JK Rowling's Harry Potter Prequel now online!
UPDATE: Some readers are saying they're having a hard time reading Jo's handwriting. If that is the case, click the "Read More..." link at the bottom of this post to read a typed version. Thanks, Jessica!At long last, JK Rowling's Harry Potter prequel, which raised nearly $50,000 for charity, is now online! To view the works of Jo and 12 other authors, click here, then click "Read our authors' stories".
If you're having a problem viewing it on their site, you can see page one here and page two here. Enjoy!
The Story:
The speeding motorcycle took the sharp corner so fast in the darkness that both policemen in the pursuing car shouted,"Whoa!" Sergeant Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without unseating either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail lights, vanished up the narrow side street.
"We've got 'em now!" cried PC Anderson excitedly. "That's a dead end!"
Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit.
There in the headlights sat their quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour's chase. The two riders were trapped between a towering brickwall and the police car, which was now crawling towards them like some growling luminous-eyes predator.
There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to have to inch, crab-like, towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the wall, tearing buttons off his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with his backside.
"Get off the bike!" he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue light as though enjoying it.
They did as they were told, finally pulling free from the broken wing mirror, Fisher glared at them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair, his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter's guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in t-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, timeless rock band.
"No helmet!" Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. "Exceeding the speed limit by-by a considerable amount!" (In fact, the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any motorcycle could travel.) "Failure to stop for the police!"
"We'd have loved to stop for a chat," said the boy in glasses,"only we were trying--"
"Don't get smart-you two are in a heap of trouble!" snarled Anderson. "Names!"
"Names?" repeated the long-haired driver."Er-Well, let's see. There's Wilberforce...Bathsheba...Elvendork..."
"And what's nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy OR a girl," said the boy in glasses.
"Oh, our names, did you mean?" asked the first, as Anderson spluttered with rage."You should've said! This here is James Potter, and I'm Sirius Black!"
"Things'll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheeky little-"
But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gundogs, staring past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the alley. Then, with identical, fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.
For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than-
"Drumsticks?" jeered Anderson. "Right pair of jokers, aren't you? Right, we're arresting you on a charge of--"
But Anderson never got to name the charge. James and Sirius had shouted something incomprehensible, and the beams from the headlights had moved.
The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying-actually flying- up the alley on broomsticks-and at the same moment,the police car was rearing up on its back wheels.
Fisher's knee bucked; as he sat down hard; Anderson tripped over Fisher's legs and fell on top of him, as flump-bang-crunch- they heard the mean on brooms slam into the suspended car and fall, apparently insensible, to the ground, while broken bits of broomstick clattered down around them.
The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back at the two teenagers.
"Thanks very much!" called Sirius over the throb of the engine."We owe you one!"
"Yeah, nice meeting you!" said James. "And don't forget: Elvendork! It's unisex!"
There was an earth-shaking crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle's turn to rear. Before the policemen's disbelieving eyes, it took off into thin air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.
From the prequel I am not working on-but that was fun! J.K. Rowling.2008
The speeding motorcycle took the sharp corner so fast in the darkness that both policemen in the pursuing car shouted,"Whoa!" Sergeant Fisher slammed his large foot on the brake, thinking that the boy who was riding pillion was sure to be flung under his wheels; however, the motorbike made the turn without unseating either of its riders, and with a wink of its red tail lights, vanished up the narrow side street.
"We've got 'em now!" cried PC Anderson excitedly. "That's a dead end!"
Leaning hard on the steering wheel and crashing his gears, Fisher scraped half the paint off the flank of the car as he forced it up the alleyway in pursuit.
There in the headlights sat their quarry, stationary at last after a quarter of an hour's chase. The two riders were trapped between a towering brickwall and the police car, which was now crawling towards them like some growling luminous-eyes predator.
There was so little space between the car doors and the walls of the alley that Fisher and Anderson had difficulty extricating themselves from the vehicle. It injured their dignity to have to inch, crab-like, towards the miscreants. Fisher dragged his generous belly along the wall, tearing buttons off his shirt as he went, and finally snapping off the wing mirror with his backside.
"Get off the bike!" he bellowed at the smirking youths, who sat basking in the flashing blue light as though enjoying it.
They did as they were told, finally pulling free from the broken wing mirror, Fisher glared at them. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had been driving had long black hair, his insolent good looks reminded Fisher unpleasantly of his daughter's guitar-playing, layabout boyfriend. The second boy also had black hair, though his was short and stuck up in all directions; he wore glasses and a broad grin. Both were dressed in t-shirts emblazoned with a large golden bird; the emblem, no doubt, of some deafening, timeless rock band.
