Dear Draco,
The other day, while reading a Muggle comic book, I couldn't help but notice that superheroes were repeatedly mentioned. As both you and I know, superheroes aren't necessarily a concept in the Magical Community. However, despite not having superheroes, we do have what some would consider heroes, which is why I'm writing to you since supposedly you know everything. I'm looking for advice on what you think qualifies someone as a hero. I would also love to hear if you have any personal heroes yourself.
Thank you!
- Confused About Heroes
Dear Confused,
What a letter to come back to after my brief stint away from my advice column. I mean, I was halfway expecting someone to write to me asking for advice on where to take their summer holiday or whether I thought the Giant Squid of the Black Lake was giving free swimming lessons to first years. I certainly wasn't expecting as serious of a topic like this, but you did bring up a valid point about me knowing everything, so I suppose I should help you.
Where to start? Oh, I know! Let's talk about the definition of heroes. According to Merriam-Webster, heroes are "a person admired for achievements and noble qualities", which honestly seems like kind of a broad definition, so no wonder you're confused. What that definition is telling me, though, is that what defines someone as a hero is somewhat personal since we all have different opinions on what is noble or what is considered an achievement. For all I know, you could consider the Giant Squid of Black Lake a hero for giving free swimming lessons to first years, which it mostly definitely is not doing. Perhaps you would instead feel like I am a hero for giving free advice to those in need, which is exactly how I could classify myself if you were to ask me. Regardless of who or what you consider a hero, you first need to stop and ask yourself what qualities in a person you admire and then go from there.
I've had many heroes in my life, and they all seemed to range in qualities and levels of importance, if I'm being honest. One of my biggest heroes in my life is probably my mom, but the reasons for this have changed a few times over the years. At one point, I considered one of my Professors a hero because they gave me an extension on an assignment that was late. Then, a few months later, a friend became my hero for standing up for me when I couldn't do it myself. I guess what I'm trying to say is that once you decide what defines a hero for you, you'll soon realize there are multiple different ways to really define a hero.
Now, all of this leads me to my final point regarding heroes. We may read books or comic books that depict Superheroes or heroes as someone who accomplishes amazing feats or have superpowers that make them stand out amongst the rest, but it's also important to keep in mind that heroes could be those in our lives who just make our lives a little better or easier. Take, for example, the Professor I mentioned earlier. They didn't have to give me an extension, they could have given me a zero for that assignment which would have made my father go ballistic and then everything would have just trickled down from there, but they heard me out and helped make everything in life so much easier. You see, it's not always going to be something extraordinarily big that makes someone a hero; it could also be the little things that add up to make someone a real hero.
Alright, I've said all I could about heroes, and honestly, I'm getting kind of bored and would much rather be testing out the new broom that I just got. If you've taken anything from my letter, though, please let it be that Draco Malfoy is a hero to all.
-Draco