Sirius

...know this; the ones that love us never really leave us. And you can always find them in [your heart]. ~Sirius Black, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban 

Everyone has a favourite character...everyone has someone who stands out, inspires them, and tugs at their heart more than the others. 

Tonight, I am contemplating the life of my favorite "good" character, taken from the ink-lined paper world of magic and wizardry. 

Yes, I laugh and weep with the Twins...find my own self in Hermoine's bookish elegance...smile as Luna's oddities line up so well with my own...allow my heart to dwell on how Neville's awkward charm will never cease to make me smile.

Sirius Black.

Beloved friend to James and Lily Potter. 

The dark-furred Padfoot to the charismatic Marauder quartet, along with Moony, Wormtail, and Prongs. 

Animangus. 

Member of the Order of the Phoenix. 

Godfather and legal guardian to Harry Potter. 

Murdered by Bellatrix LaStrange on June 18th, 1996. 

And of them all, he is my the one that captivates me the most. 

Honestly, I believe I am drawn to the underdog...and please forgive my pun in regards to Siruis' canine attributes.

Redeemed from traitor to savior...the one accused, and the one to expose the true betrayal, and set the mouse to running...again, pardon my pun. 

He was also the first of them all to fall.

I still remember the way my heart wailed as the spell left Bellatrix's vile lips...almost as though it was too horrible to be true.

A hero fell. 

But not in vain.

And so, on the day when the world ends and begins again...

...at 12:15am on July 15th, 201...

...I will sit in the theater with the Deathly Hallows drawn on my left hand

and Sirius on my right.

"Sirius was a brave, clever, and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger." ~Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Gryffindor

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart.

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart. ~The Sorting Hat, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 

Seven days left. 

July 15th, 2011

12:15am, CST.

The world ends and begins.

The boy who lived will finish his journey. 

And I am going to lose my mind...

...or, at the very least, do a rather copious amount of crying.

To be honest, that day is going to be a whirlwind of emotions for this Gryffindor. 

We've been with Harry since the very beginning. 

We've seen cupboards under the stairs turn into pokey upper bedrooms... 

...we've ridden the hippogriff, soared with the Hungarian Horntail, and danced at the Yule Ball...

...we've wept at so much death -- James and Lily, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, Mad-Eye, and Dobby -- and we know that there is more to come...

...we've whispered how we are up to no good, and how our mischief is managed...

...we knew before the Ministry of Magic would admit it -- You-Know-Who is back, and our lives will never be the same again...

...we've wrapped our fingers around the wood of our wands, marveling in our favorite spells and learning how to discover our own Patronus...

...we've fallen in love, had our heart's broken, and watched relationships bloom from silly children to young, intentioned adults.

We've grown with the Gryffindors.

And now...the end is fast approaching. 

The boy who lived will live and die and live again.

   

And my childhood will slip into the sunset. 

Harry Potter. Hermoine Granger. Ronald Weasley.

Seven books. Eight movies. 

Seven years.... 

...with seven days to go. 

Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. ~Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban