While the popular Netlix program The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which is based on a comic book, may not seem as it if has much to do with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the two have much in common. There are several parallels between the series, from the fact that they both tackle subject matter like good versus evil with teen witches and wizards, or warlocks, and that they also handle popular universal themes like coming of age.
While Sabrina is of a horror-style medium and Potter is clearly stationed in the fantasy genre, both deliver delicious fantasy and fun in similar ways.
Both Attend Schools Of Magic
While Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the Academy of Unseen Arts may seem like opposites at first, they have much in common. Both are home to ghosts, bullies, witches of both pure and half-blood, and teenage witches dealing with hormones.
The Academy and Hogwarts both have numerous classes in various magical subjects, dormitories for separate sexes, weird statues and traditions and strange food. One is definitely on a level of creepy that the other barely touches, but both places can host both dark creatures and dark magic. Harry Potter and Sabrina Spellman both experience major highs and lows in their respective boarding schools.
Sabrina Also Has Magical Animals, Including Her Own Pet/Familiar
Both pieces of media are both home to many a magical animal, although familiars aren’t supposed to be allowed at the Academy while animal companions are encouraged, although not referred to as familiars, at Hogwarts. Cats are a common selection for both Harry Potter and Sabrina characters.
Sabrina may have a few darker critters included as familiars, but Hagrid and Hilda both have a thing for spiders. The two would likely get along great. And while Ron Weasley has Scabbers the rat as his companion until Peter Pettigrew is revealed, Ambrose, too, has Leviathan the mouse. It’s interesting to note that in the comics, Ambrose has cobras as familiars, and their names, Nag and Nagaina, are very close to Voldemort’s animal companion’s name, Nagini.
Sabrina Is An Orphan, Too
Both Harry Potter and Sabrina Spellman lost their parents as babies, leaving them orphans in their worlds. While Sabrina received much more education about her heritage growing up than Harry did, they both still feel the pain of not having their parents with them as they grew up.
Both Sabrina and Harry have also been bullied by classmates regarding their parents, although Sabrina’s bullying stemmed more from her “tainted” bloodline, something that Hermione Granger is more familiar with, while Harry’s bullying is more related to simply being an orphan. He’s also bullied by Professor Snape for having Snape’s rival as a father.
There’s A Top Boy
Just as Hogwarts has a Head Boy, the Academy has a Top Boy, but there are some major differences. Top Boy is a sexist tradition that not only excludes witches, only permitting warlocks to take the role, but also exists to further the desires of the High Priest.
At Hogwarts, the position is far less corrupt, although the House Cup system has many issues, including Dumbledore playing favorites, professors like Snape withholding points out of spite, and wizards like Ron Weasley being promoted to prefect positions without having earned them in any way. Both point toward antiquated systems that exist as dusty traditions rather than anything that really promotes education.
Sabrina Has A Dark Lord
Both Sabrina and Potter have a “Dark Lord,” and although one is literally the devil while the other is a man who fancies himself one, both play similar roles. Both Dark Lords want the teens to do things they don’t want to do, tempting them to the dark and representing all that is evil in the world.
Sabrina’s Dark Lord has great plans for the witch, but Harry’s Dark Lord Voldemort really wants to destroy the subject of his prophecy and only offers to allow Harry to join him as a dubious alternative. Both are terrible in both appearance and deed and both have many evil followers.
Both Harry And Sabrina Have Milestone Birthdays
Both Harry and Sabrina are allowed to enter their magical schools once they turn a certain age. For Harry, it’s his eleventh birthday, and Sabrina is allowed to enter her school at age 16.
There are some major differences between their birthdays. Harry has no idea that turning 11 will be so important in his life while Sabrina eagerly anticipates her 16th birthday with feelings of ambivalence and excitement. Harry is used to having his birthdays largely ignored, while Sabrina’s are celebrated in her loving home. On their milestone days, however, they both do receive sweet gifts from people who care about them, and both days mark a significant turning point in both their stories.
Sabrina Also Lives With Her Aunts And Cousin
As orphans, both Harry and Sabrina found themselves in the care of their next of kin. Both live with at least one aunt as well as a cousin, but the similarities pretty much stop there.
Sabrina’s family is magical like her. They are supportive of her magic, celebrating it and even going as far as to disapprove when she’s not sure she wants to attend the Academy of Unseen Arts (particularly in Zelda’s case). Harry’s family, on the other hand, pride themselves on being as normal as possible and want to smother anything magical about the young wizard in the family so much they don’t even tell him what he is.
Sabrina Is Also Forced To Sacrifice Herself
Both Sabrina and Harry find themselves sent as sacrificial lambs in order to save the people they care about. The fate of the world rests in both the teens’ hands, which isn’t fair to either of them, and both of them were led unknowingly like lambs to the slaughter by their trusted teacher advisers, Mary Wardwell and Albus Dumbledore.
While Dumbledore’s intentions were purer and Harry’s sacrifice was against evil rather than signing his name in the Devil’s book, both Sabrina and Harry didn’t particularly want the paths set out in front of them and both of their mentors deceived them to accomplish their goals.
Sabrina Also Has Three Bullies
Both Harry and Sabrina attend school with three bullies on their heels. Both bully trios act a lot like siblings even though they aren’t, and both are led by masterminds who are smarter than the remaining two bullies. Both masterminds also have extremely powerful and influential fathers. Each trio even has one member taken out at some point, even if temporarily.
While Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle aren’t nearly as dangerous as the Weird Sisters, all six are attracted to cruelty, deception, self-serving actions and, most of all, pure blood. Prudence, Dorcas, and Agatha would certainly be sorted into Slytherin.
Being Half-Muggle-Born Is An Issue For Sabrina, Too
The Weird Sisters aren’t the only witches who find Sabrina’s half-blood status as an insult to their kind. Most of the people in her world, aside from her own family, think it’s a scandal for a warlock or witch to lie with a mortal, let alone build a family with one, and in this Sabrina’s world is parallel to Harry’s.
While Harry himself has a witch and wizard as parents, the entire Wizarding War exists between those who believe in equality and those who argue for blood purity. Hermione Granger and Lily Potter both suffer from classmates calling them “mudbloods” and witches and wizards with Muggle parents are at the most risk, as are muggles themselves.
