In the world we live today, dodging spells may be easier than dodging misogyny. A death eater may get a second chance at life, but you dare not choose whom you will love – try doing that and see the world turn against you in seconds. Luckily, heroes emerge just when you most need them – and so, on this auspicious day, let us give thanks for JK Rowling.

Joanne "Jo" Rowling, queen of all things awesome and author of the Harry Potter series, The Casual Vacancy and the Cormoran Strike detective series, has been breaking silences, shattering prejudices and bringing trolls to justice year after year, tweet after tweet. Rowling’s many adventures find her braving odds, standing up to bullies, setting positive examples and generally making the world a better place just by being in it.

Jo and Dumbledore’s pride

I don’t know a Harry Potter fan who did not cry cauldrons at the death of Albus Dumbledore – one of the greatest and most beloved headmasters Hogwarts has ever known. It was to a generally enthusiastic audience that Jo revealed Dumbledore was gay, during a Q&A session at New York's Carnegie Hall back in 2007. The response was more than heartwarming for Rowling, Professor Dumbledore, Potterheads and the LGBT community, the world over.

Not everybody in Potterverse was (or is) as accepting, though. It turns out, not everybody wishes to live in a world without closets.

In a tweet that was later deleted, Harry Potter fan Ana Kocovic asked: “Thank you so much for writing Harry Potter. I wonder why you said that Dumbledore is a gay because I can’t see him in that way.” Rowling's reply to this gentle question was both inoffensive and very effective.

But the internet – also known as (or should be known as) Troll Country – doesn’t let things stay civil at all times. Thankfully, Rowling knows where to direct all the misguided rage. When a former fan said that Dumbledore’s choice to love whom he wants is a deal-breaker for him, Rowling did not leave this fan stranded. "Once u revealed Dumbledore was a homosexual I stopped being a fan," wrote Frank Fraticelli. "Nice how u blindsided us with that one. Enjoy your billion $." Rowling's considerate and helpful suggestion:



Her recent support of the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Ireland got its share of flak from the Westboro Baptist Church, an extremist religious organisation. This time, she knew who wouldn’t be invited to the wedding of the season.



Hah! PetrificusTotalus, you unimaginative lot of bigoted muggles! A Home for Everyone Still waiting for an owl to drop by with the letter from Hogwarts? I know I am. With Hogwarts, Rowling created a world we all wish we could be a part of and find that the only way to do so is to read, and re-read the books. We, who have stayed with Harry until the very end, are still waiting to find a home at Hogwarts. And by announcing that there is no tuition, Rowling opened the doors of the school to all of us, ensuring that there are always enough galleons in any eager pocket for a weekly trip to Honeyduke’s.



By revealing that Hogwarts is tolerant and accepting of all religions/ faiths/belief systems, Rowling created a home for everyone, and the only thing it doesn’t have is a closet in which to hide.



 



 



Jo and girl power

The Internet introduces us to amazing things happening around the world. It also exposes us to narrow-minded twits living by the motto, ‘Have social media. Will troll.’   It is at these times that Rowling and her superior troll-termination powers come to the rescue. Recently, for instance, she locked a Twitter troll down in the dungeons when they made a remark World No.1 Serena Williams' body, right after her 2015 Grand Slam win.

Rowling’s books have affected and will go on influencing generations of teenagers. It is only reasonable, then, that she talked about body positivity and the importance of being more than just skinny on her website back in 2006.
‘Fat’ is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her.
I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me.

But it isn’t only other spectacular women whom she finds herself defending. After the recent British general election, Rowling had to face abuse from those who did not share her political views. Her response was fitting:

However, every horrible tweet targeted at her was countered by messages of support and love.


Jo and her big, beautiful heart

How to blow a million bucks? Ask Rowling because when she does it, she does it in style and for the greater good. In 2012, Rowling's charity donations – worth $160 million – knocked her off the Forbes Billionaire list. Here's what she said about that change in status: “You have a moral responsibility when you’ve been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently,"

Three of her collectable companion books to the Harry Potter series – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard – were written for the organisation Comic Relief. Rowling's children’s charity, Lumos, has raised almost $30 million for various initiatives.

Rowling also supports a number of causes through her charity trust, Volant, and as the founder/president of Lumos, she works to end institutionalization of children around the world, ensuring they have a caring and safe environment to grow up in.

Jo and very good lives 

Rowling values freedom, friendship, imagination, creativity and love. She battled depression, single motherhood, and unemployment for a long time before the Harry Potter series found any takers – and yet the books talk about goodness in your heart and the power to choose.

On April 14, 2015, Jo’s 2008 Harvard Commencement speech was published as an illustrated book titled, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination. It is being published in aid of Lumos and for financial aid at Harvard University. But that isn’t the only reason it is incredible.

Here’s the speech for those who haven’t heard it yet. It’s one to bookmark and watch again and again.



Harry Potter may be over as a series of books, but Rowling’s adventures are nowhere close to an end. There are countless battles to be won, trolls to be terminated, and lessons to be learnt and taught. There will be another book, another story, and another little act by her that will make the world a better place.

Thank you, Joanne Rowling, and here’s wishing you a very happy birthday!