After months of expectation and speculation, the long awaited final installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was unveiled last Saturday at exactly 9:01am in Bookstores across the nation and around the world with precise synchronisation.
The eagerly anticipated release of the best selling novel was further heightened by the secrecy of its delivery to bookstores, with many Potter fans pre-ordering their copy months in advance.
Bookstore chain Barnes and Noble alone recorded a staggering 500,000 pre-ordered copies of the adolescent wizard's final adventure, setting the record for the largest pre-order of a book in history.
Despite the inevitable release of spoilers over the Internet, loyal fans were by no means deterred from queuing outside bookstores across the country, some even camping over night to ensure that they secured their copy of the now world famous boy wizard, as booksellers braced themselves for one of the busiest days in retail history.
"It was really full on," commented one bookseller. "There were lots of kids and we were very busy."
Many bookstore staff also embraced the spirit of the occasion by dressing up as their favourite characters, making the event a memorable experience for both bookstore staff and Potter fans alike.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final installment in the hugely successful franchise that has also been made into a number of films. The astronomical sales figures were further fueled by the speculation among devoted fans as to whether or not the boy wizard will die in the climax of the series.
Since the initial release of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone in July of 1997, the Harry Potter phenomenon has been both praised and criticised by religious and authority figures alike.
Regardless of the mixed opinions towards the adolescent wizard, J.K. Rowling's invaluable contribution to the muggle world has rekindled and redefined the very nature of reading, as it competes against an extremely technologically dependant world.
Through her magically woven adventures, Ms Rowling has captured the hearts and minds of enthusiastic readers everywhere, calling on them to once again use their imaginations and become lost in a world where anything is possible.
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