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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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Harry Potter books
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Fantastic beasts.JPG
Author
J. K. Rowling
Genre
Fantasy
Publishers
Bloomsbury (UK)
Arthur A. Levine/
Scholastic (US)
Raincoast (Canada)
Released
2001
Sales
509,473[1]
Pages
42
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2001 book written by British author J. K. Rowling about the magical creatures in the Harry Potter universe. It purports to be Harry Potter's copy of the textbook of the same name mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (published as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the US), the first novel of the Harry Potter series.
In a 2001 interview with publisher Scholastic, Rowling stated that she chose the subject of magical creatures because it was a fun topic for which she had already developed a lot of information in earlier books. Rowling's name does not appear on the cover of the book, the work being credited under the pseudonym "Newt Scamander".
The book benefits the charity Comic Relief. Over 80% of the cover price of each book sold goes directly to poor children in various places around the world. According to Comic Relief, sales from this book and its companion Quidditch Through the Ages have raised over £17 million.[2]
On September 12, 2013, Warner Bros. and Rowling announced they will be producing a film inspired by the book, being the first in a new series. Rowling herself will be the screenwriter. She came up with a plan for a movie after Warner Bros. suggested the idea. The story will feature Newt Scamander as a main character and will not be a sequel or a prequel to the Potter adventures, instead kicking off in New York, 70 years before Harry’s story starts.[3]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Synopsis 1.1 Contents
1.2 Newt Scamander
2 Editions
3 "New information"
4 Reception
5 Film adaptation
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links
Synopsis[edit]
Further information: Magical creatures in Harry Potter
Fantastic Beasts purports to be a reproduction of a textbook owned by Harry Potter and written by magizoologist Newt Scamander, a fictional character in the Harry Potter series. In the series, Magizoology is the study of magical creatures.
Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, provides the Foreword and explains the purpose of the special edition of this book (the Comic Relief charity). At the end, he tells the reader, "...The amusing creatures described hereafter are fictional and cannot hurt you." He repeats the Hogwarts motto: "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus", Latin for "Never tickle a sleeping dragon".
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them contains the history of Magizoology and describes 75 magical species found around the world. Scamander says that he collected most of the information found in the book through observations made over years of travel and across five continents. He notes that the first edition was commissioned in 1918 by Mr Augustus Worme of Obscurus Books. However, it was not published until 1927. It is now in its 52nd edition.
In the Harry Potter universe, the book is a required textbook for first-year Hogwarts students, having been an approved textbook since its first publication. It is not clear why students need it in their first year, as students do not take Care of Magical Creatures until their third year. However, it may be used as an encyclopaedia of Dark creatures studied in Defence Against the Dark Arts classes. In his foreword to the book, Albus Dumbledore notes that it serves as an excellent reference for Wizarding households in addition to its use at Hogwarts.
The book features doodles and comments supposedly added by Harry, Ron and Hermione. The comments would appear to have been written around the time of the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. These doodles add some extra information for fans of the series; for example the "Acromantula" entry has a comment confirming that Hogwarts is located in Scotland.
Integrated in the design, the cover of the book appears to have been clawed by some sort of animal.
Contents[edit]
About the Author
Foreword by Albus Dumbledore
Introduction by Newt Scamander:
 1. About This Book
 2. What Is a Beast?
 3. A Brief History of Muggle Awareness of Fantastic Beasts
 4. Magical Beasts in Hiding
 5. Why Magizoology Matters
Ministry of Magic Classifications
An A–Z of Fantastic Beasts
Newt Scamander[edit]
Newton Artemis Fido "Newt" Scamander is the fictional author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, born in 1897. According to the "About the Author" section of the book, Scamander became a magizoologist because of his own interest in fabulous beasts and the encouragement of his mother, an enthusiastic Hippogriff breeder. In Hogwarts, he was sorted to Hufflepuff.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Scamander joined the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. His career included a brief stint in the Office of House-elf Relocation, a transfer to the Beast Division, the creation of the Werewolf Register in 1947, the 1965 passage of the Ban on Experimental Breeding, and many research trips for the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau. His contributions to Magizoology earned him an Order of Merlin, Second Class in 1979.
Now retired, he lives in Dorset with his wife Porpentina and their pet Kneazles: Hoppy, Milly and Mauler. He has a grandson named Rolf, who married Luna Lovegood some time after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Although Rowling has never hidden the fact that she is the author of Fantastic Beasts, "Newt Scamander" can nevertheless be considered a pseudonym of hers, as he is technically the author listed on the book's cover.
In the film version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Newt Scamander's name appeared on the Marauder's Map. Why he was at Hogwarts was not addressed, but it is likely to be linked to Buckbeak, the Hippogriff Hagrid has at the school.
Editions[edit]
Scholastic EditionsPaperback: ISBN 0-439-29501-7Hardcover Box Set: ISBN 0-439-32162-X (Includes Fantastic Beasts... and Quidditch Through the Ages)Paperback Box Set: ISBN 0-439-28403-1Bloomsbury EditionPaperback: ISBN 0-7475-5466-8Sagebrush Rebound EditionSchool & Library Edition: ISBN 0-613-32541-9
"New information"[edit]
The book is said to predate the events of the Harry Potter series. In light of events in the Potter books, several tongue-in-cheek references to "new information" are indicated by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley's doodles in Harry's version of the book (as published for Comic Relief). A list of them follows:
