Harry Potter: Agency or Addiction?

This article considers limitations on agency for characters in the Harry Potter novels, in particular, how far they are driven by an addictive yearning for their beloved dead. As well as Harry’s yearning for his dead parents, Dumbledore’s guilt, Snape’s longing and Slughorn’s craving can be read as evidence of addiction rather than love, while the Sorting ritual throws into doubt agency among the students in general.