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OCTOBER 17, 2003 at 2:11 PM
Posted by GRAE
Source: The Press Democrat via The Leaky Cauldron
"Harry, Harry Potter, where are you? Idiot boy!" Uncle Vernon looked exactly like Dudley, a big man with hardly any neck, "Your wands gone! If I find you on the roof, I swear I'll ..." But Harry never heard what Uncle Vernon was going to do. Harry never found out. Hedwig, Harry's snow owl had swooped out and pecked Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon grabbed a kitchen knife and pointed it at Hedwig's throat. "If you don't get down here, this owl dies!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
No, the above excerpt isn't from the next book in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, but rather a work of fan fiction - although you may be surprised at the age of the young author
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[Eight-year-old Dezi] Gallegos, an active boy with an active imagination, loves fantasy tales in which good battles evil, and reads voraciously.
He's devoured all of the Harry Potter books, and after reading the "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" released during the summer, Gallegos began writing while on a family beach vacation in Southern California.
"Something about the fifth book inspired me. I started writing the first chapter and it was pretty long. I went home and kept writing. I loved my idea so much that I kept writing. I was finally so happy and I knew when it was done," said Gallegos, his brown eyes flashing with excitement.
His parents, Melanie and Ken, gently told him it was highly unlikely Rowling would consider using his storyline -- or the entire manuscript -- but that didn't deter Gallegos, who was determined to play out a new Harry Potter adventure in his mind, and record it on paper.
Gallegos has been building momentum for his 300-page Harry Potter book for the past few years. As a birthday gift for his father, Gallegos recently wrote him a long Sherlock Holmes-inspired story, and for a second-grade class project at Grant Elementary School, Gallegos wrote a 100-page book.
"It's hard for me to understand why kids write two page stories," said Gallegos.
In his 10-chapter book, Harry Potter is 18-years-old and becomes a Hogwarts teacher.
"I did it just for fun, but then I thought maybe this could be J.K. Rowling's next book," he said.
His dad mailed the typed manuscript to Rowling's publisher in August, requesting it be forwarded to her. Since then, Dezi has checked the mailbox regularly for a a response.
"Thousands of people read Harry Potter, so maybe she can let them try my book. I really want to get my book out in the world," he said.
You can read more excerpts from Dezi's book at the above link.
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Snape's Woman
(Moderator)
Points: 5392
Prof. Andaxia Moonstar says:
As an aspiring writer myself, I know how hard it can be. Best of luck to him; he has real talent! I believe more children would take the initiative in writing long stories if both reading and writing were made more interesting in school. I hope for his sake that JK finds the time to read his story. WELL DONE!
Posted Oct 18, 2003 at 12:16 AM EST
Head Girl
Points: 434
Tippytoes says:
Whoa! 8yrs old, what an accomplishment. He'd make a good writer some day. Takes other people (like me)along time to write a 300 page story.
Posted Oct 18, 2003 at 1:01 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1092
quidditch_queen says:
Wow! Awesome! An 8 year old boy? That's great.
Posted Oct 18, 2003 at 1:04 AM EST
Witch
Points: 606
~*~Marauderette~*~ says:
That's nice for an 8 year but he's hopes are way to high. There's no chance for him to ever have that book published. He has a better chance of people reading his work on fanfiction.net. JK is just way to busy to even read that. I bet tons of kids write in asking if she could use their work. Good try kid but I don't think it's gonna happen.
Posted Oct 18, 2003 at 6:36 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1155
AFawkes05 says:
Only eight. Woww. HE is a really good writer. I bet if he put it up on the net, everyone would read it.
Posted Nov 22, 2003 at 8:08 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2119
hpchik898 says:
WOW! Only eight!! But i guess then there would be no romance. Than (for me) there is no point of a fan fic. hee hee
Posted Feb 3, 2004 at 8:59 AM EST
Professional Beater
Points: 20891
feltonluver says:
Wow an 8 year old wrote that! That's pretty good, and Harry becoming a Hogwarts teacher haha that's pretty funny, i want him to be an auror!
Posted Feb 21, 2004 at 5:19 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1445
PotionMaster says:
8 years old! That is just amazing. I wonder if anyone has told him about fanfiction.net. He can get his stuff read there no problem. He may need his dad to post it though.
Posted Mar 8, 2004 at 11:22 PM EST
Squib
Points: 127
Spica Black says:
That's pretty good for such a young kid! But the inner editor is upset at his apparent lack of knowledge reguarding the art of pronouns...
Posted Apr 8, 2004 at 5:49 PM EST
Mediwitch
Points: 2608
nickyole1 says:
Wow! This kid is only eight years old! Very talented, eh! I am 15 years old, and I couldn't write something that good anyday!
