Harry Potter returns, all grown up: New JK Rowling short story reveals boy wizard with greying hair at Quidditch world cup

  • JK Rowling's story hints at Harry's future as a magic 'police officer'
  • Hermione, Ron, Ginny and others appear in the 1,500 word tale
  • It appeared on the author's Pottermore website
  • She recently published second book under pseudonym Robert Galbraith

By Sam Webb

Published: | Updated:

Harry Potter fans have been offered a glimpse into the teenage wizard’s future after JK Rowling resurrected her hero for a new short story that reunites him with his old friends at a Hogwarts School reunion.

The 1,500-word story, published on the writer’s Pottermore website, describes the now 34-year-old Harry as having 'threads of silver' in his black hair.

Ron Weasley, played in the hit films by Rupert Grint, has aged less well with his ginger hair 'thinning slightly'.

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Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe as Ron, Hermione and Harry in the final scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, in which they appeared as adults sending their children off to school

Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe as Ron, Hermione and Harry in the final scene of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, in which they appeared as adults sending their children off to school

Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint as Hermione, Harry and Ron aged to appear as they might in their 30s

Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint as Hermione, Harry and Ron aged to appear as they might in their 30s

He is revealed to be co-manager of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with his brother George after working for two years at the Ministry of Magic.

His wife Hermione, Harry’s wife Ginny, and their children all feature in the story. The supremely capable Hermione is now Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Rowling also gives fans a hint of Harry’s new life by describing a mysterious cut over his cheekbone, perhaps related to his membership of a top-secret group of wizards called the Aurors.

The story is set during a Quidditch tournament - the fictional sport played by the student wizards on flying broomsticks in the best-selling books that is so popular with fans that they have adapted a version of the game that can really be played.

Protege: Harry Potter's son Albus, pictured here in the final film of the series, is also mentioned in the short story

Protege: Harry Potter's son Albus, pictured here in the final film of the series, is also mentioned in the short story

Rowling also gives fans a hint of Harry¿s new life by describing a mysterious cut over his cheekbone, perhaps related to his membership of a top-secret group of wizards called the Aurors

Rowling also gives fans a hint of Harry¿s new life by describing a mysterious cut over his cheekbone, perhaps related to his membership of a top-secret group of wizards called the Aurors

Harry Potter, portrayed by actor Daniel Radcliffe, in a scene from the final film 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2'

Harry Potter, portrayed by actor Daniel Radcliffe, in a scene from the final film 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2'

It is written in the form of an article by Rita Skeeter, a gossip columnist for the Daily Prophet newspaper featured in the books.

Rowling hit the headlines recently when she stated her support for a No vote in the Scottish independence referendum, a £1 million donation to Better Together and a blog detailing the “serious risks” of independence.

The Harry Potter author, who lives in Edinburgh, has just published her second crime thriller under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

REVELATIONS CONJURED UP: KEY FACTS FROM THE SHORT STORY

The story, 'Dumbledore's Army Reunites At Quidditch World Cup Final', is written as a feature by Daily Prophet muckraker Rita Skeeter, who is at the Quidditch World Cup Final being held in the Patagonian Desert in Argentina.

Harry and his cohorts are revealed to be special guests at the event and are still massive celebrities in the wizarding world. Skeeter described scenes of pandemonium as Harry et al arrive.

The wizard is described as having 'threads of silver' in his dark hair and is still wearing his distinctive round glasses. He is also described as having a scar on his cheek, which the journalist speculates is related to his work as an auror. His wife Ginny is revealed to be a reporter - somewhat jealously by rival Skeeter - for the Prophet reporting on the final.

Harry also warmly greets former rival and Bulgarian Quidditch player Viktor Krum.

After two years at the Ministry of Magic, Ron Weasley is now the co-owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes with his brother George. His famous red hair is 'thinning slightly'.

His wife, high flyer Hermione, has risen 'meteorically' to the position of Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and is tipped for even greater things.

Neville Longbottom is shown to be a professor of Herbology at Hogwarts, while Dumbledore's Army stalwart Luna Lovegood is married to a famous magizoologist.

JK Rowling at the launch of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Rowling made her name with the Harry Potter books, but has recently seen her second detective novel released under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith

The real identity of Robert Galbraith was revealed last year and sent the first novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, to the top of book charts.

She accepted a substantial donation to charity from the law firm which breached her confidentiality by revealing she was writing under a pseudonym.

Only a handful of trusted advisers, family and friends were initially aware of Galbraith’s true identity until the story made headlines worldwide.

SO WHAT DID WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT HARRY'S FUTURE? THE EPILOGUE OF THE DEATHLY HALLOWS

The novel and the film of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, the last in the series, closes with a brief epilogue set 19 years after Harry defeats Voldemort.

We see Harry and Ginny Weasley with their three children, while Ron and Hermione Weasley have two children.

The families meet at King's Cross station, where Harry's son Albus will depart from Platform 9 and 3/4 for his first year at Hogwarts.

Harry sees Draco Malfoy and his wife with their son, Scorpius and it is revealed that their school friend Neville Longbottom is now a Hogwarts professor.

The book's final words are: 'The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.'


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