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ORDER ONLY
May. 24th, 2015 12:19 pmToday is a hard day.
The deaths of Daphne, Harry, Neville, Kingsley, Albus, and Severus are each overwhelming in their own right -- and so many of us who were attending or worked at Hogwarts are mourning schoolmates, Housemates, friends, and family.
I hope everyone takes this time to celebrate, to tell stories that make us laugh as well as cry, and to rest and regroup for the hard work ahead.
Albus Dumbledore was a brilliant wizard, and a paradox til the end -- he was fiercely independent, and yet he was the one who brought the first of us together to form the Order and gave us purpose and direction. He was a true master of magic, and yet, one of the most tactically advantageous spells he gave us removed magic from the equation. Albus educated multiple generations of wizarding Britain, and although he never entirely recovered from the losses and disappointments of the first war, gave everything he could to the people of this country. He left a letter -- I have an excerpt here I'd like to copy out.
"To the others in the Order, I think I wish to say this: that this work we have done has taken everyone, every set of skills we have, and then some. That if there is glory, it is in people learning and sharing and risking for something greater than themselves, and if there is honour, it is in doing the right thing for the people who could not risk fighting. And that we can, must, will do better in future, to welcome all those of good will.
You all will have a long road ahead of you, to make something new, but I have hope, as I have not had since the beginnings of the first war, that you will not only succeed but thrive.
I leave you shortbread and lemon sherberts. Pass them around in memory of me, when you have a chance."
Kingsley was a fellow soldier, a dear friend, and a lovely man. He trained as an Auror, and from the start, I knew him as a decent, caring person who'd go out of his way to protect those who needed it most. He was a magnificent fighter and singer both, and after the Ministry fell, he toured the country with his band of Players, collecting intelligence, and giving the gift of joy and laughter to countless children, keeping all our spirits full of hope. In the letter he left me, his final wish was to be buried at Moddey Dhoo, and that one of the children there would have use of his wand.
Severus was also a dear friend. He would want me to avoid any extensive eulogising on his behalf. It will have to be enough to say that he will be missed, and remembered. In his own words, from his letter:
"To the Order of the Phoenix: If I am to have one final wish, it is this: do not stop fighting until we have won, thoroughly and decisively. Do not plant a tree for me; plant a potions garden, and use its bounty well."
Daphne, Harry, and Neville.
I fear I will not be up to the task.
Nevertheless. All three of these brilliant and brave people faced their fates with their eyes open -- acts of incredible self-sacrifice for the good of all of us, in ways that will forever challenge us all to be worthy of those sacrifices. I take a certain degree of comfort in the thought that all three of them played a part in Voldemort's ultimate and final destruction.
I also take small comfort that my son, my sweet baby boy, is now free and at rest. Beyond that, I find myself utterly inadequate at finding the right words to express how very deeply he will be missed.
Be good to one another today.
The deaths of Daphne, Harry, Neville, Kingsley, Albus, and Severus are each overwhelming in their own right -- and so many of us who were attending or worked at Hogwarts are mourning schoolmates, Housemates, friends, and family.
I hope everyone takes this time to celebrate, to tell stories that make us laugh as well as cry, and to rest and regroup for the hard work ahead.
Albus Dumbledore was a brilliant wizard, and a paradox til the end -- he was fiercely independent, and yet he was the one who brought the first of us together to form the Order and gave us purpose and direction. He was a true master of magic, and yet, one of the most tactically advantageous spells he gave us removed magic from the equation. Albus educated multiple generations of wizarding Britain, and although he never entirely recovered from the losses and disappointments of the first war, gave everything he could to the people of this country. He left a letter -- I have an excerpt here I'd like to copy out.
"To the others in the Order, I think I wish to say this: that this work we have done has taken everyone, every set of skills we have, and then some. That if there is glory, it is in people learning and sharing and risking for something greater than themselves, and if there is honour, it is in doing the right thing for the people who could not risk fighting. And that we can, must, will do better in future, to welcome all those of good will.
You all will have a long road ahead of you, to make something new, but I have hope, as I have not had since the beginnings of the first war, that you will not only succeed but thrive.
I leave you shortbread and lemon sherberts. Pass them around in memory of me, when you have a chance."
Kingsley was a fellow soldier, a dear friend, and a lovely man. He trained as an Auror, and from the start, I knew him as a decent, caring person who'd go out of his way to protect those who needed it most. He was a magnificent fighter and singer both, and after the Ministry fell, he toured the country with his band of Players, collecting intelligence, and giving the gift of joy and laughter to countless children, keeping all our spirits full of hope. In the letter he left me, his final wish was to be buried at Moddey Dhoo, and that one of the children there would have use of his wand.
Severus was also a dear friend. He would want me to avoid any extensive eulogising on his behalf. It will have to be enough to say that he will be missed, and remembered. In his own words, from his letter:
"To the Order of the Phoenix: If I am to have one final wish, it is this: do not stop fighting until we have won, thoroughly and decisively. Do not plant a tree for me; plant a potions garden, and use its bounty well."
Daphne, Harry, and Neville.
I fear I will not be up to the task.
Nevertheless. All three of these brilliant and brave people faced their fates with their eyes open -- acts of incredible self-sacrifice for the good of all of us, in ways that will forever challenge us all to be worthy of those sacrifices. I take a certain degree of comfort in the thought that all three of them played a part in Voldemort's ultimate and final destruction.
I also take small comfort that my son, my sweet baby boy, is now free and at rest. Beyond that, I find myself utterly inadequate at finding the right words to express how very deeply he will be missed.
Be good to one another today.
