Making the Potterverse Accessible to All

This blog provides a glimpse of the Harry Potter fanfic, articles, personal essays, blogs, and hubs devoted to thoughtfully representing disability and neurodiversity in the Harry Potter universe.

Many individuals identify with certain Potter characters, seeing in them the same habits, traits, strengths, and struggles. The authors and creators reviewed here take care to note that magic is not a cure-all and that no one needs to be made “better” with a spell or potion. Most self-identify either as neurodiverse or as having a disability, and their goal is to insert people who look, act, and think like them into their much-beloved fandom. The fact that everyone deserves access to this world is personally very important to me, as I have social anxiety and a physical disability, and several neurodiverse relatives. I always connected with Luna and Hermione, characters who prefer books and doing their own thing, but who also push past their social discomfort to speak their truth and do what they believe is right. The authors I present here expand Rowling’s world so more individuals can imagine themselves as part of it.

By no means a comprehensive summary, I offer instead just a few highlights of the wonderful diversity and inclusion found in the fan-augmented wizarding world.

Scholarly criticism may be found here.

Popular creations include fanfic and headcanons.

Frequently mentioned characters include: Harry, Luna, Neville, and Newt.

Additionally, a helpful guide on using respectful and inclusive language when discussing disability may be found here.

Creating Community

Harry Potter Disability Headcanons Tumblr

According to this site’s banner, its creator believes that “everyone deserves to imagine themselves at Hogwarts.” To that end, fans are encouraged to imagine scenarios where “students with disabilities can use magic to adapt and thrive” in the Harry Potter universe. They take care to note that references to “curing” or otherwise pathologizing disability is not tolerated. Instead, the emphasis is on imagining an all-inclusive environment. Examples are short and mostly text-based, although some are accompanied by pictures, movie stills, and fan art. One picture “Spells that make sign language turn into words” is a hybrid, part movie screenshot of Professor Dumbledore moving his wand in the air, and overlaid with computer generated text as if he were creating words out of thin air to communicate. The submission (all are submitted anonymously) explains the benefit of this magic: “what about spells that make sign language turn into words? like when you sign the spell…words pop up above your hands or something so hard of hearing wizards can talk to anyone without an interpreter.” Fans can comment on posts and upload their own. (I would personally suggest a translator charm that would allow people to communicate across language barriers.) Another example contains a stock image of an open book with the caption “Library books that automatically switch to large print or braille when picked up by a blind/legally blind student.” Several submissions attempt to make Quidditch and flying more accessible, like the “staircases that automatically turn into ramps” in the castle or on the Quidditch pitch or “Brooms with actual seats”. The emphasis is on every day access and inclusion, and not pathologizing difference.

 

“People(s) with disabilities in the wizarding/magical world” subreddit

On this Harry Potter subreddit, redditors debate various questions surrounding disability in the Potterverse: “Would disabilities be defined differently in the wizarding world? Would disabilities in the muggle world be different than ones that may exist in the wizarding world? Do you think there would be specialized schools, programs, or even adaptive education techniques in Hogwarts to address the various abilities and/or challenges of its students?” And, do people cope with trauma differently? Disabilities range from the loss of limb (as with erstwhile Care of Magical Creatures professor Silvanus Kettleburn) to how being a squib identifies you as “other” to mental illness (Neville’s parents). Redditors also examine the point of disability, illness, and bodily difference in the wizarding world and the limits of magic (for example, Harry still wears glasses and Lupin’s lycanthropy has no cure). Yet another question that arises is the interest in folk medicine and homeopathic remedies in the muggle world, and the superstition in witches and wizards themselves when afraid (e.g. the run on talismans and potions among Hogwarts students). Occasionally, redditors with disabilities like cassity282 chime in: “as a disabled person, i [sic] don’t want magic to be a cure all. I want there to be people like me in the wizarding world.”