The question 'What is a Beast?' (serving as the title of the section) is answered 'a big hairy thing with too many legs'.
In the Ministry Classifications, the most dangerous creatures are labelled as XXXXX, to which has been added "or anything Hagrid likes".
On Pg. 2 under the Acromantula section, the book states "Rumours that a colony of Acromantula has been established in Scotland are unconfirmed." In fact, Harry and Ron encounter a colony in the Forbidden Forest in the second book. Hagrid was aware of this Acromantula colony before this, and it is quite likely that other members of the staff knew of its existence. In Harry's version of the book, the word "unconfirmed" is crossed out and the following comment of "confirmed by Harry Potter and Ron Weasley" is added.
Also under the Acromantula section, an extra 9 X's are added to the creature's classification, probably by Ron, since it is well known that he is afraid of spiders, and the Acromantula is a gigantic, man-eating spider.
On Pg. 4 under the Basilisk section, the book states "there have been no recorded sightings of Basilisks in Britain for at least four hundred years". This is invalid, as there is a recorded sighting in the second Harry Potter book. As such, a comment of "that's what you think" has been appended to the bottom of the entry.
In the Dragons section, the name "Norwegian Ridgeback" is crossed out and replaced with "Baby Norbert", referring to Hagrid's infant dragon which he hatched himself and showed to the trio. Nearby, under the entry for "Hungarian Horntail", the article begins "Supposedly the most dangerous of all dragons" to which is added in a scribble, "you're not kidding".
The Hippogriff section says that they "may be domesticated, though this should only be attempted by experts". This is underlined and connected to a note saying, "Has Hagrid read this book?" referring to Hagrid's domestication of a Hippogriff herd despite being anything but an expert.
In the Billywig section, it is noted that their dried stings are believed to be a component in the popular wizarding sweet "Fizzing Whizzbees". In Harry's copy of the book, the words "That's the last time I eat them, then" is seen scrawled under the entry in response.
The Kappa section claims that this creature is Japanese in origin, to which is added the note "Snape hasn't read this either". This presumably refers to the third book, in which Snape states, "the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia".
The Pixies section has them classified as an XXX level creature. The addition here takes the form of a note saying "or XXXXXXX if you're Lockhart".
The Puffskein entry has a note, presumably by Ron, saying, "I had one of those once" to which Harry responds, "What happened to it?" and a reply underneath says, "Fred used it for Bludger practice". This conversation also takes place between Harry and Ron in the Philosopher's Stone video game.
The mermaid entry describes a certain type of merpeople as being "less beautiful..." Next to that line is a note saying "ugly". This refers to Harry's encounters with mermaids in the second Triwizard Task in the fourth book, Goblet of Fire.
In the troll entry, a picture of a troll is drawn, next to it written, "My name is Gregory Goyle and I smell!"
In the werewolf entry, next to the heading "Werewolves" a note has been added: "aren't all bad". This is a reference to Professor Lupin, a werewolf and Harry's favourite teacher.
The book does not have entries for Blast-Ended Skrewts (which makes sense, as they are an illegal crossbreed), Boggarts, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, Dementors, Hinkypunks, Bicorns, Cockatrices, Banshees, Three-Headed Dogs or Blood-Sucking Bugbears. Curiously, there is no listing for Vampires in the book despite there being a listing for werewolves. Harry has encountered at least one vampire (named Sanguini) during one of Slughorn's parties in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. However the creatures are apparently the subject of a book that exists in-universe called Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires, written by Eldred Worple, whom Harry also encounters at the same party in which he encounters Sanguini.[4] No explanation for the omission is known to have been presented by J.K. Rowling, though it is possible that werewolves are classified as beasts due to their transformation during the full moon in which they lose their intelligence until they return to normal, while vampires may have an entirely different classification (possibly being) according to the Ministry of Magic due to possessing near-human intelligence at all times.
Reception[edit]
Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly graded the book with an "A" and wrote "With its richly detailed history lessons and witty debate parsing the differences between being and beast, plus a compendium of 85 magical creatures that's chockablock with Rowling's trademark wordplay (Glumbumble is a standout), Beasts adds a vital new dimension to the Potter mythology."[5]
Film adaptation[edit]
Warner Bros. announced on 12 September 2013 that J. K. Rowling would be making her screenwriting debut with the first of a planned series of films based upon Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, part of an expanded creative partnership with Rowling. Rowling stated that the films, which will focus on the life of Newt Scamander, will neither be a prequel or sequel to the Harry Potter series, though will be set in the same world as the book series. The first film will be set seventy years prior to the Potter films, in 1920s New York.[6] In October 2013, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe stated he would likely not be a part of the film.[7]
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Horn, Caroline (14 April 2009). "Harry Potter titles repackaged". The Bookseller. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
2.Jump up ^ "News". Comic Relief. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
3.Jump up ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (12 September 2013). "Warner Bros, J.K. Rowling Team For New ‘Harry Potter’-Inspired Film Series". Deadline. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
4.Jump up ^ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Chapter Fifteen: The Unbreakable Vow page 315 U.S. Hardcover edition. ISBN 0-439-78454-9
5.Jump up ^ Jensen, Jeff (23 March 2001). "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Quidditch Through the Ages". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
6.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartagloine (12 September 2013). "Warner Bros, J.K. Rowling Team For New ‘Harry Potter’-Inspired Film Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
7.Jump up ^ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jk-rowlings-fantastic-beasts-will-646374
References[edit]