"No helmet!" Fisher yelled, pointing from one uncovered head to the other. "Exceeding the speed limit by-by a considerable amount!" (In fact, the speed registered had been greater than Fisher was prepared to accept that any motorcycle could travel.) "Failure to stop for the police!"
"We'd have loved to stop for a chat," said the boy in glasses,"only we were trying--"
"Don't get smart-you two are in a heap of trouble!" snarled Anderson. "Names!"
"Names?" repeated the long-haired driver."Er-Well, let's see. There's Wilberforce...Bathsheba...Elvendork..."
"And what's nice about that one is, you can use it for a boy OR a girl," said the boy in glasses.
"Oh, our names, did you mean?" asked the first, as Anderson spluttered with rage."You should've said! This here is James Potter, and I'm Sirius Black!"
"Things'll be seriously black for you in a minute, you cheeky little-"
But neither James nor Sirius was paying attention. They were suddenly as alert as gundogs, staring past Fisher and Anderson, over the roof of the police car, at the dark mouth of the alley. Then, with identical, fluid movements, they reached into their back pockets.
For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than-
"Drumsticks?" jeered Anderson. "Right pair of jokers, aren't you? Right, we're arresting you on a charge of--"
But Anderson never got to name the charge. James and Sirius had shouted something incomprehensible, and the beams from the headlights had moved.
The policemen wheeled around, then staggered backwards. Three men were flying-actually flying- up the alley on broomsticks-and at the same moment,the police car was rearing up on its back wheels.
Fisher's knee bucked; as he sat down hard; Anderson tripped over Fisher's legs and fell on top of him, as flump-bang-crunch- they heard the mean on brooms slam into the suspended car and fall, apparently insensible, to the ground, while broken bits of broomstick clattered down around them.
The motorbike had roared into life again. His mouth hanging open, Fisher mustered the strength to look back at the two teenagers.
"Thanks very much!" called Sirius over the throb of the engine."We owe you one!"
"Yeah, nice meeting you!" said James. "And don't forget: Elvendork! It's unisex!"
There was an earth-shaking crash, and Fisher and Anderson threw their arms around each other in fright; their car had just fallen back to the ground. Now it was the motorcycle's turn to rear. Before the policemen's disbelieving eyes, it took off into thin air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.
From the prequel I am not working on-but that was fun! J.K. Rowling.2008
Posted by Andrew on Jun 11th |
238 Comments
Visitor Comments
i dunno . . . it was cute but a bit disappointing overall. oh well. see, this could make a good chapter for a book 8, cuz you know how she's always starting the books with a scene that isn't about Harry. Then we could find out who the guys on broomsticks are! Yay! C'mon, JKR!
OMFG! THAT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!! I WANT A PREQUEL!!!!!!! I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!
drumsticks. lol awesome
I loved it! I just love the way Jo writes. And I love James and Sirius. The only bad thing about this is that it makes us want MORE, and I doubt Jo will actually write another book (besides the encyclopedia). Perhaps she'll write more little short stories like this one, though!
well, what were soem of you people expecting? Obviuosly if it was exciting or something of sorts, JKR would have book -1 on her hands. But really, I wasn't expecting a story more about policemen then wizards, but I think it was incredibly good, and incredibly cute. Kind of like a fanfiction. Not that it seemed unreal, or cheesy, but its a moment in time. Which some one shot fanfictions I've read are just that; a pointless if somewhat comical moment in time. Something she obviously couldn't include in the stories. And it also just gets me more psyched for the encyclopedia. I'm a sort of author, and I think up lots of little scenes in my head that would never fit the mood. Thus they stay in my head. JKR, writing this for over a decade, must have ALOT of mini stories.
It was great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!! I have to say though, James and Sirius are EXTREMELY arrogant. I want more :(
"Elvendork! It's unisex!" AHHHHH. I LOVE JO.
YAY!!! Who were the three men on broomsticks? Death Eaters?
hahahaha that was awesome! I really wish she would write a whole prequel- just look at how well jkr writes one scene...... and who are the three people on brooms?
and right now, someone has already decided to name their child "Elvendork" XD
IT WAS AMAZING, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE JO HAS WRITTEN!
Haha, there was some good humor in there. I liked it. "And don't forget: Elvendork! It's unisex!" hehehe. Very nice job, Jo!
It was a nice story, and funny at parts, especially that "Remember Elvendorf, it's unisex!", although it didn't have much James and Sirius in it! JK should really do a longer prequel, she has so many awesome ideas, or maybe a sequel, in the 19 years part. How I wish! I didn't think her handwriting was *that* bad as some said, I could read it except at some parts but still, it's much more comfortable reading the typed version, so thanks for that mugglenet. Oh and didn't anyone notice what that motorcycle IS? It's the 'flying motorbike' Hagrid used to save Harry the night his parents were killed! It's an obvious link from JKR, so cool!