Posted Jul 28, 2004 at 12:30 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 457
fawkes17 says:
Wow! Congrats to this kid! Also to JK Rowling - she has herself a really loyal fan!
Posted Aug 22, 2004 at 2:36 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1247
Matt12 says:
That is pretty impressive for an 8 year old. Well done. I dont know whether JK would have time to read and add ideas from his book into hers. She seems to have the whole thing pretty much covered. She said right from the start that she knew how the books were going to end. Still good on him :).
Posted Sep 20, 2004 at 1:14 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 66
internationalwonders says:
He's only eight! Wow, he has the knowledge of a man! He is gonna grow up to be, um... A spectacular writer, maybe on day better than JK
Posted Dec 5, 2004 at 6:27 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 68
chinesegal9495 says:
Cool! My mom offered to send in the fan fic I wrote when I was eight... ack, bt I wasn't that good. He's a amazing writer or a eight year old kid, far better than me, relativly speaking.
Posted Apr 3, 2005 at 5:35 AM EST
Head Girl
Points: 465
Emmy Potter says:
That's neat. I'm writing a fan fic. right now and I'm nearly on page one hundred!!!! I just started a month ago. I'm so happy. It would be qwsome if his was actually a story that J.K. Rowling mentions!
Posted Apr 4, 2005 at 8:57 PM EST
Prefect
Points: 382
Geillis says:
An 8 year old kid writing a 300 page book. I'm looking forward to see how he will be when he grows up. Now I've noticed that some of you think that his hopes are too high, but notice that he's 8 years old, remember what you planed for the future then.
I was gonna be a famous singer and a ski-queen, I can neither sing nor ski. I was also gonna be a writer, I've made up a load of stuff but I think to fast and write too slowly so I've never gotten around to much writing but I am gonna write a fanfic as soon as I get the time
Posted Apr 26, 2005 at 7:03 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 1
wildrose says:
WOW! That was great! Only 8? I would like to read it! I've read so many fanfics on Fiction Alley.com and most of them were great. Oh, how much I wish I could write one!
Posted Apr 29, 2005 at 1:15 AM EST
Witch
Points: 809
~Hermione <3's Ron~ says:
This kid is 8 years old!? Wow, he is icredible good at writing, i would of thought this person was older! That is cool!
mwa
Posted May 20, 2005 at 11:21 AM EST
Squib
Points: 178
ravenclawrox says:
Now that is a book that is worth publishing. That surprised me. Eight years old and writing a story that is popular enough to be put on HPANA....... thats kind of embarrasing but it still doesn't beat the seventeen year old harry potter fan who couldn't wait for the sixth book to come out and wrote a harry potter book on his own. I thought that that was really neat.
Posted Sep 3, 2005 at 12:18 PM EST
Witch
Points: 606
Slytheprincess says:
Geez, I can't even write something good as 8 years old wrote it!!
Congrats to him, may he become one of greatest author in future!
Posted Sep 27, 2005 at 5:25 PM EST
The Dark Lady
Points: 5085
Mrs Riddle/Lady Voldemort says:
O_O holy $h*T!!! I'm really jealous of that kid now. I can't write something half that good.
Posted Dec 4, 2005 at 2:11 PM EST
Witch
Points: 913
MaeMuffin[DOT] says:
8 years old?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!
O.M.G.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my sister is 7 & I can't even get her 2 try 2 read an HP book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(alas i've failed............for now)
HAPPY NEW YEAR HPANA & EVETYBOODY ELSE
2006
Hp will live on 4ever as long as there are those who remain loyal 2 him and the series
Posted Jan 1, 2006 at 12:20 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 81
miss_potter_lover says:
Wow he's only 8!!!
Good work
Posted Mar 24, 2006 at 3:15 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1180
July_21_GAH says:
Huh... when I was eight I was still writing stupid two-page stories... *thinks back*
Sigh.
But the kid is obviously gonna grow up and be famous. Someone should tell him to try writing his own book (like, original ideas), and then he should try to get it published!
Posted Jun 19, 2006 at 5:29 PM EST
Slugmeister
Points: 3732
Prawg says:
That's so adorable! Kawaii! Imagine starting your writing career at the age of eight! Now that's what I should have done! Now I'm getting kinda old...
Posted Oct 13, 2006 at 12:10 PM EST
Squib
Points: 104
harrypotterfan212223 says:
Wow, that is amazing! Unfortunately, I doubt JKR will use any of the ideas, but this kid still has a wonderful future as an author, I'm sure.
Posted Jul 19, 2007 at 11:06 PM EST
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