JK Rowling has revealed she will donate a sum of £1 million to charities helping the homeless and tackling domestic violence during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Harry Potter author has pledged to give £500,000 each to Crisis and Refuge, who are currently facing increased demand amid the UK's nationwide lockdown.
To mark the Battle of Hogwarts which took place 22 years ago yesterday, the 54-year-old Edinburgh resident revealed the news to fans on Twitter last night, while also paying tribute to frontline workers battling the pandemic.
She said: "Today's the 22nd anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, but I'm going to be honest and say that it feels inappropriate to talk about fictional deaths today. Too many people are losing loved ones in the real world.
"So on this anniversary of a great wizarding victory, I'm thinking of the people who're out there doing their jobs to protect us and our way of life. I have three key workers in my immediate family, and like all such relatives, I'm torn between pride and anxiety.
"As ever in a crisis of this sort, the poorest and most vulnerable are hit hardest, so in honour of the Battle of Hogwarts, I'll be making a donation of £1m, half of which will go to Crisis, who're helping the homeless during the pandemic."
"Half of which will go to Refuge, because we know that domestic abuse has, sadly, increased hugely during the lockdown" she added.
The generous author previously shared NHS breathing tips after beating coronavirus in two weeks.
The writer, who has since made a fully recovery, took to social media to share a video from Queens Hospital in London, filmed to help coronavirus patients breathe easier.
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