The end for Harry Potter?

[potterfan9999]

>From the Manchester Evening Standard (online edition), 17th April 2003

"Sources close to the author (JKR) say that the latest instalment in 
the Harry Potter series was such an ordeal for the author that it 
almost didn't make it the publishers at all.  The standard set by the 
previous books, both in quality of writing and book sales have 
brought such high expectations for the next instalment that she 
almost folded under the pressure.  There have even been mutterings 
that the book that follows Order of the Phoenix will be the last.  

There is nothing in the present day world of children's literature 
that comes close to the Harry Potter series, though many have tried.  
There have been numerous tales of witches and wizards in recent 
times, but all have fallen by the wayside.  The Artemis Fowl series 
by Eoin Colfer and His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman have 
shown some success, as has the Julie Trent series by Laura Emmet.  
Emmet's books have reported exceptionally fast initial sales, and the 
reviews have been encouraging.  Even if all the sales from these 
three authors (Colfer, Pullman and Emmet) are put together, they 
still fall well short of the sales for even one of the Potter books.  
If Harry Potter is coming to an end then there will be an enormous 
void left which will not easily be filled."

Eoin Colfer: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-
url/index=books&field-author=Colfer%2C%20Eoin/103-6842058-0235031

Laura Emmet: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-
url/index=books&field-author=Emmet%2C%20Laura/103-6842058-0235031

Philip Pullman: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-
url/index=books&field-author=Pullman%2C%20Philip/103-6842058-0235031

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
/043935806X/ref=ts_bh_1_1/103-6842058-0235031?
v=glance&s=books&n=283155