUNITY environmental groups.
Write letters to the NEWSPAPER.
Reduce SPENDING on unnecessary products.
Get involved in environmental decision-making at home.
Know that millions of people all over the world want to HELP nature and
are working together so that the planet can be PROTECTED. There is much
HOPE.
Now find and colour in the key words written in CAPITAL LETTERS above,
which can appear up, down, left, right or diagonal in the grid below. Once
you have found all the words, write out the remaining letters in order (start
at the top and go left to right) to reveal a very important message to you
from the Australian Psychological Society.
Y E M I T F E A R O E
U F R Y R E G N A N R
G E E T J O I N V R U
N E P I A C T I O N T
I L A N H A R C T I A
D I P U O O N S M A N
N N S M N E L S K I K
E G W M E P A I D I F
P S E O F O E R D E N
S N N C C H E L P A E
T D E T C E T O R P Y
____ _______ ____ _ __________
Great goblins! With you around, there’s no way Earth is going to end up
looking like Voldemort’s gross grave-drowned playground.
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The Greatest Power
Stronger than Hate
W
hat could be the greatest power? What would make a
power so great in the first place? To get the top job, a great
power would surely have to be:
·· Positive
·· Lasting
·· Autonomous
·· Influential
·· Unlimited
·· Mysterious
Just to name a few great qualities.
These special selection criteria for “greatness” sure sound daunting.

Possibly impossible to meet. Should such, would such, could such a
power even exist?
As a matter of fact – as well as a matter of magic – there is such a

power. It operates in Harry’s world and is alive and well in the real
world, too. This power is much stronger than hate. This power is
far bolder than death. Why, this great inner power is even deeper
than mystery itself. The greatest power of all is… love. What is more,
your ability to demonstrate such a power – to develop it, use it and
make all the difference to everything in your world – is absolutely
and definitely within your power.
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Why Do People Hate?
‘Umbridge hates part-humans,’ said Hermione.

In Harry’s world, Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge seems to hate

a lot of things. Did the horrible and hostile Dolores always hate
part-humans? Are there any human parts she doesn’t hate? Hate – a
very negative and bitter feeling – would have to be one of the most
destructive forces in the universe. If so, why do people hate?
In the real world, scientific evidence shows that people are not natural
born killers. People aren’t born with an innate desire to hate. As Dr
Wayne Dyer explains, human babies “Love everyone… they’re in a
constant state of love”. When you were a baby, you were not able to
distinguish between yourself and the rest of the world. You used to
think that you and your busy surroundings were joined together as
one big happy adventure. The human brain needs time to figure out
that the ‘self’ – you – is different to ‘other’ – the outside world and
everyone else in it. It takes time and life experience to separate and
distinguish between different things in the environment.
An influential theory in psychology called ‘attachment theory’ argues

that people are born to care and to seek care from others. The founder
of attachment theory, John Bowlby, explains that human infants are
biologically programmed to seek ‘attachment’. All they want is to
feel close to someone and be comforted by a care figure when they
are hungry, lonely, sick or scared. From the moment of birth everyone
shows natural attachment-seeking behaviours such as:
·· Smiling
·· Crying
·· Clinging
·· Touching
·· Eye contact
A human baby, in its first year of life, displays these behaviours over
and over every day to attract a caring response from an attachment
figure like a parent, older brother or sister, or some other important
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carer. Just as humans are biologically driven to breathe, eat and sleep,
our species also has a built-in need to fish for affection. Getting care,
attention and affection increases our chances of survival and success
in the world. A warm smile, a friendly nod or a comforting cuddle is a
positive and soothing influence that helps people to grow into happy
and healthy adults. Just imagine – attachment-seeking behaviours
would occur hundreds of times in a week, thousands of times in a
year, millions of times in a person’s childhood. If attachment needs
are met, positive and healthy feelings of trust build up. But if natural
needs are not met, negative and unhealthy feelings of mistrust emerge
as early as the first year of life. The normal attachment bond becomes
strained and broken. The evil Lord Voldemort, who had no parents
to care for him and who was raised in an orphanage that made him
feel lonely and uncomfortable, may have stopped trusting others and
searching for care very early in his life.
To deal with the fear of not being loved, which Voldemort may
have done, some young children will show signs of non-attachment
distress. They will deliberately stop bonding with people who do not
seem to be very emotionally attached to them. For instance, infants
might stop smiling, laughing, crying and getting close to other people
to protect themselves from being hurt or rejected. Since humans take
a long biological time to reach physical and emotional maturity,
this makes them very complicated luvvy-duvvy beings. In order to
survive and thrive in the world, people need to bond strongly with
others so that they can feel safe and secure. In many cases, feelings
of hate develop when people 1) fail to get the attention and affection
they need, 2) are exposed to a harsh and hostile environment and 3)
deal with stress in unhealthy ways.
If you had a hard time early on and really hate a few people, you
might ask, “What’s the big deal?” The problem, says Dr Anthony
Kidman in his book Managing Love and Hate, is that if people hate:
Wars are waged, people are tortured, individuals are murdered and
hate and discrimination flourish.
Hate is a very big deal. Modern examples of staggering hate in the real
world which you most probably would have heard about include:
·· London public transport system being bombed

·· Sari Night Club in Bali being bombed
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·· September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre
·· Terrorists killing school children in Beslan, Russia
·· Genocide in Africa
·· Fighting in Iraq
·· Nuclear weapon threats
About half a century ago, one man mastered hate. The German
warlord, Adolf Hitler, promoted hate, violence and terror during
World War II. Historian Richard Tames captures Hitler’s worldwide
hate in a nutshell: “A world war that cost 30 million lives, his own
country divided and in ruins, and a hate of different races so strong
that it led to the organised murder of over 6 million people.” In
Harry’s world, Voldemort uses the same shifty strategies as Hitler
did. He uses hate propaganda against non-purebloods and organises
mass murders like the one that killed Harry’s parents.
Much like Unforgivable Curses force their victims to do bizarre

things in Harry’s world, hate can make people in the real world do
things that are sick and unnatural and that, deep inside, people do
not really want to do (as it goes against our loving nature). Just like
the worst curses in Harry’s world, strong hate hurts others and can
cause destruction in our world so terrible that it is truly unforgivable.
Hate is a strong and sneaky assassin. If we were to let it, hate would
continue to stalk our minds, hearts and souls for as long as possible
and keep spreading in the world without bounds.
Hate is...
Arrogant – “You filthy little Mudblood” (Chamber of Secrets, p.86)

Bigoted – Pure-blood wizards “think they’re better than everyone
else” (Chamber of Secrets, p.253)
Callous – “cold... dangerous... without remorse” (Goblet of Fire, p.16)
Discriminatory – “Get away from me, werewolf!” (Prisoner of Azkaban,
p.253)
Malicious – “Bow to death, Harry” (Goblet of Fire, p.573)
Hate... is a destructive psychological weapon.
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How Hate Spreads
Lord Voldemort’s gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great.
In Harry’s world, Voldemort embodies ultimate hatred. He works

tirelessly to spread hate as far and wide as possible. Unfortunately,
the same sneaky methods are used to spread hate in the real world
too. Three important ones are:
·· Learning
·· Language, and
·· Law
If you get a feel for some of the psychological tactics behind these
three approaches, then you are in a much more powerful position to
protect yourself from hate in the real world. You will increase your
personal power to stop hate spreading in your mind and mood. Even
better, you can empower yourself with skills to stop hate spreading
in the hearts of others.
Learning: Hate Breeds Hate
‘Kreacher did not see young master,’ he said, turning around and
bowing to Fred. Still facing the carpet, he added, perfectly audibly,
‘Nasty little brat of a blood traitor it is.’
‘Sorry?’ said George. ‘Didn’t catch that last bit.’
‘Kreacher said nothing,’ said the elf, with a second bow to George,
adding in a clear undertone, ‘ and there’s its twin, unnatural little
beasts they are.’
Although Kreacher isn’t the most pleasant creature in Harry’s world,

this old house-elf is definitely one of the most important. Just as
people have been mean to Kreacher, he has had plenty of time to learn
how to be mean in return. You see, hate breeds hate. And Kreacher is
one of its best products.
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In Harry’s world, Sirius Black was mean to Kreacher at times. Once,
Sirius even slammed a door in the elf’s face. Even though Kreacher
was rude and behaved badly, Sirius Black’s harsh treatment would
only have made the elf feel and act worse. As Dumbledore explains
to Harry:
‘I warned Sirius… that Kreacher must be treated with kindness and

respect… I do not think Sirius took me very seriously, or that he ever
saw Kreacher as a being with feelings… Kreacher is what he has
been made by wizards.’
‘We wizards have mistreated and abused our fellows for too long,
and we are now reaping our reward.’
– Order of the Phoenix, p. 733, p. 735
So, Kreacher learned to hate others because others showed hostile and
hateful behaviour towards him. Unfortunately, he was also exposed
to a very harmful household influence. Someone else in the house,
a really horrible and twisted character full of hate, taught Kreacher
how to be horrible and hateful back:
‘Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants,

freaks, begone from this place!’
The portrait of Mrs Black at 12 Grimmauld Place would have to be

