Up in the wilds of Scotland, far from civilization, there is a place. There, in that place, people from a hidden society within our own withdraw to find themselves. Many find what they are looking for there; the peace of mind, the stillness of spirit, a home where otherwise there would be nowhere else to go.
Within this place there lies a deeper magic. A magic that has continued to draw people in with certain talents, which they must keep hidden for their own safety, for many millennia. It has been a place where sanctuary can be sought when in times of need, and can provide a safe refuge for those forced to flee their homes.
Never was the place more needed then in the medieval age, when magic was so feared, and where perceived practitioners were named heretics and burned at the stake. During this time The Place housed many hundreds of displaced people. People from all over the British Isles. People innocent of any crime but that of being different from the norm. Forced to flee from neighbours, who, out of ignorance and fear, take up the sword against them. Leaving behind all possessions they could not carry. Leaving behind their homes and their friends. Becoming refugees in their own country.
Amongst the refugees in the 14th century were four members of great standing within their community. Godric Gryffindor, from a small village upon Dartmoor in the South West of England; Helga Hufflepuff, from the Midland Valley (also known as the entry to Scotland); Rowena Ravenclaw, from Donegal in Ireland; and Salazar Slytherin, from Norfolk. Together came these four great and talented members of the magical community, within the safety of The Place. They were looked upon by others as the leaders, for their judgments were fair, and their charisma obvious.
Brought together by a common threat, and bonded by a common goal, the four soon became great friends. Each had always longed to build a school to educate the young magical offspring, and together their dreams took form. Where greater to build a school then within the peace and serenity of The Place?
Hogwarts, for that was the name given to the school by the founders' four, remains, to this very day, where it was built, although the reason for its particular geographical location has been long forgotten. Most summarise it was built where it was to hide it from the prying eyes of muggles. Others believe that it was built there as a reminder of the atrocities many witches and wizards sought to escape and many never even think about its calming and peaceful properties. But many subconsciously feel them whilst at school there. As far as I am aware, very few really know that long before Hogwarts existed, there was The Place.
The Place is where magic at its deepest and purest form exists. Where healing and support can be found. It is a place where love, and fair-play rule over all. Even evil knows of the powers hidden deep within the sacred area, even if evil people can never fully appreciate the full splendour and wonder of The Place.
This was the reason the founders placed Hogwarts so strategically. For they, and very few others since, knew The Place was sacred. They alone in their time knew of the healing power possessed deep within these depths of Scotland. They did not underestimate the powers of The Place, or the danger if these powers could be accessed by evil.
All many students ever wanted was a place to call home. For some, it was a place to find a family, for others they found acceptance that not everyone was the same, or it was the place where they could be taken seriously by their families. It was a place where you could come to terms with your past, a place where you could find love, and where true friendships could blossom. But most of all it was a place of peace and tranquillity, a place where you could find yourself and forget past horrors, a place where you were free to be who you wanted to be and most of all, it was still a sanctuary. Or it was, until the evil came…
Sometimes people don't realise exactly what they have until they lose it. They are quite content to be happy in a place without ever really considering what makes it so special. This was both the curse and the blessing of The Place. No one had ever tried to tap into the deeper magic that surrounded them, because very few had ever realised it was there.
Over the years, even the most unlikely of people found solitude and warmth at Hogwarts, though, as I have already explained, this was because of where the building stood then the building itself.
There was Severus Snape. He came from a home where love was never shown to him. His mother stood by and watched his father beat him to an inch of death, only ever stepping in the once, and resenting Severus because of it forever more. He was a disillusioned boy, who looked to fit in, to belong. In reality what he looked for was love, but he never knew how to show it. He returned to the Place in later life, where he found healing, peace and the acceptance he had always longed for, and he also learned the power of forgiveness, both for forgiveness of his crimes, and in forgiving those who caused him pain.
At the same time as Severus another young boy started, Sirius Black. He grew up in a family obsessed by blood status, yet blind to the real wonders of life such as fun, love, laughter and friendship. At Hogwarts Sirius realised exactly what it was he'd always felt was missing in his life. The Place had begun to work its magic upon him. During his seven years he found friends who became the family he'd never really had and found that for the first time ever he was happy to be alive.
Remus Lupin was an outcast. He had all but given up on going to Hogwarts, but The Place had other ideas. The Headmaster of the time, Albus Dumbledore, was used to channel the spirit of The Place and allowed the young boy, werewolf or not, to attend school and find healing of the mind, even if he could not be cured of his afflictions.
These three boys spent seven wonderful years at Hogwarts. Living and breathing and growing up, oblivious to the deeper magic that was very much at play in their lives. Little did they know how deep the power ran in them compared to their friends. Little did they know that they would be among those in years to come that would be called back to protect and defend The Place from an evil determined to capture and possess the deep magic. An evil so wicked it cared not for love, or friendship, peace or happiness, but only power. And the only ones who could save The Place were those who were most deeply connected and rooted there. Those who were called to be the Guardians.
