WARNING: THIS ISN'T THE REAL THING. . . IT'S FUNNIER! '"Stop that movie, " Headmaster Alpo Bumblemore said, "or Hogwash is history!" After someone sells directions to the school to a sleazy Muddle tabloid, Barry Trotter, Ermine Cringer, and Lon Measly are hauled out of retirement to face their toughest challenge yet. Not only do the 22-year-olds have to elude packs of rabid fans, outwit Barry's sponging Uncle Sereous, and vanquish their old foe Lord Valumart, they have to face the most powerful enemy of all: Hollywood! This book is funny and sharp, but not merely funny and sharp: in its bratty way, Barry Trotter is as energetic and imaginative as the books that inspired it. Kurt Andersen, author of Turn of the Century; co-founder, Spy Magazine. "This really good parody, it illuminates Rowling's books capturing their nuances and annoyances-then does more: Gerber's ever-unpredictable twists and stinging jibes add a sumptuousness beyond anything in the original. Filled with good, smart, dirty jokes, readers will love the impertinence of Barry Trotter.

MICHAEL GERBER has been cracking jokes more or less constantly since his days at The Yale Record, America's oldest college humor magazine. Since then, his humor has appeared many places, including The New Yorker, Playboy, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Saturday Night Live. This is his first book. And it shows.