the most foul-mouthed painting in Harry’s world. It rants, raves
and verbally attacks anyone who passes by. It is 100% guaranteed
that those forced to listen to the painting’s constant barrage of abuse
are actively learning how to be abusive themselves. The painting is
enough to drive anyone mad, especially a lonely little elf. This, as
Hermione tells it, is exactly what happened to poor Kreacher:
‘Sirius, he’s not right in the head,’ Hermione pleaded, ‘I don’t think
he realises we can hear him.’
‘He’s been alone too long,’ said Sirius, ‘taking mad orders from my
mother’s portrait and talking to himself.’
Living in a big empty house all alone for many years, the only voice
Kreacher ever heard came from a bitter and twisted portrait. A
portrait that Sirius says “didn’t have a heart” and was full of “spite”.
Forced to live a lonely and miserable existence at Grimmauld Place
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with a hateful portrait, it is no wonder that the atmosphere in this
household has produced a ‘Kreacher’ that hates.
In the real world, scientific evidence proves that hate teaches hate.
To demonstrate this behavioural law, allow me to introduce you to
“Bobo” – psychology’s most famous doll. The distinguished American
psychologist Albert Bandura conducted a classic experiment in 1961
to study aggressive behaviour with help from Bobo – a five-foot high
inflatable toy. His compelling findings were published in a scientific
article called “Transmission of Aggression through Imitation
of Aggressive Models”. This significant experiment involved
watching children (one at a time) playing with toys in a room. An
adult (pretending to be aggressive) would enter the room and start
punching, kicking and hitting Bobo with a mallet, then leave. The
result? After witnessing this aggression, the children punched, kicked
and hit Bobo with a mallet, too. Poor Bobo! The experiment proved
without a doubt that aggression can be learned simply by observing
and imitating others – and that it only takes one occasion! Obviously,
young people from real life who observe adults being aggressive
end up copying this behaviour themselves because they grow up
believing that aggression is acceptable. People learn how to hate by
watching others hate.
Given the compelling finding that hate breeds hate, it is absolutely

crucial that people like us do not execute acts of hatred. Otherwise,
we risk making hate stronger and we teach others how to hate. As
Harry’s world shows and the real world sadly proves, hate is a
harmful force that likes to spread widely.
Language: Words are Weapons
‘You see it all the time with dogs. If there’s something wrong with
the bitch, there’ll be something wrong the pup –’
At that moment, the wine glass Aunt Marge was holding exploded
in her hand.
In Harry’s world, Aunt Marge describes the Potter family as if they

were badly bred dogs. She also suggests that Harry is a “pup” born
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from an inferior “bitch”. Just as saying the magic word “Cruciatius”
summons excruciating pain in Harry’s world, many words in real
life are cruel weapons that hurt people a great deal emotionally and
injure their inner power.
Harry’s world demonstrates the use of words as weapons in many

different adventures. For example:
·· ‘My dratted sister… she was – a freak!’ (The Philosopher’s Stone, p.

44)
·· ‘Loony, loopy Lupin,’ Peeves sang. ‘Loony, loopy Lupin.’ (Prisoner
of Azkaban, p. 99)
·· ‘POTTER STINKS.’ (Goblet of Fire, p. 261)
·· ‘Filthy half-breeds’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 665)
·· ‘WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN.’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 362)
These spiteful words are designed to hurt and destroy people.

Behavioural scientists call mean words ‘offensive language’, ‘verbal
abuse’ or ‘aggressive verbal behaviour’.
Sometimes, hateful and harmful messages are not so obvious:
‘There’s only Loony Lovegood in here –’ [said Ginny]

On the Hogwarts Express, Ginny describes Luna Lovegood as

‘Loony’ in a joking sort of way. Although words like loony might seem
harmless on the surface, this kind of name-calling can spread hate.
Ginny may not mean to cause harm. Nevertheless, her statement can
be considered harmful because it suggests that there is ‘something
wrong’ with Luna. No one wants to sit next to someone who is loony.
If you think about it, that’s exactly what happens in Harry’s world.
All the names that Luna gets called discourage Hogwarts students
– including Harry – from making friends with her. This decreases
everyone’s personal power because it wrecks friendships and positive
relationships with people. At first, not even Harry wanted his friends
to know that he and “loony Luna” had things in common.
In the real world, words are weapons that can help or harm, encourage
or discourage, empower or destroy. Here are some important
examples of harmful and helpful language from real life:
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Harmful Words Helpful Words
You’re stupid. You can do it.
What a slob. Great job.
You’re disgusting. You’re beautiful.
Clumsy failure! You tried. I’m proud of you.
You’re worthless. I couldn’t have done it without you.
I wish you were never born. I love you.
Dr Marla Brassard, a psychology professor, explains that negative

communication causes more damage than people realise. A 14-year-
old girl called Amy was often called an “uncaring brat” by her
parents, says Dr Brassard. Eventually, Amy thought to herself: “My
parents are right. I am an ungrateful brat. My parents would be better
off if I had never been born.” Then Amy started to plan suicide. The
unflattering words humiliated Amy so much that they triggered
suicidal action. In another case, I know a high school student from
England who was teased so badly that her bullies told her to go away
and “commit suicide”. She felt so sad and lonely that she couldn’t
eat, sleep or concentrate on her schoolwork anymore. All she wanted
was to withdraw from school and life.
Harry’s world helps to show that words can be powerful weapons –

designed to create an imbalance of power. For example:
‘They thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the
purification of the wizard race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and
having pure-bloods in charge.’
‘Pure-blood wizard’ sounds pure, perfect and powerful. The word

‘Mudblood’, however, conjures up ideas of something that is muddy,
dirty and defective. Calling people mean names, which psychologists
call assigning negative social labels, distributes power differently
to different people. Harry’s world uses words to separate people
according to which race or social group of magicians they belong to:
·· Pure-bloods
·· Mudbloods
·· Squibs
·· Muggles
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Good words (positive social labels) try to make one group of people
(like the pure-bloods) feel confident, in charge and power-full.
Meanwhile, bad sounding words (negative social labels) attempt to
sabotage the self-esteem, reputation and power of other groups (like
the Muggle-borns), by putting them down and trying to make them
sound inferior and power-less. Dr Lynn Richards, a sociology professor
in Melbourne, told me that this process is called “constructing a
dominant ideology”. This means that certain ideas, words, labels and
meanings are used to increase the power of a dominant group, while
decreasing everybody else’s psychological experience of power.
Our knowledge that language can help or harm us is so important

in the real world that some heated disputes are brewing over words
and their meanings. Brian Williams’ 2007 article “Anger grows over
racist place names” in the Courier-Mail is an article about places
in Australia with names that are racially offensive to Aboriginal
people. Communities in Queensland are being asked whether places
with names like ‘Blackfellow Creek’, ‘Black Gin Creek’ and ‘Mount
Nigger’ should be changed. Some names, like ‘Deadman Creek’ and
‘Slaughterhouse Creek’, are particularly insulting because they are
historical reminders that Aboriginal people were massacred there.
Aboriginal activist Bob Weatherall definitely believes that such place
names involve racist language. But the Cairns City Councillor told
reporters that a place like Blackfellow Creek is “a historical name,
not an offensive name. I don’t think the name should be changed.”
Well, imagine what would happen if we created new place names
like Bleach Butt Bay? Inter-racial conflict and social violence would
escalate, for sure!
Words influence our world. Scientific evidence proves that language

has the power to shape people’s behaviour and bring out different
emotions. Peaceful words encourage calm behaviour and a caring
world. Mean and malicious words encourage angry feelings and a
hostile world. Just as students jump aboard the Hogwarts Express
to travel to Hogwarts Castle, feelings of hate jump aboard certain
words just as easily, charging and poisoning human thoughts,
feelings and actions just like a terrible curse. In a world fuelled by
inappropriate words and corrupt language, hate is sure to spread
and travel widely.
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Law: the Power of Hateful Decrees
Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society,

team, group, or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will
be expelled.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree
Number Twenty-four.
Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor
In Harry’s world, one character loves to spread hate in the most

deplorable manner. Professor Dolores Umbridge legislates hate with
her destructive decrees. It’s no big surprise that the professor’s last
name is a homonym of ‘umbrage’, another word for anger, antagonism
or resentment. Meanwhile, Umbridge’s role as an inquisitor is only
too reminiscent of the terrifying witch-hating era that plagued the
dark ages, leading to the deaths of thousands of innocent people.
Professor Umbridge spreads hate by developing social laws that

restrict and discriminate against people. One of her decrees (a decree
is a law, ruling or command) forbids social interaction at school. This
means that any student who looks like she or he is involved in a
meeting, even if that student is just talking to someone, is immediately
regarded with suspicion, hostility and hatred. Some years ago in
America, for example, if you were anywhere near a Communist or
a meeting of Communists, then you were automatically labelled a
Communist too – and an enemy of the country.
In Harry’s world, some members of the Black family also imposed

laws to promote sick forms of hate. As Sirius Black explains:
‘Araminta Meliflua… cousin of my mother’s… tried to force

through a Ministry Bill to make Muggle-hunting legal… and dear
Aunt Elladora… she started the family tradition of beheading
house-elves when they got too old to carry tea trays.’
This demonstrates how high-profile figures and people in positions

of social authority can influence the world in a harmful way.
205
A notorious example of socially organised hate in the real world is
the Ku Klux Klan, a right-wing hate group and an extremely racist
and violent movement. They formed and sanctioned an organisation
to brutally hunt and kill African American people and other
minorities in the United States. Another deadly example of legislated
hate is the Khmer Rouge, a political guerrilla group in Cambodia
that brainwashed children and starved, tortured and executed two
million innocent people.
When laws are based on goodwill, justice and care, they protect
people’s power. The four Hogwarts Houses, for example, were
founded to encourage students to bond, mix, learn, achieve, work and
play sport together. The Houses weren’t designed to dictate, decree
or disempower people. But when laws and policies are designed to
divide and dominate people – and spread hate – like Dolores’ decrees
or the Black family’s political bills, then the spirit of law-making gets
trashed and undermined and the results are socially devastating.
Hate is an ultimate destruction machine. Even pop group Dire Straits

warns people about hate and war in their beautiful and haunting
song called ‘Brothers in Arms’:
It’s written in the starlight

