20 years ago on June 26, 1997, J. K Rowling introduced us to a world of world of magic. A world, we have all wished to be a part of ever since.Harry, Ron and Hermione became a part of our childhood and we grew up with them in Hogwarts, under the guidance of some of the greatest wizards alive. We laughed when Fred and George pranked everyone, we empathised with Remus Lupin’s lycanthropy. We hated Severus Snape, till we cried and mourned for him. Dudley disgusted us till he wasn’t a waste of space anymore. Dumbledore’s wise words, often bent in manners suitable for the situation and Sirius being the badass that he was. We even pitied Lord Voldemort when he lived, for he lived without love.
Today, along with millions of us, including Terribly Tiny Tales, gave tributes to the heroes of our childhood, in the best way they could.
Have a look:
1. Severus Snape
The Half-Blood Prince was the most complicated character in the entire book. So mysterious and abusive and yet lived a life dedicated to protecting the face he hated for the eyes he loved.
No Film School After years of being poor and bullied, Snape had taken to the dark arts and joined Lord Voldemort. It was he, who had heard the prophecy and informed the Dark Lord of his impending demise. Little did he know, that Voldemort would go after the one woman he had truly loved. Following Lily’s death, Snape lived a dual life protecting Potter and following Dumbledore’s death, the entire school. Snape gave up his life knowing, Harry had the resources to defeat Voldemort. He was truly the bravest man we knew.
Dear Snape, Almost 2 decades ago, at the home of magic, you walked in and changed everything we thought people could ever stand for. From the evil grandson of Doom to the carer who hid behind the veil of darkness, Severus, you are an inspiration, beyond what words can measure and put on paper. To getting under our skins to seemingly wanting to destroy Harry, you taught us how the most loyal always protect us, in silence. In the blips of prejudice and all things said and done, as summer after summer passed, we gradually fell in love with you, Severus, slowly learning how one man can defy himself for the love he could never get, against all the odds that stood in his way. The first words you asked Harry were – “What would I get if I added powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?” Years later we could connect how Asphodel is a kind of Lily which says, “My regrets follow you to the grave” and Wormwood stands for “bitter regret,” which in all meant – “I bitterly regret Lily’s death.” And that, still breaks my heart. Snape, twenty winters ago, you entered our hearts and taught us, over time, more than anyone else, how to love – selflessly, without want, demand or inhibition, just love, because of human emotions, that, is the single most powerful of all. You loved Lily and you watched her die, in your arms and you promised to keep Harry safe. And you did, paying with your own life, selling your soul to the devil, in doing so. You went against the world for a love that never was, because as Harry put it, you, were the bravest man we ever knew. And you know, years later, sitting on a rocking chair somewhere across the globe, we will have our children talking about the boy who lived and they’ll find us tearing up, remembering how once we grew up in a magical universe, now lost, inside us. “After all this time?” “Always.” Yours, The boy who believed – Sayan Sen (@thesayanishere)
A post shared by Terribly Tiny Tales (@ttt_official) on Jun 25, 2017 at 11:33pm PDT
2. Sirius Black
Padfoot was the tragic hero of the series. Born into a family of shady Slytherins, Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor, where he became best buddies with James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.
Wizards and Whatnot The 4 Marauders, managed mischief better than the Weasley twins. Black, was also the Godfather of Harry, who was falsely convicted of the murder of Harry’s Parents and served 13 years in Azkaban before escaping. He was killed by a killing curse at the hands of his own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle at the Ministry of Magic.
Sirius, I tried to find an owl that would reach you. To be fair, the fictional afterlife is a far, far place to go, and none of the owls were very willing. So I’ve resorted to the internet, and I’m hoping you know a kind muggle with access to good Wi-Fi there. You may not know this, but the internet has actually kept you alive, long after that fateful day in the Department of Mysteries. In the form of Tumblr posts, head cannons and memes. You would’ve been proud. Siriusly. You were a paradox of a man, weren’t you? The man who gleefully sang (God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs, remember?) in a place that he hated calling home. The boy cheering on James on the Quidditch field, and many years later, the dog watching Harry from the stands. The man who was freed after 13 years of wrongful imprisonment, only to be greeted with a life in hiding. The man who spent his entire life trying to convince the world that he wasn’t like the rest of his family, only to die with the label of a murderer. But I, like so many others, know you as a hero. More of a hero than most other witches and wizards; and I sleep knowing that in some fictional afterlife, you have an eternity to spend with James, Lupin, and Lily. Your life and death were both spent in allegiance. Everyone (muggles and magicians alike) says that Harry has Lily’s eyes and James’ hair- but at his core, it’s really you that he reminds me of. The golden trio gave me a chance to be a better person: Harry gave me courage, Ron gave me loyalty, and Hermione gave me intellect. But you will always be the one who gave me the real magic – you showed me how to be a friend. Sin’sirius’ly, ~ a friend – Abhigna Reddy(@abhignaaaa)
A post shared by Terribly Tiny Tales (@ttt_official) on Jun 26, 2017 at 1:37am PDT
3. Ronald Weasley
Red Hair. Hand me down robes and a freckled face. He was Roonil Wazlib Ronald, the youngest of the Weasely brothers.