Portal icon Harry Potter portal
Newt Scamander. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001. Print. ISBN 0-439-32160-3
External links[edit]

Portal icon Children's literature portal
Book icon Book: Harry Potter

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (real) on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
Interview with J. K. Rowling about her book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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Quidditch Through the Ages

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Jump to: navigation, search

Harry Potter books
Quidditch Through the Ages
Quidditchthroughtheages.jpg
Author
J. K. Rowling
Genre
Fantasy
Publishers
Bloomsbury (UK)
Arthur A. Levine/
Scholastic (US)
Raincoast (Canada)
Released
2001
Sales
491,853[1]
Pages
56
Quidditch Through the Ages is a 2001 book written by British author J. K. Rowling about Quidditch in the Harry Potter universe. It purports to be the Hogwarts library's copy of the non-fiction book of the same name mentioned in several novels of the Harry Potter series. Rowling's name does not appear on the cover of the book, the work being credited under the pseudonym "Kennilworthy Whisp".
The book benefits the charity Comic Relief. Over 80% of the cover price of each book sold goes directly to poor children in various places around the world. According to Comic Relief, sales from this book and its companion Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them have raised £15.7 million.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Synopsis 1.1 Contents
2 The fictional book 2.1 Kennilworthy Whisp
3 References
4 External links
Synopsis[edit]
Further information: Quidditch
In 2001 Rowling penned two companion books to the Harry Potter series, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, for British charity and off-shoot of Live Aid, Comic Relief[2] with all of her royalties going to the charity. As of July 2008, the books combined are estimated to have earned over $30 million for Comic Relief.[3] The two books have since been made available in hardcover.
Contents[edit]
Foreword
 Chapter 1: The Evolution of the Flying Broomstick
 Chapter 2: Ancient Broom Games
 Chapter 3: The Game From Queerditch Marsh
 Chapter 4: The Arrival of the Golden Snitch
 Chapter 5: Anti-Muggle Precautions
 Chapter 6: Changes in Quidditch Since the Fourteenth Century
Pitch
Balls
Players
Rules
Referees
Chapter 7: Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland
 Chapter 8: The Spread of Quidditch Worldwide
 Chapter 9: The Development of the Racing Broom
 Chapter 10: Quidditch Today
The fictional book[edit]
Within the fictional world of Harry Potter, Quidditch Through the Ages is written by Kennilworthy Whisp, a renowned Quidditch expert.
The book traces the history of Quidditch, as well as the earliest broom-based games. When Severus Snape caught Harry outside the school with this book in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, he invented the rule that no library books were allowed outside the school, and confiscated it.
Kennilworthy Whisp[edit]
In the Harry Potter universe, Kennilworthy Whisp is a Quidditch expert and fanatic who has written many books about the sport. He lives in Nottinghamshire, where he divides his time with "wherever the Wigtown Wanderers are playing this week." His hobbies include backgammon, vegetarian cookery, and collecting vintage broomsticks. The Firebolt is the best broomstick according to him.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "News". The Bookseller.
2.Jump up ^ Transcript of JK Rowling's Chat for Comic Relief[dead link]
3.Jump up ^ JKR/WB vs. RDR Books Transcript, Day One[dead link]
External links[edit]

