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J.K. Rowling Urges Fans Not to Buy an Extremely Rare Stolen 'Harry Potter' Prequel Story She Wrote

By Rachel McRady
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Could this be the work of the Deatheaters? Harry Potter scribe J.K. Rowling took to Twitter early Friday to seek her fans’ help. The bestselling author revealed that she previously handwrote a prequel to her internationally famous franchise and auctioned the story off for charity.


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But the notecard containing the tale was stolen, and now police are trying to get the story back to its rightful owner.

The West Midlands Police Department issued a statement and photograph of the missing document on Friday, writing, “Police have issued an appeal after a rare Harry Potter prequel, handwritten by the author J K Rowling, was stolen during a burglary in Kings Heath. The story, penned personally by Rowling over two sides of an A5 postcard is extremely valuable.”

The burglary occurred in late April, but police have been unable to apprehend any suspects or recover the stolen document. They believe that appealing to Potter fans will help move the case forward.

Investigating Officer PC Paul Jauncey said in a statement: "The only people who will buy this unique piece are true Harry Potter fans. We are appealing to anyone who sees, or is offered this item for sale, to contact police."

Rowling herself also tweeted her more than 10 million fans, writing, “PLEASE DON’T BUY THIS IF YOU’RE OFFERED IT. Originally auctioned for @englishpen, the owner supported writers’ freedoms by bidding for it.”


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Until now, Potter fans did not know that a prequel story existed. Rowling has focused on several Potter-adjacent projects in the last few years, including penning the script for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a story that exists in the wizarding world. But fans have long called for a tale about Harry’s parents and the Marauders.

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