27 Magically Meaningful Tattoos Inspired By The World Of Harry Potter

    Because tattoos are for ~always~.

    Ellie Bate
    by Ellie Bate

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to show us their magical Harry Potter-inpired tattoos. Here are some of their responses.

    1. "The stories were a constant reminder throughout my recovery that this addiction did not control me."

    xariak / buzzfeed.com

    "I struggled severely with self-harm for six years. Throughout that time, one of the only forms of relief came through immersing myself within any of the Harry Potter books. No matter what was going wrong within my head, the second I opened one of those books, I would instantly feel better. The tattoo is on my forearm, the place I self-harmed the most. I chose to permanently represent my newfound light in the place that had so consistently represented the darkness." –xariak

    2. "Magic and friendship forever!"

    emilyb431a83004 / buzzfeed.com

    "My best friend and I are diehard Harry Potter fans. We are also very yin and yang. She’s the salty to my sweet, so dark and light felt very appropriate. The wand styles also match our personalities – my Lumos is modelled after Luna Lovegood’s wand, and her Nox after Mrs Weasley’s."

    –emilyb431a83004

    3. "It's my subtle little symbol of where it all began."

    darceyreilly / buzzfeed.com

    "Harry Potter has been a huge part of my life since I first picked up Philosopher’s Stone aged 11. I’ve had my tattoo for about six months and I love it."

    –darceyreilly

    4. "They're my favourite tattoos, and a great way to identify other geeks!"

    sophiewhiskeytango / buzzfeed.com

    "My best friend, my boyfriend, and I all have matching Harry Potter tattoos. We all have the stars from the Swedish copy of the book on our arms, and tiny Harry glasses on different parts of us."

    –sophiewhiskeytango

    5. "We're bonded for life!"

    alexandraf40d5ddedd / buzzfeed.com

    "My best friend and I have matching Harry Potter tattoos and got them because of our love for Harry and each other."

    –alexandraf40d5ddedd

    6. "The Harry Potter universe has always been somewhere for me to disappear to and forget about reality."

    bethanr4a78e7415 / buzzfeed.com

    "I took the first two books on my year-six residential holiday – I got sunstroke and had to stay inside while all my classmates went to do all these fun activities, so I picked up this book my mum had packed for me. By the end of the week, I was faking sick just so I could finish it and move on to book two."

    –bethanr4a78e7415

    Tattoo by @georgiietattoos.

    7. "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

    chelsaeleenicolew / buzzfeed.com

    –chelsaeleenicolew

    8. "Sometimes we get so caught up in day-to-day life that we forget to take the time to appreciate what we have."

    jessicaf498714466 / buzzfeed.com

    "My tattoo is a Dumbledore quote from Half-Blood Prince: 'Time is making fools of us again.' To me, it means that we think we have a lot more time than we actually do and we have to make that time count. Life is short, so take full advantage of every second. I got this tattoo to remind me of that."

    –jessicaf498714466

    9. "I got my Lumos tattoo to remind me to focus on the amazing, happy, beautiful aspects of my life."

    rache43875e321 / buzzfeed.com

    "I have had chronic severe back pain since I was 22 years old. There are times when I get extremely discouraged and depressed, because the pain is so bad, and I can’t do the things I used to do. But, as Dumbledore said, 'Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.'"

    –rache43875e321

    10. "I liked the Deathly Hallows constructed because while together they make one invincible, separately they represent both strengths and weaknesses."

    jessmkaaa / buzzfeed.com

    "I’ve loved Harry Potter since I first read the books when I was 6 years old, and getting this tattooed was a way for me to really represent myself."

    –jessmkaaa

    11. "My tattoo represents strength and survival."

    12. "Harry Potter is my favourite antidepressant."

    nadiyaax / buzzfeed.com

    "Reading the series again and again makes me feel like coming back home or seeing an old friend."

    –nadiyaax

    13. "As an avid reader, sometimes you have to remind yourself to go out there and actually do the things you read about."

    austint41d1cd0e4 / buzzfeed.com

    "I always feel reassured when I look at my tattoo and feel as if Dumbledore himself is giving me some much-needed life advice."

    –austint41d1cd0e4

    14. "We've been getting in and out of trouble together for the last 25 years."

    a4c7d852e1 / buzzfeed.com

    "They're perfect for me and my best friend."

    –a4c7d852e1

    15. "I knew I had to immortalise how much the series means to me."

    hollypenyo77 / buzzfeed.com

    "I grew up with Harry and it seemed so appropriate to get the castle, that we walked through together, on my ankle."

    –hollypenyo77

    16. "One thing that has remained constant in my life is my love for Harry Potter."

    ericar41894df1c / buzzfeed.com

    "I have made so many incredible friends through the fandom, and as stupid as it sounds, I always feel so happy and content when watching one of the movies or reading one of the books. Harry Potter has always distracted me through tough times in my life and helped me grow as a person."

    –ericar41894df1c

    17. "I got this four years ago, and love it like it was the first day."

    natalied402eb5cab / buzzfeed.com

    –natalied402eb5cab

    18. "My sister and I got these to honour our favourite characters."

    Padawan Ryan / buzzfeed.com

    "I've got Padfoot and she's got Moony."

    –Padawan Ryan

    19. "It's even more meaningful to me now that Alan Rickman has passed."

    mdc3679 / buzzfeed.com

    "I’m yet to have it coloured in because of how badly it hurt, but I still love it!"

    –mdc3679

    20. "My brother and I got these on my 22nd birthday."

    katiadestinya / buzzfeed.com

    "I feel like they're a unique take on the Deathly Hallows tattoo."

    –katiadestinya

    21. "Harry Potter was my entire childhood, and I never feel more at home than I do when I'm reading it."

    heavenp48e616504 / buzzfeed.com

    –heavenp48e616504

    22. "I have a few Harry Potter tattoos, but this is my favourite."

    ashleighgemmaparkhouse / buzzfeed.com

    –ashleighgemmaparkhouse

    23. "I like to think I always have a little luck with me."

    Sunny Freckles / buzzfeed.com

    "I got this tattoo at a point in my life when everything seemed to be falling apart."

    –Sunny Freckles

    24. "It got me through several bouts of depression, and has always been a huge part of my life."

    ReganLouise97 / buzzfeed.com

    –ReganLouise97

    25. "I got the word 'always' tattooed in Tolkein's Elvish."

    lindseynotlohan / buzzfeed.com

    "It’s a reminder that it's OK to go through hell for love, romantic or otherwise, and to not become cynical or allow the world to destroy your passions."

    –lindseynotlohan

    26. "It’s the portal into the world where, no matter what horrible things are happening, I always feel like I’m home."

    LittleDork / buzzfeed.com

    "I have a long history of depression, and Harry Potter is the world I turn to when I need a break from the real world. Having this tattoo reminds me that Hogwarts is always there for me when I need it, but that it’s not just someplace I go to – it’s inside me, and I can access it whenever I need to."

    –LittleDork

    27. "It reminds me that words hold more power than we think."

    seamusgirl13 / buzzfeed.com

    "Books have always been an escape for me, especially when I have been working through depression and anxiety. I always turn to the Harry Potter books, because they remind me that even though things can get tough, there is always a way through."

    –seamusgirl13

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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