Ladies and gentlemen,
My name is James Wu, and I am in the fifth grade at Chung-Dao Elementary School in Yilan County, Taiwan.
Today, I am honored to present my essay titled "Striving for Peace in a World of Magic and Muggles.”
As I put the VR headset on, I was startled by a hissing sound that came from the right. Turning, I found myself immersed in a scene: Harry Potter and his companions were engaged in a fierce battle against Voldemort and his followers. Spells crackled through the air as they fought fearlessly to defend Hogwarts from the forces of darkness.
After the dust settled, Voldemort was defeated. I rushed to embrace Harry, to thank him for bringing peace to Hogwarts once again. Where wizards have the freedom to roam and play once more without the threat of conflict and violence plaguing their thoughts. Where laughter can be heard throughout the hallways and joy radiates from the smiles of everyone.
But instead of joy, Harry seemed troubled. "Are you worried that Voldemort might return?" I asked.
"It's not Voldemort I'm concerned about," Harry confessed with sorrow. With a wave of his wand, we were teleported to a battlefield, where the roar of gunfire and explosions filled the air. The school was in ruins, with its walls destroyed by bombs and countless bullet holes. Children, as young as me, holding rifles instead of books or wands, I couldn’t see any happiness on their faces.
With tears in Harry’s eyes, he sobbed "The muggle world is fascinated with weapons, and that worries me. Even though we wizards have our powers, muggle weapons can keep us at war instead of keeping the peace."
"I understand," I murmured. “Hundreds of thousands of innocent lives were sacrificed for the greed of those who seek more power.” "But what can I do? I’m just a kid!" I wondered aloud, feeling helpless in the face of such a difficult situation.
"Peace in our world means more than just no fighting; it's about fairness and listening," Harry explained, sounding sure. "Even kids like us can do good things by being nice and understanding. We should try to make friends and make peace wherever we are." Harry was right! His words inspired me, so I decided to help spread his message of hope and kindness. Feeling more determined, I waved goodbye to Harry and took off the VR headset, coming back to the real world.
When I went outside, a breeze brought the nice smell of followers and I heard birds singing.
At that moment, I felt a glimmer of hope for a brighter future, where conflicts could be resolved not with violence, but with understanding and cooperation. If competitions between countries must exist, they should only be competitions like the World Cup, the Olympic Games, or Quiddich in Hogwarts and not war.
In this imperfect world of ours, we know that achieving peace won’t be easy. But as Harry had taught me, even the smallest actions could have a ripple effect, spreading love and compassion to all corners of the globe. And so, if we have courage in our hearts and a clear vision of a better world in our minds, we can embark on our journey toward peace, knowing that together, we will make a difference.
Thank you for listening.
29 июл 2024