JK please write something about the Maradeurs and Lily befora HP, because this I Love It.
And were the 'drumsticks' wands or broomsticks. I'm guessing wands, since they said something 'incomprehensible' after it. But the part with the three men on broomsticks crashing is confusing. From what people are saying here, they're probably death eaters and James and Sirius were escaping from them. But then they came down on the car, and pieces of broomstick flew? Anyway, what's important is I think and am sure this motorcycle is 'Sirius's flying motorbike' which Hagrid uses to save Harry at the very beginning of Book 1. As I said, awesome link! Hasn't anyone else thought of it?
very disappointing... sort of like she didn't even try... oh well
I loved it! Love love love it!
Thank God for the typed version! That was great, I love James and Sirius -- they have a very Weasley Twin feel! :-)
It really does look like Elvendork in the handwriting, not Elvendorf. What makes them say in the typed version that it's Elvendorf? Elvendorf sounds better anyway, but definately not a girl's name!
Oops I guess they changed it now, it says Elvendork in the typed version too.
Ha! That was brilliant! Sounds like something they would do! I wound where they were going. They were sure pushing it hard, getting caught by the police AND using magic in front of two muggles! That is either brave or stupid. Now I know why Sirius said they were idiots!;)
It seemed a bit ridiculous... Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan. This just seemed like a half-hearted, waiting-for-her-husband-t o-get-back-from-the-bathr oom idea. Not great, but than again its just a cheese ball little short for charity. Can't expect platinum writing for everything she puts on paper. And I hate to say it, but she's not a literary god people. She's great, but not everything she writes is an instant classic. If it was I'm sure her agent would be publishing her tax return or unwanted voided checks. Its the same problem people have with George Lucas. People have raised him up on a platform of perfection. Its like, everything he does is pure and divine. We all remember Jar Jar don't we? Anyway, the point is... It's good that she was writing for charity. It's always good when rich people take time out of their lives for those less fortunate. However, I personally thought this short story was something she would never have put in her books without major (and I'm talking massive) reworks. Anyway, just a thought. Don't crucify me. =)
I wonder who was on the broomsticks? If it was James and Sirius who pushed the police back. It must have been some Deatheaters or something. Because they did seem to be running away, anyway, it looked that way to me!
I thought it was a cute little story. It's so weird to read something like this from JKR, though; usually you read something like this in a fanfic. But it was still adorable. I'm a bit confused about the whole three men on broomsticks thing, though. =)
I WISH THERE WAS A PREQUEL!!! i wonder who the guys on brooms were? it was absolutly fantastic! it just makes me hunger for more though...*sigh*
I was a bit nervous when I heard the story was about James and Sirius, Muggle police, the flying motorcycle, and broomsticks but that was great!!!
*bounces up and down in seat* oh oh oh! that was absolutely wonderful! i love her handwriting, too! the part about elvendork cracked me up! XD
ohmagaad that was so good. quite short, but good. I have been going through JK Rowling withdrawl since the last book, this was nice. I really hope she writes a full prequel. that would be the best day of my life. I wish I was kidding.
I loved it! It was great, even if it was a short-story. I'm going to go to school tomorrow and repeat that Elvendork line to EVERYONE, and I know I'll get blank stares. LOL!
hah that was interesting...I would love to know what those two were up to! Hm I keep seeing comments about people who want book 8...you see in my world there isn't even a 7th book...b/c HP and The Deathly Hallows just didn't cut it for me. It didn't fit with the wonderful and whimsical other six books...it was just so devastingly disappointing and it seemed like it was based on fanfiction rather than JK's imagination. It just seemed so very odd to me, so unseemly...but hey, what do I know! That's just my opinion...which no one else seems to share...
Wooo! The prequel! Elvendork is unisex! YAAAYYY!! BEST PREQUEL EVER! I hope she writes an 130,000 word prequel, too.
what a neat little bit of a story. who were the 3 men on broomsticks?! ahhhh will we ever know for sure?! this will drive me nuts for a very long time *sigh*
Ah. Makis, I agree with and very much so respect your opinion!
AHHH! What a tease!!I want more!!!
Elvendork Greenleaf. I'm SO naming my favorite kid that! lol.....prolly won't, but whatevs....
