Attention Harry Potter, we'll be needing some prior art.

We've been hearing rumors and reading speculation lately about what Microsoft executive J Allard has been doing. Apart from reports about a possible Zune/Xbox linkup, one source who has been accurate in the past recently cited the possibility of an Allard project reviving the Tablet PC.

We don't know if any of this is true, because there have been no official details about the recent undertakings of the exec credited with alerting Bill Gates to the Internet and leading Microsoft into the video-game business. J -- no period, please -- is officially listed as Microsoft's "Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) ... responsible for the technical architecture and user experiences related to products and services of the Entertainment and Devices (E&D) division."

Apparently that includes the secret magic wands.
J Allard and Microsoft group try to get patent on a 'magic wand' - TechFlash: Seattle's Technology News Source