Filius Flitwick’s Reading List
Counted among our favorite Hogwarts professors is the ever-charming and intelligent Professor Filius Flitwick. Flitwick is kind, gifted with magic, and protective of his students. He’s head of Ravenclaw House and is good friends with Professor McGonagall. While Flitwick didn’t receive many scenes in the books and movie adaptations, I had enough of an idea of him as a wizard to guess what books he’d be interested in.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
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This magical novel will seem familiar to Flitwick. Even before Harry Potter was published, Ursula K. Le Guin was writing the Earthsea series about a wizarding school. Flitwick would enjoy the unique worldbuilding and beautiful descriptions of Roke Island, where the magical school is based. The main hero of the story, Ged, is similar to Harry in many ways: impulsive, yet brave and destined for great things. Unlike Harry, Ged never has a mentor at school, and I’m sure Flitwick would say that was the flaw of the book. Maybe Flitwick would enjoy taking a trip to Roke Island!
The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski
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Recently adapted for Netflix, the Witcher stories are magical tales for adult readers. The themes are more complicated and mature. Since the stories are inspired by Polish mythology, Flitwick would enjoy learning about another culture. Sapkowski’s writing is timeless and sophisticated. His characters are innately lovable, if not inherently flawed. There’s something in these stories for everyone!
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
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Flitwick himself was a master dueling champion, so he’d surely enjoy a book with fencing. Flitwick would delight in the descriptions of long-ago Muggle fencing matches; one of the books with the greatest duels of all time is The Three Musketeers. All of the characters are interesting to read about, especially the musketeers and the comradery between them. This book seems lengthy and intimidating at first, but it is fast-paced and epic. Maybe this novel would inspire Flitwick to take up fencing as a hobby.
The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
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One of Flitwick’s best traits is that he’s good-humored. He’s affable, amiable, and fun to be around. It makes sense that he would enjoy a witty and hilarious novel like The Code of the Woosters. This was the first P.G. Wodehouse mystery I read, and I couldn’t stop laughing! The plot is fun and entertaining. The dynamic between the two main characters has banter and a quick pace. I can see Flitwick relaxing in the Hogwarts library and trying to guess the ending of this novel. This is a must-read for any Ravenclaw who enjoys mysteries.
Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin
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In the movie adaptations of Harry Potter, we see Flitwick conducting Hogwarts choir practice. Since he has such a passion for music, especially singing, he may enjoy reading from a Muggle perspective. This book inspired the movie Pitch Perfect, and it’s about musical singing groups made up of young people. Who knows – Flitwick might even pick up some tips and tricks to use during choir practice at Hogwarts!
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
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While Flitwick might prefer the Broadway musical to the detailed novel, it is an intriguing story. The novel explains everything you could want to know about the main characters, including their motivations and inner thoughts. While reading, you can picture the gorgeous opera house so clearly in your head. I can picture Flitwick hiding out in his office with this book and a tin of cupcakes, happily reading all day.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
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This play is another comedy that Flitwick might enjoy. The plot is clever and amusing, although there are plenty of silly moments. I can see Flitwick coming up with so many theories to explain the strange twists and turns: Is Bottom an Animagus? Did the humans accidentally ingest a love potion? Are all the play’s events happening in the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest? This classic play is just the sort of hilarious adventure Flitwick would read on his summers off from teaching at Hogwarts.
What other books do you think Flitwick needs to read, or has already read and enjoyed? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments.
