For the month of March 2007

March 28th, 2007

Provided for you the Editor

Deathly Hallows Cover Art Unveiled!

That's right fellow Potterholics, it's finally here - cover art to the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series! During the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 28th, Arthur Levine of Scholastic publishers showed the American cover for the first time anywhere on NBC's Today Show. Both the American and British versions were then released on the publishers' websites (the audiobook will be available the same day as the print version). During the Today Show interview, Mr. Levine admitted that he cried when he read the book and said "it's a very emotional book."

The officially released synopsis, seen on the inside of the UK edition jacket, reads:

"Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of the Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him."

The back cover of the jacket reads:
"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfill the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with?"

Wizard Rock/Floo Network Joint Venture

Various Wizard Rock stars have come together to put out an awesome charity effort, the "EP of the Month Club", in which you pay $50 for one year's worth of music (12 CD's) with proceeds going to "First Book". Others at the Floo Network have begun "Last Books, First Books", their drive at HarryPotterSeven.com to collect for Book Aid. Visit Leaky's site target="_blank">here now through July 21st to donate to this great effort to help establish libraries around the world and give back some of what we've received through the Harry Potter books. Further, these two efforts came together and wizard rockers have donated a signed 12-disk CD set to the "Last Books, First Books" drive, which will be randomly awarded at the end of the drive to those who have donated $5 or more.

Lucius Talks Costume And More

In two extremely brief Leaky Cauldron videos, Jason Isaacs, who portrays Lucius Malfoy in the Potter films, gives some tid-bits about Lucius' appearance and possible DVD scenes. You can check them out here and here.

The Phoenix Sings July 10th

According to online seller Amazon.com, Tuesday, July 10th the Order of the Phoenix movie soundtrack will be available for purchase at an estimated retail price of $18.98.

March 22nd, 2007

New Affiliate

The Official PA would like to thank the Harry Potter Fan Zone, a great source for HP news, for adding us to their affiliates.

The Great Snape Debate

Like it or not, Severus Snape, the nefarious potions master, has become a widely popular and much discussed character. On Google alone, a search for "Severus Snape" receives more than half a million hits. That is the centerpiece on which Borders/Waldenbooks based their all-Snape approach to marketing Deathly Hallows. As part of the campaign, every fan who pre-orders Deathly Hallows will chose in The Great Snape Debate between one of two stickers, "Trust Snape" or "Snape Is A Very Bad Man.". The stickers, which are also available to those who reserve online, are also accompanied by in-store advertisements that ask, "Severus Snape: Friend or Foe?"

2008 Calendars Coming

Beginning August 1st, several new OotP caledars will be available for purchase. You can view the four covers over at Leaky Cauldron's gallery.

Emma's Not Going Anywhere Yet

Despite recent rumors, CBBC reported that Emma Watson, indeed, has no intention of leaving the Harry Potter film franchise. A Warner Brothers spokesman says they are "extremely confident" that she will be back for films 6 and 7.

9.408 Billion Pages!

According to a recent Scholastic press release, all 12 million copies of Deathly Hallows will be printed on recycled paper, paper containing a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste (pcw) fiber. Considering the announced length of each book is 784 pages, that's a grand total of 9,408,000,000 pages in the first print run. The publisher will also use similar material to print a "celebratory edition" of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in June 2007. This is a significant step in the company's ongoing commitment to being environmentally responsible.
On a further note, the 784 page length also makes Deathly Hallows the second longest book in the Harry Potter series, coming in second to Order.

March 19th, 2007

See The New Potter Video Game Being Made

CBBC Newsround is currently holding a competition for children aged 12 and under to winn the chance to see how the upcoming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix video game is made. They will get to see how Harry and his friends are animated into the game and even get gaming tips from experts.

Don't Count Your Pages Before They're Printed

According to Harry Latino, the rumored page count for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has already been shot down. A couple of days ago, it was rumored that the 7th and final Harry Potter book would be 700 pages. It has now been confirmed that, in fact, no page count is available.

March 17th, 2007

12 Million DH

Scholastic recently announced that 12 million copies will be printed in the first print run of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This number will break the previous record held by HBP, which printed 10.8 million copies on its first print run.

No New Harry Is Good News

According to MSNBC, Daniel Radcliffe has signed on to star in the final two Harry Potter film installments. Dan will be returning for his role as Harry in both Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

More OotP Photos

Several new photos from the upcoming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film have apparated online. Some pics include the Weasley twins flight from Hogwarts and a picture of the Hogs Head pub. These and more can be viewed thanks to HP Fan Zone.

New March WoM

As March began, J.K. Rowling updated her website with a new Wizard of the Month. Tilden Toots, born in 1959, is a celebrated herbologist with 3 green thumbs and a radio personality.