 

There Were Disabled Students at Hogwarts Too Tumblr

This blog’s purpose is to share fan-created “neurodivergent, chronic illness, and disabled harry potter headcanons.” Similar to another Tumblr site, Harry Potter Disability Headcanons, this site invites fans to create and anonymously post ideas and stories featuring disabled and neurodivergent witches and wizards. Technology and magic to provide accessibility include “Time turners being given to students with Chronic Fatigue so they can have extra time to rest and still be able to attend class” and “magical service animals.” Other posts contain stories that imagine characters as having a disability, such as “Lily Luna Potter w/ CP & Epilepsy: Headcanon #4” or “Hogwarts Students with Depression” which imagines how depression manifests in students from the various houses. The post most commented upon is “Autistic Luna is definitely my favorite.” Less of a story than a reimagining of Luna arriving at Hogwarts, it progressively reveals her revelation that her autism is her greatest strength. It is told in vignette form: “Autistic Luna, who is confused by her sorting into Ravenclaw after she’d been called stupid for so long.” Each vignette starts with “Autistic Luna” as she reclaims a word that had long been her signifier. Other vignettes include: “Autistic Luna, who was intensely focused in Care of Magical Creatures and finding out she’s brilliant at it,” and “Autistic Luna, who didn’t know how to make small talk, but could approach kids who were crying and comfort them and talk to them about deeper subjects because she had spent so much time around animals.” In the final entry, “Autistic Luna, who helps others who feel different and lets them know that they’re beautiful as they are,” Luna finally embraces who she is and uses her gifts to help others.

 

“Accio Friends! How Harry Potter Fans Are Building Communities” by Sarah Gailey

This article explores how individuals with autism, depression, social anxiety – or even just plain introverts – find camaraderie and connection through the many Potter-inspired communities. Bryanna Plantier, parent to a five year-old daughter with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), believes that the Harry Potter story and community brings her closer to her daughter. They read the books together and bond over talking about characters and plot. As part of the Central Florida Slug Club (named after Professor Slughorn’s exclusive club in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and local Harry Potter Alliance, Plantier for the first time “found where she fits.” Plantier won a scholarship to attend Leviosa Con 2016 in Las Vegas, where she felt a deep human connection to fellow Potter enthusiasts. The annual four day-long Leviosa Con isn’t the only Potter-themed convention: “Every year, thousands of fans register to attend Harry Potter conventions all over the world, such as Leaky Con (coming to Los Angeles in October) and CONjuration (Atlanta in November).” Convention programming and planning are essential to getting the most out of your con experience. It all depends on what you are interested in: “You might meet a gamer who can’t wait to discuss disability activism. You might see a panel in which four science fiction authors talk about the evolution of language. You might get to ask questions at a lecture on contemporary space travel and how it might impact the next fifty years of film.” A wide variety of topics and disciplines are available to choose from, making it more likely that you can find like-minded individuals who share your passions and want to discuss them with you. Fandoms can become “your people.”

 

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Autism” by James Williams

Williams, an autistic writer, crafted this speech for a group of 4^th-8^th graders. He uses the world of Harry Potter to explore disability and inclusion:” You might think that because someone with autism sees the world differently, and experiences things differently, that in order to really understand what an autistic person is dealing with, you have to have autism. In fact, even though I do see the world differently, and do experience the world differently, you don’t have to have autism in order to understand what autistic kids deal with.” He goes on to explain that if they are familiar with Harry, they already understand people like him. For example, he reveals that Harry’s difficulty in finding a partner for the Yule Ball is similar to the social anxiety faced by people with autism. Williams then asks the students to imagine situations in which they had a hard time communicating with others. This gets them to relate, not only to Harry, but to real-life people with autism: “Kids with autism don’t know the right thing to say in front of other people. They’re scared they’re going to get rejected. When they do say something, they are often rejected or teased by other people. And that’s why many autistic kids don’t want friends. Many autistic kids want to be left alone. To Harry Potter, Cho Chang is Cho Chang. To an autistic child, every child is a Cho Chang—someone who might reject him outright, say no for a legitimate reason, as Cho had, or accept him, which would be very unlikely.” He then asks students to imagine Hermione’s attention to detail and talent for memorization. Perhaps they know people who have similar abilities. What if Hermione was autistic? Would they be friends with her? He then encourages students to appreciate what makes us each unique: “But even though you don’t have autism, and are not wizards, there are more and more people learning they have autism every single day. It is likely that you will meet someone with autism at some point in time in your life. You might already have a brother or sister with autism, or know someone who has autism at this school. When you are with an autistic child, don’t make fun of him. Respect him. Treat him the way you want to be treated.”

The Fantastic Newt Scamander

“‘Fantastic Beasts’ Fan with Asperger’s Thinks Newt Has It, Too” by Duncan, JJ.

The article breaks down jadedthrowaway12345’s now-removed Reddit post explaining the connection s/he feels, as someone with Asperger’s, with Newt Scamander as played by Eddie Redmayne. Newt’s social skills and difficulty conversing easily are the first clues that he may also have Asperger’s or at least be “on the spectrum.” Newt is painfully uncomfortable making small talk, and jadedthrowaway12345 observes that “he kills almost every conversation at the dinner scene because of his one-note answers”. However, magizoologist Newt becomes animated and comfortable when talking to or about magical creatures: “Suddenly he is confident and talkative, even his posture is different.” Other clues ring familiar to jadedthrowaway12345 and point to Newt having Asperger’s. He avoids eye contact and often delivers blunt observations without realizing they may offend others. Seeing people celebrated on screen that reflect themselves, especially someone as important to the wildly popular Potterverse as Newt Scamander, allows fans like jadedthrowaway12345 to find personal connections within the larger fan base.

Luna Lovegood, Our Hero

“Asperger’s and Luna Lovegood– Part 1.” Land of My Sojourn

As a person with Asperger’s, this author discusses that while many Aspies can see themselves in Luna (especially as portrayed on film), such comparisons can be problematic: “The nature of Asperger’s syndrome itself makes the prospect of ‘diagnosing’ a fictional character even more nebulous.  Asperger’s itself is just a label for a set of traits that are often observed together– actually, not unlike a story.  It defines a rather blurry category, but the traits themselves do not describe any person exactly.  Nor does every person with Asperger’s look, think, or behave the same.” It is easy for others to make blanket statements and assumptions about Luna or real-life Aspies, or to consider the behavior of others as “normal” by comparison. However, this does not take away from the relief the author feels seeing someone on screen to whom he closely identifies.

 

“Luna Lovegood and Five Positive Asperger’s Traits.” Land of My Sojourn

The author, a self-ascribed Aspie, penned this blog post to focus the unique strengths of individuals with autism or Asperger’s. He explores these positive aspects through the character of Luna. Trait #1 (“The fruit of time spent alone in thought”) explores the creative connections made when prioritizing quiet time amid the hubbub of Hogwarts: “In some ways, the magical world of Hogwarts seems like it could be a nightmare for someone who is prone to sensory overload.  It has all of the noise and busyness of a school, with people headed every direction all the time.  But I think the most annoying thing would be the pictures.” While fun in theory, being surrounded by constant movement and chatter even if you are the only witch or wizard around would be very difficult for Aspies. Luna enjoys time alone, feeding thestrals or reading The Quibbler. Removing herself from the noisy goings-on enables Luna to make connections and observations other witches and wizards miss. Trait #2 (“Noticing options that other people may miss”) is similar to the first trait, but includes potential outcomes and actions. For example, Luna solves the problem of how to get to London in The Order of the Phoenix. She is able to “think outside the box” and find solutions others miss. Trait #3 (“A lack of pretense”) flips around what is often taken as a negative (an Aspie’s inability to read social cues) and reveals its positive side: blunt observations. At Bill and Fleur’s wedding in the film version of Deathly Hallows, Part I, Harry is stopped by Luna’s father. Not wanting to get caught discussing Voldemort but also not wanting to appear rude, he remains stuck in an uncomfortable situation. Luna intervenes, telling her father that Harry didn’t want to talk just then. No one is offended: “If you understand that a person is speaking honestly, a straight answer– even if it contains criticism– can be a welcome thing.” Trait #4 (“Actions and words chosen deliberately and carefully”) reveals that Luna makes conscious choices to interact, even if they appear stilted or forced, and for an Aspie, these are thoughtful decisions instead of impulses. This takes courage: “When you know that you don’t always express things well, it actually takes a bit of courage to reach out and speak a word of comfort.  It means you are putting others’ concerns ahead of your own worries about being misinterpreted.  That’s a positive trait.” Trait #5 (“Enthusiastic loyalty”) details that Aspies and individuals with Autism focus for long periods of time on the minutiae of things that they are interested in or passionate about. This manifests in Luna in her devotion to her friends despite the danger they all face from Voldemort. Though in Ravenclaw, she meticulously crafts a roaring lion head hat to support Gryffindor. She gives of herself, helping in ways that aren’t always obvious, but that are always important.

Neville, the Low Key Brave Gryffindor

“Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom and My Learning Disability” by Beth Johnson

Johnson, diagnosed with nonspecific learning disability (LD-NOS) in school, found solace in the Harry Potter books specifically through a connection felt with the character of Neville Longbottom. Neville is described in the story as “‘accident-prone boy’” who struggled to remember even the “‘simplest of spells’” and Johnson can relate. Like Neville, she found multi-step processes difficult and could not remember more than a few steps at a time. She completely understood “when Neville couldn’t remember the password to the Hogwarts student dorms, [and] he wrote them down on a piece of paper. Then he lost the paper, which endangered the school.” Problems with memory, attention to detail, and organization affected Johnson’s confidence and self-esteem. This strengthened her connection to Neville, although the book never claimed that he had a disability: The Harry Potter books never said outright that Neville had issues with executive functioning, motor skills or learning. But to me, it felt like he did. So many of the difficulties Neville faced seemed taken directly from my own life and experiences with LD-NOS.” Johnson also experienced the same embarrassment Neville did when called out by a teacher for “not paying attention” or making a mistake. She finds his strength, loyalty, bravery inspiring and considers Neville “one of the biggest inspirations of my childhood.”

 

“The Grace of Difference: Disability in the Harry Potter Series”

This series of articles looks through disability in the Potter series often through a religious lens. While the author makes some connections through Bible quotes, many observations are strictly based on the Potter series itself. For example, the author notes that disability and difference are implicitly mentioned in the very first sentence of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: “The first book opens by telling us that “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley . . . were perfectly normal, thank you very much” (HP 1:1). As the series progresses, we come to understand that this description sets the stage for the development of many of the tensions to follow through the series, as the idea of “normal” is explored in a variety of ways.” Othering and stigma are ways to control the social status quo, and beings from squibs to werewolves are considered “abnormal” and even dangerous. Having something “wrong” with their blood is not the only way to be shunned. Physical and psychological difference are also stigmatized, as Mad-Eye Moody and Neville experience. However, many of the marginalized groups come to serve important roles in the vanquishing of Voldemort.

Disability in the Wizarding World

Neithardt, Leigh A. “”Splinched”: The Problem of Disability in the Harry Potter Series.” Critical Insights: The Harry Potter Series, edited by Lana A. Whited and Katherine M. Grimes, PDF file, Salem Press, 2015, pp. 273-290.

This article explores how disability and difference are seen in both the wizarding world and the world of the reader: “Together with creating distinctions between the ‘disabled’ and ‘abled’ individuals in the Harry Potter series, Rowling repeatedly calls attention to bodily difference. These constructions are sometimes associated with the actual world’s understanding of disability.” For example, characters are scarred or maimed in battle. Rowling also explores magical difference, like Lupin’s lycanthropy and Moody’s magical eye, that don’t exist in the real world. There is real danger in pathologizing disability and difference. Neithardt quotes disability studies scholar Simi Linton, who writes: “[T]he medicalization of disability casts human variation as deviance from the norm, as pathological condition, as deficit, and, significantly, as an individual burden and personal tragedy”. Understanding one state as “normal” and one as “abnormal” risks marginalization and perpetuation of ignorance. Neithardt uses the example of Argus Filch as squib to highlight how bias affects how characters are viewed and treated.

 

“Harry Potter and the Curse of Disability” by Christina Papamichael

This article, referenced by many of the other blogs and posts, explores how disabled fanfic authors insert themselves into the wizarding world. One such author is LaGuera, author of a “multi-chapter Potter fanfic Summon the Lambs to Slaughter. It introduces us to 15-year-old witch Rebecca Stanhope, who transfers to Hogwarts from the Disabled American Institute for Magical Studies. Like the author, Rebecca has CP.” Magic is not seen as a cure-all. That would be “unrealistic wish fulfillment” according to La Guera, who fields online feedback that her stories are too graphic. However, she writes to tell the “truth” of her disability and to let readers know that “flawed as it may be”, Rebecca’s body is “human”. Other authors, like CorvetteClaire write to explore identity and how others read disability: “Drawing on her own experience with neuromuscular disease, Claire inflicts debilitating disability on Rowling’s characters then, through her creative writing, explores how it affects their self-image, the way others relate to them, and how they fit into their environment.” Most importantly, fanfic authors with disabilities write to gain access into fandoms they love: “According to Professor Henry Jenkins (Director, Comparative Media Studies Program, M.I.T.), fan fiction is “born out of a mixture of fascination and frustration”, as the original material captures the imagination but fails to satisfy. Writers placing “marginalized peoples” at the centre of their stories, “play out a drama about acceptance, tolerance, even an embrace of their difference.”

