Network of Understanding
"And now, without further ado, I give you our keynote speaker. It's an enormous honour to have him here with us today, and I'm sure you need to further introduction to Harry Potter." The announcer finished to applause in the Town Hall as Harry stepped up to the front of the room.
"I want to thank you all for being here today, for such an important evening. When looking back on the war after a few years it becomes hard for so many to see how important the welfare of survivors has become. While we must never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by so many during the war, and while we must move one, we cannot simply ignore those whose lives have been altered so greatly as a result. I am here tonight to ask for your support, and your contributions towards The Survivors Association. The association not only distributes funds to St. Mungo's, but also those disabled by curses living independently, psychological support for thousands throughout the United Kingdom, and trust funds and support for the children of war. At times the war seems a lifetime ago, some nights as I relive it over and over again it feels like yesterday, but by looking at the families shown in the pictures behind me I can see just how long ago the war truly was. Some of these children never knew their fathers, others lost mothers, and four children were orphaned. These children are the future of the Wizarding world. How will any others understand the horrors of living in a world of fear, how will others of their age understand the devastation which war causes. These children are some of the bravest individuals I have ever met, those who work to support them, attempting to explain to them `Why', deserve more than just our applause, they deserve our respect and our help. Volunteer, donate, participate. You can not only help these children, you can ensure the Wizarding world is never again torn apart - The Survivors Association has asked me here tonight to announce their newest initiative, `The Network of Understanding'. The Network will consist of professionally trained teachers, and its primary focus will be educating those who were fortunate enough not to have lived through the horror of war. We must not allow seeds of hatred and bigotry to be sewn in our society as they were so many years ago. The Network of Understanding is a huge project and right now is desperately in need of both funding and volunteers. Did you fight in the war? If you feel able, please volunteer to speak of your experiences. However the war affected you, please pass on your experiences to the next generation of wizards. This war must not be forgotten, lives were not lost in vain, we must understand the underlying problems in our society and heal them. I now yield the floor to Minerva McGonogall, the newly appointed Head of The Network of Understanding. Thank you for your time."
Harry left the stage to rapturous applause, and as he walked to his seat in the front row he met Hermione's eyes, and the pride and love reflected there reminded him yet again how lucky they all really were.
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