To turn on the light

With a bloodcurdling squeal, the constant “Dadamm-dadamm” of the train comes to a halt. Where there should be the joyful or excited talk and giggles of hundreds of children, there is only tense whispering. Fearful glances roam the grounds. The castle, which is actually home and school in equal measure, seems different today than it usually does. Today the mist hides more than forests and magic. You can almost feel them, the ghosts that can bring the worst memories to light. It is the 1st of September 1993 and a new school year begins at Hogwarts and it brings with it a whole new darkness.

The Great Hall has barely filled with new and “old” students when Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, addresses his charges. Undoubtedly, the interruption of their journey by the guards of Azkaban prison had frightened most of them – though none as much as Harry Potter, our protagonist. In search of an escaped prisoner who apparently had it in for Harry, they were tasked with “protecting” the school. But their mere presence is enough to nip joy and hope in the bud. In his speech, Dumbledore therefore says something to remind us that the bad cannot exclude the good:

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

Albus Dumbledore

His words are of course underlined in an extremely magical way by Dumbledore lighting candles at this moment. But the metaphorics of light and darkness in this film are not only to be understood figuratively either. The light of the “Expecto Patronum” spell is ultimately also the only thing that is able to drive away the Dementors lurking in the darkness.

This play with contrast is fascinating. Darkness is one of our primal fears, which in times long past were meant to ensure human survival. Darkness meant potential danger. We therefore sought the light to be able to see and to protect our own. We still seek the light today – both metaphorically and literally. In times of hopelessness and fear, I call it “darkness of spirit”, we need something to give us light. Something to remind us that life is not all bleak and monotonous. There is not only despair, pain and sadness, but also hope, happiness and joy. There is not only darkness.

Just to mention it briefly: Harry Potter is not the only fantasy or sci-fi world that makes use of the symbol of light and darkness (or light and dark) and often uses them synonymously with life and death or good and evil. Also included are Star Wars (the light and the dark side of the Force), Shadow and Bone (the Sun Summoner and the Shadow Summoner), the Wheel of Time (Shadow and Light) and even The Lion King (The Hallowed Land and that which lies in shadow) and The Lord of the Rings (Gandalf the White, Galadriel’s Vial/the Light of Earendil’s Star, etc. and it doesn’t get any darker than Mordor). But even that is only a small selection!

It is therefore not surprising that this dichotomy already appears in the oldest human narratives and – how could it be otherwise – this also includes the Bible. I would like to point out three passages as examples:

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Genesis 1:1-5

So we don’t have to look far to find the first mention of light and darkness. Creation is permeated by contrasts, by hostility to life and making life possible. The primordial state is thus the worst possible starting point for man: chaos and darkness. Light is thus the first and perhaps most significant step that paves the way. Perhaps this is also the origin of the use of symbolism in all the other stories. Gen 1:1-5 would then be the prototypical mention, so to speak, that gives the terms their relevant meaning.

He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark.

Job 36:32

I have chosen the Book of Job as a second example because it is full of (more or less obvious) contrasts, including God and Satan, life and death, loss and gain, or light and darkness. Here, too, light stands for life. This is mentioned above all in the speeches about the power and incomprehensible rule of God. Light is also always connected to wisdom. But the moment is popular in the OT not only in Job, but also in Jeremiah, Isaiah, the Psalms, etc. The common thread: Whoever knows God on his side, or believes in him, walks in the light. The connection to the third passage is therefore easy to see:

I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.

John 12:46

The incarnated Jesus Christ is the light itself. Although particularly present in John, the concept also finds its way into other gospels. There, people can also become bearers of light and spread the message. In other words, light and darkness permeate the biblical narratives.

So, in conclusion, perhaps we can say that Dumbledore, in his address to the young witches and wizards, refers to one of the oldest metaphors in the world and he exhorts us never to give up. And when we least expect it and most need it, we may remind ourselves of the words: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times.”