Potter author fulfils dying Catie's wish

Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling read her latest stories over the phone to a dying nine-year-old fan so the youngster would know what happened in the children’s books before she died, it was revealed today.

The millionaire writer phoned Catie Hoch to read out stories from her unpublished manuscripts as she worked on her latest book, according to the Sunday Mirror.

It brought final happiness to the youngster, from the US, as her life slipped away, the newspaper said.

The best-selling author kept up the amazing friendship with e-mails, gifts and phone calls so Catie would know how the Harry Potter stories would develop before she passed away.

After Catie, from Albany in New York, died the author told her parents their little girl had left, “footprints on my heart”, and she was, “Braver than Harry”.

Rowling also made a private donation of £75,000 to a cancer fund set up in memory of the tragic youngster.

Catie’s mother, Gina, told the Sunday Mirror: “I will be forever grateful for what Joanne did. She gave us something priceless by having this relationship with Catie.

“She touched her in ways we could never have imagined.”

The youngster was six when she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer.

Catie and her mum were nearly at the end of the third book, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, when doctors revealed the youngster only had weeks to live.

Catie was desperate to know what happened in the fourth book, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, which Rowling was working on at the time.

So a family friend sent an e-mail to the author’s publishers in London – and days later the author sent back a personally written letter, calling herself simply Jo.

The two began exchanging letters and e-mails during the course of their amazing friendship.

Gina, 43, revealed that one e-mail read: “Dear Catie, I am working very hard on book four at the moment...on a bit that involves some new creatures Hagrid has brought along for the care of Magical Creatures classes. You are an extremely brave person and a true Gryffindor. With lots of love, J. K Rowling (Jo to anybody in Gryffindor.).”

But as cancer gripped Catie, Rowling realised the youngster only had days to live – so telephoned from her Edinburgh home to read the latest tales about the young wizard over the phone.

Gina added: “We laid Catie down on the couch, and Jo read to her over the phone parts of the manuscript. Catie’s face lit up.”

The author rang three or four more times but Catie grew so ill she could not longer listen – and died on May 18, 2000.

Rowling sent a personal message to the family and the donation to the Catie Hoch Foundation, set up by Gina and Catie’s stepfather, Larry, to help children suffering from the same cancer.

A spokesman for the author’s publishers said: “We confirm a donation was made, but cannot comment how much.”

Rowling, aged 37, has an eight-year-old daughter from a previous marriage and is pregnant after marrying her second husband Neil Murray.