London, July 17, 2007 (Tuesday) Rumours are abuzz that the seventh and final Harry Potter book has been leaked on the internet, a few days before its official release.

Photographs of the pages, said to be from the US edition of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, have already found their way to a number of websites, that have seen a deluge of fans checking in to find out which character dies.

If the leak is not a hoax, then the photographs reveal that the first chapter of the book is called The Dark Lord Ascending and shows a cloaked man with a snake wrapped around him.

A spokesman for UK publisher Bloomsbury however said that the Rowling and her publishers were confident that the leak was a hoax, and fans will only get their hands on the true version when it hits bookstores on July 21.

“Lots of people claim to have copies of the book — but as far as we are concerned the true version has not been leaked,” The Sun quoted the rep, as saying.

Online retailer Amazon revealed on July 16 that a staggering 2 million people worldwide have already pre-ordered the final Potter book, breaking the record set by the previous book 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' which clocked in 1.5 million orders.

Amazon is expecting a surge in the number of orders as the release date of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' approaches. (ANI)