JK Rowling just tweeted a picture of a gravestone with a special link to Harry Potter
The author has given us a sneak peek at her new exhibition
Calling all Harry Potter fans: we’ve got a challenge for you: author JK Rowling just tweeted out this real-life gravestone, but can you read who it belongs to?
10 points to your respective house if you said Nicolas Flamel. Hedwig-eyed muggles will have spotted it belongs to the French scribe and manuscript-seller, whose headstone is normally on display at the Musée de Cluny in Paris, but is currently being used by the British Library's Harry Potter exhibition. Yes, although depicted as an alchemist in many works of fiction, the keeper of the Philosopher's Stone was a real person.
The Frenchman supposedly passed away in 1418, but in the fictional world he lived for longer. Remember, the first Potter book says he stayed alive after producing the elixir of life with the help of the Philosopher's Stone. In Rowling's books, Flamel only died once the stone was destroyed in 1992.
Not only does this serve as a brilliant piece of Potter trivia, but it also has us even more excited for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them sequel. After all, Flamel is scheduled to appear/apparate onto the screen, played by Mexican/French actor Brontis Jodorowsky.
And Rowling's tweet has us wondering: could it be that Flamel has a larger role in the film than his low key casting indicates? Jodorowsky's French accent suggests that he's been selected at least for a speaking role – but how many lines will he have? Is the screenwriter generating interest in the character in anticipation of a Flamel-filled Fantastic Beasts story?
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We might be clutching at wands here, but hear us out: the Fantastic Beasts films are covering up a lot of ground directly connected to the Harry Potter series. What if Grindelwald's plan is to get hold of the Philosopher's Stone? After all, via its elixir of life he can master death, it could shortcut his quest to find all the Deathly Hallows. Could the Fantastic Beast series become even more connected to the first Harry Potter book than we first thought?
If you've got an idea – or have a sufficient divination skillset – let us know what you think will happen below...
