This submission is from Miss Carol Marlow. Her notes are as follows:

Now, my entry's title is 'The Greatest Magic'. Because the Harry Potter stories to me, aside from being about magic and wizardry and such, is primarily about love. Love is the strongest force, the most powerful thing, the greatest magic on earth. This story makes it clear. From the beginning, with Lily's sacrifice to save her son's life, showing the strength of a mother's love for her child, then going to Harry, who's greatest wish is to have a family that loves him and stands beside him. He gets his wish in the love of his two friends, Hermoine and Ron, who become his family both in spirit and when Harry marries Ginny, while Ron marries Hermoine.

Then, there is Severus's part in the tale. Severus Snape shows Harry, through his memories, that he did everything in his life, that every step the man made, was because he loved Lily. And that because of Lily's friendship, and Severus's devotion to her, he was willing to do anything, even after she was dead, because he would love her, as he told Dumbledore, 'Always'.

So of course at the heart of it all, the center, is Lily, who had the heart to befriend Severus, showing him what love feels like, and who loved her son so much she didn't hesitate to die for him. Her love made everything in the stories possible. And there's my reasoning. I hope that, win or lose, this piece has as much meaning for those who view it as it did for me while I was drawing it.