H.P.& The Deathly Hallows midnight party-to go or not to go?

[SFG75]

So I get an e-mail from Barnes & Noble which says:

- Barnes&Noble.com Advertisement -
YOU'RE INVITED HARRY POTTER MIDNIGHT MAGIC PARTY

Date: Friday Night, July 20th

Place: Barnes & Noble

Attire: Come as you are, or come dressed as your favorite character Join us for a magical evening of games, prizes, and activities as you count down the final moments to Harry's arrival!

So is anyone going or taking their kids to this? I'm tempted, but my kids are waaaaaaayyyyyy too young and crash by ten.

 

[Peronel]

Kids? If we had a bookshop in town, I'd be going myself. Alas, I don't think the newsagent or Target are planning anything party-wise.

I haven't even pre-ordered. I know I've bitched about not caring, but the OotP movie has gotten me all Potter-happy again. Mmmm (pictures self elbowing thirteen year olds out of the way in the Target book section).

 

[chop_chop]

I am hoping to go to my local waterstones to have a party - but I am in two minds, I would hate for someone horrid to read the last page or something and ruin it for the whole shop! Maybe I should just believe that most people are not that horrible!

 

[Moonhowler]

I'm 16 and I always go to the parties. I think they're great! I'm not going to dress up, but I'll probably buy an HP shirt somewhere.

chop chop: That's what I'm worried about. I've been reading this series and waiting to find out what happens for half of my life. I don't want it ruined by an attention-seeking freak who thinks it'll be funny to spoil it for other people. I had a hard enough time even coming in the Harry Potter section of this forum.

 

[mehastings]

I got that email too, and I honestly thought about it. I think most of the parties start around 6PM, so you could go early if you wanted to. I'm not so much into getting the book and reading it so fast I have spoilers posted before you westerners get your mits on it (I haven't even ordered a copy). If my daughter was a few years older I would take her. This is, after all, her last shot at a crazy Potter Party.

 

[Angelini]

There is a big party at the huge Waterstones in Piccadilly Circus here in London, but I won't be going as I don't want anyone to ruin the book for me. I realise that everyone else there will be fans too, but what's to stop someone from reading the last line out loud?? I don't want to take the chance!

 

[SevenWritez]

My Brother-in-law wants to go, and since HP is the only "big," thing I ever got into (Hate Star Wars, Matrix bored me, Mortal Crapbat made me yawn), I may or may not go. Probably not though, I just want the book. I don't want to be swapping theories with people who salivate over the pages.

 

[Rien]

I'm probably too shy to go; big groups of people always creep me out. Besides, I only want the book, and I'm willing to wait awhile to get it after the rush. As long as I don't read reviews, it won't be spoiled. I am sort of interested in what everyone does though, and I'm mildly tempted just because it will be my last shot.

 

[Peronel]

Since I will not get the book until late morning, I'm worried some jerk behind the counter will give away some plot points in conversation with co-workers. It's happened before.

I may wear my iPod for the duration of my trip to the newsagent.

 

[HopelessAddict]

I'll be going for sure. I've missed all the other ones, and this is the last chance. Has anyone else seen those pledge card things for people to swear they won't reveal the end of the book? Not that that will be any kind of deterrent...

 

[Rien]

Urk. I didn't go to a party, but I did end up waiting in a line at midnight for about half an hour, after all. My mother sent me off with the money to buy the book in an extremely sweet act of generosity. It wasn't so bad, either; the wait could have been a lot longer, but I couldn't find the line for a bit, and they gave us cupcakes while we waited.

 

[HopelessAddict]

I went, and it was a blast! They had a group of students from a local college in costumes doing skits and things, a Lockhart was handing out photos of himself and autographing them, and there was a little girl (11ish) wandering around that had Hermione down pat. The "I know everything and you know nothing and let me tell you just how wrong you are about everything" attitude resemblence was uncanny! We did a count down to midnight, made wands, had a Potter spelling bee, costume contest, Bott's Beans tasting, face painting, death predictions, roving fortune telling...it was all very awesome! I wish I would have started going to them sooner.

 

[TheMarine]

Urk. I didn't go to a party, but I did end up waiting in a line at midnight for about half an hour, after all. My mother sent me off with the money to buy the book in an extremely sweet act of generosity. It wasn't so bad, either; the wait could have been a lot longer, but I couldn't find the line for a bit, and they gave us cupcakes while we waited.

You got cupcakes? All we got was directions to the starbucks.

 

[Rien]

Yes! Those little chocolate ones with lots of icing and sprinkles on top. Free food? Yum!

 

[SevenWritez]

I felt out of place, everyone gossiping and theorizing while I gawked over a Playboy magazine that I found all abandoned and alone on a rack a few feets away from me.

Get it, rack? Huh? Get it?

Anyone?

...Harry Potter is over


*Walks in, face in hands*

 

[venusunfolding]

Since I will not get the book until late morning, I'm worried some jerk behind the counter will give away some plot points in conversation with co-workers. It's happened before.

I may wear my iPod for the duration of my trip to the newsagent.

Actually, most people behind the counter are worried about some jerk customer ruining the ending for us before we get a chance to read it. While most of you were out getting books at midnight parties, and Saturday morning a lot of us weren't able to read the book because we had to work all weekend to sell it to you.

 

[SFG75]

Peeking at Potter

Just curious-did anyone stay up all night to read it, or did you just skip to the end? Interesting Slate article about that, I guess J.K. Rowling wasn't too thrilled with folks for doing that, let aloen the media publishing spoiler material.

When a few media outlets published early reviews of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this week, author J.K. Rowling protested that the articles contained spoilers. She declared herself "staggered that American newspapers have decided to … [ignore] the wishes of literally millions of readers, particularly children, who wanted to reach Harry's final destination by themselves, in their own time." Presumably, Rowling assumes that half the pleasure of reading a fat, event-filled tome lays in our uncertainty about how it will end. But not every boy-wizard devotee thrives on guesswork and anticipation. According to a poll of 500 children taken for the British bookstore chain Waterstone's, nearly one-fifth of Harry Potter fans will skip straight to the end of the final book in the series. Is there something wrong with sussing out an ending in advance?

 

[Peronel]

Actually, most people behind the counter are worried about some jerk customer ruining the ending for us before we get a chance to read it. While most of you were out getting books at midnight parties, and Saturday morning a lot of us weren't able to read the book because we had to work all weekend to sell it to you.

Oh, I never thought of that! I would have been fired for screaming at customers all day. There ended up only being about 6 of us in the line at 9am Saturday (I got to go earlier than anticipated), but two staff members were standing close to us and opening to the back of the book, reading small sentences quietly. Not appreciated by anyone in the line; I felt like telling two middle-aged women to grow the @#$% up.

Just curious-did anyone stay up all night to read it, or did you just skip to the end? Interesting Slate article about that, I guess J.K. Rowling wasn't too thrilled with folks for doing that, let aloen the media publishing spoiler material.

I've already mentioned that I read spoilers early in the week, but the temptation was still there to check if they were real! I resisted, but only because something happened early which confirmed the leaked spoilers to be real.

 

[HopelessAddict]

I stayed up all night to read it and hadn't heard any spoilers either...I guess I was lucky!

 

[bren]

I stayed up all night to read it and hadn't heard any spoilers either...I guess I was lucky!

Spoilers? My daughter came rushing in from work Friday night, dragging along her friend. Apparently they had just dodged a spoiler plane! A revolving message and she read the word Snape - that's when she ran. I was speechless.This is a true story. It happened right here, but I haven't yet heard of anyone else who saw it.