And every line on your palm
We’re fools to make war
On our brothers in arms.
To be happy, healthy and more powerful in life, and to empower the

world around us, it is imperative to find effective ways to turn back
the tide of hatred and reverse the curse.
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Activity – Disintegrate Hate
Hate makes you less powerful because…
A way that my own hate has hurt me is…
The best way I know to discourage hate is…
Eventually, I believe that we will all live in a world free of hate as long as we
keep doing these important things:
Turn the Tide of Hatred
‘NO!’ Harry yelled. He ran forwards, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing
the wands. ‘You can’t kill him,’ he said breathlessly. ‘You can’t.’
Although Peter Pettigrew helped to murder Harry’s parents, Harry

does not wish to kill him. Rather, Harry says to Sirius Black and
Professor Lupin: “We’ll take him up to the castle. We’ll hand him
over to the Dementors. He can go to Azkaban… just don’t kill him”
(Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 275). Not only does Harry save Pettigrew’s
life, he also protects the reputation of two family friends by stopping
them from resorting to extreme violence. As Harry says to Pettigrew,
“I don’t reckon my dad would’ve wanted his best friends to become
killers – just for you” (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 275). In this crucial scene,
Harry did not fight hate with hate. Rather, Harry chose a much more
powerful and valiant course of action – he turned back the tide of
hatred.
207
Despite the most horrendous conditions, the hardest times and being
strongly hated, some people don’t hate back. Ron Weasley, despite
being poor and constantly teased about it, doesn’t become a career
criminal and armed robber who steals treasure from goblin banks.
Instead, Ron is a loyal friend who sticks with his mates through
thick and thin. Hermione Granger, despite being looked down on for
being Muggle-born, doesn’t hate other races or disadvantaged social
classes. Instead, Hermione ends up helping those who are a lot less
fortunate than herself – an enslaved race of elves. Hagrid, despite
being hated as a giant and accused of being savage and brutal,
doesn’t rip the students’ arms and legs off. Instead, Hagrid cares for
all kinds of creatures, especially the most hated and dangerous ones
– like giant spiders and exploding skrewts.
One of the most powerful ways to stop a negative force like hate is to
replace it with an opposite force, as Harry’s world clearly shows:
Harry, grinning widely, said, ‘This is the best house I’ve ever been
in.’
What Harry found most unusual about life at Ron’s, however,
wasn’t the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: it was the fact that
everybody there seemed to like him.
– Chamber of Secrets, p. 36, p. 37
At the Weasley household, Harry finds a home rich in love. In

complete contrast to the unfriendly Dursley dwelling, Harry gets to
experience a really positive force – love. This visit to the Weasley
house serves as a critical turning point in Harry’s life. Even just
one good and healthy experience like this can be enough to protect
someone like Harry from turning into a completely hateful person.
A chance to hang out in a loving environment, which Harry got to
experience, can turn back the tide of hatred forever.
You see, just as some things strengthen hate, other things weaken it.
Sure, Harry was raised in an emotionally deprived household at 4
Privet Drive. But the Weasley house offered Harry something new
and different, an atmosphere full of unconditional love. Not only did
Harry’s stop-over at the Weasley residence give him a chance to soak
up lots of positive attention and affection, Harry’s lovely experience
had the potential power to influence the rest of his life in a positive
way. For example, Harry discovered that not all homes are hostile –
208
many other people and places are loving and caring. Harry might also
have realised that his miserable situation at 4 Privet Drive was only
a temporary one. Harry could, if he wanted to, fill the rest of his life
with loving people and lovely experiences – to create a place just like
the Weasley house. Just one visit to the Burrow had enough power
to discourage Harry from becoming a person who hates, but only
if Harry chose to think about his experience in a positive way and
then take powerful action to make good things happen. When Harry
internalised love and showed loving behaviour, instead of hate, he
felt good inside and enjoyed time with his friends – he increased his
personal power radically.
In a book called The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Lama says that the
only way to overpower hatred effectively involves developing its
opposite – a loving and peaceful view. “We need to actively cultivate
the antidotes to hatred: patience and tolerance,” he says. Similarly,
the late and great Mother Teresa didn’t go to anti-war rallies. She only
attended pro-peace parties. Meanwhile, a good Aussie hero I know,
Security Services Manager Gerard Raiteri from the Whitsundays,
trains security staff in Queensland to manage conflict peacefully with
this advice: “You don’t fight fire with fire. You put out fire with a fire
extinguisher!” In other words, you don’t respond to aggression by
being aggressive. All aggression does is fuel a fight – it makes things
worse. The best way to deal with aggressive human behaviour is to
stay calm and in control. The best way to eliminate hate and abuse
forever is to replace it with never-ending love and respect.
The real world has many powerful projects that de-activate hate and
encourage love. Martial arts superstar Jackie Chan, for example, is
turning back the tide of hatred at his special school. He set up an
international martial arts school for students from different countries.
The multicultural atmosphere of the school seeks to bond different
cultures, stop racial discrimination and prevent fighting between
countries. The school is striving to achieve world peace. Speaking
to an interviewer, Jackie Chan said, “If everyone knows everyone
background and culture and religion, there’s no more war. No more
fighting. No more hate. Why everyone hates everybody? I promote
peace, promote love, promote united.”
In the Middle-East, movie producer Steven Spielberg promoted peace

by producing 250 movies. But these movies are special: young people
made them. In a recent interview with Time magazine, Spielberg
explained that:
209
Everything’s worth a try… and there’s a project I’m initiating that
I think might do some good. What I’m doing is buying 250 video
cameras and players and dividing them up, giving 125 of them to
Palestinian children, 125 to Israeli kids, so they can make movies
about their own lives – not dramas, just little documentaries about
who they are and what they believe in, who their parents are, where
they go to school, what they had to eat, what movies they watch,
what CDs they listen to – and then exchange the videos.
Spielberg wants Israelis and Palestinians (who have been at war with
each other) to get to know each other as people; as normal everyday
human beings. If people from different cultures can see that, deep
down, everyone is the same, then there is nothing to be afraid of or
hate anymore.
A celebrated social leader in America, Martin Luther King Jr., dreamed

of peace among different races. This man, who campaigned tirelessly
for freedom, justice and equal rights for African American people,
once said: “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy
into a friend.” Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, another
great leader delivered the same powerful message. Mahatma Ghandi
encouraged people in India to fight against British rule in non-violent
ways. “When I despair,” said Gandhi, “I remember that all through
history the way of Truth and Love has always won. There have been
tyrants and murderers and for a time they can seem invincible, but in
the end they always fall… always.” No matter who you are or what
country you live in, peace and love must not die in any heart or in
the heart of any nation. Hate is strong, but there are stronger ways to
overcome hate. The greatest power – love – is much stronger.
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Activity – R U Ready 4 Love?
Music reaches out to everyone. It’s a great way to spread a positive

message.
Why not drive hate away by writing a funky song that encourages people to
“make love, not war”? To get you in the mood, here’s part of a well-known
hip-hop tune about love and hate:
But if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And if you hatin you’re bound to get irate
Yeah madness is what you demonstrate
Lyrics: ‘Where is the Love?’

Artist: Black Eyed Peas
Now you have a go, bro. Send lots of love and kisses, sisters.
Go on… I know you got the music in you:
Who knows? You might end up writing songs for famous bands like ‘The
Weird Sisters’ in Harry Potter’s world!
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Bolder than Death
‘There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!’ snarled Voldemort.

‘You are quite wrong,’ said Dumbledore.
W
hen a good and powerful wizard like Dumbledore
challenges an evil arch-enemy like Voldemort with the
view that death is not the worst possible experience in life,
he is sure to have a bold message.
As we all know, in the real world death is a natural part of life that
we must all experience. We also know that people die in different
ways. Some people die before their time and sometimes people die
in sudden and shocking ways. Losing someone you love to a violent
attack is especially devastating. At this time, people can sink into
the deepest despair because they feel as if their whole world has just
been shattered. What they really need is strong and sincere support.
Unfortunately, the modern world is not always so helpful. Modern
Western culture, in particular, is very good at discounting death and
denying the expression of grief. People, just like Harry, who have
lost family or friends to murder, are expected to move on and just get
over it as quickly as possible. Forcing painful feelings underground
too hastily, however, really messes up the healing process and harms
human health. For too long, death, especially murder, has been a
taboo topic that has left the living for dead.
To deal with death in more powerful ways, it is essential to open

your mind and increase your awareness about death. As the wise
Dumbledore himself explains:
To the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.

213
Just like Dumbledore, forward-looking agencies from the real world
also encourage us to open our hearts and minds: agencies like the
Queensland Homicide Victims’ Support Group, which specialises in
rebuilding the lives of those who have lost their loved ones to murder.
Chief Executive Officer, Jonty Bush, says that “when it comes to our
responses to death and dying – there are no rules. What’s to say that
death – and what lies beyond – is the final frontier”. In other words,
people are free to deal with death in any creative way they choose to.
Those who are willing to think about life, death and what it all means
are much more likely to deal with death effectively, heal and protect
themselves and support others. An inquisitive and informed mind is
much more likely to react in healthy ways and develop helpful views
about the world.
Everyone dies. Often it’s natural. At times it’s accidental. Sometimes

it’s shocking and violent. But the more you expand your mind about
death, the more knowledge and skills you’ll have to guard against
personal power loss. In fact, the people of Thailand contemplate
death constantly. This has great benefits, says W. Vajiramedhi, a
notable Thai scholar and Buddhist monk. His book Looking Death In
The Eye explains that people who become “death aware” are much
more likely to cherish the people they love, live the best life possible,
boost their spiritual power, lose their fear of death and achieve
enlightenment.
Dumbeldore’s beliefs about death happen to match the powerful

ideas of leading health professionals, grief experts, philosophers,
writers and others from the real world:
Love is triumphant… even over death.

– Katherine Kerr, Dawnspell – a fantasy novel
Even though death comes, love never goes away.

– Lynette Nitschke, President of the Homicide Victims’ Support
Group of South Australia, and mother of Allison, who was
murdered
To die will be an awfully big adventure.

– J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
Death may be a bold event, but love – the greatest power – is bolder.
To be powerful in life, sometimes you have to go boldly where no
one else has gone before.
214
Harry Grasps “A Grief Like No Other”
Cedric was lying spread-eagled on the ground beside him. He was dead.
For a second that contained an eternity, Harry stared into Cedric’s face.
When Cedric is murdered right in front of Harry’s eyes, Harry’s

reaction is strong. For a fleeting moment, Harry seems trapped in
time and overwhelmed by shock.
Death and murder, and how individuals react to them, are important
matters in Harry’s world. As people Harry likes or loves are
murdered, his reactions to their deaths are described in depth and
with an extraordinary accuracy to real life. This makes Harry’s world
special because it explores an emotional experience that the real
world often avoids. Although the modern world is obsessed with
murder – crime novels, movies, television and sensational media
stories every day – it does not provide nearly enough information
and support to show people how to cope effectively with murder or
ways to prevent it. Bill Huntley, a psychologist on the board of the
Queensland Homicide Victims’ Support Group, says that “there are
many bereaved people and kids out there who have lost someone to
murder – and they really need some support”. So if you have lost a
loved one to violence, I hope that you find some helpful ideas in this
special chapter.
Murder is a grief like no other and Harry’s world is bold enough

to tell the tale. As such, Harry’s world fills a big void. If there’s one
thing that Harry’s world spotlights, it is our world’s incredible lack
of understanding about a really distressing event:
‘Hang on,’ said Uncle Vernon, his face screwed up, a look of
dawning comprehension coming into his piggy eyes. ‘I’ve heard that
name… that was the one who –‘
‘Murdered my parents, yes,’ Harry said dully.
‘But he’s gone,’ said Uncle Vernon impatiently, without the slightest
sign that the murder of Harry’s parents might be a painful topic.
215
Uncle Vernon’s response shows that when people have little
knowledge about the impact of murder – or worse, little heart – it
badly hurts the people who are missing their loved ones. Even
worse, Harry’s world shows that people in positions of authority –
professional people who are supposed to be helping us – can belittle
murder or just be plain cruel:
‘Cedric Diggory’s death was a tragic accident,’ she said coldly.

‘It was murder,’ said Harry. He could feel himself shaking.
When Professor Umbridge gives Harry the cold shoulder about

murder, her behaviour upsets him so much that he shakes with hurt
and anger.
Unfortunately, Professor Umbridge’s manner is not unlike that of a

medical specialist I know in the real world. He described his client
as “dull” and “unintelligent “ shortly after that person’s partner
had been viciously murdered by a stranger. How did that grieving
person feel? This is what that person, a high academic achiever and
professional, said, “When someone you love is murdered, it’s like
being hit by a 100 tonne truck. You’re lying on the road, broken
and bleeding to death – and you desperately need help. And then
someone comes along and kicks you in the guts. It’s people’s cruelty
that destroys you, that’s what kills you in the end.” The resemblance
of this medical specialist to the diabolical Umbridge is chilling and
uncanny to say the least.
Thoughtless actions hurt grieving people a lot, stealing their much

needed power and vitality. What does it feel like when someone dear
to you is murdered? Harry delivers this strong reaction in his fifth
year at Hogwarts:
It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall.

… he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the
veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then
fell back into place.
… Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would
reappear from the other side any second…
But Sirius did not reappear.
‘SIRIUS!’ Harry yelled. ‘SIRIUS!’
216
After receiving a fatal blow from a Death Eater, Harry’s godfather
disappears behind a black curtain – death. As Harry’s world shows,
a violent death produces potent feelings of shock and anxiety.
In the real world, everyone grieves differently and people express

their feelings in various ways. When someone dies, people tend to
manifest signs of strong stress like these:
Emotions Shock, numbness, anger, sadness, fear, guilt, helplessness

Thoughts Doubts, disbelief, poor concentration, memory problems,
bad dreams, hopelessness
Behaviours Withdrawn, restless and impulsive behaviour; alcohol
and drug use; lack of self-care
Physical Tiredness, sleep problems, changes in appetite, diarrhoea,
constipation, vomiting, pain
Social Loneliness, arguments, difficulty relating to others, strong
shifts in self-image, personality changes
A grief response has no set time, place or pattern. No two people

will react to death in exactly the same way. Grief is an individual
experience.
As Harry shows, people who lose a loved one to murder can show
even stronger and more prolonged grief reactions, which health
experts call ‘post-traumatic stress’. Some people, just like Harry,
think about, dream about and remember the murder of their loved
ones clearly and vividly, sometimes for years after the event. Anyone
who increases their knowledge about such strong stress is in a much
more powerful position to conquer this stress and to understand what
other people are going through. Given that Harry’s story describes
realistic responses to murder, it gives people a chance to grasp this
experience. When you check out the table Murder – What Does It Feel
Like in Harry’s World? below, you will see how Harry’s experiences
fit with the American Psychiatric Association’s official guide to post-
traumatic stress.
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Murder – What Does It Feel Like in Harry’s World?
1. Traumatic Event
Traumatic events in Harry’s world include the murder of Harry’s parents
and godfather.
Feelings Of Shock, Horror, And Hopelessness
‘There was no hope… no help to be had’ (Goblet of Fire, p. 575)
‘It was still very hard to believe as he sat here that his life must include…
murder.’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 754)
2. Re-Experiencing The Trauma
Intrusive Thoughts
‘Harry’s thoughts wandered back to his mother and father…
…Terrible though it was to hear his parents’ last moments replayed inside
his head.’ (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 180)
Nightmares
‘I had a dream,’ said Harry. ‘A dream about Lord Voldemort.’ (Goblet of Fire,
p. 520)
Flashbacks As If The Trauma Is Happening Again
‘He came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light’ (The
Philosopher’s Stone, p. 27)
Sights, Sounds, Dates, And Other Reminders Of The Event Cause Strong
Distress
‘When they get near me –’ Harry stared at Lupin’s desk, his throat tight, ‘I
can hear Voldemort murdering my mum.’ (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 140)
3. Feeling Withdrawn And Fearful
‘It seemed impossible that there could be people in the world who still
desired food, who laughed, who neither knew nor cared that Sirius Black
was gone for ever.’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 744)
Memory Loss
‘He couldn’t remember… when his parents had died.’ (The Philosopher’s
Stone, p. 27)
Less pleasure and interest in doing things
‘Harry gazed into the flames, feeling drained and exhausted’ (Order of the
Phoenix, p. 227)
Feeling Detached
‘The grounds around him were full of laughing people… even though he
felt as distant from them as though he belonged to a different race.’ (Order
of the Phoenix, p. 754)
218
Feeling Stifled, Less Affectionate
‘He wanted to help whoever it was, he tried to move his arms, but
couldn’t.’ (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 66)
No Sense Of Future
‘He walked slowly and miserably back up through the empty castle,
wondering whether he would ever feel cheerful again.’ (Order of the
Phoenix, p. 759)
4. Physical Problems
Sleep Problems
‘Harry fell into an uneasy sleep.’ (Chamber of Secrets, p. 22)
Concentration Problems
‘A whine of panic inside his head was preventing him thinking properly’
(Order of the Phoenix, p. 699)
Anger Outbursts
‘His temper, always so close to the surface these days, was rising again.’
(Order of the Phoenix, p. 304)
‘Harry felt the white-hot anger lick his insides, blazing in the terrible
emptiness, filling him with the desire to hurt Dumbledore.’ (Order of the
Phoenix, p. 726)
More Alert And Watchful
‘Harry listened closely to the silence around him. Was he half expecting to
hear the creak of a stair, or the swish of a cloak?’ (Goblet of Fire, p. 22)
Easily Startled
Harry awoke ‘as abruptly and completely as if somebody had yelled in his
ear’ (Order of the Phoenix, p. 112)
5. The stress lasts longer than a month
‘Harry had been picturing his parents’ deaths over and over again for
three years now, ever since he had found out they had been murdered,
ever since he’d found out what had happened that night.’ (Goblet of Fire, p.
191)
6. The stress affects school, work, and relationships with people
Lack Of Confidence
‘Play to your strengths,’ [said Moody]. ‘I haven’t got any,’ said Harry.
(Goblet of Fire, p. 301)
Difficulty Learning Or Working
‘The Dementors were horrible, but no one else collapsed every time they
went near one.’ (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 137)
219
Just like Harry, when Wanda Henry-Jenkins lost her mother to
murder, she experienced the same strong and strange feelings as he
did. In Just Us: Homicidal Grief and Loss, Wanda describes the shock
she felt right after her mother was gunned down by a stranger:
My mother was dead. Someone had destroyed her life and taken her
away from us. It did not make sense. My reaction to my mother’s
murder was confusion, numbness, smouldering rage, and a need for
justice. The intensity and instability of my emotions were unfamiliar
to me. I had experienced other losses, death included. Yet, the
impact of homicidal loss was different from anything I had ever
gone through.
Harry’s world raises people’s understanding about the significant

and traumatic event of murder. Just as Dumbledore is bold enough
to challenge Voldemort’s view about death, Harry’s world is bold
enough to talk about murder – perhaps the most traumatic, yet most
ignored and misunderstood of all deaths. As Dumbledore explains
to Harry, if you don’t talk about death and murder it “will make it
worse when you finally feel it.” (Goblet of Fire, p. 603).
An eminent psychiatrist and authority on death, Dr Elisabeth Kübler-

