Chilling Adventures of Harry Potter: Parallels between “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” and “Harry Potter”

This post contains spoilers for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Netflix recently dropped all ten episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, a remake of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and I couldn’t help but draw parallels between the show and the Harry Potter series. Besides the use of magic in the worlds, here are ten other similarities between the two.

 

1. Milestone Birthdays

 

 

In both worlds, the witches, wizards, and warlocks all join their magical communities after a birthday. In Harry Potter, Harry learns about his heritage on his 11th birthday and in Sabrina, she was meant to have her dark baptism on her 16th.

 

2. Magical Education

 

 

After their birthdays, they start their studies at a magical school. Harry goes to Hogwarts and Sabrina goes to the Academy of Unseen Arts.

 

3. Orphans

 

 

Both Harry and Sabrina lost their parents at a very early age. They were both told that they died in an accident (Harry’s in a car crash and Sabrina’s in a plane crash). We know that Harry’s parents were actually killed by Voldemort, but we don’t know the truth about Sabrina’s parents’ deaths. It is implied that the plane crash story might not be entirely accurate. Hopefully, this mystery will be cleared up in Season 2.

 

4. Living Situation

 

 

As a result of their parents’ deaths, Harry and Sabrina go to live with their relatives. Harry moves in with the Dursleys and Sabrina moves in with her Aunt Hilda, Aunt Zelda, and cousin (Ambrose Spellman).

 

5. The Dark Lord

 

 

Harry Potter’s Dark Lord is Voldemort, the primary antagonist in the series. Sabrina’s Dark Lord is Satan, who acts as the witches’ god and whom they all swear their loyalty to on their 16th birthdays.

 

6. Magical Animals

 

 

Both worlds have magical animals that help the protagonists out. Hedwig is Harry’s link to the magical world during the holidays, allows him to communicate with others, and even saves his life in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. Sabrina’s cat, Salem, is actually her familiar (a goblin who has taken the shape of an animal), who rescues her several times throughout the first season.

 

7. Trio of Bullies

 

 

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle enjoy tormenting Harry and his friends when they all get to Hogwarts. Likewise, Prudence, Agatha, and Dorcas do the same to Sabrina when she gets to the Academy.

 

8. Friendship

 

 

Harry and Sabrina have amazing friends who support and help them through their crazy schemes.

 

9. Stigma

 

 

Both worlds have a stigma associated with magical purity. Sabrina is an outcast because she is half witch and half mortal and is often seen as inferior to the full witches. This is not unlike how some wizards and witches view Hermione just because she is Muggle-born.

 

10. Sacrifice

 

 

The final installments of both works involve the protagonists sacrificing a piece of themselves in a forest to save everyone else. Harry is prepared to die in order to destroy Voldemort’s accidental Horcrux and Sabrina gives up her free will to protect the people of Greendale from fatal magic.

 

Have you watched Chilling Adventures of Sabrina yet? What other parallels did you spot? Let us know in the comments!

Minal Daswani

I entered the wizarding world in 2006, and haven’t left. In my Muggle time, I enjoy reading, bingeing TV shows, baking, and travellng.