J.K. Rowling explains the mystery of a strange character in early 'Harry Potter' sketch

LONDON -- The last of the Harry Potter books may have been published over nine years ago, but it'll be a long, long time until people stop talking about them.

The latest hot topic in the wizarding world is J.K. Rowling's early sketches. The sketches have been floating around online for awhile now, but many people hadn't seen them until they resurfaced online recently.

One particular sketch of a scene in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone -- and in particular, one character in the sketch -- captured people's attention.

Introducing Gary.

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According to the caption, that sketch is of "Chap 7. Draco Duel". The characters, listed left to right, are Neville, Ron, Harry, Hermione, and... Gary.

It's been awhile since we read that part of the Philospher's Stone, but we're pretty sure there was no mention of anyone called Gary.

Luckily, Rowling took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to set the record straight.

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So there you go -- not only did Dean Thomas presumably have a larger part to play in the original draft of the first book, but -- back in the day -- he also went by the name of Gary.