User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4188454-20110722204559

Dear J.K. Rowling,

You'll probably never read this letter, but I just wanted to let you know that what you've done for me (and my generation) is nothing short of amazing. Because of you, I am no longer afraid to be myself. I have learned that friendship and love are some of the most important things in a person's life, and without them, we would all be ripped, heartless souls.

I have found comfort through difficult times in the love that Harry, Ron and Hermione have for each other. I have sympathized with Harry as he dealt with death, or with the sight of his parent's graves. I have learned that you can still have courage, even when you are scared, you just need to be stronger than that fear. I have learned that to receive help, you must help others as well. Your words have given so many the hope and strength they need to get through many difficult situations, and I am one of the many who will continue to thank you for that.

Thank you for proving that teenagers have strength, though not all Muggle adults realize it. We sometimes have more power and understanding than the adults around us, and we often wish we had a chance to show it. Thank you for giving teenagers, boys and girls alike, a voice.

Thank you for showing the world that everyone deserves to be treated fairly, no matter their race, religion, creed, sexual orientation or gender. The problems the Wizarding World faces are the problems of the entire world, and from these books, we are able to understand what needs to be done to fix them.

Thank you for bringing so many people back to literature. Children, myself included, had been moving away from books when Harry Potter first started his magical journey, and you brought us back. Our generation has a new appreciation for adventure outside of a television screen, and that's because your books taught us how to imagine a world completely different from our own.

Thank you, above all, for your story. You told the world last week that "no story lives unless someone wants to listen". We're listening. Many of us have been listening for years, and we will continue to listen, and read, and hope, and believe that Harry and his friends have made a difference in this world.

With all my thanks, MHarrop