Ross, reminds us that it is unhelpful to avoid death and suppress our
feelings about it:
Ours is a death-denying society. But death is inevitable, and we

must face the question of how to deal with it. Why do we treat death
as a taboo? What are the sources of our fears? How do we express
our grief?
If you want to deal with death powerfully and productively, it will

pay to be as kind, respectful and bold as the great Dumbledore
himself:
‘Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort.’

A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at
Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he
watched them mutter themselves into silence.
‘The Ministry of Magic,’ Dumbledore continued, ‘does not wish me
to tell you this.’
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But Dumbledore did bring up murder. As I do. Why? To strengthen
– not weaken – your power to deal with death. Maybe, if you know
something about death today, then you won’t completely destroy
yourself with unhealthy ways of grieving tomorrow. Maybe, if more
people know about the heart-breaking impact of murder today, then
our world will be a safer and more peaceful place tomorrow. Death,
especially murder, may be bold. But the greatest power – love – is far
bolder. I dedicate this section to all the good people who have been
stolen from us by an act of murder, and hope that everyone frees
their great inner power to ease a “grief like no other”.
Value Life: Tell Your Greatest Story
‘I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your glasses, to Cedric Diggory.’
…
‘He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play.’
‘Remember Cedric Diggory.’
– The Goblet of Fire, pp. 625-626, p. 628
In the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore delivers a eulogy speech – a

spoken tribute for a student who was killed, a story that strives to
bring out the best in everyone. Death is a bold life event that makes
us realise that we have to be good to each other. And words, spoken
or written, are a powerful way to communicate such an important
and encouraging message.
Did you know that a eulogy speech is one of the greatest forms of
storytelling? It is a real honour to give a eulogy speech about someone.
Terence Foley and Amanda Bennet say that if you are asked to deliver
a eulogy, “The most important thing to remember when delivering
a eulogy is that it is a gift. A gift for you to be able to speak about a
family member or friend.”
In the same way that Dumbelore says positive things about Cedric
and encourages his listeners to be the best they can be, if you have an
opportunity to talk about someone really special, then you might like
to use the same approach. Brook Noel and Dr Pamela Blair encourage
us to think about these kinds of things in our commemorative
speeches:
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·· What was your relationship like with the person who died?
·· What made that person really special?
·· What good and kind things did that person do?
·· What did you learn from that person?
·· What words of wisdom would the person want to tell us?
·· What might that person’s message be to the world?
Just as Dumbledore encourages Hogwarts students to find something

good about Cedric to use in their own lives, grief experts want us to
find positive and meaningful things too, to help us feel more powerful
and deal well with death.
Telling your greatest story is a healthy and creative way to express

your feelings about death. Stories, poems, speeches, music and
pictures help people to share their experiences, stay in touch with the
outside world and keep company with other people. “Telling your
story, writing in a journal, creating poems, hearing others stories”,
say Brook Noel and Dr Pamela Blair, helps to “transform your grief
and pain into creative energy”. When you tell your special story, you
let the hurt feelings out and heal yourself, which changes the sadness
into something better and stronger.
Poetry, in particular, is a very powerful tool. In fact, poetry is closely

linked to magic. Not only do poems use words, they involve emotion,
rhythm, creativity, images and symbols. All these factors give rise to
poetry power and its healing effect. In European Mythology, Jacqueline
Simpson highlights the power of poetry:
A learned skill more ancient than any taught in medieval

universities is the skill of poetry, so it is understandable that in
many cultures poets were sometimes regarded as having magical
powers; spells, after all, usually required accurate memorisation and
resembled verse by their verbal patterning and rhythmic recitation.
In medieval times, poets were regarded to be so powerful that they

were referred to as true magicians and seers. The legendary magician,
Merlin, was a great poet.
Anyone can write a powerful poem to express their feelings about

death. Many people in the real world have already penned powerful
rhymes about a loved one who has died:
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Mum, I want to tell you,
Just how much you mean to me,
Your loving touch, your gentle ways,
They’re never far from me.
You are my greatest friend,
On whom I can depend.
You know I’ll always love you mum.
Zoe was just seven years old when she wrote this poem for her
murdered mum. Someone told me that when Zoe read her poem out
in front of a big audience at an Australian charity event, she did not
leave a single heart untouched in the whole place. How magical and
powerful is that?
Always remember that when you tell your greatest story about a
person you care about, you are helping that person to live on. And
you increase your own power to bond with that person forever.
Although death ends physical life, it never ends a relationship. You
see, a person lives on after death in words, ideas, spirit and feelings
of love. A person who has died can even become a strong source of
inspiration to others.
Famous psychoanalyst Dr Sigmund Freud once told a man who was

devastated by the sudden death of his son:
Although we know that after such a loss the acute state of mourning
will subside, we also know we shall remain inconsolable and will
never find a substitute… And actually this is how it should be. It
is the only way of perpetuating that love which we do not want to
relinquish.
What Freud means is that grief is a special kind of eternal love. When
someone you love dies and you grieve for that person, this means that
you truly love that person. The love you shared will live on forever.
John Lennon, who was gunned down in a New York city street, still
shines on and still helps everyone else to shine on with a song called
‘Instant Karma’:
We all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Death is bold, but the greatest power – love – is bolder.
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Activity – A Great Story
In the old days – long before TVs and DVDs started wearing down our mental
powers – people often passed on important information by communicating
face-to-face – telling tales and sharing stories. When someone you know and
care about dies, it’s a chance for you to reclaim your creative powers and
express your true feelings by telling a great story. Creating a eulogy speech
about someone who has died will help you heal yourself and help others.
It’s a one-off occasion for you to process strong emotional information in a
healthy and productive way. Here are some ideas to get you started:
I want to tell you a great story about:

…………………………………………………………….......................................
(write the first name or public name of the person who has died)
The best things about …………………… (person’s name) are:
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………(person’s name) inspires me to be

wiser, stronger and better in these ways:
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
I believe that ……………………’s special message to you would be this:
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
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Reflect Well on Life: Mirror Magic
‘Mum?’ he whispered. ‘Dad?’

…
The Potters smiled and waved at Harry and he stared hungrily back at them, his
hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it
and reach them. He had a powerful kind of ache inside him, half joy, half terrible
sadness.
When Harry looks into the magic mirror, he sees his dead parents
waving back at him. The magnificent Mirror of Erised, as high as
the ceiling, has the magic power to show you your heart’s desire. So
when Harry gazes into the mirror, he sees the thing that he wants
more than anything else in the whole world – his parents.
According to legend, mirrors carry spirits and act as magic gateways

into a glittering otherworld. They are also motifs for strong
psychological introspection. A person may need to reflect deeply
about things in order to make sense of important events in life,
especially death and murder.
In analytical psychology, mirrors are supreme emblems of

psychological introspection. The mirror symbolises the deepest parts
of a person’s inner world. Mirrors are cues that prompt people to
look inside their own mind and soul. Since mirrors encourage people
to reflect well and wisely on life, mirrors can boost our innermost
personal power.
To find meaning from the sudden death of a loved one, Brook Noel
and Dr Pamela Blair offer powerful mirror-like advice:
Now is the time to look within. Remember and replay the positive
messages you heard from your significant other before they died.
Allow those former positive messages, coupled with your own, to
lift and inspire you. Think about your life with this person when
they were alive. What lessons did you learn? What purpose could
this person have been “sent” into your life for? We believe that
every opportunity, no matter how painful, offers growth.
What this means is that death gets you to take a good long hard look
at yourself – at your true self. The sudden death of someone you
225
know or love pushes you out of life’s mundane lane and forces you
to travel at a suitable pace in your own unique highly personal lane.
If you let it, facing death gives you a chance to take a proper look
around and reflect on things that really matter to you. For example,
what does someone’s sudden death alert you to in life? What parts of
your life do you need to change? What’s stopping you from fulfilling
your dreams? What makes you happy, really? What can you do
right now to free your inner power? This kind of introspective self-
reflection following a death – looking inwards for special answers
– can help you to acquire good solutions and great personal power
sooner, rather than later.
Your mind is a powerful mirror. If you strive to reflect well on life

and find positive messages during tough times, then you can expect
to grow more powerful. As psychologist Dr Doreen Virtue explains:
“My mind reflects or mirrors whatever it sees. If I look at (or focus
upon) darkness, then I have a darkened mind. If I look at or focus upon
light or love, then I have a light- and love-filled mind. It’s my choice.”
Another wise thinker, Ken Keye Jr, agrees: “A loving person lives in
a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone
you meet is your mirror.” Why not use a little mirror magic in your
life? Create attractive visions. Visualise yourself being successful, to
attract the rewards you want and to direct your behaviour to reach
goals that make you feel good. May the magic meanings of mirrors
increase your power to reflect well on life, and I hope that the power
of reflection helps to you shatter any disempowering illusions that
try to hold you back.
226
Activity – Visualise the Best You
lla wohs uoy – rorrim ,rorriM“