Portal icon Children's literature portal
Book icon Book: Harry Potter

Quidditch Through the Ages (real) on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
Interview with J. K. Rowling about her book Quidditch Through the Ages


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The Tales of Beedle the Bard

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Harry Potter books
The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Tales of Beedle the Bard.jpg
The cover of the UK public paperback edition.

Author
J. K. Rowling
Illustrator
J. K. Rowling
Genre
Fantasy
Auction date
13 December 2007
 (handmade edition)
Winning bid
£1.95 / US$3.98 / €2.28 million
 (Amazon.com)
Publisher
Children's High Level Group
Publication date
4 December 2008 (public edition)
Pages
Handmade edition: 157[1]
 Paperback edition: 110
 Collector's edition: 180
The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a book of children's stories by British author J. K. Rowling. It purports to be the storybook of the same name mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book of the Harry Potter series.[2]
The book was originally produced in a limited edition of only seven copies, each handwritten and illustrated by J. K. Rowling.[3] One of them was offered for auction in late 2007 and was expected to sell for £50,000 (US$103,000, €80,000); ultimately it was bought for £1.95 million ($3.98 million, €2.28 million) by Amazon.com, making the selling price the highest achieved at auction for a modern literary manuscript.[4][5] The money earned at the auction of the book was donated to The Children's Voice charity campaign.[6]
The book was published for the general public on 4 December 2008, with the proceeds going to the Children's High Level Group.[7][8][9]

Contents
  [hide] 1 In the Harry Potter series
2 Publication history 2.1 Handmade edition
2.2 Auction
2.3 Public editions
3 Synopsis 3.1 Overview
3.2 "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"
3.3 "The Fountain of Fair Fortune"
3.4 "The Warlock's Hairy Heart"
3.5 "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump"
3.6 "The Tale of the Three Brothers"
4 Reception
5 References
6 External links
In the Harry Potter series[edit]



