Way back when, in the 1400's and before that, muggle history tells us that the world was flat. All that was ever known was what could be seen or reached. There always had to be proof. The only way to find something out was to discover it. It was commonly believed the world was flat; the only continents known to cartographers (for those of you who don't know, those are mapmakers) were Europe, Asia, and Africa. Even Africa was considered a "dark" continent because it was an enigma. It remained part of the great unknown. That was the problem though, the world really wasn't flat, it just hadn't been discovered. Explorers never ventured far for fear of falling off the edges never to return, or were afraid of being gobbled up by some fearsome sea monster.
As life would have it though, suddenly there came a need for an alternate route to India for spices. As has been proven, in times of need or want, discovery is quite likely to occur. Sooner than anyone would have thought there cam an entirely "new world," rich and plentiful. Before the rest of the world could blink, there were circumnavigations (trips around the world). The earth wasn't the center of the universe and science was the new form of explanation if not a terrible scapegoat for religious persecution.
Suddenly, the world wasn't flat, but there were other "worlds" that still lay flat, science, religion, philosophy to name a few. Soon some of those things would be rounded out too, in a giant sphere of knowledge. As time would pass more would be added into that realm of shared knowledge. Continual discovery, however would always lead to more unknown and a certain amount of reluctance on the parts of the frightened public. There are some things you just don't want to know. Fear of the unknown, fear of risk and punishment, they are all relevant to my story, to all of our stories. They are relevant to history at large, and this is where I begin my story, when the world was flat.
People who are young and vivacious forever bubble under the microscope of society. Everyone wants to be young. No one wants to be old and decaying. People want spirit, an eternal fountain of youth. Young people have spirit. Of course, once in a blue moon, you find things worth growing old for, and suddenly everything changes. You mature, you learn, we can't all be children forever. I'm glad to be out of a small child's frame of mind, but there's something to be said for the simplicity.
I'd say growing up is probably the hardest thing to do because with growing up comes learning, making mistakes, making decisions, hardships, and a loss of innocence you can never regain. We either evolve, adapt, grow, or become extinct. That's what the muggles soon discovered and that's what I'm here to tell you now. Where there is a need, there is discovery, invention, change. The common saying, where there is a will there is a way seems fitting, if not a bit cliché.
However, despite my evolutions, I can clearly remember a time when the world was flat.
My history is told through a series of snapshots that filter in and out of my mind. There were hair ribbons that whipped into my face and tickled my nose, making me giggle. There were sticky fingers and half eaten lollipops and dirty, ice cream stained faces. There were grass stains and butterflies, daisies and Mum and Dad with big hands and big feet. They had bright faces. There was Petunia with crossed arms, blond and bossy. She was the queen of her battalion of faithful dolls. I remember that all. I can clearly remember a time when the world was flat.
When the world was flat it stretched as far as I could see from where I was standing, and that was my domain. I was a princess, our picket fenced yard my kingdom where I was free to frolic as I pleased. For a time that was all I knew. Then there was the park swing set with its squeaky hinges that could be seen from the window of our kitchen. Anything seen from our kitchen window was deemed my territory to live in and explore.
As I grew I came to know that there was more out there than what I had seen, but I could have never expected what came to me when I was 11 years old. My life suddenly became some bizarre fairytale, except it was real and scary and wonderful all at the same time. I was magical and different. Sometimes, however, being different is a difficult thing to be. I had always known I was destined for something else, a path that few followed, that few ever sought or wanted to discover.
There I was, little me, age 11 with a monumental choice on my hands. Did I make the right choice? The answer to that still remains a mystery. If I had to choose again I'd probably choose the same thing if that means anything to you. The only problem is that hindsight is 20/20 and I don't get a do over. In real life there are so few chances to redo what has been done. This is probably why I respected people like Dumbledore (the headmaster at my new magical school) so much because he always gave people another chance, which is something I had a hard time doing. Trust is something that is easily lost and very rarely gained back. First impressions mean a lot.
It was through impressions that I came to despise James Potter and his seemingly obnoxious cohorts. I had a first impression, and then another first impression and then more to follow in the years to come after our initial meeting. That's all I had though, impressions. I never knew him, though he sure knew me. He knew how to push my buttons alright and that's what he did for about 5 years or so. He eventually won me over, but that's beside the point. The point is that sometimes the first time you look at something you don't really see it for what it can be. You should always give something a second glance. Opportunities are important and to be able to create them, well, that's some kind of power that not everyone has. Spain had that power for the old muggle explorer Colombus and Dumbledore had that power for people like Remus Lupin(who I later came to find out was a werewolf without many options despite his intelligence and good nature). I had that power too, for James Potter and his marauding group who I came to love once I let myself love the way I was supposed to.
Friendship is an important thing. We always hear about how people have to be independent and all that jazz and I parroted all that nonsense for a good part of my life, but its not necessarily the best way to go about living. Its true that you have to love and know yourself before you can love anyone else, but sometimes its best to have someone who you know you can rely on no matter what. Trustworthy friends are a rare commodity, especially in a time of war, where for most people, betrayal is second nature, or the only nature of survival. It's survival of the fittest as the muggles say. I don't take betrayal of any kind lightly, which is probably why I had such a hard time keeping friends. I'm quick to forgive, slow to forget, which isn't necessarily a healthy way to go about relationships. If I'm fooled into trust once, don't think I'll ever trust you again. In the end though, I found my place among the best and most trustworthy, which is how thing tend to work out. I'm a strong believer that things always work out the way they are supposed to. Good people get good endings and the same is said for those who are bad, but forgiveness, well that's the tough part about growing and changing. Forgiveness is hard to dole out, but it's very important. Apologizing and learning from mistakes, and stumbling upon new opportunities that you never knew existed those things are all part of the journey. So we all know the world really isn't flat, but we didn't always know that. We won't forget it though. We'll just have to keep on growing and discovering.