Original artwork, not a still
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ‧ 1997
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Dumbledore is warning an orphan who has found his lost family in a glass that wishing is not the same as living. The line works as compact life advice, and fans quote it in graduation speeches, in letters to the grieving and on posters. It is also one of the first moments where Dumbledore seems wise and warm, rather than merely eccentric.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneShow the scene
Dumbledore says this in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, chapter 12, 'The Mirror of Erised'. Exploring Hogwarts at night under his father's invisibility cloak, Harry finds a mirror that shows him his parents and the rest of his family, and he keeps going back to it. Dumbledore finds him there and explains that the mirror shows the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts, and that men have wasted away before it. Then he gives Harry the warning in the line.
Sources (3)
- Wikipedia: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StonePlotReference checked
- Harry Potter Wiki: Mirror of ErisedIntro; early historyReference checked
- Wikiquote: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stonepg. 214Reference checked
Context reviewed