 The symbol of the Hallows, found by Hermione Granger above "The Tale of the Three Brothers".
The Tales of Beedle the Bard first appeared as a fictional book in J. K. Rowling's 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final novel of the Harry Potter series. The book is bequeathed to Hermione Granger by Albus Dumbledore, former headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is described as a popular collection of Wizarding children's fairy tales, so that while Ron Weasley is familiar with the stories, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had not previously heard of them due to their non-magical upbringing.[2]
The book Hermione receives in Dumbledore's will is a copy of the original edition of the fictional book.[10] It is described as an ancient-looking small book with its binding "stained and peeling in places". In the novel it is also said the book has a title on its cover, written in embossed runic symbols.[2]
The book acts as the vehicle for introducing the Deathly Hallows.[6] Above the story "The Tale of the Three Brothers", Hermione Granger finds a strange symbol which later is revealed by Xenophilius Lovegood to be the symbol of the Hallows. The triangle from the symbol represents the Invisibility Cloak, the circle inside the triangle symbolises the Resurrection Stone, and the vertical line represents the Elder Wand.[10]
These three objects are also mentioned in the story itself (see below), and are said to belong to the Peverell brothers,[10] who are later revealed as being Harry Potter's ancestors.[11] Towards the end of the novel, Albus Dumbledore also confirms Harry's connection to the Peverells, and states that the three brothers might in fact have been the creators of the Hallows.[12]
The introduction (written by Rowling) to the publications released in December 2008 mentions that the fictional character Beedle the Bard was born in Yorkshire, lived in the 15th century, and had "an exceptionally luxuriant beard".[13][14]
Publication history[edit]
Rowling started writing the book soon after finishing work on the seventh Harry Potter novel.[15] During an interview with her fandom she also stated that she used other books as a source of inspiration for the tales. More specifically, "The Tale of the Three Brothers", the only story included entirely in The Deathly Hallows,[10] was inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Pardoner's Tale" from The Canterbury Tales.[16]
Handmade edition[edit]
Originally The Tales of Beedle the Bard had only been produced in a limited number of seven handmade copies, all handwritten and illustrated by the author herself.[1] The books were bound in brown morocco leather, and decorated with hand-chased silver ornaments and mounted semiprecious stones by silversmith and jeweller Hamilton & Inches of Edinburgh.[17] Each of the silver pieces represents one of the five stories in the book.[18] Rowling also asked that each of the seven copies be embellished using a different semiprecious stone.[19]
Six of these original handwritten copies were uniquely dedicated and given by Rowling to six people who were most involved with the Harry Potter series.[19] The recipients of these copies were not initially identified. Since then, two of these people have been named. One is Barry Cunningham,[20] Rowling's very first editor. Another is Arthur A. Levine,[21] editor for Scholastic, the U.S. publisher of the Harry Potter books. Cunningham and Levine had lent their personal copies as part of Beedle the Bard exhibits in December 2008.[20][21]
Rowling also decided to create a seventh handwritten copy (distinguished from the others by its moonstone jewelling) to sell at auction in order to raise funds for The Children's Voice charity campaign.

The idea came really because I wanted to thank six key people who have been very closely connected to the 'Harry Potter' series, and these were people for whom a piece of jewellery wasn't going to cut it. So I had the idea of writing them a book, a handwritten and illustrated book, just for these six people. And well, if I'm doing six I really have to do seven, and the seventh book will be for this cause, which is so close to my heart.
—J. K. Rowling[22]
Auction[edit]



 The Moonstone edition of the book was auctioned in December 2007.
The 157-page[1] "Moonstone edition"[19] of the book was first put on display prior to bidding on 26 November in New York and on 9 December in London.[23] The book was auctioned 13 December 2007, at Sotheby's in London. The starting price was £30,000 ($62,000, €46,000), and originally it was expected to sell for approximately £50,000 ($103,000, €80,000).[24] The closing bid far exceeded all prior projections, as ultimately the book was purchased by a representative from London fine art dealers Hazlitt Gooden and Fox on behalf of Amazon, for a total of £1.95 million ($3.98 million, €2.28 million). This was the highest purchase price for a modern literary manuscript at that date.[4][5] The money earned at auction later was donated by Rowling to The Children's Voice charity campaign.[6]
Sotheby's printed a forty-eight page promotional catalogue for the auction.[25] The catalogue featured illustrations from the book, as well as comments from J. K. Rowling on The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The catalogue was sold as a collector's item, and the money from the sales also has been donated to The Children's Voice.[26]
Public editions[edit]



