Voldemort Unveiled
RSSDebra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 03/28/2007
Will Harry Potter die in the seventh and final book of the series? The answer remains a mystery, but fans got a sneak peak at the front and back covers of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on NBC's Today Show this morning.
The artwork by Mary GrandPré, who illustrated the previous six Potter books, features the teen wizard standing with an outstretched left arm under a dramatic orange and gold sky, wearing his Gryffindor robe. For the first time, the evil Lord Voldemort—He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named—also appears on the cover. The illustration suggests a confrontation between Harry and Voldemort, who, dressed in a dark cape and hood, glares at the young wizard with glowing red eyes.
Although Arthur A. Levine, J. K. Rowling's American editor at Scholastic, says he "sobbed and sobbed" while reading the book, he refused to even hint if Harry dies at the end.
"We're seeing Harry in a very interesting situation. Readers will find out exactly what the situation is," Levine said on the Today Show. When asked if Harry was going to die, Levine only added, "We do know that someone's going to die."
Levine also confessed that he had mixed emotions about the hugely popular series coming to an end. "When I was reading it, I had both the excitement and the power of the book, and the plot, driving me forward," he said. "But I was also feeling a little sad. It's the last time."
Scholastic, Rowling's U.S. publisher, has announced a record-breaking first printing of 12 million copies of Deathly Hallows, scheduled for release at 12:01 a.m. on July 21. The first printing will break the record previously held by the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which had a 10.8 million first printing in 2005 and sold 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours.