 

“”Whose Story Is This?”: The Radical Act of Telling In Harry Potter Disability Fanfic” by Kestrell Verlager

As both a “voracious” reader and a Comparative Media Studies scholar at MIT, Verlager is disappointed in how disability is treated in fiction: after having “studied, written, and advocated in the area of media and technology access for people with disabilities (PWD), I have come to feel increasingly aware of the exclusion of positive representations of PWD from stories by both serious literature and mainstream media.” Verlager cites several examples where authors associate “disability with tragedy in the guise of victimization, dependence, isolation, and government control” or as propaganda for that All-American ideal of “grit.” On the business end, Verlager notes “unprecedented production and distribution efforts on both the part of the publisher and the volunteer efforts of those producing braille and recorded formats for blind readers” in addition to “accessible eTexts and eBooks.” While Rowling has never claimed outright that certain characters have disabilities, many exhibit such traits. This opens up many opportunities for authors of fanfiction to insert themselves and their own disabilities into the Potter universe. “Thus, disability fics can be seen from the perspective of mediating “real life” experiences through fictional stories which retain autobiographical elements.” Not only does this provide access to PWD to participate via their fiction, but they can also “find their people” in real life communities. Stories about “difference within the context of ordinary personal experience is crucial: “It is worth noting at this point that the individual disability fiction story may not offer any clues regarding whether the author has a disability or not. Some writers self-disclose, others do not. Thus, while the range of experiences and reasons for writing the fan fic might vary wildly, the fic itself can only be judged on its own merit as a story which develops a character or characters through plot, descriptive detail, and interactions with other characters. In other words, it is often the ordinariness of the stories upon which the stories’s [sic] value is judged.”

 

“CFP: Disability and/in/through fanfiction (Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, special issue).” by Penny Richards

Disability in Harry Potter gets the academic treatment, as this call for papers (for an as-yet unpublished special issue journal) reveals. The call discusses reasons for the popularity in disability fanfic: “Fanfiction loves its disabled characters ( Stiles from Teen Wolf, Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon, Homestuck, House, River Tam from Firefly), and loves to disable its characters (Harry Potter is iconic in this respect), to get all the feels, to explore all the possibilities” of beloved fandoms. The special issue seeks to explore several questions: “This special issue invites works that explores disability in fanfiction, disability and fanfiction, and disability through fanfiction. How do disability and fanfiction interact with each other in fanfiction communities? How is disability represented in fanfiction and what meaning does/can/should it have? What roles do disabled fans play in how disability and disabled characters are understood in fandoms? How does white supremacy and heteropatriarchy/cissexism impact where disabled people feel included in online fanfiction communities? How do queerness, racialization, transness, gender, sexuality, class, as inseparable from our experiences of disability, inform and shape our love of fandom and fanfic?” I include it here because the editors, identifying themselves as queer and neurodiverse or disabled, seek to critically examine these topics through an intersectional approach.

Disability and Difference in Harry Potter Fanfic

“Stories of Cultural Royalty” by Creedbreed

Creedbreed, a Potter fan who has experience with “the American Deaf Community today” notes about their fanfic based on the Marauders: “The bold indicates that someone is signing rather than speaking. It also is not a direct translation, as American Sign Language has vastly different grammar and syntax. The bold is how an interpreter would read their signing.” The Marauders (Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter) are tweens and the story opens with Sirius and younger brother Regulus at 12 Grimmauld Place, the Black family home. The story combines signed communication (in bold) with action, as Sirius plans to leave before their cousins the Lestranges arrive. The brothers argue, partly out of typical sibling rivalry, and partly because of Regulus’ jealously of Sirius comfortably navigating an unfamiliar world: Regulus “had yet to actually have a whole lot of interaction with hearing people, or at least not ones that didn’t know sign language. Like his parents, he’d chosen to attend an all-deaf academy. Sirius, who had fought until his hand were red to be allowed to go, attended an integrated junior high school, where he got to interact with both hearing and deaf people.” This opportunity, while scary to Regulus, also intrigues him.

