Once, there was a man. A man who had lived a long life full of brevity and adventure. This man was at the prime of his life, at the tender age of 28. Here he was- with his family, getting his eldest son ready for his first year at the most fascinating school in the wizarding world- Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Little Julian, only 11, was about begin his own Hogwarts Adventure. His dad was infamous at the school for many reasons, and Julian knew that he would already be quite well known due to his last name. He was a Weasley. His dad was a legend at Hogwarts.
As his father leaned down to give his son a pat on the head and a one-armed hug, Mr. Weasley turned to look at his bride. She was crying already. Oh, women.. The previous night, the couple had been up all night, sipping cocoa and tea as they sat together. She had cried, and he had held her.
The woman leaned down to her son. He was trembling, and avoiding the gaze of his parents- trying to be brave, but not doing so well at it. Wrapping her arms around his small frame, she whispered and soothed his worries. He kept saying how much he wanted to be a gryffindor like his dad was. "But I don't have any courage!" He kept repeating, worrying and fretting like never before. His mom whispered in his ear. "Jules, my love, the most courageous thing you can ever do is be yourself." The boy accepted this statement and with a brave smile, he stepped onto the steps of the Hogwarts Express.
As he watched his boy set off on his big adventure, the father, the man with the long life of adventure and brevity behind him- smiled. He became overcome with emotion as he remembered where he had heard the words his wife told his son. She had told him the same exact thing when they were young students at Hogwarts themselves.
"The most courageous thing you can ever do is be yourself."
