a. Fill in each blank with one appropriate word from the box.

conquer     release     record-breaking     fantasy    popularity      wizard     series     against

Harry Potter is a heptalogy of (36) _________novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the eponymous adolescent (37) _________Harry Potter, together with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, his best friends. The central story arc concerns Harry‘s struggle (38) _________the evil wizard Lord Voldemor t, who killed Harry‘s parents in his quest to (39) _________the wizarding world, after which he seeks to subjugate the Muggle (non-magical) world to his rule. Since the (40) _________ of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher‘s Stone in 1997, which was retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‘s Stone in the United States, the books have gained immense (41)_________., critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. As of April 2008, the seven book (42) _________ has sold more than 375 million copies and has been translated into more than 64 languages. The seventh and last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released on 21 July 2007. Publishers announced a (43) _________12 million copies for the first print run in the U.S. alone.

Harry Potter is a heptalogy of (36) _________novels written by British author J. K. Rowling.