”luos ym fo rewop eht eerF
If you are having trouble reading this, then polish up your “mirror magic”
skills now!
yllautirips dna lacigam meht sekam hcihw ,stirips hctac ot dias era srorriM
dnfi uoy pleh nac taht sloot lufesu era srorrim ,erom si tahW .lufrewop
etaerc dna flesruoy no llew tcefler uoy nehW .fles tsehgih dna tseurt ruoy
.efil ruoy otni sgniht evitisop tcartta uoy ,dnim ruoy ni segami evitisop
esuaceb rewop ruoy smargorp )eye s’dnim ruoy htiw gniees( noitasilausiV
ni tsefinam ot noisiv ruoy gnipleh ,uoy ot ygrene tnaveler eht sward ti
.teg uoy tahw si ees uoy tahw ,sdrow rehto nI .ytilaer
evah uoy fi neve ,dlrow retteb dna rethgirb a ecneirepxe ot ydaer era uoy fI
ylpeed ezaG .uoy ot noisiv evitisop ruoy nommus neht ,eno raed a tsol
elbissop tseb eht esilausiv dna rorrim a fo ecafrus knalb ro krad a otni
…uoy
.fles tsehgih dna tseihtlaeh ,tseippah ruoy gnivil flesruoy egasivnE

?uoy era erehW
?gniraew uoy era tahW
?tca dna kaeps ,kool uoy od woH
?od yeht tahw dna srehto ot tcaer uoy od syaw hcihW
?sdneirf eurt ruoy era ohW
,gniod uoy era tahw ,erutuf eht otni ylevitisop flesruoy tcejorp uoy nehW
ruoy lfiluf dna slaog ruoy hcaer ot uoy gnilbane si taht ,sisab yliad a no
?smaerd
.eb ot tnaw uoy erehw dna flesruoy fo egami siht evil ,no won morF
.uoy fo noisiv tseb ruoy hctam taht syaw ni tca dna kaeps ,knihT
!cigam rorrim yppaH
227
Don’t Miss Life: Free Your Spiritual Power
A narrow beam of light was now connecting the two wands, neither red nor green,
but bright, deep gold.
…
And then – nothing could have prepared Harry for this – he felt his feet lift from
the ground. He and Voldemort were both being raised into the air.
The smoky shadow of a tall man with untidy hair fell to the ground… straightened
up, and looked at him… and Harry, his arms shaking madly now, looked back into
the ghostly face of his father.
– Goblet of Fire, p. 575, p. 579
Two wands.
Two wizards.
Two worlds.
Harry fights for his life in a place of death. What does he discover?
Great spiritual power.
This critical battle in the cemetery appears to have strong spiritual

meanings. Material matter changes into spiritual power in crucial
ways:
Area of Conflict A graveyard duel that begins on earthly ground

transforms into an unearthly one as Harry and
Voldemort levitate above ground. Harry and
Voldemort first start fighting amongst tombstones
on the ground only to rise above the ground into
the air.
Weapons The wooden wands glow with “golden light”.
These wands made from solid materials – wood
and phoenix feather – reveal higher spiritual
energy: the power of ‘light’ and ‘flight’.
Movement A standing position changes to floating in the air.
Matter A clash in the flesh turns into a greeting from a
ghost. Physical matter becomes spiritual matter.
View of Death Harry’s parents continue to have an influence in
spirit.
228
Pretty spiritual stuff, huh? Maybe this graveyard brawl has a message
for people in the real world: spiritual power is far more important
and advanced than material power. When Harry makes contact with
the ghosts of his dead parents, this suggests that he is spiritually
powerful. Of course, Harry already has well-developed spiritual
strength. As Dumbledore likes to remind him:
‘You think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? You think
that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great
trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most
plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce
that particular Patronus? Prongs rode again last night.’
The silver stag, the spirit of Harry’s dead father, is a sign that Harry
has links to the spiritual world. Since the spirit of Harry’s father lives
on inside him, Harry can summon his spiritual power any time he
needs to.
If we want to free our own spiritual power, we can help ourselves

enormously by being open-minded, asking questions and thinking
about different ideas. Indeed, Harry’s keen mind is what helps him
to get ahead spiritually:
‘What happens when you die, anyway? Where do you go? Why
doesn’t everyone come back? Why isn’t this place full of ghosts?
Why –?’
‘I cannot answer,’ said Nick.
When Harry asks a ghost what happens after you die, not only does
he show an interest in death, but he also shows a willingness to
contemplate the afterlife. Harry’s curiosity about life – and death –
boosts his spiritual power.
In the real world, when 14-year-old “Dylan” was murdered, his

grandmother wrote that: “The love in my heart I had for you will
never fade… I seem to love you more and more because I feel you
are with me in spirit, from Nan.” By believing in spiritual things,
his grandmother allows herself to be with him always in spirit. A
murderer might extinguish physical life, but not even supreme evil
can murder the spirit.
229
Spiritual power is absolutely essential for a healthy and powerful
existence. As the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health
Organisation (NACCHO) explains: “Mental health is not just the
physical well-being of the individual, but the social, emotional,
spiritual and cultural well-being of the whole community.” According
to Aboriginal law, this means that to be happy, healthy and strong,
people need to look after their spiritual side.
Developing spiritual skills is really powerful. There’s no way that

material power is going to help you deal with death. This is something
that musician Paul Kelly sings about in his song called ‘You Can’t
Take It With You’.
You might own a great big factory, oil wells on sacred land
You might be in line for promotion, with a foolproof retirement plan
You might have your money in copper, textiles or imports from Japan
But you can’t take it with you
Will all those textiles or imports from Japan increase your power to
deal well with death? No way.
A poem in a collection put together by Jill Werman Harris has

comforted and empowered many grieving people. Maybe there’s an
idea in this poem that you really like and relate to:
Do not stand
At my grave and weep.
I am not there
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.

I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush

I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand
At my grave and cry.
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I am not there
I did not die.
As this poem suggests, people only die physically – they live on and on
spiritually. With an open mind, an open heart and a belief in spiritual
stuff, you’ll be in a more powerful position to find the light and make
contact with that great spiritual realm that waits for everyone in the
end. That’s how Harry got to see his father (in the form of a spirit
stag). As Thornton Wilder explains, in the play Our Town: “There is a
land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love.” The
worst thing you could do is to break your connection with spiritual
power and neglect your beautiful spirit.
In the real world, a family member of a young man who was murdered
wrote that: “Not a day goes by that I don’t feel sad and glad. Sad that
you are gone, but glad about where you have gone. I know without a
doubt that your beautiful smile (with your simple dimple) is dazzling
many in that special place where you are.” Without a doubt, he lives
on in a lovely spiritual place, which puts his spiritually rich and
powerful family at peace.
Spiritual power is a positive and eternal force that keeps everyone

together forever. That is why in Harry’s world Luna Lovegood looks
forward to seeing her dead mother again:
‘It’s not as though I’ll never see Mum again, is it?’

‘Er – isn’t it? said Harry uncertainly.
She shook her head in disbelief.
‘Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn’t you?’
‘You mean… ’
‘In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight,
that’s all.’
As Luna suggests, although physical death occurs, it can not separate

people from each other spiritually. An eternal presence, energy – or
spirit – is alive everywhere. Whatever your loss has been in life, Luna
reassures us that those who leave this world shine on powerfully in
a new and brighter otherworld, a world that you may not be able
to see or feel too clearly right now. Your loved one is alive in the
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most magical places in the universe and lives on inside any heart that
believes. Life is bewitching – then our spirits fly!
If you want to deal with life and death in the healthiest and highest
ways possible, be sure to free your spiritual power. Don’t despair –
people exposed to death are bound to profit spiritually. Dr Robert
Grant says that:
Trauma, in spite of its brutality and destructiveness, has the power

to open victims to issues of profound existential and spiritual
significance. Trauma throws victims onto a path that mystics,
shamans, mythic heroes and spiritual seekers have been walking for
thousands of years.
Traumas, like the terrible murders in Harry’s world, are eye-openers

and soul-shakers that can drive people to connect to things that are
so much bigger and greater than themselves – to things that increase
their power in big ways.
In your life, you can think spiritually and achieve spiritual power
in many different ways. Maybe you like the idea of a silver deer
cantering across the surface of a dark lake. Maybe you connect with
the concept that something whispers behind a black veil from the
‘other side’. Maybe you sense the protection of angels, the presence
of a guardian ghost or the magic of a fluttering phoenix. Or maybe,
you just want to keep your loved one with you, forever and always,
deep inside your heart. Whatever you do to free your spirituality,
always remember that in our doubts and in our dreams, in the lights
and in the shadows and in the places in between, spiritual power is
among us all. It’s in front of us, behind us, around us, inside us. It is
everywhere.
And how’s this for an inspiring story about spiritual awareness and
powerful strategies for coping with the death of a loved one? When
Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, died suddenly and tragically in
2006, some kids wrote to his son and daughter Bob and Bindi. “My
daddy died in January and it was very hard… When you want to say
hello to your dad, just look up into the stars and say hi,” said Cody
(11 years), Joel (nine years) and Joshua (one) (New Idea, 2006).
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Activity – Reach for the Stars
Reach for the stars and free your spiritual power. For example:
Light a candle for your loved one.
Give to others – it liberates the soul.
Keep your Inner Eye open for all positive signs. “True Seers are very rare.”
Get a bongo, clapsticks, tambourine or whatever. Play a good beat to

sooth the world. “Fly free” (Jeffrey Finlay, Aboriginal artist who paints by
mouth).
Play music that lifts your spirits. Even better, chant or sing.
Tell the stars about your dreams – out loud, no cheating!
Breathe slowly, deeply and calmly.
Send your love to all the needed places in the universe.
“Meditate. Let your soul gravitate to the love.” – Black Eyed

