Harry Potter

The Beginning of the End

2007-07-24T11:19:00.000-04:00

And so it begins:
Finally. After signing off at H-minue 15 on Friday night, it was almost time to get in there and get the books. I snagged a couple more pieces of cake and dove into the mass of (literally screaming) kids. As it got closer to 12, the group was getting ready to break into the Bookstore. At 12:01 a.m., when the trivia contest winners got their books, it had reached the level of near-riot. Finally. The doors opened, and an amazingly orderly stream of excited kids, ecstatic Haverford students, and exhausted parents trickled into the Bookstore.

As people were getting the book, I searched the whole store for the perfect photo: a really cute little kid clutching a copy of the book. I had almost given up, when I came across this:

Golden.

Picture in hand (or at least on memory card), I put away my camera and got in line. Ten minutes later, I was lying on a couch in the campus center reading. I didn't move for fours hours.

H-minus 15 minutes

2007-07-20T23:45:00.001-04:00

For everyone, time has slowed down. Well, for almost everyone. With half an hour to go, the battery on my camera died, leading to twenty minutes of frantic searching. All was well after my girlfriend pointed out that there was another battery and charger in the camera bag, and now the book was a mere 15 minutes away. Sweet.

Julie just told me to get off my computer because the potions demonstration was about to begin ("Maybe we can blow up the campus center!"). With camera in hand, I'm going to learn from a professor who is (hopefully) a little more personable than Snape. I'll see you on the other side.

H-minus one hour

2007-07-20T22:55:00.000-04:00

People have started to trickle in, some in costume (see above), and some not, some in college, some in elementary school, and some significantly past both. The keg is tapped, Butter Beer (the official beer of the Irish Quidditch team, according to a sign) is flowing, and the cake is about the be cut.

But no one cares too much about those. Here's what everyone's waiting to see:

They're about to start showing Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone in the game room, so I'm off to watch the beginning and grab some cake, although, like everyone else, I'm much more interested in the boxes.

Preparations Commence

2007-07-20T14:59:00.001-04:00

I just got back from the bookstore, and I'm happy to report that the two most important features of tonight's party (aside from the book itself) are here: food and drink. Thanks to the good folks at the Dining Center, we have a keg of Butter (root) Beer and two cakes with the book's cover.

Doors open at 11 tonight. I'll be there with my trusty camera and laptop to record all the festivities. See you there!

Giving to a good cause

2007-07-19T15:24:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note about the Haverford Bookstore: if you buy the book there, you are eligible for a 20% discount. If you want, however, you can donate that discount to the Children's Literacy Initiative, a Philadelphia-based non-profit. As of now, over half of people who pre-ordered the book have made the $7 donation.

A note on spoilers

2007-07-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

I hate spoilers (both the facts themselves and the people who disseminate them), especially when it comes to Harry Potter. It's one thing to ruin the ending of Star Wars: Episode III (Anakin goes to the Dark Side!), and quite another to ruin the end of the sixth Harry Potter book (Snape kills Dumbledore!). Harry Potter books, especially the last three, are taught and suspenseful tales with unexpected endings. This, coupled with their extreme popularity, make Harry Potter books a spoiler's dream.

This year, I know that digital copies of the book are already turning up on the internet. I'm not sure why people would want to try to spoil the ending of the book for fans. Then again, I'm also not sure why people egg houses. Or knock over snowmen. Or break the gate arm on the HCA trail. Is the immediate satisfaction of ruining something for someone else greater than the of reading the book? I would say no, but then again, I wouldn't try to get on national television holding a spoiler for the seventh book (WARNING: this link contains a possible spoiler - I personally think this guy was just trying to be a wise-ass, and didn't actually know anything, but you still might want to avoid watching it).

As I'm writing this, it's come to my attention that even the venerable New York Times has stooped to publishing spoilers, this time in the form of an early review of the book. This isn't a traditional spoiler (the goal is still to review - not ruin - the book), but it reveals several plot points I wanted to find out for myself, most notably the meaning of the title.

I've yet to meet a fan of the books who was also a spoiler. I don't know if spoilers are jealous that fans find something in Harry Potter that they don't, or whether they just want to destroy something that makes other people happy. Either way, I plan on avoiding spoilers (both facts and people) at all costs for the next two days, and I hope you do the same.

A Trip to the Bookstore

2007-07-19T09:10:00.000-04:00

We're a day closer. I went to the Bookstore yesterday to scope things out, and was greeted very enthusiastically by Codi, the bookstore cat. I had the inspired idea that she would be a good photo subject (you know, witches/cats/magic/mystery). Unfortunately, her affection was only a front: it turned out she was only using me for my ability to operate doors. After affecting her escape, she disappeared into the Cantor-Fitzgerald Gallery and, despite my best efforts, evaded all attempts to photograph her in a vaguely mysterious pose.

So the long and the short of it is that the only picture I got for the Bookstore's preparations so far is this one:

I'm going to drop by the Bookstore this afternoon, so expect a party-preview post later today. Enjoy the last two days of speculation.

Introduction

2007-07-18T09:06:00.000-04:00

As I'm sure you know, the next (and last) installment in the Harry Potter series comes out this Saturday. To celebrate, the Haverford Bookstore is throwing a midnight release party on Friday night. I'll be there, taking pictures and posting updates from the release of the most anticipated book since the King James Bible (I'm pretty sure there were some wild midnight parties back in 1611, although I doubt the costumes were as good).

So for the next few days, in this space you'll find many things: rampant speculations about the plot (but absolutely NO SPOILERS), updates on the preparations for the party, how other Haverford students are preparing for the book, and after the fact, pictures and interviews from the party itself along with some spoiler-free impressions of the book.