It's been 20 years now, and the three boys are now three young, and very different, men. They have each suffered in life great losses, pain, war and loneliness. Never did they believe they would be called back to The Place to protect it from the rising storm. Never did they imagine they would become the Guardians, or
that they would be forced to set aside their differences, and forgive past mistakes, in order to save the one place they all held dear.
There is a new generation attending Hogwarts now, and more hurting and lost young people are discovering how the deep magic can affect them to the very core. This generation differs from the ones that came before them, for they grew up dealing with the pains of war, yet never fully understanding it. Some had lost parents, others friends. Some had lived a hidden life, others had lived in ignorance. Some just needed to know that they mattered as an individual.
There were more young people then ever needing the comfort that only The Place could offer. For these, although innocents, had never had normal lives. No, these teens had grown up in a world struggling to rebuild itself from the ravages of war. And soon they would be thrust into another.
At the tender ages of 15 and 16, six young, but nonetheless brave, people stepped out to fight for what they felt was right. To fight for a place they all loved, to fight for friendship and most of all, to fight for what they believed in. How do I know all this, you say? Because I was one of those six. Let me tell you our story.
I'm Luna, Luna Longbottom. This all started in my 4th year at school. I was Luna Lovegood then. Many people find it strange that my favourite year at school coincided with the start of the 2nd war. You see, it was in my 4th year I became friends with Harry Potter. I see you've heard of him.
Harry needed The Place as much as anyone I have ever known when he was at school, and that year in particular he needed all the comfort he could get. You see, the war didn't start at the end of the year, as the ministry would like us all to believe, the war started a year earlier. Harry witnessed it, although many disbelieved him. Harry knew of the danger, and along with his best friends, he ran a secret group to teach us how to defend ourselves. Little did we know then that our Dark Arts professor was in league with Voldemort himself.
We didn't know a lot then. We knew that Voldemort was obsessed with taking over Hogwarts, although we had no idea as to the true reason why. We never knew about The Place back then, or the deeper magic contained within. We didn't know we'd lose our three mentors, the Guardians, before the war was won. If we had, I don't know that we'd have had the courage to fight. All we knew was we couldn't let Hogwarts fall. We couldn't let evil take over, not again.
There were at least 50 of us who took part in the DA, but only six were ever called to fight until the very end. Harry, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville and I were each very much connected to The Place, more so I think, then any of the others ever had been. I believe this was why we were the first to be called.
We each had our own personal demons which The Place enabled us to face. Mine was my mother's death, and the fact that I had very few friends because I wasn't the same as all the others. Harry's was that everyone expected so much of him, they wanted him to give everything yet never really cared to know what he wanted. Neville's was his lack of confidence, and the secret heartache of what had happened to his parents. Ginny had always been the youngest, the girl of the family who could never compare to her elder brothers, and was always mollycoddled by her parents. Ron's, surprisingly, was very similar to that of his sister's; he always felt second best, both in his family, and with Harry as his best friend. Hermione had
always been rejected, she was too clever for many people to handle, and she was never really sure that she would ever fit into our world.
The Place has always selected those who were helped the most to protect it, I believe it does this because it knows we will feel the loss the most.
It was just after Christmas when the potions master, Professor Snape called us to see him. Back then we were a bunch of misfits, and we had no idea why he would request to see us, especially as not one of us was in his house. I remember trying to work out what I'd done, as the only reason I could think of that he'd call us in was because we were in trouble. How wrong I was. When we got to his office there were two other men present, our old defence against the Dark Arts professor and Harry's Godfather (not that I knew that at the time). I was mildly surprised but Harry Ron Ginny and Hermione were really shocked that Sirius Black (who was of course, Harry's Godfather) and Snape could remain in a room together without fighting.
Once Neville arrived, (bless him, punctuality has never been one of his strengths,) Professor Lupin asked us all to sit down. He told us we were facing some very dark times ahead, and that we may not all survive, but we could never let Hogwarts fall into evil's grasp. If we couldn't fight for what we believed in, what was the point in being alive at all? He couldn't tell us, and I don't believe any of them ever really knew, why they were selected as the Guardians. They just felt compelled.
Over the next few months they taught us all they knew, both about The Place, and about Voldemort. Severus always warned us never to underestimate the dark lord; he taught us the art of occlumency so the dark lord could not see into our minds or plant false images there and also taught us some extremely advanced potions. Sirius taught us how to become animagi, my form is that of a hare, but our forms are that of the animal most uniquely suited to us, much like a patronus. Remus taught us about dark creatures, and some cures. Without these lessons I feel fairly certain that we would not have survived.
I do wish they could be here with us now to see The Place. To see that we did save it, and that we survived to follow in their footsteps as Guardians. Sirius was the first Guardian to go. He was murdered by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, the day the ministry announced to the world the Voldemort had indeed returned. It was our first real taste of fighting, well other than for Harry. Harry took the loss hard, after all, he had now lost his parents and his godfather. It took him years to recover, and even now, there are times when he still feels the raw pain you feel when someone you love dies. These times usually coincide with when he takes leave from his teaching post here to aid the ministry.
