'Potter' Finale Deathly for Book Business

The final Harry Potter installment will likely fly off the shelves like a Quidditch player, but retailers are feeling decidedly grounded. Facing megasized hype, chains and websites will sell Harry for cost, leaving independent bookstores practically out of the selling loop. And Business Week reports Scholastic's lodestone is diverting attention away from the rest of its business.

Amazon.com’s CEO has admitted he doesn't even plan to make money from half-price The Deathly Hallows, but will settle for fans' extra web traffic. Meanwhile, Universal Studios is holding its breath over its planned Harry Potter theme park, hoping that the wizard isn’t killed off in his final scenes. (More Harry Potter stories.)