13 Things Harry Potter Taught Us About Love

J.K. Rowling has taught readers a lot through her seven Harry Potter books. The series has taught us about courage, showed us how to be better people, and it's even given us a fair share of fatherly advice. When you're feeling lost and confused, the Harry Potter books are the kind that you can turn to for wise words and sage wisdom, even in the toughest situations. Your friends seem to have abandoned you or don't believe in you anymore? Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire can help you with that. Got a beast you can't seem to tame? Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has a thing or two to say about it. Troubles with your love life? All seven Harry Potter books have plenty to teach about love.

From the unbreakable bonds of love between Harry, Ron, and Hermione, to the devotion between Lupin and Tonks, to the timeless love of Arthur and Molly Weasley, the Harry Potter series has taught us everything we need to know about relationships, family, friendship, and romance. And Even though the books were technically written for children, they hold enough wisdom for a lifetime, especially when it comes to true love.

Here are 13 of the things J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series taught us about love:

1. You Shouldn't Wait Too Long To Say, "I love you!"

With wizarding wars raging on, escaped Dementors hiding down the hall, and general evil lurking around every corner, you never know how much time you have left with the one you love. Don't hesitate when telling them how you feel. It's now or never, so scream it from the rooftops and tell that special someone you love them before it's too late.

2. Friends Can Make The Best Lovers

You're used to hearing that getting romantically involved with a friend can ruin the relationship, but in some cases, your BFF can make the best partner. Just look at Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny — these literal fairytale romances bloomed from solid, meaningful friendships. And, let's be real, who hasn't dreamed of finding the Ron to their Hermione?

3. You Have To Love Yourself Before You Can Love Others

Before you can give your heart to another, you have first find your true self and then learn how to love who you are. Just look at Harry. He had to come to terms with a lot — being a wizard, being the Chosen One — before he could accept who he was. Once he learned to love himself and accepted his destiny, he could finally find his other half. Cue the sighs.

4. Heartache Is Not Forever, Even If It Feels Like It

A great love can change you, but heartbreak can completely transform you. No matter how big or how devastating, though, your broken heart is only temporary. You will always find the strength to go on, if not on your own, with the help of true friends.

5. Love Can Be Stronger Than Blood

Family is important, and the people whose lives you are born into become some of the most precious people in your life. Blood, however, isn't the only thing that bonds us together. Love brings people together just as much, if not more, than family. Harry may not be a Weasley in name, but he will always be a Weasley at heart.

6. Your True Love Is Probably Right Under Your Nose

Stop swiping on Tinder and take down your online dating profile, because the love of your life is probably someone you already know. It could be your best friend's sibling or the cute girl in your social circle, you just need to take a look, because chances are "the one" is right in front of you.

7. There's No Love Like A Mother's Love

If Molly Weasley taught us anything, it's that you don't mess around with a wand-wielding mama or her children. Whether their her children by blood or through the bonds of love, Molly is proof that there is nothing stronger than the bond of a mother and her kids. Just ask Bellatrix.

8. Platonic Love Exists, And Is Crazy-Powerful

People say men and women can't be friends because sex always gets in the way, but Harry and Hermione's bond put that misconception to rest. They're always there for one another, they'd risk anything — including their lives — for each other, and they never let sexual attraction (if there was any) get in the way. Take that, Harry and Sally.

9. You Stand By The Ones You Love, No Matter What

If the person you love is in trouble, if they do something you don't approve of, if they're under fire for something they did or maybe didn't do, you stand by them if you truly love them. No matter what dangerous situation Harry found himself in, no matter how crazy he sounded or how doubtful his claims seemed, his friends and loved ones were always there behind him, cheering alongside into battle. Hopefully, we are all so lucky to have people like that in our corners.

10. Sometimes The One You Love Is Meant For Someone Else

Love is rarely fair, and heartbreak is a fact of life. Sometimes, the one who holds your heart is actually fated for another. Snape never stopped loving Lily, but her path always lead to James. Not everyone gets a happy ending.

11. Loving Someone Means Accepting Him, Faults And All

No one is perfect, but neither is love. Truly loving someone means more than being there in sickness and in health. It means accepting his flaws and loving him not only in spite of them, but because of them.

12. You Don't Always Get It Right The First Time, But That's OK.

We've all been the Lavender Brown before, getting the short end of the love stick. When it happens to you, you may feel like you'll never find "the one." The truth is, you just haven't found him or her yet. Love isn't always right the first time, that's what dating is for.

13. "The ones that love us never really leave us."

No one says it better than Sirius Black. Even though we sometimes lose the ones we love, they are never truly gone from our hearts.

It's OK, you can start sobbing now.

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