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Happy Potter

       I am sure that most people on Facebook have read of the story that was of a young girl, 14 years of age, who lost her entire family early last month. In just a few short moments, her uncle killed her parents and her two brothers and sisters right in front of her, and the only reason why she survived is because she played dead. I can't even begin to imagine the pain this little girl is experiencing. The fact that her entire world was shattered and ripped to shreds is a completely realistic indication of how sick this world is.
        But, the reason I heard of this story, or that most people did, was because J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, sent this girl a letter penned in the hand of Dumbledore, the second to last headmaster of Hogwarts. Why? Why did she do such a thing? Because this girl found solace in the one of the most epic quotes from that character, "Happiness can be found in the darkest of places, if one just remembers to turn on the light."
        Everyone who knows me is very aware of my love (okay, more like borderline obsession) with Harry Potter. At one point, I was told to stop reading these books (love you ma ;-) and being the rebel that I am didn't do that. Was that wrong? Perhaps. I apologize to my mother; however, I am so not sorry for falling in love with one of the most true and honest (fictional) stories this side of Holy Scripture. Mind you when I say that I am not saying Holy Scripture is fictional, I am just merely stating that this particular story holds much importance in my life. 
         Again, why? I am not going to write a post explaining Harry Potter. I say if you haven't read it, you are seriously cheating yourself out of a fantastic story. No, this post is about that quote and that little girl's faith in hope. None of us want to imagine our families being ripped from this earth as hers were, but we do. When we hear stories like this we take just a blip of a moment and imagine our world decimated like hers...and I am sure that we quickly imagine a little puppy romping in a field of daisies to get that previous thought out of our minds.
        So here is this 14 year old girl, at her families funeral, quoting a fictional character from a fictional book, and it obviously gave her enough hope and joy that she felt it was worth quoting. "Happiness can be found in the darkest of places, if one just remembers to turn on the light." Wow...All this girl can see is darkness, all she can see in front of her is blackness. She is searching and reaching for a modicum of hope, and she finds it here! I love this! This is the reason I have always spoke so highly of this particular story. It is a story of hope and love and friendship and good and the vanquishing of evil. All these topics maybe what get this little girl out of the blackness that surrounds her. And while she is wading through the pain, Rowling gives her a bit hope...a bit of love...a bit of friendship...a bit of good...a bit of evil being vanquished. Because in her world, all those good things have been stolen, and evil has prevailed. 
        I am so encouraged by this little girl, and so honored to be in the fandom of a woman who has written hope for many people. There will be good things for this little girl, and it might have just started with a letter penned by the greatest headmaster to ever grace Hogwarts's halls. 

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