As the crowd outside Anderson's Bookshop counted down the seconds to midnight, the employees inside readied themselves behind a line of empty "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" boxes. Some stretched. Others fidgeted nervously.
And when the bewitching hour struck, several pulled away a midnight blue sheet to reveal an enormous stack of the orange-covered books stretching down an entire aisle and standing chest-high.
Lexi Boyer, an 11-year-old All Saints Catholic Academy student from Naperville, was the first to be handed her copy of the 759-page book at Anderson's -- the grand finale to the day's activities at The Party That Shall Not Be Named in downtown Naperville.
"I'm so excited," she repeated, her eyes widening.
We'll have a full report on the luckiest day of Lexi's life in The Naperville Sun Sunday.
"I can't believe it's finally here!" a teary girl following Lexi said, and at least one mother warned her daughter, "Don't get jumped on the way out." Upon spying the Hagrid-sized stack of Harry Potter books, another pink-haired witch gushed, "I want to roll in them!"
As they made their way out the back door at the bookshop, book-holders were greeted with a shower of white confetti and twirling spotlights overhead.
Many congregated around streetlights, eager to begin reading. A few were unable to wait any longer to see how Harry's adventures will end and flipped ahead to the last pages of the book, eliciting groans from those still waiting in lines outside Anderson's.
After circling back around the shop and finding where she belonged in line with ticket number 1,732 (of about 2,200) reserving her copy of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Emily had the book in her hands at 12:56 a.m.
Lauren picked up a copy at the Jewel-Osco at 95th Street and Route 59 on her way home from the Party for $22.41. She was the only customer in the store and one of about 20, employees said, to buy the book there before 12:45 a.m.
Both plan to finish "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" before PotterCast's first discussion of the book at 3 p.m. Sunday at Naperville North High School, 899 N. Mill St. Tickets are $5, or $3 with proof of purchase from Anderson's.
Oh my, I can't imagine staying up till midnight for much of anything anymore! Sounds like the staff and readers alike had a good time. :-)
I love what Naperville has done. However much or little a fan you are, whatever your age, it's a party.
Some columnist somewhere said that Harry Potter's popularity is based on a feeling of "empowerment" that kids want, but I don't see it that way at all. It's a feeling on enchantment, of possibilities, of fun, of companionship. It's magic, fantasy, imagination.
It's been a huge party with inside information, and part of our culture now. It's a really attractive alternative to thinking about "cold case files", and gory and depressing news. It's a respit that has done us good, and it's The Party That Shall Not Be Named. I will miss it all.
Thanks, Naperville!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Potterfest was AWESOME! I seriously could not believe the crowd!
I have a feeling this won't be the last Potterpalooza, I'm fairly certain JK Rowling is going to keep milking the Potterverse cow as long as it is producing buckets upon buckets overflowing with money. (And who could blame her, really?)
But if this truly is the end of Harry Potter, I sincerely hope another series comes along which has the same power to captivate readers of all ages.