Harry Potter prequel available online

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earendel · #1 Post by **earendel** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:32 am

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesw ... =200000681

For those who may not be aware, J.K. Rowling was one of 13 authors (including Margaret Atwood, Doris Lessing and Neil Gaiman) asked to write a postcard-sized story that would be auctioned off for charity. Rowling wrote an 800-word "prequel" to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which went for 25,000 pounds. It has been scanned and is available on the Web at the address above - please note that her penmanship leaves a little to be desired. And she signed it ""From the prequel I am not working on - but that was fun!"

gsabc · #2 Post by **gsabc** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:54 am

Darn shame she's not working on that prequel. Very intriguing.

You could print that right into a script and get the entire thing on film/tape/pixels with no problem. That's NOT an easy thing to do in writing, especially with such a short piece.

MarkBarrett · #3 Post by **MarkBarrett** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:02 pm

Can someone help with a few words, please?

Line 3 and 4: thinking that the boy who was riding [?] was sure to be [?] under his wheels

First line of second section: We'd have loved to stop for a chat said the boy in glasses; only we were [?]

About 10 lines up from the bottom: The motobike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher [?] the strength to look back...

****
Thanks for the link Earendel.

silvercamaro · #4 Post by **silvercamaro** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:11 pm

MarkBarrett wrote:Can someone help with a few words, please?

Line 3 and 4: thinking that the boy who was riding pillion* was sure to be flung under his wheels

First line of second section: We'd have loved to stop for a chat said the boy in glasses; only we were trying --."

About 10 lines up from the bottom: The motobike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back...

*A pillion is the seat on the back of the motorcycle, behind the driver.

gsabc · #5 Post by **gsabc** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:12 pm

MarkBarrett wrote:Can someone help with a few words, please?

Line 3 and 4: thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels

First line of second section: We'd have loved to stop for a chat said the boy in glasses; only we were trying ...

About 10 lines up from the bottom: The motobike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back...

****
Thanks for the link Earendel.

TheCalvinator24 · #6 Post by **TheCalvinator24** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:13 pm

MarkBarrett wrote:Can someone help with a few words, please?

Line 3 and 4: thinking that the boy who was riding [?] was sure to be [?] under his wheels

pillion(?) flung

MarkBarrett wrote:First line of second section: We'd have loved to stop for a chat said the boy in glasses; only we were [?]

trying --

MarkBarrett wrote:About 10 lines up from the bottom: The motobike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher [?] the strength to look back...

mustered

silvercamaro · #7 Post by **silvercamaro** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:52 pm

If I were J.K. Rowling's editor, I would question whether the word "unisex" existed in the year that this scene took place. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary (because I don't have a better source available) the word was coined in 1968.

I also would ask if she thought the word "pillion" would be familiar to her American readers.

Then, if she still wanted to use both words, I'd nod my head and say, "Fine," because she's J.K. Rowling and I'm not.

TheCalvinator24 · #8 Post by **TheCalvinator24** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:12 pm

silvercamaro wrote:If I were J.K. Rowling's editor, I would question whether the word "unisex" existed in the year that this scene took place. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary (because I don't have a better source available) the word was coined in 1968.

Harry was born in 1981 (I think). I got the impression that James & Lilly were still pretty young when he was born, so this event would have happened well after 1968.

silvercamaro · #9 Post by **silvercamaro** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:20 pm

TheCalvinator24 wrote:
Harry was born in 1981 (I think). I got the impression that James & Lilly were still pretty young when he was born, so this event would have happened well after 1968.

Thanks. I've also considered the possibility that James Potter was the creator of the word, even though some muggle may have taken credit for it.

MarkBarrett · #10 Post by **MarkBarrett** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:10 pm

Thank you for the help with the words. Pillion was a new one to me. It would have been easy to do a Google search for Potter prequel transcribed, but I enjoyed the challenge of deciphering Rowling's writing.