 US cover of The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
On 31 July 2008, it was announced The Tales of Beedle the Bard would also be made available for the public, in both standard and collector's editions. The book was published by Children's High Level Group and printed and distributed by Bloomsbury, Scholastic, and Amazon.com.[27] The decision was taken due to disappointment among Harry Potter fans after it had initially been announced a wide public release was not intended.[9][28]
Similarly to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages (two other books mentioned in the Harry Potter novels which have also been printed) the standard and the collector's editions of The Tales of Beedle the Bard feature commentary and footnotes from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts and one of the main characters of the series. The standard edition also includes illustrations reproduced from the handwritten edition auctioned in December 2007, and the introduction by the author. The limited collector's edition features ten illustrations by J. K. Rowling not included in the standard edition or the original handcrafted edition, as well as an exclusive reproduction of J. K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, and other miscellaneous objects such as replica gemstones and an emerald ribbon.[13][14]
The book, released on 4 December 2008, was published in the United Kingdom and Canada by Bloomsbury, while the US edition was published by Scholastic, and the limited collector's edition of the book, available in all three countries, by Amazon. The limited edition retailed for £50 ($100, €100), and around 100,000 copies have been printed. The book has been translated into 28 languages.[29] Profits from the sale of the book were offered to the Children's High Level Group.[7] Initial sale estimates were roughly £4 million ($7.6 million, €4.7 million);[7] as of January 2010 an estimated £11 million ($17 million, €13 million) were generated from sales for the charity.[citation needed]
Synopsis[edit]
Overview[edit]
Rowling wrote five stories for the book. One, "The Warlock's Hairy Heart", is not mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows;[19] three others, "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot", "The Fountain of Fair Fortune", and "Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump", receive cursory attention.[2] "The Tale of the Three Brothers" is the only story also included entirely in The Deathly Hallows.[10]
"The Wizard and the Hopping Pot"[edit]
This story is about the legacy of an old man who, in his generosity, used his pot to brew magical potions and antidotes for other people when they needed his help. Upon his death, he leaves all his belongings to his only son, who has none of the virtues his father had. After his father's death, the son finds the pot and a single slipper inside it together with a note from his father that reads, "In the fond hope, my son, that you will never need it".
Bitter for having nothing left but a pot, the son closes the door on every person who asks for his help. Each time he does so, the pot takes on the symptoms of the ones who ask for help, it starts disturbing the son and prevents him from having any peace of mind. This continues until the son finally gives up and provides aid to the town. Upon doing this, the pot's ailments are removed one by one and the son's ordeal finally ends one day when the slipper he received from his father falls out of the pot; he puts the slipper on the pot's foot and the two walk off into the sunset.
"The Fountain of Fair Fortune"[edit]
In this story, there is a fountain where once per year, one person may bathe to have his or her problems answered. This is how three witches meet. The first witch, Asha, suffers from an incurable disease. The second, Altheda, endures poverty and powerlessness due to a robbery. The third, Amata, is distraught after being left by her beloved. The three witches decide to try to reach the fountain together but along the way, a knight also joins them.
On their path to the fountain, they face three challenges. The first involves a giant worm that demands "proof of [their] pain". The second, a steep slope where they have to bring the "fruit of their labours". The third challenge, crossing a river, requires them to pay with "the treasure of [their] past". Amata passes the challenge by using magic to withdraw the memories of her ex-lover and drop them into the water.
At the fountain, Asha collapses from exhaustion. To save her, Altheda brews an invigorating potion that also cures Asha of her disease and need of the fountain. Altheda realises that her skills are a means to earn money, so she also no longer needs the fountain. Amata realises that washing away her regret for her lover removed her need as well. The knight bathes in the water, after which he flings himself at Amata's feet and asks for "her hand and her heart" which she happily gives. Everyone gets an answer to his or her problem, unaware that the fountain held no magical power at all.
"The Warlock's Hairy Heart"[edit]
The story is about a young and handsome warlock who decides to never fall in love, so he uses Dark Arts to prevent himself from doing so. His family, hoping he will change, does nothing. However, one day, he hears two servants whispering about him not having a wife, so he decides to find a talented, rich, and beautiful witch and marry her to gain everyone's envy.
He meets that girl the next day. Though the girl is both "fascinated and repelled", the warlock persuades her to come to a dinner feast at his castle. During the feast, she tells him that she needs to know he has a heart. The warlock shows her his beating hairy heart inside a crystal casket in his dungeon. The witch begs him to put it back inside himself. After the warlock does so, she embraces him. However, being disconnected from its body for so long, his heart has developed savage tastes as it has degenerated into an animalistic state. And so he is driven to take by force a truly human heart. He tears out the witch's heart to replace his own, but finding that he cannot magic the hairy heart back out of his chest, he cuts it out with a dagger. Thus he and the maiden both die, with him holding both hearts in his hands.
"Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump"[edit]
This story is about a king who wants to keep all magic to himself. To do this he needs to solve two problems: he must capture and imprison all of the sorcerers in the kingdom and he has to learn magic. He creates a "Brigade of Witch Hunters" and calls for an instructor in magic. Only a "cunning charlatan" with no magical ability responds. The charlatan proves himself with a few simple tricks and begins to ask for jewellery and money to continue teaching. However, Babbitty, the king's washerwoman, laughs at the king one day as he attempts to do magic with an ordinary twig. This causes the king to demand the charlatan join him in a public demonstration of magic and warns that the charlatan will be beheaded if anyone laughs. The charlatan later witnesses Babbitty performing magic in her house. He threatens to expose her if she does not assist him. She agrees to hide and help the demonstration.
