We here at the HP Alliance know that the Harry Potter Series is more than just a “fun” read, they make a statement and raise awareness on countless issues that pertain to the Muggle world we live in.  So beginning today we will be bringing to light, via the blog, HP fans who are inspired by the series to effect change in the world around them.

This letter was written to JK Rowling by a missionary who paid a visit to disabled children in Jamaica and was humbled by what he saw.  I’m in awe.

Read the rest of this entry »

Today is the birthday of Harry Potter and her creator Jo Rowling. Can we even begin to describe how much you have both touched us? Happy and Healthy Birthday to you both.

Today was a very important day where the Senate heard testimony from Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration. More on this soon, but for now here is a short article followed by an opening remarks by Senator John Kerry’s.

If you’d like, think of this as the Wizengamut having a hearing about how to proceed now that Voldemort has returned. Let’s hope the US Senate and Scott Gration come to a better conclusion than the Ministry of Magic.

The Los Angeles Times has another great article about the Harry Potter Alliance and What Would Dumbledore Do?

Check it out here, and if you’re interested in what other news sources have had to say, be sure to check out our “In the Press” page on the WWDD site.

The events at the end of this sixth film aren’t the first time Harry has experienced loss. In Order of the Phoenix, Harry lost his godfather Sirius Black. And the encounter with Voldemort that marked Harry with his scar—the very event that makes him famous—was also the night he lost his parents. Harry spent many nights his first year at Hogwarts gazing at his parents in the Mirror of Erised, a mirror whose glass reveals a viewer’s deepest desires. Dumbledore warned Harry that “this mirror will give us neither knowledge nor truth” (Sorcerer’s Stone 213). Loss is a part of life, and grieving our losses is essential. But as Dumbledore was quick to remind Harry, it’s vital that in spite of grief, we still remember to live.

Looking over many of the reviews—from critics and fans alike—you may have noticed a lot of people commenting on the humor that’s present throughout the Half Blood Prince film. Sometimes when we’re in the midst of troubling times it may seem difficult to see the bright or funny side of things. But even with Ollivander’s shop front smashed to bits, and Death Eaters lurking literally around the corner, Fred and George’s “Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes” thrived. Dumbledore too was aware of the importance of humor, how laughter helps us get through dark and difficult times.

If you handed out nametags at the movie theater before you saw Half-Blood Prince, we want to hear about it!

First of all - Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

All of us at the Harry Potter Alliance have been in awe of the response we’ve gotten on What Would Dumbledore Do from all of our members. The work that this community has done in the past few days is beyond belief….especially during those last few hours before the midnight release, on both Twitter and at the movie theaters.

Whether you handed out 5 or 500 nametags, went by yourself or with friends, we’re interested to hear your stories. After all, you all made this happen - and you made it happen all over the world.

Three Ways to Share Your Story

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. Write a blog post about it in the Common Room
3. Email it to dumbledore@thehpalliance.org

And as you write your stories, think of all the people we’ve reached this week. Those 5 or 500 people who started thinking about Dumbledore. The people who saw more than 12,000 #dumbledore twitters in a span of nine short hours.

Be proud of yourself - for what we did, and what we’re going to keep doing.

Thank you so much for making this happen.

And if you haven’t gone yet (or are going again), remember…you can take nametags with you to ANY showing!

Dumbledore once pointed out that “[i]ndifference and neglect often do more damage than outright dislike…” (Half Blood Prince 834). He was referring to wizards’ treatment of house elves - creatures that are essentially unpaid, indentured servants. You may think the injustice of slavery  is a thing of history - or, in this case, fiction - but the truth is that such things are a reality in the world even today.  In the U.S., we’re often indifferent to the fact that much of our food and clothing comes from sweat shop labor. But from Dumbledore’s and Hermione’s actions regarding house elves, it’s easy to imagine that both of them would support Fair Trade, a set of social and environmental standards that ensure fair prices, fair labor conditions, environmental sustainability, and more.

Throughout the Harry Potter books we encounter characters who are living “in the closet.” Hagrid felt the need to hide his heritage, because some people in the Wizarding world looked down on his Half-Giant status. Professor Lupin faced prejudice for being a werewolf. And while people like Dolores Umbridge and Rita Skeeter choose to fuel the fires of ignorance and discrimination, Dumbledore chose to help Hagrid, Lupin, and Harry learn that no one need live in the closet, but that everyone should feel the freedom to celebrate themselves for who they are and what they could potentially become.