UPDATE: We’re at war in the Crushable offices over whether Twilight or Harry Potter is a better franchise. Vote for your favorite in our Twilight vs. Harry Potter poll.
SWEEEEEETTT! The book publisher Waterstone’s website has now updated with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel, which sold for a ton of money in a charity auction this week (you can read more about the prequel’s other authors here). Here, in its entirety (800 words), is the Harry Potter Prequel.
The Harry Potter Prequel, by JK Rowling
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 light, 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 brick wall and the police car, which was now crashing towards them like some growling, luminous-eyed 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 wind 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, tuneless rock band.
‘No helmets!’ 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.) ‘Failing 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 knees bucked; he sat down hard; Anderson tripped over Fisher’s legs and fell on top of him, as FLUMP – BANG – CRUNCH – they heard the men on brooms slam into the upended 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-shattering 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 the air: James and Sirius zoomed away into the night sky, their tail light twinkling behind them like a vanishing ruby.
What did you think? Who do you think the guys in the alley were? Why were James and Sirius trying to go so fast on their bikes? So many questions!
5 days ago
Wouldn’t it be great if JKR wrote a whole series about James and the whole gang?
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6 days ago
please i will like ROWLINGS to write it for us.we love it.
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8 days ago
Well, Matrix, I don’t think that’s true. They were in their LATE teens, so yes there could be an order of the Phoenix.
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10 days ago
you do realise this clearly wasn’t written by j.k. the language used is all entirley wrong for her and its of a hugely inferior qaulity to anything else she’s written. This is clearly sometimes attempt at writing it themselves
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8 days ago
She did write this, for the ‘What’s Your Story?” charity fundraiser.
1 day ago
It was by her. She has talked about it in interviews, It has its own wiki page and it is listed as one of her written works on multiple sites.
14 days ago
That was so cool! I wanted a prequel of them. And in light of all the comments I read(I didn’t read all 390 so I don’t know if this was said) but I’m pretty sure hagrid said voldemort had been in power for 10years before he tried killing harry. I’m sure the o.o.t.p was in existance. Plus snapes memories, lily was afraid snape was gonna be a death eater. And knowing those two goones(love them) it could very well be death eaters. and they were roughly 17. So fresh out of hogwarts or going into their last year. But anyway. I loved it! And I want more!
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18 days ago
I actually read from somewhere that JK Rowling’s planning on writing a new series. Prequel series, to be exact. It’s gonna be about the Marauders and Snape and Lily’s Hogwarts days. She’s planning the first book to be out by 2014. I read it with direct quotations from her. I really do hope it’ll be confirmed soon.
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16 days ago
Where did you read this? I have been searching for the source for a while now.
15 days ago
you read it on a blog site didnt you? and if you clicked the link you’d see it was a fake
19 days ago
I loved it. This exciting story ends with quite a twist!
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23 days ago
I think this was really amazing and gave James and Sirius way more depth. I so miss the thrill of a new HP book coming out. It would be awesome if JK writes some more. Reading this makes me think that it would be really cool if she wrote about James and Sirius and that time period. It would be really interstring and add to HP.
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24 days ago
OMG she could write an entire book on what happened before Harry’s birth, I HOPE SHE WILL tht would be amaaaazing, she’s opened a door to a whole new dimension of harry potter, forget books abt his kids i’d rather here abt his parents!
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25 days ago
There was most definitely an Order of the Phoenix when James and Sirius were teenagers. That statement really bugged me. James died when he was 21. But this was hilarious! JK Rowling is a genius! I may just name my first child Elvendork…because it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl!
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3 days ago
“it’s unisex!”
31 days ago
This was great! I really like the idea of a prequel, maybe as a full novel. I would definitely buy it! This was good, but left me wanting much much more. Where can I find more?
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33 days ago
This was really good but DEFINATELY needed to be LONGER! I think it was snitches on their shirts. Does anyone know how old James and Lilly were when Harry was born? This says that Sirius and James were teenagers, and that this happened a few years before Harry was born…
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35 days ago
LOL, I loved this. ‘And don’t forget: Elvendork! It’s unisex!’ Just found a new quotation for my Facebook! So writing a fanfiction with this in it…
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38 days ago
hahahahahahahaha, :Elvendork! Its unisex!” LOL!!
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39 days ago
14hp1 ur wrong matrix said no ootf when they were teens. ootf didnt start till they were 21. he is wrong about phoenix they r red AND gold. love jo rowling heres to hp7 in 14 days so excited
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40 days ago
The first order of Phoenix during the first war was likely started some time before the marauder’s etc were old enough to join and was likely well established when they joined up. Also, it probably was not kept much of a secret as it is during the second wizarding war because at that time the ministry was not against them and probably was just happy for the extra help. I’m guessing that the bird on their shirts were Phoenix’s and this was some cocky creation of theirs that the marauder’s would wear despite the danger by association because the death eaters were probably fully aware of them. But there definitely was an order of the Phoenix when James and Lily were around. The police say they are teenagers but they were only like twenty at the time so they could easily have mistaken them for a bit younger. One more thing, the people chasing them were probably death eaters otherwise they would not be trying to escape them, though it is weird that they are so casual and not at all worried about the safety of the muggles they are talking too, probably they are just overly confidant in their own abilities in a way that Harry and his friends never were.
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44 days ago
…Evlin Dork…really James? I mean, I’d expect something like this from Sirius, but from you James?
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45 days ago
I wish she writes more- i love this
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45 days ago
umm, yeah JK said she might write more potter bools this week and @elvendork
the other one, this was 3 years before harrry was born :D
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48 days ago
Oh man! I’ve read this tons of times, and can’t get over it! I wish she’d write an actual prequel. I mean, I understand why she won’t, but a poor little nerdling can hope :D
By the by, Matrix, while I know it’s old haps: yes, there was an order of the Phoenix when they were teens. Lily and James died in 1981, and (assuming this is taking place after they’ve left Hogwarts judging by the “late teens” and the fact Sirius has his motorbike) and the Marauders graduated Hogwarts in 1978. So presumably they joined the OOTP right out of school between the ages of 17 and 20…
/nerd
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