On July 20, 2007, millions of people around the world were filled with a mix of anticipation and trepidation. What was the cause? The seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) was set to be released at midnight of July 21. The book had been number one on bestseller lists for five months because of preorders. Word had been leaked that two major characters die in the book, and people dreaded that Harry Potter might be one of them. There was, in a word, deep curiosity about the outcome of the series.