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JK Rowling writes in Dumbledore's voice to shooting survivor

07 Aug 2014

JK Rowling has written to a teenager whose whole family were killed in a shooting, after she quoted Albus Dumbledore at her family's memorial.

15-year-old Cassidy Stay, from Texas, played dead to survive the attack but her parents and four siblings were all tragically killed by the gunman, who knew the family.

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At the memorial, Cassidy said, "Happiness can be found even in the darkest times if one only remembers to turn on the light", a quote from the Harry Potter film The Prisoner of Azkaban, which was adapted by screenwriter Steve Kloves and spoken by the inspirational headmaster Dumbledore.


After an online campaign to convince JK Rowling to contact Cassidy, the author wrote the teenager a private letter in the voice of Dumbledore.

The letter was written in purple ink and accompanied by a wand, an acceptance letter to Hogwarts, a list of school supplies and a signed book.


Asked whether a meeting could be possible between JK and Cassidy, the rep added: "We wouldn't comment on that but [Cassidy's] is a remarkable story."