Editing J. K. Rowling (section)

=== Themes ===
Death is Rowling's overarching theme in ''Harry Potter''.{{Sfn|Ciaccio|2008|pp=39–40}}{{Sfn|Groves|2017|pp=xxi–xxii, 135–136}} In the first book, when Harry looks into the Mirror of Erised, he feels both joy and "a terrible sadness" at seeing his desire: his parents, alive and with him.{{sfn|Natov|2002|pp= 134–136}} Confronting their loss is central to Harry's character arc and manifests in different ways through the series, such as in his struggles with [[Magical creatures in Harry Potter#Dementors|Dementors]].{{sfn|Natov|2002|pp=134–136}}{{sfn|Taub|Servaty-Seib|2008|pp=23–27}} Other characters in Harry's life die; he even faces his own death in ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows''.{{Sfn|Pharr|2016|pp=20–21}} Rowling has spoken about thematising death and loss in the series. Soon after she started writing ''Philosopher's Stone'', her mother died, and she said that "I really think from that moment on, death became a central, if not the central theme of the seven books".{{sfn|Groves|2017|p=138}} Rowling has described Harry as "the prism through which I view death", and further stated that "all of my characters are defined by their attitude to death and the possibility of death".{{sfn|Groves|2017|p=135}}

While ''Harry Potter'' can be viewed as a story about good versus evil, its moral divisions are not absolute.{{sfn|Schanoes|2003|pp=131–132}}{{sfn|McEvoy|2016|p=207}} First impressions of characters are often misleading. Harry assumes in the first book that Quirrell is good because he opposes Snape, who appears malicious; in reality, their positions are reversed.{{sfn|Schanoes|2003|pp= 131–132}} In Rowling's world, good and evil are choices rather than inherent attributes: second chances and redemption are key themes of the series.<ref>{{harvnb|Doughty|2002|pp= 247–249}}; {{harvnb|McEvoy|2016|pp=207, 211–213}}; {{harvnb|Berberich|2016|p=153}}.</ref>