Witches and Wizards, Muggles and werewolves, we join together now as one to either free victims of lycanthropy, or to condemn them to a wild life of secrecy and mayhem. Allow me to bring you back in time for a short visit–to the year 1637.

Witches and wizards mingled with muggles, trying desperately not to be found out as to arouse confusion, suspicion, and other consequences from single minded no-majs. And yet, the magical community was not free from discrimination and judgment, either. The cause? Werewolves. Viscous beasts prepared to rip you to shreds and twist your soul into a leaking black bile. Or so the stereotypes assumed. And so when the Werewolf Code of Conduct was instituted back in 1637, there was much unreliability. Not surprisingly, very few werewolves registered. Because who would want their lives upturned if the secret that they were a werewolf once a night each month got out? They would face shame, exile, and scorn. Their family and friends could turn on them, job opportunities would be scarce, and perhaps hunters would even come to end them. The fear and prejudices surrounding lycanthropy were so great even at that time. The truth of the matter is, however, that the witches and wizards condemned to lose their minds every full moon are not automatically vicious monsters in real life. They can be as loving or as kind as the next witch, as dastardly and daring as the next wizard. They can choose for themselves how to behave around others when not in wolf form. It has been stated that, “While in his or her wolfish form, the werewolf loses entirely its human sense of right or wrong. However, it is incorrect to state that they suffer from a permanent loss of moral sense.” The fact that they are bound by a fateful bite does not mean that they have to be evil.

The Werewolf Code of Conduct wasn’t a TERRIBLE idea, but the culture of the magical community simply does not permit giving werewolves the freedom they should automatically come with as a being with a soul.

Now, we are quickly whisked back to the late 1900s, when Voldemort slyly steals power and corrupts the hearts and minds of many. Many werewolves, oppressed by their condition, listened to Voldemort and were swayed by the thrill that they would hold power over their persecutors. Unfortunately, the stigmas surrounding werewolves at the time (that sadly still continue today) caused the victims to join the Death Eaters, eventually leading to their own destruction and demise. Yet, despite the tumultuous times and fear, some werewolves chose to fight against the growing evil. One such soul was Remus Lupin, a werewolf since the young age of four. He joined the Order of the Phoenix and fought for the rights and lives of many, eventually giving his own in the process. This is an inspiring illustration of a noble wizard who, despite dealing with a very painful and saddening condition, chose to remain selfless and sane until the very end. 

So why do werewolves such as Fenrir Greyback choose to embrace the beast side? Because of the judgmental and fearful witches and wizards who have no empathy for the pain endured. By living a life scorned and looked down upon, werewolves can become twisted beings. And this is true for any person who is persecuted in this way. If one is oppressed and shunned so that he or she does not even feel human anymore, then his or her fate could be the same as that of Fenrir Greyback.  An interesting quotation I found the other day says, “We humans fear the beast within the wolf because we do not understand the beast within ourselves.” Is one really so much better than a werewolf simply because he or she is not one, yet still hurts others? 

Just because a witch or wizard is a werewolf does not condemn them to a life of evil and spite. Sadly, J.K. Rowling has written that  “tragic tales are told of victims who beg to be allowed to die rather than to live on as werewolves.” 

If you, a witch or a wizard, or even a muggle or no-maj, believe that werewolves deserve to die, then do you also believe that an innocent being should be condemned to death because of an illness or disease? The werewolves have no choice, and once the scar of the fateful bite is branded in their skin, their fates are sealed, and it is then up to them to choose their destiny and how to live, just as it is up to any man to choose his pathway in life. 

A man named Jesus says in the Bible: “I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

This Christ begs with us to love God’s children. This means not only should non-werewolves love the lycanthropes, but werewolves should likewise love and forgive their persecutors and not give into the stereotypes desperately trying to entrap them.

A man named Paul wrote in Galations: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye all are one is Christ Jesus.” I believe this with my whole heart–we are all spirits of our Heavenly Father and are made saved by His son Jesus Christ. By taking away werewolf stigmas and other condemnations in life, we can all live more freely and harmoniously as one with God. And even if God is not a belief in your life, these standards and writings from the book The Bible are still valid to beings.

Throughout all the hundreds of years that werewolves have been looked down upon by most, bringing them out of their cocoons they’ve hidden themselves in, the self-loathing, or even the pride, is going to be a challenging and sometimes dangerous path. But by showing care to our fellow brothers and sisters, they can grow stronger than the wolf flowing in their blood and can overcome the beast every full moon. 

Additionally, discoveries made in 1993-1994 have led to creation of Wolfsbane Potion–a drought that can be taken to make the taker (when in wolf form) sleepy and lethargic, therefore causing no harm to anyone else. By making this potion more available in shops around the wizarding world, those witches and wizards that need it will be able to safely spend the full moon without the fear of attacking anyone. 

And so, as C.S. Lewis said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” Let’s start right here, right now, and help add a plot twist to this adventure we are on.

Thank you.