The Tales of Beedle the Bard

In the final Harry Potter novel, Dumbledore bequeaths his own copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, written in runes, to Hermione Granger. It contains several bedtime fairy stories told widely in the magical world, equivalent to Muggle stories. One particular tale, ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’, plays a vital role in helping Harry, Hermione and Ron to uncover three legendary magical objects known as the Deathly Hallows – the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak. This copy of Beedle the Bard was handwritten by J.K. Rowling and embellished with rhodochrosite stones, associated with love and balance. It was originally gifted to Barry Cunningham, who accepted the first Harry Potter book for publication by Bloomsbury. This copy also features small illustrations, such as the stump featured in ‘Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump’.