J.K. Rowling Is Begging Fans Not to Buy This Stolen 'Harry Potter' Prequel

Let this be a lesson that you don't want to mess with J.K. Rowling. The author is outspoken and doesn’t take any bullshit, especially when it comes to people stealing her work. She's begging fans not to purchase her stolen Harry Potter prequel, which was auctioned to support charities English Pen and Dyslexia Action. 

According to HuffPost, the manuscript—an 800-word story that takes place in the same universe as Harry Potter and begins three years before the titular character's birth—was stolen in April. On Friday, Rowling tweeted a plea to her fans not to buy it.

According to Refinery29, local police are supporting Rowling's honorable efforts to return the manuscript to its rightful owner. They've been asking fans to help in their search. “The only people who will buy this unique piece are true Harry Potter fans,” said the Investigating Officer PC Paul Jauncey.

The manuscript was originally purchased by a fan, who asked to be identified only by his first name, “Hira.” Hira told the BBC he hopes the one-of-a-kind work, which was handwritten on a postcard, is returned because the story is of value to him. "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 I can get it back, I'm over the moon, because I'm only going to be doing good stuff with it. If it's destroyed, or if it's lost, it's a great loss."