You didn’t even know that you needed a “da Vinci-esque study of Mandrakes” in your life before this moment, but trust us, you are certainly going to be happy you have it.
Pottermore has released the first drawings from the upcoming Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition, the second of J.K. Rowling‘s books to get the illustrated treatment. The book’s art is the work of Jim Kay, who also provided the drawings for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Illustrated Edition. He will also do the art for the next five books in the series.
In addition to the Mandrake piece, we get a look at a portrait of Hagrid, another drawing of a dark Hogwarts, one that seems to have had a pall cast over it (children turning into stone will do that to a school), a nature book-style entry of a Phoenix, and the cover, featuring Harry and Ron in the Mr. Weasley’s flying car they took when they missed the train to school. In total, the book will have 115 drawings and will be made available in over 21 different languages.
In addition to these pictures (more in the gallery below), they also said we can look forward to “Kayâs take on the pesky, potato-headed gnomes that cause the Weasleyâs endless stress at the Burrow.”
If you didn’t get a copy of the first in this series of illustrated Harry Potter books, you can see some of Kay’s work here and here, which will have to hold you over for a little while longer, because the new book won’t be available until October 4th later this year.
What scene or character from Chamber of Secrets do you most hope to see illustrated? Tell us in the comments below.
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Images: Jim Kay/Bloomsbury Publishing/Pottermore
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