On 11 January 2007, J.K. Rowling stepped out of Edinburgh’s Balmoral hotel with a sense of accomplishment. She had just completed the last novel in the Harry Potter series, the culmination of 17 years of writing. But that wasn’t all she wrote while she was there.

The Harry Potter series, which began with the publication of the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in 1997, has been a global phenomenon. Rowling’s seven books have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 79 languages. The books have also been adapted into eight blockbuster films, with the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, released in 2011.

But the journey to the end of the series was not an easy one. Rowling wrote the first three books in the series while struggling with poverty and single motherhood. She wrote the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, in a café in Edinburgh, where she was living at the time.

It was in this same café that Rowling wrote the final three books in the series, completing the last one on 11 January 2007. After completing the book, Rowling celebrated with a glass of champagne in the Balmoral hotel.

Since then, Rowling has gone on to write other works, including the Cormoran Strike series and The Casual Vacancy. She has also written a number of companion books to the Harry Potter series, including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages.

Rowling has also become a prominent philanthropist, donating millions of pounds to charities and causes she believes in. She is also an advocate for human rights, and has spoken out against discrimination and inequality.

The Harry Potter series may have come to an end, but J.K. Rowling’s writing career is far from over. She continues to write and inspire, and her work will no doubt continue to delight readers for years to come.