As her latest book flies off the shelves at bookstores around the world, JK Rowling stunned Harry Potter fans by announcing that she will collaborate with Christopher Tolkien to write a new crossover story.
Rowling denied that she is merely trying to cash in on the Lord of the Rings in an attempt to boost her own sales. Rather, the two stories share certain synergies, she says, which can offer the reader a fantastic voyage.
Christopher Tolkien, son of author JRR Tolkien, shared some details on how the Lord of the Rings characters will tie-in to the Harry Potter story:
"As Hogwarts falls victim to another evil attack perpetrated by Voldeorte, Dumbledore turns to his oldest friend, Gandalf the White, for advice. It turns out that though the One Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom, the power of Sauron was not destroyed, but merely weakened, and he lay dormant for ten thousand years, until Voldemort's growing power awakened Sauron's own desire for power.
Frodo Baggins will play a prominent role, alongside Harry. Both are actually fighting for the same reasons, but they don't get along until they realize it."
When asked whether Gollum, Aragorn, or any other LotR characters would make an appearance in the story, Tolkien merely shrugged his shoulders. "I can't give away all the details."
Rumors first started circulating six months ago, when trade magazine Silver Screen Artistry published unverified reports that Rowling was speaking with other authors, seeking bold new ways to expand her Harry Potter series. The report was light on details, and the page 35 story caught little attention.
Notes scribbled on a napkin, found by a barkeep at an Edinburg pub, appear to be written by Tolkien as he and Rowling planned their new story. The napkin is currently being auctioned on eBay; at the time this story was published, the highest bid stood at $17,452.
