Leading up to the event, my G-Talk messenger’s display had been a pointer to my inner Potter maniac. “14 days to go for what?” asked my friend who lives in Singapore. Next day, my puzzled husband pinged, “13 days for??” My response: “Duh! Don’t you know — it’s when the next J K Rowling book is out?” Between the release of the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and before the release of the movie Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, this had to be the single most important event for Potter enthusiasts!

Okay, so I confess, I am a Muggle (non-wizarding human) who’s an over-the-top Potter fan. I stand in lines each time a Potter is out. I inhabit a world where people I don’t like are called He (or She)-Who-Must-Not Be Named. However, before you categorise me as a complete loon, let me assure you I don’t mutter “Lumos” while switching on the lights — yes, there are people who do that.

So now I have it in my hand, and I can safely say that The Tales of Beedle the Bard, the book-with-five-stories, that all wizards grow up reading, is very, very Muggle-worthy. And yes, it’s the very volume that helped Harry Potter and his friends defeat Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I don’t want to be a spoiler, but here’s a brief peek. A generous wizard bequeaths his lucky cauldron to his son. Three witches and a knight set out on a quest. Lord Voldemort dabbles in the Dark Arts. Three brothers try escaping Death. And with the best name of all, “Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump” is about a foolish king who starts a Brigade of Witch-Hunters.

But what I really loved were Professor Dumbledore’s commentaries. He explains each story, giving the context, the legends and the facts. Funny, knowledgeable, warm — written, I’m sure, with a twinkle in his scholarly eye!

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard, Bloomsbury, Rs 599.