Peas
Know that you and your loved ones are together forever in
spirit.
Remember that your positive energy vibrates onwards and
outwards, healing you and the world around you.
Dare to believe in magic and miracles.
Your spiritual idea:
Your special idea:
Your idea:
If you like, put your best ideas inside a start and hang it in your favourite
place.
233
Grief’s Great Gifts: Can You See Thestrals?
‘What are those horse things?’ Harry said…

It was watching them with empty white eyes…
Ron stared straight at it for a second, then looked back at Harry.
‘What am I supposed to be looking at?’
‘Can’t… can’t you see them?’
‘See what?’
In Harry’s world, the invisible horses are Thestrals. Harry can see
them, whilst others cannot. “The only people who can see Thestrals,”
explains Hermione, “are people who have seen death.” (Order of the
Phoenix, p. 394)
Since Harry’s life experience includes witnessing several deaths and

murders, he has developed a rare gift – the ability to see new and
extraordinary things. And one of these new things happens to be a
special creature called a Thestral.
The name Thestral suits a flying horse-like creature that can only
be seen by people who have faced death first-hand. Most probably,
the word THESTRAL = THETA + ASTRAL. Theta is a letter from the
Greek alphabet that symbolises death. And the word astral refers to
the spiritual plane. And spirits do tend to fly. So, a flying Thestral,
which merges these two ideas, is really a ‘death spirit’ in the shape
of a phantom horse:
A great, reptilian winged horse, just like the ones pulling the
Hogwarts carriages, with leathery black wings spread wide like a
pterodactyl’s, rose up out of the trees like a grotesque, giant bird. It
soared in a great circle, then plunged back into the trees.
As a result of a deathly experience, other characters in Harry’s world

also have the power to see Thestrals. Just like Harry, Luna Lovegood
can see things that others cannot.
‘It’s all right,’ said a dreamy voice from beside Harry… ‘You’re not
going mad or anything. I can see them, too.’
234
‘Can you?’ said Harry desperately, turning to Luna. He could see
the bat-winged horses reflected in her wide silvery eyes.
In Luna’s case, she witnessed death when her mother died. Neville
can see Thestrals because he saw his grandfather die. It is as if death
has released or granted Harry, Luna and Neville with incredible
insights or visions.
Many ancient societies have always known about death and its great
gifts, especially the ability to see amazing things. The mythical god,
Pluto, for instance, who rules the world of the dead, has a name
that means ‘the power to see’. The Greek goddess Persephone who
married Hades (the master of the Underworld) also has a name that
means ‘great vision’ and ‘the power to see’. The first half of her name
means ‘dazzling brilliance’, whilst the last half of the word Persephone
means ‘to show’ and relates to light. (New Larousse Encyclopedia of
Mythology). So, Persephone’s encounter with a shadowy empire – the
world of death – enables her to be a powerful seer.
In Harry’s world, Thestrals are powerful spiritual creatures that offer

hope to people in real life who are mourning the loss of a loved one.
Thestrals remind us that death is not just an empty soul-destroying
experience. Only hatred and evil destroy soul. The Thestrals’ message
is that death bears great gifts that can help people to achieve peak
psychological experiences and extreme inner peace. These creatures,
which Harry fears less and less with time, aren’t horrible monsters –
they are dark-winged angels that just want to help us.
In the real world, many people who have lost a loved one to murder
demonstrate strong Thestral-like insight. A young person whose
father was murdered, just like Harry’s dad was, now sees something
new, powerful and truly magical in his life:
‘Yes the world has a lot of evil, cruelty, harshness, selfishness and
horror; but that’s not the whole world – much beauty, nobility,
wonder, joy, and love balance it out. Maintain the balance; the yin
and the yang; enjoy the fragrance of a rose; the beauty of a sunrise
or sunset and how the hues of sky change – it’s there for all to enjoy.’
Just as Harry and his friends can see Thestrals, this person from
real life can now see great beauty that he missed before in the small
235
details of nature. As Brook Noel and Dr Pamela Blair confirm: “For
some, the bereavement process can bring a new appreciation for life,
for their relationships and for the world around them.” Grief can
develop and attract great gifts.
Two sisters from real life named Katrina and Elaine, whose brother
was murdered, saw something so special that one of the girls wrote
about it:
‘I saw a picture of beauty. I saw this teenage boy (whose mother was
murdered) reach his hand out to my mother who had lost her only
son. He stroked her arm, like they had been friends before this day. I
was mesmerized in this picture of compassion. I thought a scene like
that only happened in movies.’
The grieving sister saw something new and refreshing in a crowded

public place. She saw light. She saw love. She was riding on the back
of a Thestral.
In Harry’s world, grief’s great gifts include the power to see

Thestrals. These Thestrals are important in the real world because
they symbolise the power to see new and amazing things that are
invisible to the inexperienced eye. Those who experience death
never see things in the same way again because they have gained a
new way of seeing – a great power of sight and insight. If you have
been exposed to death, what Thestrals do you see? What exclusive
gifts of perception have you acquired? What are your new farsighted
ideas? Whether you are fully aware of it or not, your grief, however
painful it has been or still is, will have sparked off astonishing new
powers in you. Yes, you have the power to see Thestrals and envisage
magnificent things that no one else can.
236
Activity – I See and Sense Thestrals
A death that has affected me a lot is
………………………………………………………………………………………
New and brilliant Thestral-like ideas, insights, inspirations or visions I have

gained are these.
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
(Write/draw your favourite ideas in or around a picture of a Thestral as

you see it):
237
Deeper than Mystery
‘There is a room in the Department of Mysteries,’ interrupted Dumbledore, ‘that is

kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more
terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also,
perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there.’
D
eep inside the Department of Mysteries is a great power
that:
·· You can’t touch

·· You can’t beat
·· You can’t explain
As Dumbledore tells Harry: “In the end… it was your heart that saved
you” (Order of the Phoenix, p. 743). What great power is stronger than
hate, bolder than death and dwells deep in the middle of mystery?
Love. It’s the greatest power of all.
As Harry’s world suggests, love is a great power set in mystery.

Although everyone wants it, no one can explain it. After all, what
is love? You can’t make it, brew it, bottle it, computerise it, simulate
it or measure it. You can’t define it – neither science nor religion can
agree on a standard definition of love. Even comedian Woody Allen
struggles to put this funny feeling into words: “I was nauseous and
tingly all over… I was either in love or I had smallpox”. You cannot
destroy a great power like love, not even with worldwide war, hatred
and evil. A teenage girl named Anne Frank died as a result of great
hate during World War II. Yet, she wrote in her diary: “Despite
everything, I think that all people are good at heart.” You certainly
can’t buy love as The Beatles keep reminding us, even though “love
is all you need”. There’s absolutely no way you can trick love – too
much food, alcohol, drugs, money or fame are poor substitutes for
the real thing. Cheap love affairs – addictions, fixations and desperate
desires – don’t work out anyway. When music legend Elvis Presley
239
sought comfort in fatty food and drugs, these things destroyed him.
But when the King sang gospel music with his beautiful voice and his
beautiful heart in songs like Amazing Grace, he revived his radiance.
Don’t let today’s high-tech world fool you and rule you. Although
TV tells us what to eat, computers tell us who to meet, mobile phones
control how we greet, and grog and drugs try to make it sweet, you
can never ever – no matter how hard you try – manufacture artificially
intelligent love. The key to great power is natural and sincere, and it
lives in a mysterious place deep within us. You haven’t lost the key
to your Department of Mysteries, have you?
Love – untouchable, unbeatable, unknowable – is the greatest

inner power. Its influence lasts forever and always, protecting you
and others until the end of time, come what may. As Dumbledore
explains:
‘If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He

didn’t realise that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves
its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so
deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us
some protection forever.’
Although Harry’s mother is gone, her love has not. And it never will
go. Love is the greatest power – invisible, invincible and evil-proof.
Just look all around you. Every wise belief system in the whole wide
world says that love is a great and mysterious power that conquers
all. Dumbledore’s message that love is more powerful than all the
forces of nature, for example, fits with the wisest philosophies from
the far enlightened East:
Far as the waters go,

High as the fire burns,
You are greater, love!
The wind cannot reach you,
Nor the fire, nor the sun, nor the moon:
You are greater than them all, love!
– Atharva Veda 9.2.19
As you can see, Harry’s world relates to Hindu ways from India that
love is the greatest power.
240
Dumbledore’s message that love is an unlimited and unknowable
power – completely surrounded by mystery – also fits with the richest
insights from the West:
The Infinite always is silent:
It is only the Finite speaks.