The Odyssey Online He was not the chosen one, neither was he the smart one. But Ron Weasely was the friend that kept both Granger and Potter on the ground. He was the friend that they looked for when the forest was thickest.
Dear Ron, You know how there’s that one friend we know will sleep through a troll invasion? For us, that’s always been you. The survivor. I mean, you’ve survived growing up with Fred and George. You’ve lived through heartbreaks and failures and humiliation and still managed to laugh. You’ve puked slugs and battled arachnophobia yet never shied away from a fight for your friends. You’ve worn your heart on the frayed sleeves of your uncle’s hand-me-down robe even when you had the emotional range of a teaspoon. When we first met you on that train 20 years ago, grease stain on your nose and chocolate frogs in your mouth, we knew you weren’t the chosen or the brightest one. At best you were the bumbling awkward teenager. At worst a doppelganger of that cheesy English singer some muggles claim to worship. Ed Sheeran or something. But then you taught us, it isn’t what’s inside you that matters, it’s what you choose to believe in. You taught us that even when our books are second hand and our wands are tapped, we can open our homes and hearts to our friends. You taught us that bravery is a virtue all of us possess, that facing our fear is sometimes the only way through it, be it giant spiders or the occasional basilisks. You taught us we can unlearn our prejudices, accept as allies those we once hated, be it house elves or werewolves. I’m sure you still let Hermione teach you how to swish and flick, with a proud grin on your face. I’m sure you visit your parents every weekend, sometimes Charlie drops by and gives you a meaningful wink. I’m sure you’re doing just fine. And I’m sure, the clock with your face, on one hand, has since been at home. Safe, drunk on butterbeer and a little in love. A muggle fan, Nilesh (@hungover.hamlet)
A post shared by Terribly Tiny Tales (@ttt_official) on Jun 26, 2017 at 3:35am PDT
4. Hermione Granger
The muggle-born and the smartest witch of her age, Hermione was the daughter of dentists in England.
Teen Vogue She was good and kind and powerful. Call Harry the hero as much as you can, but all 7 books have been about Hermione Granger and How I saved Harry Potter’s arse.
Dear Hermione, The first day I entered a classroom in an all girls college, I wondered if I’ll meet a Hermione here. As my lectures unfolded into a curriculum, I added, “Raise these Hermiones” to the list. Over the years, we’ve grown seeing you transform into the brightest witch of the age and here we are, stuck with our desperate rendition of you, in the muggle world. Our world is ruthless. We’re young, dark-skinned, acne-faced, plump, feminist Hermiones with body hair, PCOD, dealing with the impervious who undermine our abilities, intelligence and opinion every single day. Fighting is not something one can opt for. Our Hermiones cook three meals a day, study for their undergraduate degree, raise a child, freelance, work from home, all with only two hands and no wands. We don’t have any spells here, except for ‘we’ve got to hit it harder,’ that we sing ourselves to sleep every night. But you give us hope, Hermione. The women from my tribe are becoming you. They’re growing from the cracks, like the flowers out of the concrete, becoming fierce, unapologetic, swallowing morsels of the sun every day. You’ve taught us to know our rights, know that we must do a greater good, to make a difference. That we have a voice and a mind brighter than gold. And we’re learning every day. To trust our inner instinct, and passionate creativity, to be courageous, to stand for truth even if it means losing friends, to stand for those who are looking up to us. To be a woman who refuses to dumb down, no matter how dark the forces are. As a teacher, I’m facilitating that mischief, risks, and cleverness that these young ones should aspire, keeping cracks open for them to save the world, with or without Harry and Ron. I tell them there is always a library, for every doubt. That they must fight for everything they believe in, and now that the world is losing more magic than ever, fight harder. On other days, I’m only trying to successfully transfigure into a cat. Yours, A Professor ~ Isha Yadav (@ishalogue)
A post shared by Terribly Tiny Tales (@ttt_official) on Jun 26, 2017 at 5:30am PDT
5. Quidditch
You would be lying if you have never wanted to play this game. You probably still do.
Berks Fun You want that Nimbus 2000 and that Firebolt and you want to ride it and catch the snitch for your team.
