KEY POINTS:
Harry Potter fans are lining up for the seventh and final book in the top-selling series despite not knowing when it will be released or how much it will cost.
Whitcoulls has reported hundreds of pre-orders for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows since last week.
In Britain,
interest is so high the title has topped the best seller list of online retailer Amazon and, last month, the British mail service was preparing to hire extra trucks when the book goes on sale.
Amazon's United States outlet has yet to open pre-orders.
Whitcoulls book promotions manager Dorothy Vinicombe said the release of the book's title had stirred interest here.
Its plot remains a secret but author J.K. Rowling has hinted her hero may be killed off.
"I think people have been waiting for the finale," said Ms Vinicombe. "There's no doubt there's a sense that this is the end of an era."
About 500 people had responded to an email newsletter last week promising first dibs on the title when it was launched.
"Even though we said clearly in the email we didn't have a date for release or the price yet, we ended up with about 500 emails," she said. "I would imagine the interest will be building."
She anticipated the title would be on shelves in June or July, based on the release of the previous six books in the series.
The Warehouse will take pre-orders and confirm details once release dates are announced. Spokeswoman Kirsty Clokie said: "They sell like crazy when released. We are expecting big things."
The net's abuzz with title tattle
Speculation is rife on the meaning behind the title Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Author J.K. Rowling has hinted the hero may be killed off in the book but the plot remains top secret.
One theory at the Hogwarts Herald blog site (www.hogwartsherald.com) referred to Harry Potter's late parents: "The title Deathly Hallows definitely brings to mind Godric's Hollow - which as we know was the final hiding place of James and Lily Potter."
On another website, a poster backed that idea but said hallow was used to describe something holy or sacred.
"So it might just mean that the death of Harry or [Harry's nemesis Lord] Voldemort will create a sanctified location, a place that people might make pilgrimages to visit."
The consensus was that the meaning of the title would only become clear after reading the book.
