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  Potter book five: on sale on 21 June
Updated 15 January 2003, 18.26
 JK has handed the book over to the publishers
JK has handed the book over to the publishers

The long-awaited fifth Harry Potter book has finally got a release date, and it's Saturday 21 June 2003.

On that day, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (the confirmed title) will be in shops in Britain, the USA, Canada, Australia and in the English language in many other countries.

As we reveal in a separate story on the CBBC Newsround website, security is now very tight surrounding the new manuscript.

Click here to read what's happening to the manuscript now

Fact File
How long is book 5?
38 chapters
768 pages
255,000 words
More than a third longer than book four
But we do know that it will be more than a third longer than the fourth book - which was already pretty big.

And as if that isn't exciting enough, the people who publish it - Bloomsbury in the UK and Scholastic in the US - have released some of the text.

The opening

When you open the book, the first two sentences you will read are:

The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive.

The only person left outside was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flowerbed outside number four.

What happens to the book now? Click here to find out

They also revealed some of author JK Rowling's words from later in the book, giving vital clues to what will happen.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
It's been a long wait since the Goblet of Fire
Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses.

'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry.

Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.'

Long wait

The day they've picked - 21 June - is really cool, because it's got the longest amount of daylight of the year, giving you loads of time to get stuck into it.

Click here to vote on how long you'll take to read it

It's been a long wait for HP fans. Book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was released two-and-a-half years ago.

It became the fastest-selling book of all time, and more than 192 million copies of Potter books have now been sold.

'Brilliant and compelling'

Fans have been waiting for book five ever since.

But JK Rowling never promised when she would finish writing it, and stories that it had been delayed were false.

But now, at last, she is ready to unleash the next instalment of Harry's adventures to the world.

Announcing the news, Nigel Newton, head of Bloomsbury, said: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is absolutely superb and will delight all JK Rowling's fans.

"She has written a brilliant and utterly compelling new adventure."

Make sure you keep checking back for all the info as we get it - including where JK's manuscript is now!

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Hear storyHear story
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More InfoBORDER=0
UKBook five: What happens next?
UKPotter book held at secret location
UKLizo's reaction to the book 5 news
Find OutOur FULL Harry Potter section
ChatChat on our Potter message board
VoteVote: Is OOTP too long?
VoteVote: Who dies in Potter 5

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Past StoriesBORDER=0
Potter 5 clues sell for £28,680
J K reveals 'bad death' coming in Book 5
JK: There will NOT be an eighth Potter book
Lizo's reaction to the book five news

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Web Links
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Harry Potter publishers Bloomsbury
Note: You will leave CBBC. We are not responsible for other websites.

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Comments
What are your Potter book 5 predictions?
opening quoteI reckon Dumbledore's going to tell Harry that Voldemort is his father and that he has a sister! Hehe!closing quote
George, 13, Luton
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