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Lin Lisberger and David Craig assemble a storefront that will be the Flourish & Blotts bookstore at MuggleFest Portland, at the Portland Company complex on Fore Street.

The ending to the seventh and final novel - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - was supposed to be anyone's guess until Saturday, when the book is officially released.

As any Harry Potter fan will tell you, however, secrets have a way of leaking out.

On Wednesday, Neil Blair, a lawyer for author J.K. Rowling, confirmed that some genuine material from the final book had been released on the Internet, angering many fans of the series who want the ending to stay a secret until they can read it for themselves.

"You shouldn't try to ruin other people's fun," said 16-year-old Joel Daley of Portland. "I just want to wait until Saturday to read it."

Because it is impossible to tell which Internet versions are genuine or fake, the leak has not stopped fans of the book from speculating about the ending to Rowling's wildly popular series. If anything, the leak has seemed to fuel the debate.

"I think Harry and Voldemort will both die," said 17-year-old Lydia Swann of Portland. "Voldemort (Harry Potter's nemesis) is so powerful, I don't think Harry could just walk away from a duel. Harry's going to sacrifice himself to fight evil. Plus, I heard that J.K. Rowling doesn't want other authors doing spinoffs of Harry."

Even before Wednesday, readers of all ages were theorizing and arguing about what sort of ending Rowling will use. They've been rereading the last six books in the series, combing the pages for secrets that could unlock the mystery surrounding the ending of book 7.

Portland resident Leila Hunter, 17, said she and her friends often get together and discuss various theories. "Rowling's a really unexpected author, so you never know what will happen next," Hunter said.

Some, like Swann, say Harry will die, sacrificing himself to save the world from evil. Others are positive Harry will survive, living happily ever after with his two best friends, Ron and Hermione.

"I don't think J.K.R. will leave us with a dead Harry," said 10- year-old Molly Daley, who lives in Portland. She said Rowling has said that two main characters will die, but she believes Harry just can't be one of them.

Some fans aren't even confident that Harry will end up triumphing over evil. In fact, Hannah Mermin, 10, said she's hoping Voldemort will survive.

"Voldemort is one of my favorite characters," said Mermin, who lives in Portland. "I like the wicked people. I'm glad J.K. Rowling didn't kill him right away and is giving him a chance. Sometimes the evil people should win, because they never do in books."

Debate about "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" touches on questions about Harry and Voldemort's fate, which two characters will die and the mystery surrounding Harry's lightning bolt-shaped scar.

One of the more popular debates is whether Severus Snape, one of Harry's professors, is good or evil, said Gail Sanborn, general manager of the Borders bookstore in South Portland. She said there doesn't seem to be much consensus in any of the debates, with opinions spread all across the board.

Sanborn said she hopes spoilers and leaks don't ruin all the excitement and the creative debate. She said booksellers took extreme precautions to keep the contents of the Harry Potter book a secret.

The books are kept under lock and key, and although employees all know where the books will be stored, they are under strict orders not to open any boxes until midnight.

Kirsten Cappy, a Portland-based children's book event planner who is running the popular Mugglefest event Friday in Portland, said she and her team have taken every precaution to keep the contents of book 7 a secret.

She said the books will be kept in a separate building, and the location of that building won't be released to fans until after 9 p.m. today, when they can begin lining up for the release.

"In the books,...