Rowling book sells for £2M at auction

A rare book by 'Harry Potter' author JK Rowling has sold at auction for £2M with all the proceeds going to disadvantaged children. The book - 'Tales of Beedle The Bard' - is one of only seven published and was the only one for sale with the others all given to associates of the author.

It's a collection of fairy tales and plays a crucial role in 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows' when Harry's friend Hermione is left a volume by Professor Dumbledore. It provided clues to help Harry and his friends in their struggle against Lord Voldemort.

All seven copies are bound in brown Morocco leather and mounted with different semi-precious stones. The dedication reads 'Six of these books have been given to those most closely connected to the Harry Potter books during the last 17 years. This seventh copy will be auctioned, the proceeds to help institutionalised children who are in desperate need of a voice. So to whoever now owns this book, thank you - and fair fortune be yours!'

Originally expected to fetch up to £50,000 at Sotheby's the book was eventually sold to London fine art dealers Hazlitt Gooden and Fox for £2M. The proceeds will go to the Children's Voice campaign which helps to make life better for children in care in Eastern Europe. The campaign is part of the Children's High Level Group charity set up by Rowling herself along with MEP Emma Nicholson in 2005.

The aims of the charity are to 'stamp out cruelty, neglect and abuse of young people. Many of these children are forced to live in cramped, unhygienic and basic accommodation. Violence and bullying is a common occurrence and there are many cases of children being chained and caged. These are the sort of practices that we want to bring to an end, so that no child in the 21st century ever has to endure such appalling conditions again.'

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