"Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here." is a direct quote from Albus Dumbledore on p. 125 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (also known as Philiosoper's Stone). I was 16 when the first book came out and exploded in popularity. I have to admit I was skeptical at the time. After all, it was a book about 10-year old children learning magic, seemingly not the sort of thing high schoolers would find very interesting. In fact, I didn't even engage in the series in any way until the first film came out on DVD. I really enjoyed it, but I still sort of felt that it was primarily for younger children. I actually didn't read the books until my mid-20s, but once I got started, I couldn't put them down! It may have been aimed to children, but it certainly has some very grown-up themes in it, and all that aside, it is highly entertaining story-telling.
As a music teacher, I absolutely love that Professor Dumbledore acknowledges music as "a magic beyond all we do here." It is such a true statement, and when you take away all of the fictional magical spells from the Harry Potter universe, music remains. Music has a power like nothing else - it has restorative healing properties for the mind, body, and soul. Music is a magic we can all access, whether it be through singing, playing, or simply listening. Perhaps most of all, it shows that even Muggle-born musicians like myself can actually wield a powerful form of magic. And who knows? If Professor Flitwick ever retires from his post as Hogwarts choirmaster, then maybe I could join the ranks of magical experts at Hogwarts!
