Petition urges Rowling for more Potter books

Harry Potter fans preparing to get their hands on the last of the seven Potter books were being urged Monday to sign a petition to author J K Rowling not to abandon the boy wizard for good.

"We, the undersigned, petition J K Rowling to write more new adventures for Harry Potter and his friends no matter what happens at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," said the petition launched by major British bookseller Waterstones.

The last of the Potter books is due to be published July 21.

Rowling had already left a spark of hope for fans Friday when she said during a talk show "never say never" in relation to her writing and the hero she first dreamt up 17 years ago on a train ride.

She had previously insisted that the latest book would be the last of the Harry Potter adventures, which had been conceived from the outset as a seven-book series.

Rowling has also made plain that two major characters are killed off in the final book - leaving distraught fans fretting that Harry himself may be one victim.

A Waterstone's spokesperson said the www.saveharrypotter.co.uk website was expected to attract "millions if not billions" of signatures.