Rare ‘Harry Potter’ prequel vanishes after U.K. home burglary
May 12, 2017, 8:04 a.m.
Rare ‘Harry Potter’ prequel vanishes after U.K. home burglary
Let’s get the Gringotts goblins on this one: “Harry Potter†scribe J.K. Rowling is appealing to anyone who might come across a burgled prequel she wrote about the bespectacled boy wizard’s father.
A rare, handwritten postcard on which she penned the story was taken from a Birmingham, England, home — along with jewelry — during a break-in in Kings Heath that took place between April 13 and 24, West Midlands police said in a statement Friday.
“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,†investigating officer PC Paul Jauncey said in the statement.
The 800-word manuscript — about James Potter and his pal Sirius Black’s run-in with Muggle cops three years prior to Harry’s birth — was written on both sides of an A5 postcard for a 2008 charity auction benefiting literacy organization English PEN. It sold for £25,000, according to the Daily Mail, which published a full transcript of the lesser-known story.
Rowling and police are appealing to Harry Potter fans all over the world to help retrieve the “extremely valuable†untitled piece. The billionaire author also issued her own plea.
“PLEASE DON’T BUY THIS IF YOU’RE OFFERED IT. Originally auctioned for @englishpen, the owner supported writers’ freedoms by bidding for it,†she tweeted.
Hira, the burglary victim who would be identified only by his first name, told the BBC that the work was “priceless†and had potential to raise money for additional good causes if sold again legitimately.
“I don’t think whoever took it or stole it or who might purchase it will really understand the benefits to people out there, what it can do,†he said. “If it’s destroyed, or if it’s lost, it’s a great loss.â€
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