A first-edition "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" with some hand-written notes from J.K. Rowling was auctioned off for about $227,421 in London in May.
She wrote that Hufflepuff was almost a bear.
Her notes say:
"Changed my life forever."
"No shield here - crest. I mean all that came in the later editions. This one's a bit wonky but you get the idea."
"Perhaps Hufflepuff house would have the respect it deserves from the fans if I'd stayed with my original idea of a bear to represent it?"
On another page she explained how she came up with Quidditch.
Her notes say:
"Harry Potter rolled over inside his blanket."
Quidditch "was invented in a small hotel in Manchester after a row with my then boyfriend. I had been pondering the things that hold a society together, cause it to congregate and signify its particular character and knew I needed a sport. It infuriates men, in my experience (why is the Snitch so valuable etc), which is quite satisfying given my state of mind when I invented it."