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The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The tales of Beedle the Bard is part of the Wizarding World series. Written by JK Rowling, it builds on your understanding of the Wizarding World. The book is alluded towards in Deathly Hallows. It is made up of 5 unique stories, each reasonably short with Wizarding morals in each one. The book is introduced in the 7th of the HP series as a collection of bedtime stories. Dumbledore leaves it in his will for Hermoine as a message she needs to unravel. She and Harry don’t understand it, being raised by muggles (non-magic families) but Ron explains that they are famous stories told to magic children. The book includes:

  • The wizard and the hopping pot- a generous, elderly wizard helps people in his village by giving them potions he made “in his lucky cauldron” not his magic powers. When he dies, his selfish son refuses to extend this help but the pot has different ideas.
  • The fountain of fair fortune- every year one person is chosen to bathe in the lucky fountain. Three wizards join forces with the help of a knight. However, the crossing is not what they expected.
  • The warlock’s hairy heart- a powerful warlock (a title given to someone in the Wizarding World who has performed great acts of bravery) watches all his friends fall hopelessly in love and resolves never to let that become of him. So, he uses dark magic to make sure his heart is never touched. But soon his plan meets a grisly end.
  • Babbity Rabbity and the Cackling Stump- this story is a favourite of Ron Weasley’s. When an impudent king wants to be the only person in his land that possesses the power of magic, he employs a wizard to help him learn the art. However, Babbity knows something about the wizard that could ruin his plan.
  • The tale of the three brothers- this story is the genesis of the Deathly Hallows. Three brothers make the journey across an impossible river by magicking up a bridge. Along the way, they meet Death who is enraged that he has missed out on three deaths. Death rewards them each a “prize” for being smart enough to cheat him but they don’t work out how expected.

There are notes at the end of each chapter by Albus Dumbledore, left in his will to the Hogwarts Archives. They have “observations on Wizarding history, personal reminiscences and enlightening information on key elements of each story”.

I would recommend this to anyone of any age who has finished the Harry Potter series as the notes by Albus Dumbledore do contain some spoilers.

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