Author JK Rowling recently responded to a touching story from Kerala about a man who stole a Harry Potter book as a student and returned it 17 years later. The man, Reese Thomas, now a newlywed and an author, visited the bookstore with his own book and the stolen copy of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
In 2007, Thomas, then a ninth grader from Muvattupuzha in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, desperately wanted to read the final book in the Harry Potter series. Unable to afford it and challenged by friends, he stole a copy from a local bookstore, inspired by movies like “Dhoom” and “Don.”
“I felt heroic,” Thomas told Hindustantimes.com, recalling how he initially thought he had gotten away with it. However, the bookstore owner, Devadas, suspected him and confronted him a few days later.
“I never went back to that bookstore again. It was a dark episode in my life,” Thomas admitted.
Seventeen years later, Thomas shared this story in his first Malayalam book, “90’s Kid.” With newfound courage, he revisited the bookstore with a friend, bringing along his new book and the stolen Harry Potter book. Devadas had long forgotten the incident but welcomed Thomas warmly when reminded.
“He greeted me very kindly and we had a very sincere conversation,” Thomas said. Despite their conversation, Thomas chose to keep the stolen book. “I will never give that book back. I want to keep it with me,” he said. Devadas, understanding the sentiment, refused to charge him for it and instead had Thomas sign copies of his own book for the store.
JK Rowling reacted to Thomas’ story on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “I know I’ll be accused of encouraging book theft by sharing this so please don’t steal books, stealing books is wrong. Anyway, this is the cutest thing and made me so happy.” The post delighted Thomas, who had long hoped Rowling would hear his story.
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I know I’ll be accused of encouraging book stealing by sharing this, so PLEASE DON’T STEAL BOOKS, BOOK STEALING IS BAD. Anyway, this is the loveliest thing and made me really happy. https://t.co/9b0LBdE5YF
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 9, 2024
“It’s an inexplicable feeling. I didn’t expect it. I was telling my friends how much I wish JK Rowling had read my story. And it actually happened,” Thomas shared with Hindustantimes.com. He added that his love for the Harry Potter series grew partly because Emma Watson, who played Hermione, was his “childhood crush.”