Harry himself would be hard pressed to cast a spell this good.

Five months before JK Rowling's sixth Harry Potter novel hits the bookshelves, Worcester booksellers say they are doing a roaring trade, with hundreds of pre-orders already taken.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is expected to be the penultimate tale in the epic saga about the boy wizard.

Heather Davies, the Manager of Waterstones, in High Street, Worcester, said the shop was already making plans to open at midnight on Friday, July 15, for eager Potter fans to get their hands on a copy as soon as possible.

"We've already had lots of requests and pre-orders," said Mrs Davies.

"The previous titles are still selling well because the publicity surrounding the new release always revives interest.

"I, myself, enjoy reading the previous five books over and over again.

"I'm sure there will be enough copies to go round, but if people want to guarantee one, they should make a reservation now."

The magic dust is being sprinkled at Ottakar's bookshop in City Arcade, Worcester, too.

Children's floor manager Maz Loton said everybody was excited about the forthcoming release.

"We're doing an absolutely roaring trade," she said.

"Just about every other customer is asking about the next book, or making a reservation.

"We've had a few hundred reservations so far so by the time we start selling at midnight on the Friday night, I'm sure many people will have already ordered a copy.

"Harry Potter remains as popular as ever. It's fun and a little bit of escapism - something we all need from time to time."

There will be two versions of the book with different covers intended for either adults or children.

Internet retailer Amazon announced it had received more than 100,000 pre-orders and it went to the top of its sales chart within 24 hours of its release date being announced.