Mother may take Harry Potter battle to court

A Georgia mother of threemay take her fight to banish Harry Potter books from schools to the courts after the state's board of education voted to keep the wizard series on library shelves.

The vote, on Thursday, upholds a previous decision by the Gwinnett County school board to deny Laura Mallory's request to eliminate J.K. Rowling's bestselling novels from schools.

The mother of three says the books instruct children in witchcraft.

"It's mainstreaming witchcraft in a subtle and deceptive manner, in a children-friendly format," said Mallory, whonoted she is considering a legal challenge to the board's ruling.

"The kind of stuff in these books murder and greed and violence. Why do they have to read them in school?"

Gwinnett school officials maintain the books encourage children to read and spark their imagination.

They also contend that banning books with references to witchcraft wouldresult in classics such as Macbeth and Cinderella being purged from schools.

The series follows the main character and his friends as they navigate wizard school while also fighting evil.

It's not the first negative reaction the books have had.Several other parents and church officialshave attempted to drive the book from libraries in the U.S and Canadaand the Pope's official exorcist recently called Harry Potter a "prince of darkness."

Rev. Gabriele Amorth said the series doesn't make a distinction between good and badmagic.

The Harry Potter series has sold more than 300 million copies around the world. Four of the books have been adapted to films.

The seventh and final instalment of the series is expected to be published within the year. Rowling has revealed two main characters will die.