Loudoun Lines Up For Last Harry Potter Book

"Deathly Hallows" Draws Hundreds to Events Around the County

By Cydney Cappello, Jinae West

Originally published at 7:46 a.m., July 21, 2007
Updated at 2:57 p.m., July 21, 2007

Harry Potter fans in Loudoun got their hands on the final installment in J.K. Rowling's series early Saturday, marking the end to the boy wizard's adventures.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was released at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Fans from all over Loudoun flocked to stores Friday night to attend various Potter-themed events, and area bookstores still were busy catering to customers looking to pick up copies of the book Saturday.

Pat Daly, a co-owner of Books & Crannies in Middleburg, said sales were strong Satuday afternoon.

"We're over 220 copies now, and more are going out the door," she said.

The store opened early Saturday morning so people who couldn't wait in last night's line could pick up a copy.

Calling Friday night's party "much better than last year," Bailey said she was a little sad to see the decorations being put away.

"It was kind of heartbreaking to take it all down," she said.

Lucy Dennett, assistant general manager at Books-A-Million in Leesburg, said Friday night's Potter party was a success. As for Satuday sales, she said the store was busy.

"It's busy, but under control," she said. "We are getting a lot of people coming in who are picking up pre-ordered copies, as well as people just coming in to buy the book."

Eager fans spent hours waiting at area stores Friday night for the release. Four hours before the stroke of midnight, the quaint, quiet streets surrounding Middleburg's Books & Crannies already were aflutter with tiny witches and wizards.

Off in the distance, a handful of children, clad in long, black robes, prep-school ties and thick-rimmed glasses, fought playfully with wooden wands, muttering spells and charms that fell on deaf ears to passersby.

But despite the excitement, the evening was bittersweet.

“It's going to be a little sad,” 19-year-old Katrina Gorsky said at the Books-A-Million store in Sterling. “I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. I don't even have anything to wait for anymore. I've been reading them since I was in the fifth grade, so this last (book) is kind of sad 'cause I've been going to the midnight sales since the fourth book came out, and it's, like, the last one. It's an era coming to an end.”

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Books-A-Million Release Party

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Bruce Becker, 4, reads Harry Potter at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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Beth Little of Ashburn checks out the selection while waiting for the midnight release at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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A line of Harry Potter fans await the midnight release at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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Kevin Jefferson, 18, and Anita Leechor, 18, read a book while waiting for the midnight release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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Brandon Yates, 8, reads a book, waiting for the midnight release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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A rat is part of the store's live animals exhibit before the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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From left: Samantha Strasser, 15, and Kathleen Nelson, 16, discuss Harry Potter at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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Live reptiles were on display at Books-A-Million in Sterling before the release of the final Harry Potter book. (Cydney Cappello)

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Jeanne Anderegg, dressed as Mad-Eye Moody, a character in the Harry Potter series, and her daughter at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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Live owls were on display at Books-A-Million in Sterling the night the final Harry Potter book was released. (Cydney Cappello)

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One fan dressed as a witch reads a book while waiting for the midnight release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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Outside at Books-A-Million in Sterling before the final Harry Potter book is released. (Cydney Cappello)

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A group of children waiting for the final Harry Potter book to be released sit around an arts and crafts table at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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"I'm in my seventh childhood, you see," Jo Ann Webster said at a Books-A-Million in Sterling, "I had to do something to celebrate Harry Potter, so I just made up this shirt." (Jinae West)

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Customers wait for the midnight release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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The Harry Potter costume contest finalists at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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A man dressed as a dementor, a fictional creature that drains happiness, lurks behind an employee at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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A snake was part of the store's live reptiles exhibit at Books-A-Million in Sterling before the release of the final Harry Potter book. (Jinae West)

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A participant in the Harry Potter costume contest entertains the crowd at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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A Harry Potter look-a-like stands above the crowd at Books-A-Million in Sterling during a costume contest at the store. (Jinae West)

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Harry Potter costume contest at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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Elizabeth Carr and her daughter, Sierra, 12, read side by side, waiting for the midnight release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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Brian Knapp, 9, and Carolyn Wyman, 7, work at an arts and crafts table at Books-A-Million in Sterling as they await the release of the final Harry Potter book. (Jinae West)

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Customers check out previous Harry Potter books while they wait for the midnight release at Books-A-Million in Sterling. (Jinae West)

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Live owls were on display at Books-A-Million in Sterling the night the final Harry Potter book was released. (Jinae West)

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Live reptiles were on display at Books-A-Million in Sterling before the release of the final Harry Potter book. (Jinae West)

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Wearing a homemade T-shirt with the words “I'm Just Wild About Harry” printed in large, black letters, Jo Ann Webster at Books-A-Million said she doesn't like seeing the series draw to a close.

“I wouldn't miss Harry Potter for anything,” Webster said. “I'm in decline, though, because this is the last book.”

Still, other readers view the end as an opportunity for children's literature to continue to grow.