During the performance, the brigade captain asks the king to bring his dead hound back to life. Because Babbitty's magic is unable to raise the dead, the crowd thinks the previous acts were tricks. The charlatan exposes Babbitty, accusing her of blocking the spells. Babbitty flees into a forest and disappears at the base of an old tree. In desperation, the charlatan states that she has turned "into a crab apple" and has the tree cut down.
As the crowd departs, the stump starts cackling and makes the charlatan confess. The stump cackles again, demanding the king never hurt a wizard again, and build a statue of Babbitty on the stump to remind him of his foolishness. The king agrees and heads back to the palace. Afterwards, a "stout old rabbit" with a wand in its teeth hops out from a hole beneath the stump and leaves the kingdom.
"The Tale of the Three Brothers"[edit]
The story is about three brothers who, travelling together, reach a treacherous river. They make a magical bridge over the river. Halfway across the bridge, they meet the personification of Death who is angry for losing three potential victims. He pretends to be impressed by them and grants each a wish as a reward. The eldest brother asks for an unbeatable dueling wand, so Death gives him the Elder Wand. The middle brother asks for the ability to resurrect the dead, so Death gives him the Resurrection Stone. The youngest brother doesn't trust Death and asks for a way to stop Death from following him, so Death reluctantly gives him his Cloak of Invisibility. Afterwards, the brothers go their separate ways.
The eldest brother, bragging about his powerful wand, is robbed of it and murdered while he is asleep. The middle brother uses his ability to bring back the woman he loved, who died before he could marry her. However, she is not fully alive and is full of sorrow. He kills himself to join her. As for the youngest brother, Death never manages to find him, as he stays hidden under his Cloak. Many years later, the brother removes his cloak and gives it to his son. Pleased with his achievements, he greets Death as an old friend and chooses to leave with him as equals.
Reception[edit]
Sotheby's deputy director Dr. Philip W. Errington described the handmade edition as "one of the most exciting pieces of children's literature" to have passed through the auction house.[3] After buying the book, Amazon also released a review, describing it as "an artifact pulled straight out of a novel".[1]
The Times reviewed the published book favourably, calling the tales "funny, sinister, wise and captivating" and likening them to the Brothers Grimm.[30] The Telegraph reviewed it unfavourably, noting that they "would be unremarkable were it not for the body of work that lies behind it" and that there was "an element of padding to make it a respectable length".[31]
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d "J. K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard". Amazon.com.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d Rowling, J. K. (2007). "The Will of Albus Dumbledore". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "Rare JK Rowling book fetches £2m". BBC news. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Cleland, Gary (14 December 2007). "Amazon admits to record Harry Potter bid". The Daily Telegraph (UK). Retrieved 19 May 2013.
5.^ Jump up to: a b Strange, Hannah (14 December 2007). "Amazon says it bought £2m Rowling book as "thank you"". The Times (UK). Retrieved 11 May 2008.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c "Never-Before-Told Wizarding Stories by J. K. Rowling Sell at Sotheby's for £1,950,000". chlg.co.uk. 13 December 2007. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c Pressley, James (31 July 2008). "J.K. Rowling Children's Charity to Publish 'Beedle the Bard'". Bloomberg. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
8.Jump up ^ "New Harry Potter Out In December". booktrade.info. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
9.^ Jump up to: a b "J. K. Rowling’s Children’s Charity to Publish The Tales of Beedle the Bard on 4 December 2008". Scholastic Inc.
10.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Rowling, J. K. (2007). "The Tale of the Three Brothers". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
11.Jump up ^ Rowling, J. K. (2007). "The Deathly Hallows". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
12.Jump up ^ Rowling, J. K. (2007). "King's Cross". Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Rowling, J. K. (4 December 2008). The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition. Children's High Level Group. ISBN 0-545-12828-5. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Rowling, J. K. (4 December 2008). The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector's Edition. Children's High Level Group. ISBN 0-9560109-0-3. Retrieved 20 December 2008.
15.Jump up ^ "Interview by Razia Iqbal, BBC". BBC News. 1 November 2007. Event occurs at 0:33. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
16.Jump up ^ Rowling, Joanne (30 July 2007). Webchat with J. K. Rowling. Interview with The Leaky Cauldron. Accio Quote!. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
17.Jump up ^ "Autograph manuscript of The Tales of Beedle the Bard". Artfact. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
18.Jump up ^ Patterson, Bryan (30 November 2008). "Enthusiastic fans await new release". Herald Sun (Australia). Retrieved 3 November 2009.
19.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Auction of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard"". jkrowling.com. 1 November 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2008.
20.^ Jump up to: a b Alison Flood (20 October 2008). "JK Rowling to launch Beedle the Bard at tea party". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 23 October 2008.
21.^ Jump up to: a b "Scholastic Announces "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" Launch Plans for 4 December 2008". scholastic.com. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
22.Jump up ^ The Tales of Beedle the Bard Auction. Event occurs at 0:39.
23.Jump up ^ "The Tales of Beedle the bard Overview". Sotheby's. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
24.Jump up ^ "Inside JK Rowling's Amazing New Handwritten Book". Daily Record. 2 November 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
25.Jump up ^ "The Tales of Beedle the Bard Translated from the Original Runes". AntiqBook. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
26.Jump up ^ "'Tales of Beedle the Bard' Catalogue". Sotheby's. Retrieved 14 June 2008.
27.Jump up ^ "The Tales of Beedle the Bard' launched at Edinburgh tea party". Children's High Level Group. 4 December 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2008.
28.Jump up ^ Iqbal, Razia (1 November 2007). "Rowling completes Potter spin-off". BBC News (BBC). Retrieved 24 October 2008.
29.Jump up ^ "'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' launched at Edinburgh tea party". Retrieved 25 December 2008.
30.Jump up ^ Craig, Amanda (4 December 2008). "Review: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J K Rowling". The Times (UK). Retrieved 12 December 2008.
31.Jump up ^ Rahim, Sameer (5 December 2008). "Harry Potter: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling – review". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
External links[edit]

