25 Years Later

HARRY POTTER: A RETROSPECTIVE

(an Introduction)

It was with great pleasure that I sat down with Harry Potter at his country home in the wilds of Scotland; how many of us can say that we've been allowed a personal interview with the man who has shaped our society more than any other person of the modern age? I mentioned that to him, and he laughed, and said he thought Albus (presumably Albus Dumbledore, a revered Headmaster of Hogwarts from last century, and not Harry Potter's son, father of seven, and infamous for never sticking with any single career) might have had more of a hand in modern wizarding society than anyone might suspect.

I have to admit I was surprised at how clever and personable he is. It was a great favor he did, allowing an interview to occur before the publication of Harry Potter: A Restrospective. "I know your grandmum, so I was inclined to be helpful," he said. "Not only that, but I found the title of your project… particularly intriguing." His wife, Ginevra Potter, added that "he's been in a particularly good mood this year, you're just lucky." They sat comfortably side by side; I was touched to see they held hands.

Mr. Potter has spent the last fifty or so years raising his family, changing the Ministry from the inside out, and avoiding interviews. "My two youngest are still providing us with grandchildren to love, and to help raise," he said proudly. Judging by how often his answers returned to his family, he clearly cares about them a great deal. "Family is the most important thing," he said intently. "It's everything. It's always and always." How lucky are his soon-to-be-seventeen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild?

When asked which of his children he feels is most like him, his answer was prompt and surprising: "Al," he said firmly. "Definitely Al. No question." To the rest of us, Albus Severus Potter is most known for being a family man: he has seven children with his wife, Emily Potter. Instead of becoming a beacon of stability in the Ministry, Albus Potter worked there (in the Department of Mysteries, no less) less than five years before leaving to travel the world with his wife. They only returned to Britain intermittently over the years (each time bringing a new child, it seems), until some ten years into their marriage, when Albus Potter decided to open an ice-cream store in Hogsmeade. He puttered about the store for a while, rather famously giving outlandish (and totally fabricated) interviews about his family life. Now he and his wife have begun writing a magical adventure series about a young girl trapped in King Arthur's court.

To the outsider, it is difficult indeed to see where the true similarities lie. "You have to look deeper," said Mrs. Potter. "We love all our children – we have been blessed beyond measure. But Al has always had a profound understanding of what means the most in life. We are so lucky to have him."

"Always and always," echoed Mr. Potter.

As you will see in the Retrospective itself, these words have had meaning to the Potters and their dearest friends and family since they were fighting Voldemort together.

Regards,

Alleya Bones-Winsome