DUSHANBE, July 21, Asia-Plus – BBC News -- Harry Potter fans can finally find out their hero''s fate, after the seventh and final book in the popular series went on sale.  The first copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were snapped up across the world.

Author JK Rowling had admitted to "excitement, nerves and relief" as the launch approached.  "All the secrets I have been carrying around for so long will be yours, too," she wrote to fans on her website.  "Within hours you will know what happens to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest in their final adventure.  "Those who guessed correctly will be vindicated, and those who guessed wrongly will not, I hope, be too disappointed!"

Former speed reading champion and Potter fan Anne Jones was one of the first to finish the book, reading more than 4,000 words a minute.

"It''s a real page-turner, great fun. The kids are going to love it but there are some sad moments in it," said the 55-year-old.

As the clock struck 12, Rowling read excerpts from her new book to 500 competition winners at London''s Natural History Museum before embarking on an all-night book-signing.

Reading from the first chapter, entitled The Dark Lord Descending, Rowling''s voice echoed around the auditorium.

            The book was released at the witching hour of midnight BST, meaning that in other countries like India and Australia, fans were waking up to magic breakfasts laid on by book shops.

Staff at stores in Hong Kong planned to tour the city dressed as wizards, while in Bangladesh, customs offices continued to work on a Friday - a holiday in the country - to ensure the novel was delivered on time.

In New York, a street party included face-painting, wand-making, fire-eaters and magicians, while in Bangkok, an outdoor movie screen was showing all the Potter films throughout the night.

Appearing on BBC One''s Blue Peter on Friday, Rowling warned that the book could be upsetting for some readers.

That number will grow as millions of copies of the new novel are snapped up over the weekend.

It is being released in 93 countries, with a print run of 12 million in the US alone and more than 2.2 million ordered in advance from Internet retailer Amazon.

Loyal fans will finally reach the climax of the story after 10 years of twists and turns in the life of the young wizard.

A final confrontation between Harry and his evil nemesis, Lord Voldemort, has been building throughout the series - and Rowling has revealed some characters do not survive.

Fans around the world queued in their thousands outside bookshops waiting for the launch.

At Waterstone''s in central London, an estimated 5,000 people turned up to enjoy the atmosphere. Many came dressed in character - as wizards, teachers, death eaters, giants and even owls.

Cahina Lewis, who joined the queue in a witch''s costume, said: "For the last nine or 10 years it''s been such a big part of my life.

"I''ve been talking to my friends about Harry Potter theories for so long, and I''m not going to be able to do that anymore. What will I do with my life?"