Hagrid could promise not to take in any illegal magical creatures
Norbert the dragon. Aragog the Acromantula. Hagrid didn’t seem to mind breaking the odd wizarding law when it came to magical creatures – even his Blast-Ended Skrewts didn’t seem completely legitimate. And his dalliances with keeping forbidden beasts never seemed to end well. Raising Aragog was why he was kicked out of Hogwarts. And who can forget the trouble Harry and Hermione found themselves in when sending baby Norbert to Charlie in Romania? So, in the coming year we think Hagrid would really benefit from causing a bit less creature chaos. He could promise to stick to rearing strictly legal creatures. Yes, they may not be quite as exciting (or dangerous), but he, and the others who helped him, would find their life was quite a lot simpler without the skulduggery and secrecy.
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Hermione could try to learn how to take a break every now and then
Hermione Granger could never be described as lazy. In fact, when it came to studying, writing essays, helping to secure the rights of house-elves, or defeating Voldemort, she always went the extra mile. However, being constantly on the go isn’t good for anyone. Sometimes you just have to relax and take it easy – or you could risk burnout. Even the cleverest witch of her age needs some time for rest and relaxation, though we don’t doubt she would find the concept tricky. So, we think Hermione should try to make some time for herself and occasionally switch off that big old brain of hers. Maybe she could try her hand at drawing. Or possibly practice mediation. Or take a long bubble bath. And if she really wanted to delve into another book whilst chilling, it should be something fun and light – and not another textbook.
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Professor Dumbledore could try to be a bit more transparent
The Headmaster of Hogwarts certainly was a mysterious fellow. Not only did he have a lot of secrets, but even when he did divulge some of them you couldn’t help but feel that he was holding something back. From what he saw in the Mirror of Erised, to why he could not face Grindelwald, to the fact that Harry was a Horcrux – he kept rather a lot of important things to himself and relied on the blind trust of those around him. Though Dumbledore did have strong reasons for keeping secrets, sometimes he should have been a bit more straightforward. We wouldn’t be surprised if those he asked a lot of sometimes felt a bit manipulated. Therefore to avoid that, he could make a New Year’s resolution to be a bit more open and see where it got him. You never know, he might be pleasantly surprised.
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Harry could learn how to accept help a little more readily
There’s no doubt that Harry had a bit of a saviour complex – though as the Chosen One it is understandable that he felt he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. However, he was also rather stubborn and didn’t find asking for help very easy. Yes, he was the one that had to defeat Voldemort but that didn’t mean he couldn’t have any help. There were so many witches and wizards who would have jumped at the opportunity – Ron and Hermione to name just two. While he did accept their assistance, it often took a fair bit of persuading. Yet as they say a problem shared is a problem halved and Harry would have been wise to take that on board. A good resolution for him would be to try asking for a little more help without feeling guilty. Not only would it mean that he didn’t have to suffer alone but it would make life a whole lot easier for him too.
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Professor Trelawney could focus on telling the truth
Ok, so the prophecy that Trelawney made about Harry and Voldemort may have come to pass. However outside of this, Sybill had told plenty of porky pies in her time. Whether she was ‘foreseeing’ an exorbitant number of terrible tragedies in Harry’s future, or just relying on Neville’s clumsy nature to predict that he would break a teacup – some (Hermione for one) may have thought she was a bit of a charlatan. For the sake of her reputation, it wouldn’t do Trelawney any harm to try being a bit more honest as her New Year’s resolution. She would probably find that people respected her more and didn’t question her gifts as a Seer if she just stuck to making truthful prophecies. You never know, it might even help to make Divination seem like less of a joke subject.
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Malfoy could work on not being so snobby
If there was one thing you couldn’t call Draco it was humble. As part of the wealthy and influential Malfoy family, he was used to the finer things in life. There was also the unpleasant business of his family’s belief in pure-blood supremacy – which only added to their inflated egos. As a result of all of this, he had a rather stuck-up and unpleasant personality. So, we think that a fantastic New Year’s resolution for Malfoy would be for him to try and be a little bit more humble and to try acting with a little bit more kindness. While we know that would seem like an alien concept, and old attitudes and habits are hard to break, it really would help to improve his life and the lives of those around him. Whether it was thinking before he spoke or trying to do one helpful thing a day, he would soon see the benefits.
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