Harry Potter, hairy dwarf

By MARGIE THOMSON books editor

Harry Potter And Leopard Walk Up To Dragon has gone on sale in Beijing for about $1 and is selling fast - to the dismay of the publisher of genuine Potter books in China. An anonymous Chinese author has devised a plot that's a radical departure from anything in J.K. Rowling's books.

Drenched by a mysterious rain, Potter is transformed into a fat, hairy dwarf and stripped of his magic powers as he battles the forces of evil in the shape of a dragon, reports The Times. It begins: "Harry doesn't know how long it will take to wash the sticky cream cake off his face. For a civilised young man it is disgusting to have dirt on any part of his body. He lies in the high-quality china bathtub, keeps wiping his face, and thinks about Dali's face, which is as fat as the bottom of Aunt Penny."

The Christopher Little Literary Agency which represents Ms Rowling is "looking into the matter urgently".