Muggles Meet at Midnight
Midnight is approaching quickly, and we all know that this week, your minds haven’t really been on whether the space shuttle Discovery would launch or whether Chief Justice Rehnquist would retire. Much more pressing questions have been crowding your thoughts, such as...
Who is the half-blood prince? Now that the vapid Cho Chang seems out of the picture, who will be Harry’s next love interest -– Loony Lovegood? Ginny Weasley? Which important character is slated to die next? Is Dumbledore evil?
That’s right, in just a few hours, rabid fans will be storming local area bookstores to secure their copies of "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince", the sixth installment in the obscenely popular children’s fantasy book series. Fans have been ordering copies online, calling up stores to snag their reservation, and frantically rereading Book 5 (and Book 4, and Book 3...) to refresh their memories before the main event. And most chains and independent stores are doing their part to mark the occasion.
Image of the U.K. version of "The Half Blood Prince," which our friends at Londonist will be getting about six hours earlier than us. Lucky gits.
Politics and Prose will be holding a release party for kids beginning at 10:30 p.m. out in the store's parking lot, featuring a magician, costume contest, and refreshments. The store's also conveniently selling vouchers that can be purchased ahead of time so you don't have to handle long lines at midnight and can pick up your book quickly. At 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, the store's accessible by the Van Ness metro.
A Likely Story, a children's bookstore in Alexandria, will hold its own event as well. The store's own website listing seems to be down, but the Washington Post listing says the store will construct a makeshift "9 3/4" platform, serve Harry Potter custard from Del Ray Dreamery and allow early-bird customers to get "Muggle Money" to use at the event. The store's located at 1555 King St.
Nearly every Barnes & Noble store is holding the same type of event -- a midnight party including costumes, prizes and other treats. The website doesn't seem to be an efficient way to find events, but the Post seems to have them covered. Barnes and Noble’s website will also broadcast author J.K. Rowling reading from book 6 from Edinburgh Castle at 7:20 p.m.
Borders is following suit as well, with magicians, games and treats at their midnight party. To get all the locations at once, check The Post.
Olsson's bookstores in Arlington, Alexandria and Bethesda will hold midnight parties at their three locations, including refreshments, too. The store will be sponsoring a trivia contest, so make sure you know what Hermione's Patronus is before stepping your foot inside the store. You know. To save face.
Books-A-Million will host a party beginning at 9 a.m. before books are distributed at midnight. Stores are scattered throughout the area, so checkout the website to find the one closest to you.
Want a more cinematic Harry Potter experience? According to The Washingtonian, the University of Maryland will be screening the film for free at Hoff Theatre in the Stamp Student Union. Worried this will interfere with your ability to get an early copy? They'll be selling books outside the theatre, but you have to call in order to snag one (301/314-7770).
Midnight too much for you, even for Harry? Both the Trover Shop on Capitol Hill and the Waldenbooks in Montgomery Mall will open up at 7 a.m. tomorrow to catch the business of the early risers.
If you haven’t reserved your copy yet, some stores are still taking orders, and likely will have mounds of extra copies on hand for the various events. This DCist must confess she had copies reserved at three different locations at some point this week, unsure of where she’d be at midnight this evening, and can tell you from experience that some stores are still taking reserve orders, while others are telling you you’ve got to risk it at this point. Good luck securing your copies, Muggles! Who plans to be finished with the book by Saturday?