By the timeHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , the fourth book in the Harry Potter saga , was print in 2000 , the serial had already become a smashing succeeder . The first playscript , Harry Potterand the Philosopher ’s Stone(“Sorcerer ’s Stone ” in the United States ) debut in the UK in the summer of 1997 and was being plow into a movie ; theGoblet of Firebook set a novel book for Amazon.com pre - orders . Its popularity rampant , Potter ’s trials and tribulations won fan of all kinds . Among them was Natalie McDonald of Toronto , a nine - year - honest-to-goodness girl who could not wait to try how the story would end — but deplorably , not because she was impatient . McDonald had a terminal instance of leukemia and was all but certain to die beforeGoblethit the bookstores .
A kin friend , Annie Kidder , went to the publishing house of the Potter serial , ask them to choke a letter ( and facsimile machine ) on to J.K. Rowling , source of the books . Kidder ’s petition was a round-eyed one : give this give out child a trailer of the outcome ofGoblet — most a twelvemonth before the residuum of the existence would be able to scan it — as thePotterstories “ had been [ Natalie ’s ] reprieve from the pit of leukemia ” and Natalie was not go to survive long enough to otherwise enjoy the narrative .
Rowling was on holiday when the request get in and respond via e - chain armor to Natalie ’s female parent on August 4 , 1999 . The vitamin E - post detailed the fate of the main theatrical role inGoblet of Fireand did so eleven months prior to the book ’s publication engagement . Unfortunately , Natalie pass away the day prior to receive the news .
Nevertheless , Natalie ’s mother Valerie and Rowling begin a friendly relationship from that Clarence Day forward . Rowling , for her part , honored Natalie ’s storage in photographic print — on page 159 ( or 180 , depending on the version ) ofGoblet of Fire , a young crone by the name of Natalie McDonald , new to Hogwarts , dons the Sorting Hat and becomes a extremity of House Gryffindor .
excerpt fromNow I recognize MoreCopyright © 2014 by Dan Lewis and put out by F+W Media , Inc. Used by permission of the publisher . All rights allow .
