Harry Potter and Leopard-Walk-Up-to-Dragon
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Harry Potter and Leopard-Walk-Up-to-Dragon (哈利波特与豹走龙) is the title (loosely translated into English; 豹走龙 is a character's name and it would be more accurate to transliterate it as Bao Zoulong rather than translate the meaning) of an unauthorized 198-page book written and published in 2002. It was written and published in China, and it was seen as an attempt to profit from the worldwide popularity of the Harry Potter series of books. At that time the anticipation for the release of the fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, had reached a fever pitch.
According to translated excerpts, almost the entire book consists of the verbatim text of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, with most names changed to those of Harry Potter characters (but not all - for instance, the master wizard is still referred to as "Gandalf"). The only parts of the book that appear to be original writing are the first chapter and the last few paragraphs of the final chapter.
The cover of the book shows Harry riding a centaur (actually an illustration created by Warner Bros. to advertise the first film), which is battling a dragon (which appears to be Maleficent in dragon form from Disney's Sleeping Beauty).
In what is seen as a genuine homage to Rowling, the book includes a dedication to the owner of the house in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Rowling lives, and to the owner's 3-year-old granddaughter.
The book was quickly recognized as fake. J.K. Rowling (as well as movie rights holder Warner Bros.) took steps to stop its distribution. Nevertheless, copies of the book were briefly distributed around the world, including e-book copies traded on the Internet. When the actual novel Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released in 2003, interest in the unauthorized book quickly faded.
In November, 2002, the Bashu Publishing House, in the southwestern city of Chengdu, agreed to pay a £1,600 (~US$3,400) fine and publish an apology in China's Legal Times for printing and distributing the novel. The identity of the anonymous author of the book has not been discovered, as of 2006.
The opening of Harry Potter and Leopard-Walk-Up-to-Dragon, translated into English, was included in several news articles about it. Although more eloquent translations exist, the following translation is the most commonly reported.
- "Harry doesn't know how long it will take to wash the sticky cake off his face. For a civilised young man, it is disgusting to have dirt on any part of his body. He lies in the elegant bathtub, keeps wiping his face, and thinks about Dudley's face, which is as fat as Aunt Petunia's ass."
[edit] Other unauthorized books
Harry Potter and Leopard-Walk-Up-to-Dragon is not the only unauthorized anonymously-authored Chinese Harry Potter book. During its brief publishing run, it sold well enough to inspire additional imitations entitled Harry Potter and the Water-Repelling Pearl, Harry Potter and the Golden Armor, Harry Potter and the Golden Turtle, Harry Potter and the Crystal Vase, and Harry Potter and the Porcelain Doll.
