October 23, 2011

This 31st of October will mark the 30th anniversary of the 1981 defeat of Lord Voldemort, and so too the anniversary of the end of much brutal fighting and the beginning of national mourning. The Daily Prophet wishes to mark these moments. Forge onward, dear readers, because those who don’t read to the end are doomed to repeat only headlines.

It all began, as many who live still remember, in 1970 when a wizard calling himself Lord Voldemort lead his followers, self-named Death Eaters, in open attacks upon muggles. What followed was a decade of increasing violence, and ever-matching (and eventually overpowering) resistance.


The Resistance

Thousands put their lives at risk to defy the death cult. Some did battle in open fields and in the streets, like and brave and loyal Aurors. Others lived their lives authentically and open, refusing to be diminished by bigotry. There were others who stepped into the shadows and engaged as double-agents and saboteurs, some of their deeds as yet unacknowledged, like the then-secret Order of the Phoenix (picture below). And for many others, the mere act of staying alive despite the hatred was their own resistance.


“It wasn’t, I suppose, very different from the second war. Tensions were jarring for those of us fresh out of Hogwarts and recently initiated into the conflict,” Solomon Carstairs admitted to his own experience as a young auror at the time.

“
Everyone became extremely close. Not just in law enforcement but outside of that as well, we forged great friendships. You have to, in a society as small as the wizarding world, where half of our friends and family are on the other side of the fight. Brother killing brother and lovers kept apart by different ideals.

”

When asked if he thought whether young wixes today have it much easier than their older counterparts, Carstairs dismissed the notion.

”They have different battles and forces colluding against them. Who am I to compare struggles?” he brings the conversation back to the present. “These are far from peaceful times so the most I can ask of the younger generation is to learn what they can from the two wars: be vigilant. Even with the people you hold closest to your hearts.”


Defeat

Historian, Hogwarts Headmaster, and former Wizengamot Elder Knox Greyfriar provided some context in our interview.

“
Many credit the infant Harry Potter as the one responsible for the death of Lord Voldemort, but I think it’s worth considering that credit should go to his mother Lily Potter who spent her best and final years in active rebellion against the Death Eaters. It was her love and magic that protected young Harry, that ultimately lead to the backfire and apparent destruction of the dark lord.

”

 
Greyfriar went on to say, “Mr. Potter has since proved himself a brave hero, and certainly all who fought in those times should be worthy of our admiration and remembrance as well.”

When we asked Greyfriar about his own role in the first war, he was surprisingly vague. “Not all memories are worth reliving, so hm.“


Those We Lost

Too many were lost during those dark times, and many of those who survived had to face Voldemort’s second reign of terror. Families and loved ones of those lost were among the greatest foes of that renewed force of destruction.

Hermione Granger, a witch famous for her own role in the 1998 final defeat of Lord Voldemort, and currently a well-known activist for the rights of magical non-human beings had this to add:

“
We have to remember that muggles and wix were not the only victims. House elves, goblins, vampires, centaurs, and many giants were specifically targeted by the Death Eaters.

”

Former Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold, noted for being quiet in the press as a rule, was kind enough to offer this reflection:

“
These were times shrouded in fog and peril and our world will be forever scarred. But by sheer determination and grit, many who might have been lost were saved.

”