Our words are the idle wave-caps
On the deep that never breaks.

We may question with wand of science,
Explain, decide and discuss;

But only in meditation
The Mystery speaks to us.

– John Boyle O’Reilly
This ancient Irish poem says that a great power like love is too deep
to know, which is exactly how Dumbledore describes love inside the
Department of Mysteries.
While some people in our world believe that “East is East and West
is West and never the twain shall meet”, Harry’s world suggests
that East and West can meet and merge under loving conditions.
Whether you choose to not harm others in a gentle, Buddhist way,
love your neighbour in a kind, Christian way, celebrate the wild
world in a mystical way, or conserve the earth in a scientific way,
love is all-encompassing and all great ways encompass love. This
means that love guides everything and bonds everyone. No matter
what your philosophy, religion, race or beliefs, love binds East and
West, North and South, past and future, left and right, and black
and white. In love’s bright eyes, there is no ‘us and them’ – only us.
To divide people and put each other’s ideas down is loveless and
useless because it hurts and threatens everyone’s power. Modern
philosopher Djalal ad-Din Rumi describes the great power of love in
alchemist terms:
Love is the energizing elixir of the universe, the cause and effect of
all harmonies. Anytime and anywhere, love comforts and conquers
all.
241
Do you want to be really happy, healthy and powerful in life? Do
you seek the elusive Philosopher’s Stone in today’s world? Well
then, whatever you do, don’t doubt, deny, dismiss or disengage
from the greatest power. Without a heart, you will never find it. As
Dumbledore tells Harry:
‘You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone – find it, but not
use it – would be able to get it, otherwise they’d just see themselves
making gold or drinking Elixir of Life.’
Harry found the Stone because he used his pure and powerful heart.
Voldemort, however, failed to find the Stone because he used his
heartless lust for power. Get it? Most people look for the material
gold on the outside. To find great riches like a Philosopher’s Stone,
however, people need to experience life and dig deep for personal
gold on the inside. The greatest work of all in life is to make ‘gold’ out
of ‘poor’ materials, remember? That is, to create priceless personal
power using life’s raw deals and bad emotional experiences.
To be really powerful in life, free your inner power. Good thoughts,

skills and actions from the world of psyche are the real riches in life,
especially when they’re guided by a great power like love. This is
because:
·· Love heals the deepest trauma. It helps you find your way, even
when you think you will always be lonely, lost and broken.
·· Love, in the form of positive thoughts and good intentions, attracts
real fulfilment.
·· Loving actions set you free from the past. Actions of love also set
up a favourable future.
·· Love’s light shines within all living things, in every single creature
in the universe.
·· Love’s power is as free as air, as deep as water, as bright as fire and
as strong as stone.
·· Love is stronger than hate – it brings people together in peace.
And for each individual, it brings inner peace.
·· Love is bolder than death. When someone dies – love doesn’t.
Love helps you to break through to higher spiritual ground. It takes
you to places where you truly long to be.
242
·· Love is the highest natural science, the deepest magic and the
greatest power.
Life is a mystery and your heart is the key. Meanwhile, the Stone
is your best personal philosophy. Peak psychological well-being
is the gold that allows you the best possible experience of health,
happiness and harmony. How deep is your love? How good is your
philosophy? Well, that’s entirely up to you. If you develop a strong
love of life, then anything you do will be a positive and powerful
adventure. In Harry’s world, Dumbledore tells Harry: “When one
wizard saves another wizard’s life… This is magic at its deepest,
its most impenetrable.” (Prisoner of Azkaban, p. 311) Exactly! Only a
loving heart can free your inner power fully and create real magic.
243
Activity – Your Mystery
Welcome to your ultimate mystery activity. Maybe you feel stuck, stressed,
dissatisfied, trapped, traumatised – POWERLESS – in life. If so, what is your
BIG QUESTION about it?
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
Believe it or not, right here on this page is the four letter response to your
question: “L-O-V-E”.
To increase your power, it can only help you to be more open, caring and
loving. If you love yourself more, you’ll improve your emotional and
physical health instantly. If you love others more, you’ll boost your best
connections instantly. If you love the world more, you’ll make the most of
your world.
Design and test out your love-liest solutions. Write about something you
really love. Draw something you really love. Sing and dance on a moonlit
beach or a windswept hilltop to celebrate something really love-ly. Dare to
have a really positive psychological adventure.
If you guide your thoughts and actions in the most loving way possible,
then you will experience the best life possible.
No matter what happens, choose love.

Do what you love, let others do what they love, and strive to harm no one.
Listen to your heart, follow your dreams, respond in loving ways and you
will free your inner power, for sure.
What’s the greatest and most loving solution to your worst worries or
problems? Only you can answer that, dear friend, with love.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

??? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ??
244
Your thoughts, feelings and behaviour determine your world and
your power in it. To see a world full of infinite possibilities, to
live a life that embraces the highest good of all, and to experience
exceptional physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fulfilment,
strive to be loving. Your future is an unwritten mystery just waiting
to release as many exciting experiences as you choose to let it. With a
little love in your heart and a good Philosopher’s Stone tucked safely
in your pocket, you have the psychological magic to control your
destiny, make a difference and free your inner power.
Imagine what you can do from this moment on.

To free my inner power, I can and will:
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………
Well? What are you waiting for?
245
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You’ve read the books...
Dr J A Sykley
You’ve seen the films...
Now feel the Power... in your life!

Psychologist Dr J A Sykley shows how the universal themes in the
Harry Potter series can make your life more positive and healthy and
your lifestyle more sustainable.
The Power of Action – This book can help people who are ‘stuck’ in one way of thinking and
Harry Potter Power

break down negative patterns of thinking. – Robyn, university student
The Power of Thoughts – It was awesome how you could take one of the best series of fiction and
compare it with real day life. I liked the way you talked about how everyone can turn their nega-
tive thoughts into positive ones. The Worry-Turner is brilliant! – Baden, 10 years old
The Greatest Power – Contemporary, refreshing, and uplifting… It made me smile.

– Jonty Bush, 2009 Young Australian of the Year, Chief Executive Officer, Queensland
Homicide Victims’ Support Group
The Power of Tragedy – Made me understand my own path in my life. No matter what happens
good or bad, you can make good choices. Never give up. – Heather, Fruit Picker
The Power of Animals – Admirable and worthy. Many young adults would jump at the oppor-
tunity to read a book that would offer them psychological tools to help them on their journey and
make healthy choices. – Erik Gorton, Secretary, Animal Liberation Victoria.
The Greatest Power – Valuable and helpful… I think someone from any age or background will be
able to take away some useful approaches. Dr Dilprasan De Silva, Consultant Psychiatrist
Glass House Books
Cover Images: Joseph Lycett (front); Arone Meeks (back)

Photos: Valerie Vanni
Cover design: David Reiter This book is not licensed or endorsed by, nor is it
Health & Well-being ipoz.biz associated with, J. K. Rowling or Warner Bros.

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You’ve read the books...

Now feel the Power... in your life!

Harry Potter Power

The Greatest Power – Contemporary, refreshing, and uplifting… It made me smile.

Glass House Books

Cover Images: Joseph Lycett (front); Arone Meeks (back)

Julie-Anne studied psychology in Sydney and Melbourne, waded through crocodile-infested

Glass House Books

FREE YOUR INNER POWER

First published by Interactive Publications, 2010

Printed in 18 pt Lithos on 11 pt Book Antiqua by Shenghai Chenxi Printing.

National Library of Australia

Author: Sykley, Julie-Anne.

Title: Harry Potter power / Julie-Anne Sykley.

Subjects: Anxiety--Popular works.

Dewey Number: 152.4

A star is what you are at night.

Love Always, J-A

Cover Images: Fishing by Torchlight by Joseph Lycett, from the National

Jacket Design: David Reiter

Author Photo: Valerie Vanni, Starshots Photographic Studio

This book should not be viewed as a stand-alone source of advice, but

Guide the way like stars and sun

Psychology, myth and magic

Called together, bound as one.

So when your tears or fears or nightmares

Cause your fall, your darkest hour

Use good thoughts, skills, actions

And your heart – to free your power!

The Power of Tragedy

Finding Strength in Tragedy

The Power of Thoughts

Dealing with the Dementors of Depression

Beating the Boggarts of Anxiety

Managing the Manticores of Anger

The Power of Action

How to Motivate Action

Take Powerful Action

The Power of Animals

Beasts Boost Power

Top Creature Care

Eco-Therapy: Heal with Nature

Don’t Break the Web of Life

The Greatest Power

Bolder than Death

Deeper than Mystery

A s the magic world of Harry Potter shows, power – the ability

When my house burnt down

Do you dare to explore tragedy more closely?

When Life Begins Badly

A good way to describe Harry’s life is that he is “treated like a dog

An important turning point in Harry’s life is when he is invited

Harry didn’t have to go to school or learn things. Harry could have

In psychology, ‘no’ is considered to be a closed response. If not used

·· Never trusting anyone

Just check out these unhelpful nay-saying responses: “No, I don’t

Yes is a world and

And the real world provides plenty of compelling evidence to back

Reader’s Digest books, for example, interviewed some really famous

Regardless of fate – however tragic – Harry is still free to make his

Every choice you make changes your future.

Professor McGonagall is excited again. Why? Because Harry is

Harry’s world has a strong psychological message for anyone who

As a matter of fact, important social evidence proves that people