Pottermania encircled the globe on Saturday as millions of young fans rushed to buy the latest Harry Potter saga with author JK Rowling overjoyed that the plot had not leaked out.

"I don't think anything crucial has got out so I am happy," she said after visiting an Edinburgh bookshop at midnight, the witching hour when "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was finally released.

With children brought to fever pitch by a three-year wait for the latest wizard installment and a meticulously orchestrated marketing campaign, the weighty tome looks set to become the fastest-selling book of all time.

"I like Harry Potter because he deals with danger," said eight-year-old New Zealander Matty Russell.

In Kuala Lumpur, 14-year-old Maryam Nekmat, eyes shining under her traditional Malay headscarf, said: "I've waited months for this."

"People show a lot of interest in the book whatever age group they belong to," said Kim Eun-chul at South Korea's biggest bookstore in Seoul.

Germans could not wait for the translation that comes out in November. They eagerly snapped up English language copies at Frankfurt International Airport.

Rowling, thrilled that her plot twists had stayed secret, said: "I think it is miraculous, given the number of books that have been produced and the number of people who have been involved, that everything hasn't been revealed."

"I am really happy. I think most kids are going to find out what happens because they have read the book -- and that is what's important to me," the author said.

SALES RECORDS BROKEN

The planet's favorite boy wizard has turned into a global publishing phenomenon. The first four books have sold almost 200 million copies in 55 languages and 200 countries.

An estimated 13 million copies of book five have been printed and it has already broken internet sales records with more than one million advance orders received by Amazon.

New Zealand marked the launch with a bid to set a new world record for the longest ever children's book reading. Prime Minister Helen Clark was one of the first to read aloud at the 27-hour marathon.

"The wonderful thing about the Harry Potter story is that it has captured the imagination of children everywhere and helped to encourage a love of reading," she told Reuters.

In South Africa, more than 500 children and adults converged on a Johannesburg bookshop to get their hands on the book.

From the kangaroo-plains of Australia's outback to its golden beaches, Pottermania swept "Down Under."

Some Australians drove for hours along isolated, desert roads to get their copy, others journeyed in a special 14- carriage Hogwarts Express steam train. And the worldwide spell woven by the teenage wizard was perfectly encapsulated by tiny eight-year-old Madeleine Chapman.

Dressed in a wizard's hat, she stood in silence at the entrance to Sydney's main railway station, clutching her book and reading. Not even the flame-throwing fire eaters nearby could distract her from Harry's latest adventure.

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