In the meantime, they continue to celebrate Harry Potter, believing that their allegiance is bigger than the books or Rowling. Marieka Cober, the D.C. chapter organizer, has a yellow lightning bolt — like Harry’s famous scar — tattooed on her ankle; she says it represents the friends she’s made through Harry Potter fandom as much as the text itself. When it comes to fans challenging Rowling, Cober invoked a line from the end of the first Potter book. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies,” Hogwarts headmaster AlbusDumbledore tells his young pupils, “but just as much to stand up to our friends.” The Harry Potter Alliance plans to be around and standing up for a while — “as long as J.K. Rowling has a Twitter account,” Ternes said.