Potter makes history as fastest-selling book

"After 608 crammed pages, it's still hard to believe it really is the end of the road for Harry," said Henry Sutton, books editor for the Daily Mirror tabloid in Britain.

He believes that the epilogue at the end of book seven means there is "no possible return" for the Harry Potter saga, although not everyone agrees.

Hours after the release of "Deathly Hallows", Ladbrokes bookmakers cut their odds on an eighth Potter tale to 10/1 from 16/1, following a flurry of bets.