I was expecting a lot better. I was disappointed by a) how short it was and b) how unresolved the ending was. We don't know where Sirius and James were going, who the 3 men on broomsticks were, and where Sirius and James were headed afterward. When and where did this even take place? We don't have a setting, we don't have a clear antagonist at this juncture, and we can't even grasp the whole plot. The time frame would be useful. AND-Did they get in trouble for using magic in front of muggles??!!! I hope "that I'm not working on" is really code for "Expect more" :)
You would think that if you spent your life writing, you would be able to write so someone else could read it.
Wow! i never realized how much i missed Harry Potter. I feel like JK Rowling's writing in my oxygen I breathe. I have gone months without "breathing" and not I only got a tiny breath which reminded me of how good oxygen was. Now I now need more, more Harry Potter. As for the story, it wasn't too exciting, but still HP is HP and anything is great when written by JK Rowling. I can't wait for the encyclopedia, but until then maybe JKR will write more prequel (fingers crossed).
I thought it was an AMAZING piece of work! Then again, I probably just think that cause I'm a die-hard HP fan. Anyways, I'm so happy she wrote this! Loved it! Great work Jo! :D:D:D:D
I also TOTALLY agree with starshein.:-D This entry is from my sister: "and um, i think i need to read that again. it is so confusing how the story unfolds and why a) did james and sirius use magic in front of muggles, and b) why were they messing around on a flying motorcycle in a muggle town where every muggle can see them? they r so weird."
Wow. Ummm. Okay. That was completely horrid. Now, I am a fan of Harry Potter, but this prequel was just sickening. First of all, JK, have you ever taken a Style class? Also, how many adjectives do you really need? Remember the phrase "less is more?" You should think about making it your best friend. I am sitting here with my fellow English majors and we were just discussing how we wished that we had $50,000 so that we could buy this "work of art" and use it as toilet paper. I love Sirius and James, but this does no credit to their characters. It's like I am reading horrible fanfiction written by a little girl who loves original characters and just learned what adjectives are. A little more effort would be appreciated. Especially if it's being sold for charity. You don't need to adopt five kids like Angelina Jolie, but we should take some pride in our work.
Unlike Muggle206 and starshein (sorry guys), but I love how don't know anything. I love the fact the we have no clue who the 3 'broomstick' men were. I also love how it is short; makes it easier to read it over again.
Okay, i got a couple of issues. First of all, ImAmandaJulius, that is really really rude saying stuff like that. Jk rowling is an amazing author and as she said this wasn't a huge thing like the books. This was for charity and it was short, so you can expect it to not be outrageously amazing, but please keep your rude nasty comments to yourself and ur "fellow english majors" *fake coughs rude critics* because some of us might not feel like hearing all that junk. Just because you wanted to rip it up and wipe your butt with it, doesn't mean everyone else does. Second of all, I thought it was very good for such a short story. As i said last night, i like to read about what characters were like before the major story was told. I enjoyed reading it alot. :.b :.)
Ha ha! Like liked that story! Sirius and James are so mischievous! I liked the characters of the Police officers too- they were pretty well described for a short piece. It makes me wish J.K could write just a little prequel about the mad adventures the marauders get up too- Maybe have just a bunch of random short stories in a thin volume (rather than a drawn out 'star wars' type thing where it's just a continuous story-line) Unfortunat ely, I doubt J.K reads the comments- so it's probably not going to happen- but *sigh* a fan can dream!
I wonder if that was the way Harry and Lily made their 'g's too ...
ImAmandaJulius- That comment was way too harsh! So what if it's not technically well written? If it tells the story (which it did) who cares! And it's written on a piece of card for goodness sake! It's not a Term paper or a Thesis. Jeez Louise.
Oh, my God...this is so emontional. I'm actually tearing up...
THANK YOU!!! Ingridtk, thanx for agreeing with me even though that is probably spelled wrong, i don't care.
Flippin' hilarious man! I feel so proud to say that we in the MWPP fandom have been spot on in our characterizations of those two! It really felt like I was reading a fanfic...My puppy has been renamed Elvindork (from Severus), just so you know.
Oh. My. Gosh!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it!!! I can't believe we've just gotten new Potter material from JKR..it was seriously amazing and sooo much fun to read!!!!!! I LOVED it!!! now, how can she not write a prequel after opening that can of worms?? who was on the broomsticks?? who exactly were James and Sirius running from?? where were they off to?? I mean there are soo many questions that this little story brought up!!! omgosh!! I really hope she answers them or even better...someday writes a prequel...I think maybe someday she'll give in and do it...even if its ten years from now. but OMGOSH!! seriously perfect timing..because I'm an actress and I have my showcase tomorrow for agents and managers...and I play an obsessed excited harry potter fan who can't help throwing in harry potter references for a bank interview job...haha..this sooo got me in the right mind set!! thank you soo much Jo!!!!!!!! You make my world go round!! :) :)
Back to Top