Harry Potter

While most of the world cooped in here are some recommendations for liberals (even though the books might not be) as to what to read during the holidays.

One of the perks of attending an elite school, be it Eton, Oxford, Cambridge or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is not only the high quality education, but the network of friends one can build. Indeed, in Hogwarts, Harry Potter found friends, which was much more important than the spells he learned.

The magic of the Harry Potter franchise lies not in all the wand waving, but rather in the strong willingness of the protagonists to fight for liberty. Be it as small as opposing nonsensical school rules, or as grandiose as combatting the authoritarian Ministry of Magic, the main characters are there to step up for their freedoms.

It seems that wizards and witches have more rights compared to anyone else (muggles or other species), which sounds quite worrisome. All in all, segregation is a very serious issue in the wizarding community, thus it is not surprising at all that it is filled with internal tensions.

Fake news are like religion, you must believe them despite of all common sense and evidence to the contrary. Like any radical religion, it must be protected at all costs. And so, in the fifth volume, Dolores Umbridge made Harry write lines, etching them into his own skin, saying: “I must not tell lies”.