“All these kids are turned on to reading, and what happens is they read the Harry Potter books, but then they come back for more,” said Genie Ford, owner of Books & Crannies, an independently owned bookstore in Middleburg. “So, I think there are going to be other books and other series that come about that they will move on to. I mean, Harry Potter has had his day. It's appropriate to end it this way at this time. There will be a new generation of children who start with the first book and read through to the seventh, so it will never really go away.”

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Borders Express, Borders and Wegmans Harry Potter Parties

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Nicole Hauss, 6, straightens her hat, while she waits for her chance to pick up the latest Harry Potter book at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center. (Jinae West)

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Customers at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center purchased copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" as soon as they went on sale at 12:01 a.m. Friday. (Jinae West)

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Borders Express in Dulles Town Center before the release of the final Harry Potter book. (Jinae West)

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Cashiers in ballgowns at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center round up customers eager for the final Harry Potter book as the clocks ticks closer to 12:01 a.m. (Jinae West)

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The first round of customers rush to the registers at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center as the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. (Jinae West)

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Alexandria Millman holds the coveted first place in line after winning a raffle at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center earlier in the evening. (Cydney Cappello)

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Maria Casamento and Laura Siegert, both 17, from Sterling, wait at the end of the line at the Borders Express in Dulles Town Center. (Cydney Cappello)

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One young witch catches up on her reading while waiting in line at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center. (Cydney Cappello)

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A woman triumphantly leaves after her long wait in line at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center for the last Harry Potter, with a bonus special editon poster in tow. (Cydney Cappello)

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Andres Teran finds a cozy spot amongst the shelves to wait for his daughter during the Harry Potter book release party at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center. (Cydney Cappello)

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From left: Saanya Maini and Aditi Garg play a game while they wait for their copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center. (Cydney Cappello)

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Three teenagers use the bookshelves as backrests as they wait in line for copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center. (Cydney Cappello)

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Customers at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center finally found what they were looking for: the last Harry Potter book. (Cydney Cappello)

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Cashiers at Borders Express in Dulles Town Center retrieve reserved books for waiting customers. (Jinae West)

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Borders Express in Dulles Town Center had its own rules on how to hand out places in line, starting at 10 a.m. Friday morning. (Cydney Cappello)

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Outside of Borders in Sterling, hundreds of fans line up anticipating the final installment of the Harry Potter series. (Cydney Cappello)

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Hagrid, Harry Potter and a death eater -- or the Brunelli family of Ashburn -- waited for the book with other fans at Wegmans in Sterling. (Tammi Marcoullier)

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Ed, 10-year-old Brad and 12-year-old Elizabeth Joseph of Ashburn Farm were among the first in line for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" at Wegmans. (Tammi Marcoullier)

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Jan Larsen, a Wegmans staff member, paints a Firebolt broomstick on the arm of Amanda Hansberger, 13, of Sterling. (Cydney Cappello)

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From left: Gary Ryan, 37, Reston; Coral Ryan, 15, Ashburn; Rachel Gross, 12, Leesburg; Madison Isaac, 12, Leesburg. Coral Ryan was the first in her line to buy a copy of the final book in the Harry Potter series at Wegmans in Sterling. She planned to start reading in the car on the way home. (Tammi Marcoullier)

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For the most part, Potter fans were just happy to partake in their final release party last night.

Books-A-Million in Sterling featured live owls, spiders and snakes provided by The Raptor Conservancy of Virginia.

Critters and Creatures also provided animals for the display.

The store also had a costume contest to determine the first spot in line. For the second year in a row, Rachel Ayers, 16, won the contest, dressed as Dolores Umbridge, a ruthless, cold-hearted character best known as a “vision in pink” in the Harry Potter series.

“When (the books) first came out, I wasn't really interested in them,” Ayers admitted. “But then a lot of badgering from my friends got me to read them 'cause I couldn't get past the first four chapters because they were just so boring to me until it got to the Hogwarts part and all of the magic. And I was kind of hooked from then on.”

Minutes after midnight, minivans and sedans and SUVs began streaming out of the Wegmans parking lot in Sterling. Small lights illuminated the passenger seats as parents drove and children began reading their fresh copies of the book on the way home.

"I will be staying up all night to read it," said Ed Joseph of Ashburn. "I will finish by tomorrow morning, because my daughter will be anxiously awaiting the book."

Waiting customers at Borders Express in Dulles found cozy spaces in between aisles and shelves, counting down the hours, minutes and seconds until the book's release at midnight. The line eventually made its way around the store and out the front entrance.

At 12:01 a.m., the staff at Borders Express, dressed to the nines in suits, ties and prom dresses, opened red and white boxes labeled “Do Not Open Before July 21, 2007” to cheering and enthusiastic applause, quickly followed by shuffling feet and the ringing of register drawers.

But some didn't need to glance at a copy of “Deathly Hallows” to predict the anticipated ending.

“Harry will fight Snape, Snape will run away, then Harry will fight Voldemort, and then they both [will] kill each other,” 12-year-old Brandon Yates, of Herndon, said.

“Or something like that.”

LoudounExtra.com blogger Tammi Marcoullier contributed to this story.

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