It was hard to lose Sirius, and there were times when I wondered, and I think we all did privately, if his death had been in vain. The war dragged on, and along the way we lost so many friends and loved ones, but Sirius would never have allowed The Place to fall to the enemy. I think that was how we kept going, but even so, it took two long and hard years to finally defeat Voldemort.
That summer we also lost Albus Dumbledore, and this time the murderer was closer to home. Draco Malfoy, a boy our age, murdered the last surviving person who understood The Place. We were never friends, but none of us ever expected him to turn out like that. I dread to think what would have happened
had Albus not left a letter for me explaining The Place. He felt I was most open to understanding the mysteries better than any of the others. Since that day I have made it my life's work to study The Place.
Severus was the next Guardian to die, and Harry, Ron and Hermione witnessed it first hand. He died a little under a mile from The Place, at the hands of Voldemort, or rather Voldemort's snake on his orders. Severus's dying action was one that enabled Harry to understand the only way to defeat Voldemort. It shames me how little I once thought of him as a professor and a person. He gave his life for what really mattered to him. He died a hero's death, dying rather than compromising what he believed in. He died mere hours from the end of the war.
To this day no one, not even Ginny, knows exactly what happened in the forest between Harry and Voldemort. No one knows what Severus shared with Harry that made Harry find the strength to step out and walk into the forest alone. All he has ever said was that he saw Sirius and Remus along with his parents with the aid of the resurrection stone. Harry walked willingly to what should have been certain death. Harry has always been very unique. How many others would be willing to die to save others? I don't know that I could go so willingly, even with the power of The Place supporting me.
Remus died in the final battle, along with his wife. They never saw their first anniversary, or their son grow up. Remus never got to benefit from the cure for werewolf bites discovered two years after the great war. At least now he's at peace. But those who die never really leave us. They're always watching over us. Even muggles realise that their dear departed are never far away. I know one day I will see all those I lost again, my mother, Severus, Remus, Sirius, Albus, Fred and many others.
Looking at my baby son, I know they died for a reason. They died so the next generation could have a chance in life freely. They could experience The Place without evil having tainted it. Our lost may have left our world, but something of them remains here, at the Place.
Sometimes I wonder how things may have turned out. Whether seeing our mentors die gave us the strength to carry on. I can't imagine having never saved The Place. It's still our home. After the war we left for a short while, but one by one we all returned.
20 years later, and so much has changed, but at the same time, some things will never change. Living through war makes you fully appreciate peace. Living alongside hate makes you embrace love totally. Living through pain means you really understand healing. Facing death means you understand living.
I guess that's what keeps the six of us so close. No one else in the world can ever fully comprehend where we're coming from. Neville asked me to marry him 3 years after we won the war, at Harry and Ginny's wedding. You're right we were very young, but we knew that life wouldn't last forever. Ron and Hermione's wedding was beautiful.
Neville and I returned home first, Neville was offered the job of Herbology Professor at Hogwarts. He's head of Gryffindor now, and he has really found the place where he feels happy and confident. I accompanied my husband, along with our young son Frank, but I was never a teacher. I used the return home to fully study The Place. I occasionally give the students talks but I'm happier to go and sit in the forest, talking to the centaurs and feeding the Thestrals.
Harry and Ginny came home next. Harry was feeling the strain of losing so many friends and family members. For a short while he became an Auror, but it was a highly stressful job and he needed to feel close to The Place. Minerva McGonagall offered him the Defence Against Dark Arts post, and he snatched it up in a heartbeat. He still does external work with the ministry, and is always very relieved to return to sanctuary. Ginny took over for Madam Hooch as flying teacher, and had 3 adorable children, James Sirius, Albus Severus and Lily.
Ron and Hermione were the last to return. Ron went into business with George and opened a Hogsmede branch of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, much to the general irritation of the staff members at Hogwarts. Hermione became the Arithmancy professor shortly after having Hugo, her youngest, who is the same age as Lily and Frank. She also had a daughter, Rose who is very much like her mother, only with her uncle's pranking abilities.
We are all Guardians of The Place, for it will always need guardians. A place so powerfully magical as it is will always shine like a beacon to those who want power and don't care about anything else. If they truly understood magic, they'd find that love and laughter are more powerful then the strongest potion, and friendship and truth are more persuasive then the strongest imperius curse imaginable.
So if you ever find yourself being led astray by power-hungry visions, take a step back, and re-evaluate your true motives. Think of what following these dreams could cost you, and ask yourself, is it really worth it, because I have a feeling you may be surprised. The things that are most important, things you can't live without, cannot be bought or earned, they don't just happen upon you, you have to work at them. Happiness, love, friendship…these are more valuable than all the gold in Gringotts.
So keep smiling, no matter how low you fall, because the loved ones you've lost are standing on the other side of the veil, waiting patiently for you to join them when the time comes.
Luna Longbottom x