Fans go crazy as Potter lives to die another day

Kolkata, Jul 21: Even with the closely guarded secret of Harry Potter living for another day leaking out, the craze for the latest eponymous hero reached a frenzy with children and youths queuing up since night to grab their favourite title.

Thousands of copies sold like hot cakes within few hours of its release in the book stores.

Hundreds of children spent sleepless nights in front of city bookstores just to grab their first copy of the seventh and final Harry Potter series book - 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'.

The book - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling - was released at 0600 hours today in India.

In the climax of the story, when Voldemort strikes Harry with the killing curse from the Elder wand, it rebounds on himself, due to Harry's mastership of the wand, killing him.

The Epilogue is far more interesting. In the story's epilogue, taking place 19 years (2017) after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry and Ginny Weasley have three children named James, Albus and Lily.

Neville Longbottom becomes the Herbology professor at Hogwarts and Ron and Hermione have two children named Rose and Hugo. Draco Malfoy has a child named Scorpius. They all meet at King's Cross, about to send their children to Hogwarts at the beginning of term.

It is revealed that Harry's scar has not hurt since the Dark Lord's defeat, and there, the story ends.

''I am eagerly waiting to buy a copy of the book. I am very excited about the story, '' said Konineeka Mitra, an avid Potterian, who spent the entire night waiting before a city bookstore for her copy.

In Oxford Bookstore here, about 2000 copies of Harry's new book sold within two hours from the time of its release.

Many book lovers and children celebrated the eve of Harry Potter series' new book release and took part in the night-long fashion dress party at another city book store - Crossword. They also took part in quiz and many other entertainment activities till the wee hours on Saturday.

Popular musician Bikram Ghosh launched the book at Crossword followed by more events from noon.

British Deputy High Commissioner Simon Wilson will narrate J K Rowling's life and times at Oxford Bookstore in the evening.

''Children are pouring in and nationally we have sold over 10,000 copies in the first three-four hours,'' Siddharth Pansari, Managing Director, Crossword, Kolkata, said.

When the entire Kolkata was busy to take a journey of fantasy in the Potter-world, popular Bengali writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay refused to term Harry Potter's series as children's literature.

''I don't know why people are considering Harry Potter as children's literature. The volume of the book and its complicated storyline cannot be the content only for children. It's written for a universal audience, especially for young generation,'' Mr Mukhopadhyay said.

He said there is a magical world related to the story and the main protagonist of the story is a young man, the kids might get attracted to that.

UNI