I confess. I have been whistling John William’s theme from the Harry Potter movies for the past two weeks. I have engaged in idle speculation and conversation about the potential deaths of major characters in the series. I have flaunted my Harry Potter fandom in the face of those who think the series is evil and promotes witchcraft. Though I won’t don a robe and brandish a wand, I have let my white beard grow out to a wizard-respectable length. I don’t plan to trim it until I finish reading the book.
Today is the day. All the loose ends get wrapped up, and we learn the fate of the boy wizard. Laura and I have reserved our copy (singular – we’re not that crazy) of the book and will attend the midnight release party at our local Barnes and Noble. I also plan to drop by the Greenville County Library to photograph their Potter Party this afternoon. It should be fun.
I’ve been to midnight releases for the past two books. For "Order of the Phoenix", we didn’t know what to expect. Houston, Lynda, Chip, and I cruised between several bookstores after midnight, finally finding copies at Books-a-Million. Last time, for "Half-Blood Prince", Laura and I jumped into the thick of the parties and Barnes and Noble. I was able to borrow a copy from work so we had a reading party with my neice all weekend.
Last time, we made the mistake of treating this as a simple shopping expedition. We were trying to score a limited product during its initial release, kind of like those who waited in line for iPhones or xBox 360s. This year, we’ll again brave the crowds, but we’ll try to get into the spirit of the festivities. If we have to wait an hour or so for a book, so be it. It’s a party.
I believe you’d make a pretty good Dumbledore (sp).