12 Harry Potter Quotes About Books

Book-lovers can appreciate the Harry Potter series, and the series certainly appreciates them back. From lit-loving characters such as Hermione Granger, to plot points contingent on the importance of reading, there are plenty of shout-outs to reading itself within the series.

Think about how many visuals from the series involved books: Hermione in the library, bent over a large tome. Luna Lovegood reading the Quibbler upside-down. Harry looking through stacks of books at Flourish & Blott’s, or the restricted section of the library, or huddled under his bed covers at the Dursley’s, reading his textbooks in secret.

As a kid who grew up loving books, I appreciated any time a series shared that love. And I especially related to any character who had literary leanings. Reading Harry Potter was a gold mine for this: not only were there tons of characters who appreciated books as much as I did, their books just sounded so amazing. The only sad thing was that I couldn’t crawl through the pages and visit the Hogwarts library. Can you even imagine what kind of awesome bookshops Hogsmeade would have? And I’d have loved to peruse Flourish & Blott’s, even if Gilderoy Lockhart was taking up a bunch of space with his book displays.

Though we sadly can’t actually crawl through the pages, Harry Potter does give us plenty of quotes to enjoy when we’re in a particularly ~bookish~ mood.

1. They bought Harry's school books in a shop called Flourish and Blotts where the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with books as large as paving stones bound in leather; books the size of postage stamps in covers of silk; books full of peculiar symbols and a few books with nothing in them at all.

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2. In the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favorite program had been canceled; there was a large birdcage, which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched.

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

3. "The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing."

—Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

4. "One can never have enough socks ... Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books."

—Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

5. She didn’t look like Hermione at all. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow — or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back.

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

6. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things — friendship and bravery and — oh Harry — be careful!'"

—Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

7. "That’s what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

8. Harry could not remember Hermione ever neglecting to read when instructed to, or indeed resisting the temptation to open any book that came under her nose.

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

9. "And just look at these books!" said Hermione excitedly, running a finger along the spines of the large leather-bound tomes. "A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions . . . The Dark Arts Outsmarted . . . Self-Defensive Spellwork . . . wow . . ." She looked around at Harry, her face glowing, and he saw that the presence of hundreds of books had finally convinced Hermione that what they were doing was right.

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

10. He lay on his bed reading late into the night, Hedwig swooping in and out of the open window as she pleased.

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

11. "I’m not saying what she did was sensible," said Hermione, as Ginny joined them, just as muddy as Ron and looking equally disgruntled. "I’m just trying to make you see how she was feeling at the time."

"You should write a book," Ron told Hermione as he cut up his potatoes, "translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them."

—J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

12. "He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!"

—Professor McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Images: Warner Bros (13)