Styling itself as an unauthorised guide to the mysteries that remain, the book is a meticulously deconstructed history of essential Potter, and cleverly reasoned speculation concerning events yet to come. Langford offers insightful observations on how J.K. Rowling constructs her stories, aided by comparisons with classical and contemporary literature. For those who ponder such things, there's information as to the diverse sources from which Rowling took her inspiration, stretching from Tom Brown's Schooldays to a Microsoft Windows screensaver. We get a sympathetic examination of troublesome plot elements; the problem with Slytherin, time turners, meddling with the memories of Muggles, and so on. Anyone interested in how and why Rowling names her creations, will be entertained by the chapter that features a who's who of the more unusually named characters. Tantalisingly, Langford also discusses some of the fascinating questions concerning what elements may form parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. These include Harry's heritage, Wormtail's debt, Dumbledore's look of triumph, Sirius Black's magic mirror, where to find the Horcruxes and what form they might take, the mechanics of how Voldermort could finally be defeated, and most crucial of all which characters will still be alive at the end. All of it, of course, is pure speculation, but it is speculation informed by good research, outlined with a sense of humour, and developed from keen observation of clues planted by J.K. Rowling.

After reading The End of Harry Potter? I was reminded of a scene from The Rutles, where the Hippie Professor Stanley J. Krammerhead the III Junior goes into a long-worded, complex sounding explanation for the Rutles phenomenon. After which a dry voice-over adds, "But he didn't really tell us, either." David Langford doesn't over-complicate, but it's obviously impossible for anyone except J.K. Rowling to provide definitive answers. Invaluably for the Potter devotee, Langford's literary torch does more than most to shine into corners deliberately made shadowy by Rowling's twisty plot. Readers who believe that Harry is inescapably hurtling toward his doom may disagree with some of the author's conclusions, and the book could do with an index. But, these minor issue aside, The End of Harry Potter? is well worth reading while we wait for the real thing.