"Harry Potter" e-books delayed until first half of 2012

(CBS) Those of you who wanted to get your first electronic installment of the "Harry Potter" series, you're going to have to wait a bit longer. The online store that will finally sell the "Harry Potter" e-books -- the Pottermore shop -- isn't going to launch to the public until the first half of 2012.

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Pottermore is J.K. Rowling's mysterious "Harry Potter"-themed interactive website. It promises to extend and enhance the books' experience for fans who want more out of the series. It will also be the first and the only place to buy the "Harry Potter" e-books.

In a post on the official Pottermore blog, the site administrators wrote that the Pottermore beta site can now be accessed by one million people and those who completed the Magic Quill challenge. But, it's not quite ready for full public consumption. (When we tried to get to the main site, we got a message asking us to wait because of high volume.) They have decided to extend the beta period beyond September in order to improve the user experience.

If you want to be one of the first to get access to the Pottermore site through open registration, sign ups will begin at the end of October. People will be allowed to enter in batches, but that can take up to weeks or months depending on demand.

However, if you want the e-books, not matter how early you register, you'll have to wait until the full launch of the store.