Pottermania

It was a dark and stormy night. Thunderstorms and lightning. A night filled with magic in the air. Half moon in the skies. Friday could not have fallen at a better time.

For those of you who have been sheltered from the news, this is about book six in a series of seven books detailing the life of the Wizard Harry Potter.

I know some of you are rolling their eyes up and saying, "Oh no! Not another fanatic of that ridiculous popular mania." I can assure you that I'm not nearly as bad as what I saw on Friday at midnight.

I'm on p. 12, which is quite an achievement considering I woke up at 2pm on Saturday, had breakfast at 3pm, and spent Sunday morning watching Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie's historical stage win.

I bought my first Harry Potter book in 1998, when it first came out in the U.S., long before it became as popular as it is today. I bought it because my eyes got caught on the beautiful graphics on the cover. I've been meaning to email GrandPre since then to tell her what an awesome job she did in marketing that book to me. I didn't buy the book at first sight. I waited a couple of days. By strange coincidence I spoke that week to my friend, an author, and he asked me if I've read the book. He strongly encouraged that I get the book and read it. I've been thankful to him since, for introducing this wonderful series.

A couple of years later this book started making waves and more and more articles covered this new phenomenon, which I never quite understood. While I completely agree that this is an awesome series I honestly don't know how it became such a hit among kids and adults. Either Jim was telling everyone he knew about this book, or it wasn't just Jim.

So no, I'm not into dressing up as Harry Potter, or learning witchcraft. I just enjoy reading these very imaginative books. I'm totally amazed at the author's ability to use her imagination to such an extent. In a way I'm jealous. I recall a time when I had this imagination. I think it was 30 years ago when I was rather young. But like all children, I grew up, lost my imagination, and regret it ever since.

I think it was the publication of the fourth Harry Potter book when Barnes and Noble opened its doors at midnight on July 7, 2000. That day I decided to borrow my friend's daughter and grab my husband to the bookstore. Just because I thought it was neat that they'd open a bookstore at midnight to sell one book. I didn't do my research properly that time, and did not reserve any books. We got into the bookstore at 11pm and were astonished at the amount of people inside. We proceeded to go to the back of the store, where we thought the end of line would be. Walked all the way to the back, then realised the line was bending to the left. So we followed it to the left, only to find out it was winding back all the way to the right. So off we go to the right edge of the store, when we notice that this is not the end of the line yet. We continued to follow the line of people only to end up...yup, at the front doors! That experience alone was enough to bring me back three years later when the fifth book was published (we combined the event with my husband's birthday).

On Friday, nothing would stop me from repeating the tradition. It was well worth the 40 minute drive East to pick up my friend's two daughters, only to return back to our favourite bookstore in town (Barnes and Noble). I put on my special shirt for the event, which I bought a year ago during our trip from Montana to Maryland (via Yellowstone Park).

NN, now you understand the reference?

We got in the store at 11pm, glad to know we had two books reserved this time. That sticker you see on the shirt with the yellow circle and the number two is how we were "registered" to receive our books at midnight.

I don't think any of the newspaper articles I read fully described the atmosphere in a bookstore when everyone there is waiting to buy the same book. Besides the costumed kids and adults, the staff put on costumes and brought in support staff from all over. The store was divided into four colours: Red, Green, Yellow and White. When I asked about the meaning of these colours I was told that due to copyright issues they could not call it "House Colours" (after the four wizard houses in the Harry Potter books), so instead these are just "plain colours." The people with the red stickers were the first to arrive and register at the store (I'm thinking they were there since lunchtime at least!). The green were next, the yellow were last. That is "if you ordered the books ahead of time." Otherwise, if you walk off the street you're put in the shameful white line. In 2000 there was no separation to colours. You stood in line with everyone. If you ordered a book, you could feel relieved. If you didn't you'd pray that you're not far enough back to have reached the "books sold out" point. We got lucky that year. But all the people who stood 20 people back from us were not as fortunate. They had to go empty handed after waiting two hours in line.

But we're in 2005, and bookstores learned their lesson. Everyone had more than enough books on the shelves, and yesterday I saw enough of them all over town.

So what is it like to be in a store at 11pm with over 500 people waiting for midnight? Entertaining to say the least. My first visit to the bathroom set the tone for the rest of the evening, as two young ladies in their 20's stood in front of the mirror and discussed how to best apply the lightning bolt "tattoo." ["I am going to put it on my forehead"..."No, I prefer to put it on my wrist, but put it where people will see it!"]. As I got out of the bathroom I had to climb over a bunch of people who were seated down in the aisles. I mean, com'n, what else can you do while trying to keep your place in line, whether you're red, green, yellow or white. Many of them came together in groups. Family outings. The picnic baskets were the only thing missing. But many found other alternatives, ranging from reading, through playing games. What I can tell you for sure - Starbucks lost a lot of money that night by not staying open next door. Instead, a long line of trying-to-stay-awake-adults stood patiently waiting for their cup of coffee.

As I walked around trying to take in the atmosphere, I overheard a lady say, "I wish I brought my book so I could read it while waiting." And I'm thinking, "Lady, you're in a BOOKSTORE! Find that d@mn book here and read it!"

Half hour later the speakers announced "The people who have a black spider on their hat have won a prize." I watched amused as some of the adults in costumes checked their hats. Yes, it wasn't only kids dressed up as Harry Potter and Hermione, there were teenagers, parents, and just wierdos dressed up. The only thing I didn't see this time were the Klingons from Star Wars, who somehow always manage to find events to crash.

Next announcement came "The end of the white line is now marked with a white balloon." [Good luck finding that balloon with all the bookshelves in your way]. Then came the next exciting announcement, "Ten more minutes to Harry Potter!" This was rather nerve wrecking at this point as everyone began to get up from their places on the floor. Next we heard, "Five minutes to Harry Potter!"

Then came the announcement, "It's midnight!" 500+ people erupted in cheers. The geeks in the green line screamed "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Us, in the yellow lines, we were all adult and subdued - "couldn't they stick us in a more interesting section of the store, instead of across the Biography and Religion stacks?!"

As our line proceeded to the front of the store I was jealous of the white line who was positioned right smack in the center of the life of any bookstore - Fiction, Mystery and Romance. While I had to miserably tolerate: History, Biography, Business, Marketing and Advertising, Sports, Health and Diseases. The highlight of my trip to the register was finding the book "How to Live with a Neurotic Dog." In hindsight I should have bought it **.

The lines then proceeded to the front of the store, as the very efficient booksellers had everything down to a science.

A piece of paper was stuck on the table in front of each register, where they'd scan it as many times as your sticker stated, while a young healthy person behind would grab the proper amount of books from the stacks of "highly explosive and secretive" boxes behind the registers and hand it over to the expectant customer.

As you were about to leave the store, a poster would be handed to you, a pair of Harry Potter glasses, and a bright neon green bracelet marking the historical date - July 16, 2005.

Within half hour we had our prized books in hand and happily left the bookstore.

Next momentous event - when the book is finally translated into Hebrew so my beloved nephews and niece can also read it!

** Our chocolate lab, aka Big Brown Fuzzy Chicken, did not quite like the "Dark and Stormy Night" and tore out our carpet in a violent reaction to us leaving him at midnight alone.

Recommended reading for those who are not familiar with the storyline of Harry Potter: http://www.mugglenet.com/books/index.shtml

Better yet, just buy the books and read them already!