Losses That Change the World for the Better: Memorial Day 2016

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Memorial Day; a day to remember and thank people who gave their lives serving in the armed forces. It is a holiday built around paying respects to those who died in the line of duty, altering the landscape for generations to follow. I can’t help but think how much J.K. Rowling’s novels were inspired by this sort of bravery. Real-life heroes who lay down their lives fighting for freedom, justice, and what they believe to be right effect the future world to such an extent that we cannot begin to thank them enough. The heroes who died within the pages Rowling’s books left something magical behind for my generation, as well as giving us a better world than we had before the seven volumes fell into our laps. These books provided an entire generation with examples of the importance of sacrifice for a greater good.

I would like to take this time to send out a “thank you” from myself and all the rest of the Potter generation to the characters who set an example through their fight for a just and better world. The noble deaths of these characters not only helped heal the magical community within the pages of a book but also had an impact upon the lives of millions of people who saw their sacrifices as bravery worth striving for. Fighting for your country, or a strong sense of what is right, takes an enormous amount of bravery and the willingness to know that your life may be on the line in the process of striving for a better future for others. It has already been proven that reading Harry Potter creates more compassionate human beings, and I believe that the book series also creates examples of leaders and individuals who fight to ensure goodness, finding ways to conquer hate and evil.

Benefiting from examples of heroes lying down their lives for a chance at a better world for generations to come, I expect great things from the Potter generation. Let’s always remember the acts of true bravery and selflessness shown in the battle against Lord Voldemort. As a generation, let’s show our gratitude to those who have been lost in service by standing up and fighting against what we know in our hearts to be wrong. Let us be the generation to change our future world for the better, and deaths both fictional and painfully real will have not been in vain.

Amy Hogan

I was 9 years old when I discovered the magic that is “Harry Potter.” I am a proud Hufflepuff and exceedingly good at eating, reading, being sarcastic, and over-thinking small tasks. Since I spent too much time worrying about the correct way to write this bio, this is all I was able to come up with before the deadline.