Portal icon Children's literature portal
Book icon Book: Harry Potter

The Tales of Beedle the Bard on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real) on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki

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Harry Potter prequel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The Harry Potter prequel is an 800-word, untitled short story written by J. K. Rowling in 2008 as part of a charity auction event, for which it fetched £25,000. The story recounts an adventure experienced by Sirius Black and James Potter, taking place before the events of the Harry Potter series.

Contents
  [hide] 1 Background
2 Plot synopsis
3 References
4 External links
Background[edit]
On 11 June 2008, Waterstones held a charity event called "What's Your Story?". Thirteen authors, including Rowling, were invited to write stories on an A5 card for auction with proceeds going to English PEN and Dyslexia Action. Rowling's card was sold for £25,000 to Hira Digpal, president of Tokyo-based investment-banking consulting company Red-33. The total raised from the sale of all thirteen cards was £47,150.[1]
Plot synopsis[edit]
Two Muggle policemen chase a speeding motorbike into a dead-end alley, cornering its riders: Sirius Black and James Potter. As the policemen confront the pair, three men fly down the alley on broomsticks. James and Sirius magically upend the policemen's car and the broomsticks crash into it, rendering their riders insensible. As the policemen clutch at each other in fear, Sirius and James return to their motorbike, which flies away.
Rowling concludes the story card with the words, "From the prequel I am not working on – but that was fun!"[2]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts
2.Jump up ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Potter 'prequel' sold at auction
External links[edit]
Harry Potter Prequel on Harry Potter Wiki, an external wiki
Official statement on J.K. Rowling's Official Site
Read the story on CopiedText

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