Harry Potter prequel

The Harry Potter prequel is an 800-word story written by J. K. Rowling, and was published online on 11 June 2008. Set about three years before the birth of Harry Potter, the story recounts an adventure experienced by Sirius Black and James Potter.

Plot synopsis

Muggle Policemen PC Anderson and Sergeant Fisher are chasing a motorbike which is breaking the speed limit into a dead-end alley. Confronting the two youths riding the bike, they ask for their names. After some joking, the boys introduce themselves as Sirius Black and James Potter. As the policemen attempt to arrest them for speeding and riding without helmets, three men on broomsticks fly down the alley towards them. James and Sirius use their wands to lift the police car up to form a barrier, and the broomstick riders crash into it. Sirius and James then leave the frightened policemen in the alley.

Context

J. K. Rowling has stated that the prequel is set "around three years" before Harry's birth (on 31 July, 1980). [ [http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=106 J.K.Rowling Official Site ] ] We know from "Deathly Hallows" that Harry's father, James Potter, was born on 27 March, 1960 and so according to the chronology of the Potterverse, he started Hogwarts in September 1971, aged eleven. (Sirius Black and the other Marauders were in the same school year as James.) In 1977, therefore, they would be in their seventh and final year at Hogwarts (although Rowling makes clear that this date is only approximate so it is possible that James and Sirius have already left school).

According to "Half-Blood Prince", wizards come of age at seventeen and so, after March 1977, James would be allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts without breaking the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. Doing magic in the presence of a Muggle would ordinarily violate the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy, but there is an exception for self-defence. (See Ministry of Magic for more.)

According to "Order of the Phoenix", Sirius Black ran away from home at the age of sixteen and was taken in by James's parents, so at the time of the prequel he would be living with the Potters. This was also the era of the first war against Lord Voldemort in which Voldemort's Death Eaters fought Dumbledore's organization, the Order of the Phoenix. In the prequel story, both James and Sirius are wearing "“T-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird”".

Harry's mother, Lily Evans, started going out with James Potter in their seventh year and (according to Rowling) the pair were married soon after leaving school. Afterwards, Rowling confirms that they (along with Sirius and Lupin) worked for the Order of the Phoenix as “full-time fighters”, supported by James's inheritance. [ [http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2007/10/20/j-k-rowling-at-carnegie-hall-reveals-dumbledore-is-gay-neville-marries-hannah-abbott-and-scores-more J. K. Rowling at Carnegie Hall Reveals Dumbledore is Gay; Neville Marries Hannah Abbott, and Much More - The Leaky Cauldron ] ] This was the period in which they defied Voldemort three times, so becoming the subjects of a Prophecy about their son. In a recent interview, Rowling revealed that James and Lily Potter were asked by Voldemort to join the Death Eaters, but refused, making it "one strike against them before they were even out of their teens".cite web |url=http://www.accio-quote.org/articles/2007/1217-pottercast-anelli.html |title=PotterCast Interviews J.K. Rowling, part one |accessdate=2008-02-07 |last=Anelli |first=Melissa |coauthors=Noe, John; Upton, Sue |date=2007-12-17 |work=PotterCast #130 |publisher=Accio-Quote]

Announcement

J. K. Rowling announced on May 28, 2008 that she was writing a prequel story for English PEN, the writers' association, and the Dyslexia Society. The story, handwritten on a card and signed by J. K. Rowling, would then be auctioned off alongside thirteen similar cards from other authors on June 11th 2008, with the proceeds going to charity. The story card sold for £25,000 in the "What's Your Story?" auction at Waterstone's in Piccadilly and the set raised around £47,150 for the two charities. [cite web |url=http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/navigate.do?pPageID=200000681 |title=JK's story card: a prequel to Potter |publisher=Waterstone's |date=12 June 2008] A book of facsimiles will be published in August 2008 to allow fans to own and read the story.The buyer of the Potter story card was Hira Digpal, president of Tokyo-based investment-banking consulting company Red-33. [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aqizqD2FEX5w&refer=home Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts ] ] He had been prepared to make a maximum bid of £50,000, or twice the amount he finally paid. Rowling has ruled out writing a full prequel to the Potter series, also concluding the story card with the words, "From the prequel I am not working on — but that was fun!" [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7446337.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Potter 'prequel' sold at auction ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/en/news_view.cfm?id=106 Official statement on J.K. Rowling's Official Site]
* [http://www.gryffindorgazette.com/2008/06/11/the-harry-potter-prequel-read-it-here/ Read the story here (Gryffindor Gazette)] ----