Harry Potter Fans Party with Potter Movies, Trivia, Cake, and More

Hearts pounding, Harry Potter fans began to line up in the front section of the Muscatine Wal-Mart Supercenter, excitedly waiting for their personal copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. With rows of Harry Potter merchandise ready to tempt series fans, ranging from all of the Order of the Phoenix videogames and twenty-one copies of the older books, Wal-Mart treated patient fans to lots of goodies before the sorting hats (assistant manager Troy and associate Chase) inducted muggles with red, green, purple, and yellow wristbands at 8pm. (Muggles were then free until they would be lined up in order of color for their copies of the book near midnight).

First in line, Tina Newcomb, described how she first became a Harry Potter fan. "When the first movie came out it was my daughter's ninth birthday and I took her to the movie. We've been fans ever since."

Starting at 7:30, the Potter fans were treated generously to 3 full sheets of cake before getting their Gryffindor bracelets. Later fans regathered for Prizoner of Azkaban on a Wal-Mart High Definition TV in the layaway department. As I served pop that I bought to keep people awake (I have never worked for Wal-Mart), they seemed buzzing with excitement over the book, while the line grew continuously to over a couple hundred fans. A countdown commenced right at 12, with the entire line chanting from 20 to 1, but because the employees could not even open the tightly sealed black packaging (rumored to have over 900 copies) until 12:01, the crowd dissappointedly waited another few minutes.

When 12:01 hit, for the first time the fans actually stayed calmly in an orderly line, but snatching books as they got to them and then flying to the front of the store for checkout. Wal-Mart also had a fancy edition of the copy, not found at the local bookstore, for only $44, which included a special edition "full-color artwork and illustration showcase."

Quickly after I snatched up a special edition copy, I sped over to the local bookstore, which was hosting an all out Potter party, complete with it's own witches, wizards, wands, and trivia. All the excitement brought its cost: the book cost $32.50 compared to less than $18.85 at Wal-Mart, and they lacked the large pieces of cake, the chairs, and the Mountain Dew. The witches did keep the muggles entertained with trivia and candy, but they lacked the power of the H.D. Harry Potter movie, beanbag chairs, and the special edition of the books.

Potter fans at each location were however equally excited for their copies, and although one cost a bit more, the exciting part (the reading itself) is still to come.