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‘Harry Potter’ author writes to teen whose family was murdered

Posted at 3:23 PM, Aug 08, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-08 15:28:06-04

SPRING, Texas — J.K. Rowling has recast her “Harry Potter” magic and reportedly brought Dumblebore back to life.

A spokesperson for the author confirms Rowling sent a letter and a package to a Texas teenager who optimistically found strength in the words of a “Harry Potter” book after witnessing the murder of her immediate family.

Fifteen-year-old Cassidy Stay lost both parents and four siblings to a gunman in Texas last month. Cassidy was shot in the head and survived the gunshot wound only because she played dead. Authorities have called her survival a miracle.

Cassidy had seen the unimaginable, but was still thinking about happiness. At a memorial for her family, Cassidy gave a speech in front of media saying she believed her family was “in much a better place.”

Quoting the words of Dumbledore, the wise headmaster of Hogwarts, she said “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

The same day Cassidy gave her speech, a Facebook page called “We want JK Rowling to meet Cassidy Stay” formed and quickly gained traction.

While the group page acknowledges that Cassidy is not a follower of the page, the creator claims to know a friend of Cassidy’s who “confirmed that JK Rowling did, in fact, write her a personalized letter from ‘Dumbledore’ (hand-written with purple ink). She was also sent a wand, an acceptance letter to Hogwarts with a school supply list, along with the 3rd book with JK’s autograph” the group post said.

“We can confirm that J.K. Rowling sent Cassidy Stay a letter and package, but the contents of the letter and how it came about are private and between her and Cassidy,” a spokesperson for Rowling said. “We’re not commenting any further on the letter or what it contained.”