USA Today

Wanted: Bodyguard for a 17-year-old boy who is mythical on paper but exists for real in the hearts of millions of readers.

Rumors, theories and spoilers are beginning to fly predicting who lives and who dies in the seventh and final "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

One spoiler, filled with misspellings, circulating on the Web last week was from "Gabriel," who claimed to have hacked into computers at British publisher Bloomsbury to find out the ending.

"Frankly, it's not very believable," says Emerson Spartz, who started www.mugglenet.com, an online fan site. "It's not even a good fake."

Twelve million copies go on sale July 21. As with previous Potter books, the closer to publication, the more the spoilers, says Lisa Holton of U.S. publisher Scholastic.

The fact that author J.K. Rowling has said at least two characters will die has increased the stakes considerably.

"It's the very last book, it's the highest printing we've ever done, and the Internet is even more active," Holton says.

As with other Potter books, booksellers, printers, distributors and security agencies have agreed to a "specific set of security guidelines" to make sure the final book doesn't leak out or get into bookstores early, Holton says.

"We have a fairly aggressive security push on a lot of different fronts," she says. "We work very hard to preserve that moment to get books in the right place around the country to be unveiled at the right moment."

At Amazon, those associated with HP7 have been through "extensive training," spokes-man Sean Sundwall says. Only a few people will be allowed to "touch (books), feel them, smell them."

The embargoes — and tight security — started with "Goblet of Fire," fourth in the series, which went on sale July 8, 2000.

Borders won't go into detail about its plans. "We are following the security measures that Scholastic has laid out," says Kolleen O'Meara, Borders spokeswoman.

Ditto for Barnes & Noble. In a statement, B&N's Kim Brown said: "As with every Harry Potter book, we have security measures in place. Based on our contract with the publisher, we cannot disclose the specifics."

Some Potter books have been stolen or sold ahead of publication. In 2005, a security guard stole two copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from a distribution center in England.

Scholastic does not plan to confirm any rumors that crop up about the final Potter book.

Rowling, on her Web site, says she wants readers "to embark on the last adventure ... without knowing where they are going."

Even if the ending is credibly revealed, Kaitlin McAfee, 16, of Springfield, Mo., will devour "Deathly Hallows."

"I don't like or approve of anyone spoiling it for myself or anyone else. After eight years of (reading about) Harry, I can't just leave it. I've got to read the book," McAfee says.