J.K. Rowling Almost Forced to Check Harry Potter Book 7 Manuscript

J.K. Rowling was returning from a business trip to the United States to do a charity book reading when airport officials detained her. They didn’t like the “big box bound up in elastic bands” that she was carrying with her.

Rowling refused to check the box, which is now believed to contain the manuscript of the much-anticipated seventh (and final!) installation in her epic Harry Potter series.

Eventually, after much discussion, she was allowed to board the plane box in hand. Of course, if she hadn’t been allowed aboard, she could have whipped out her broomstick and flown herself back to the U.K.

But what does this mean for the Muggles among us? What would you do if the airline demanded that you check something truly valuable, like your laptop?