 

“Harry Potter and the Dark Protector” by Saxhleel Madgod

This fanfic is the result of its author noticing “a lot of Autistic Harry fanfic online, but most of the authors of it seem to have got their knowledge from books about Autism rather than lived experience,…as a result, they get things badly wrong as well as stereotyped. So I thought I’d join in with something halfway accurate and came up with the following story.” The story opens with Professor Snape visiting Harry, who is sent to the Children’s Ward of a muggle hospital to identify the cause of his recent behavior. There, he discovers Harry’s diagnosis: “Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle that were whizzing around Snape’s head all clicked into place. Autism. That would explain why Harry liked stacking things and had pulled up the wrong plants while weeding, as well as his current behaviour.” The hospital does not know what to do with Harry, or how to treat “a mentally disabled child.” As Lily’s child, Harry’s plight affects Snape greatly. He encourages him: “”Listen, Boy,” he said, holding out a hand to the child. “You are not worthless, nor are you a freak.” Snape goes on to protect Harry as a father figure, teaching him about the wizarding world and helping him view his disability as a strength rather than curse.

 

“Harry Potter and the Trouble With Neurotypicals: Book Three. Or, Autistic Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” by Fayanora

This marks the third installment of Fayanora’s fanfic imagining “Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, is a young and abused Black boy with Asperger’s syndrome”. In this version, Harry is staying with the Weasleys and they all go visit good friend Luna Lovegood. He feels a deep connection to Luna as they both have interesting ideas and neither one is very good at conversation. When the Weasley’s win a large drawing, Harry is worried about being separated from the people who understand him best: “Harry paused. The words were right there in his brain, aching to get out. He need only say them. But he suddenly found speaking to be impossible. At first he was panicky; what was this? Had the pathway from his brain to his mouth collapsed? But then he remembered something he’d read once about Asperger’s and realized that he was simply having a non-verbal incident. Some people with Asperger’s or other conditions could find themselves unable to speak when under stress. Knowing this, and knowing that it would pass, he felt better. But he still couldn’t speak.” The Weasleys invite Harry with them to Egypt, and Harry is able to explore his interests before heading back to Hogwarts.

 

“Raven’s Colours – Chapter 1: Freaks Aren’t Meant to be Seen” by Sophistoche

Fanfic summary, provided by the author: “Harry Potter is blinded at an early age. She learns to see magic instead. One night she is wandering the streets of Surrey and is found by a concerned Andromeda Tonks. Not gender-swap, Harry is a trans girl” who prefers he/him pronouns. This fanfic follows “Freak,” as he is called by the Dursleys, as he avoids the house while his aunt and uncle entertain guests. Freak is excited to meet Tonks, who he views as having a beautifully colorful aura. Tonks suggests the name Raven instead of “Freak” and befriends him, introducing him to an exciting new world.

Boggarts and Dementors as Metaphors for Anxiety and Depression

“The Dementor and The Boggart: How Harry Potter Helped Me Cope With My Depression and Anxiety” by Brett Pucino

A Harry Potter fan since childhood, Pucino wrote this article after experiencing depression and anxiety after college: “Little did I know that when I was first introduced to Dementors and Boggarts as an adolescent, there were Dementors and Boggarts in my own life that I’d have to face in young adulthood.” He notes several similarities between how characters react to Dementors and his own experience: he feels the “metaphorical lights go dark in my head as the depression eradicated any positive memories. I’ve felt depression’s cold, rattling breath as it called up my worst thoughts from my mind’s annals. I’ve felt depression’s chilling fingers brush my skin as it sank to suck the last drips of hope out of my body. I can tell you first hand that being in the constant presence of Dementors is exactly what depression feels like.” He likes the Patronus charm, the only spell that can chase away a Dementor, to a Native American spirit animal. Understanding your own unique characteristics and what makes you feel whole and happy can help you master your own depression and anxiety. As Boggarts represent battles with fear and one’s “inner critic,” Pucino shares a Potter-inspired strategy that helps him cope: “Thanks to JKR [J.K. Rowling], I came up with a creative visualization exercise to help me deal with this anxiety successfully. I picture facing this Boggart version of myself and actual me shouting Riddikulus as I visualize Boggart-me losing his voice. Without his voice, his doubts can’t affect me.” He encourages others who suffer from depression and anxiety to try it. After all, “to paraphrase Albus Dumbledore, just because it’s happening in your head, that does not mean it isn’t real.”