Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt.

The story seems simple on the surface. A boy’s family is killed by a power hungry evil wizard and the boy trains to ultimately destroy him.  So what’s so unique about J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter?

Is this character a libertarian?

He’s a libertarian.

Okay, so this isn’t explicitly stated in the text, but Harry does exhibit many libertarian values. He rejects the idea of a “master race” which a lot of wizarding families embrace, believing that “pureblood” witches and wizards are superior to those who come from Muggle (non-wizarding) families. He protects his friends and enemies, even saving the life of his nemesis Draco Malfoy twice in the last book. He adheres to a code of non-aggression, disarming the dark wizard Voldemort in a duel rather than trying to kill him.  Most importantly, he maintains a healthy skepticism of government:

“Harry laughed; he could not help himself. It was so very typical of his uncle to put his hopes in the establishment, even within this world that he despised and mistrusted.”- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The primary antagonist of the series is Lord Voldemort, the dark wizard who killed Harry parents. Voldemort’s plan is to create an elite magic society to control both the wizarding and Muggle worlds. His climb to power is marked by the torture and murder of  Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards.

He is the opposite of the good-hearted Harry who treats everyone, from the house elves who act as servants to the Minister of Magic, as fellow human beings. Harry’s goodness doesn’t stem from any sort of self-righteousness or from a good upbringing (having been raised by his magic-fearing aunt and uncle) but from an innate sense of justice and a belief that everyone should be able to live freely.

Harry’s fight against Voldemort: the ultimate act of non-aggression?

Throughout the entire series, Harry is shown to be daring and adventurous, perhaps even a little bit of a trouble-maker. He defies oppressive authority, constantly fighting against the system. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic has taken control of Harry’s school, Hogwarts.  When the new administration attempts to silence Harry’s claim that Voldemort has returned to power, Harry refuses to compromise the truth even when he is cruelly punished. Instead, he organizes a student-led rebellion called Dumbledore’s Army which acts as a private militia to train the students involved to fight against the impending attacks of Voldemort.

This is a children’s story, so of course good triumphs over evil in the end. Harry is able to defeat the power hungry Lord Voldemort. His determination to prevail and his ability to do so can serve as motivation for those of us work against tyrrany and oppressive government in the Muggle world. Harry Potter is more than just a successful book and film series. It is about the triumph of good over evil. It is about the power of a dedicated few to overturn injustice. It is about the relentless struggle for what is good and true. For libertarians, it is an inspirational tale of the importance of liberty and the harmful effects of overbearing government regulations. We can learn a lot from Harry Potter, not the least of which is to always persevere and do whatever we can to spread liberty.

- Christine-Marie Dixon