Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in the popular series by J.K. Rowling, has been scheduled for release on July 21, publisher Scholastic announced. As with the previous releases, the book will be made available in bookstores and online beginning at 12:01 a.m.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series, was released on July 16, 2005, and was the fastest-selling book in history, selling 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours. All six Harry Potter books have been number-one bestsellers in the United States, the U.K. and around the world. There are currently over 120 million copies of the Harry Potter books in print in the United States alone.

Scholastic will publish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in hardcover under the Arthur A. Levine imprint, with interior and cover art by Mary GrandPre, who has illustrated the previous six books. Rowling has also confirmed that two of the main characters will meet their ends. If one of these is Harry himself that remains to be seen. A deluxe edition and reinforced library edition will be published simultaneously.