I have been pondering this post for a while because the internet is a place where a lot of judgement and hate lives rent free in people’s minds. It has great power, with none of the responsibility, and this hatred can stem from behind a cartoon avatar with no repercussions or accountability.

The echo chamber of social media takes a thought or an idea, and intensifies it. It makes it louder, sharpens the tone, echos across country lines where the timbre can be interpreted through new ears. The world of social media is a wonderful thing, BUT it is also a dangerous thing where being your version of “right” gives you the license to cause harm from the comfort of your Living Room, without any consequences.

This got me thinking about a particular issue that I felt I just needed to unpack, partly to ensure that I have a better understanding, and partly to try and salvage a world that has been a constant in my life for a long time.

The impact of the Harry Potter series is undeniable. I have grown up with a generation of people who developed their love of reading, traipsing the halls of Hogwarts, flying a nimbus 2000 in search of the golden snitch, and learning the value of friendship through “sheer dumb luck” to quote a far wiser Professor than I.

These books changed my life. I have coveted my collection of wands and watched/ read the series many times, each time like returning to an old friend. A tale which I have shared with my son, a story so valuable that during lockdown I spent distanced time with 4 generations of family, riveted by the adventures over zoom, and with which I have attended many a costume party donned with glasses and a lightning scar.

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light”.

The glint however has worn off and has been tarnished, not because the story grew old or irrelevant, but because the writer’s views are so at odds with the messages in the books.

When Draco Malloy called Hermione Granger a “Mudblood” there was an audible gasp in the theatre. How could the othering of another person be so cruelly put, directly to their face?

And what did the term MUDBLOOD mean?

Someone of dirty blood.

Someone different.

Someone who is worthless.

Someone who needs to be separated from the rest of us.

We were all united at this concept, writer, characters and audience. Draco himself knew this was wrong – that’s why he said it. But how can someone write such a storyline, in such a sympathetic and direct way, not wavering from the line of right and wrong, who is comfortable with othering a whole community, publically and unashamedly?

I stand emphatically with our trans community. There is no doubt in my mind that all people should be who they are and live as they choose. There is no question of this in my mind. But, is this a complicated and impactful change for a society so set-up in a binary manner? Absolutely.

The Trans community are not trying to take safe spaces from women, they are trying to also find safety in spaces that reflect their womanhood or manhood. Are there people in every community who will utilise opportunities to make poor choices or take advantage of a situation, yes. But in a world where in the majority of cases we have to choose a gendered binary, I want bathrooms to be a safe space for all, without exception.

To think that this is just about bathrooms, is to oversimplify, this issue is just the most headline-grabbing for your tabloid papers. It’s also a charged argument that social media clones can jump on and cause a viral stir. We have to calm the noise in the echo-chamber to hear the real words. People are entitled to their opinions, they just don’t need to shout them from a platform. Do I wish that everyone was more accepting? Of course. But sometimes in debate we find understanding and this allows us to move forwards.

The world of Harry Potter taught me a huge amount. I won’t apologise for my love of the series. To the contrary, it has got me through some trying and harrowing times in my own life. To tarnish the legacy of the book series is to suppress the multitude of good in every leaf. I have to separate the writer from the books, in order to retain the power within the pages.

A lesson to the generations of social media users, present and future is this: for every comment that you present in disagreement, judgement or hate, you are adding more drops in the metaphoric pensieve. The liquid will ripple, splash and bubble until it creates waves which will spread across the internet. The more this happens the further the message you are opposed to, will travel.

Instead disagree in an educated and open manner, speak to your politicians, correct your family in an understanding and not combative manner, educate your children. Love will win out in the end.

“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends”

Dumbledore was a wise person.