JK Rowling channelled her inner Malfoy to get revenge on Stephen Fry over Harry Potter audiobook
'She thought for a moment, then said ‘no’, and hung up'
Your support helps us to tell the story
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Don’t cross JK Rowling. Seriously, she can be dastardly to anyone who gets in her way. Luckily, we haven’t had to find out the hard way unlike Stephen Fry, who narrated the Harry Potter audiobooks.
On his latest stand-up tour, the soon-to-be ex-QI presenter reportedly explains that - when the pair first met - all he knew about the first book was that it was a children’s novel that had sold well enough to get a sequel.
"Good for you," he apparently told her, not realising that Harry Potter would go on to be the worldwide cultural phenomenon it is today.
Years later, he was doing his job as normal when, reading The Prisoner of Azkaban, he came across a part where the titular character pockets something.
“Harry pocketed it” was the exact phrase in the book. It turns out this phrase was particularly hard to say, with Fry accidentally saying “Harry pocketeded it” every time except for when speaking very slowly.
According to Petty Revenge Stories Tumblr, who wrote up Fry’s story: “They tried time and time again to get it right, but to no avail.
“Eventually, he called up JK and asked if he could say ‘Harry put it in his pocket’ instead. She thought for a moment, then said ‘no’, and hung up.
“The phrase ‘Harry pocketed it’ appeared in the next four books.”
Perhaps JK Rowling really does belong in Slytherin? In other Harry Potter news, actress Noma Dumezweni has responded to those who criticised her being cast as Hermione in The Cursed Child.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments