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J. K. Rowling takes fans on a cryptic Twitter quest

Sorry, Harry Potter lovers: Author J.K. Rowling has no plans to write additional stories about the young wizard and his magical friends, despite a series of cryptic tweets that sent fans of the series into a frenzy. Instead, she gave her admirers a peek into an upcoming film that takes places 70 years before "The Boy Who Lived" was even born. It started with an innocent tweet Rowling posted abou
Rowling
Pottermore.com

Sorry, Harry Potter lovers: Author J.K. Rowling has no plans to write additional stories about the young wizard and his magical friends, despite a series of cryptic tweets that sent fans of the series into a frenzy. 

Author J.K. Rowling sent fans on a journey to solve a riddle she posted on Twitter.
Author J.K. Rowling sent fans on a journey to solve a riddle she posted on Twitter.Today

Instead, she gave her admirers a peek into an upcoming film that takes places 70 years before "The Boy Who Lived" was even born. 

It started with an innocent tweet Rowling posted about her active schedule:

Very+busy+at+the+moment+working+on+a+novel,+tweaking+a+screenplay+and+being+involved+in+@lumos+campaigns.+Back+when+I've+finished+something!

—+J.K.+Rowling+(@jk_rowling)+October+5,+2014+

She then posted a mysterious anagram that left the Twitterverse bewildered:

Cry,+foe!+Run+amok!+Fa+awry!+My+wand+won’t+tolerate+this+nonsense.

—+J.K.+Rowling+(@jk_rowling)+October+6,+2014+

Eventually, fans connected the clues to Newt Scamander, a character in the screenplay Rowling is writing, the Harry Potter spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Rowling helped folks out by dropping several hints, as well a few corrections:

No+invented+words,+that+wouldn't+be+fair.+"Newt+Scamander+only+went+to+New+York+to+find+a+Pulkmahjkk".+Not+that.

—+J.K.+Rowling+(@jk_rowling)+October+7,+2014+


New+hint,+because+you're+coming+up+with+really+good+suggestions:+the+sentence+begins+"Newt+Scamander+only"+#correctedbecauseoftypo

—+J.K.+Rowling+(@jk_rowling)+October+7,+2014+


Rowling finally revealed the solution, once it was solved by Emily Strong, a self-described "professional nerd and science geek with a love for making, baking, knitting, stitching, all things Potter and sci-fi adventures."

.@EmyBemy2+YES!!!!!!!!!!!!+People,+we+have+a+winner!

—+J.K.+Rowling+(@jk_rowling)+October+7,+2014+


The riddle's answer refers to "a character who features in the film, and which J.K. Rowling explained was ‘the first sentence of a synopsis of Newt’s story,'" according to a statement released by the author's publicist, who also confirmed "there are no plans for a new Harry Potter novel." 

Rowling has expressed her gratitude for everyone who played along, after first teasing her fans one last time:

OK,+the+next+riddle+is...+kidding.+As+I+said+(was+it+only+2+days+ago?)+I've+got+a+novel+to+finish+and+a+screenplay+to+tweak.

—+J.K.+Rowling+(@jk_rowling)+October+7,+2014+


Thank+you,+thank+you,+for+being+the+kind+of+people+who+get+excited+about+an+anagram+#myspiritualhome

—+J.K.+Rowling+(@jk_rowling)+October+7,+2014+

Follow TODAY.com writer Eun Kyung Kim on Google+ or on Twitter.