Will he live or will he die? More importantly, will those who crowded the Borders bookstore at The Shops At Atlas Park to get their copy of J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, which goes on sale at 12:05 a.m., get home before dawn?
At least it isn’t a school night.
As we speak, the hundreds who flocked to Atlas Park for their Harry Potter-centric celebration are engaged in various games and activities, including face-painting and a Potter-related spelling bee.
While the aisles are rife with fans who know all about Hogwarts, Hermione Granger and Dumbledore (I had to look those up), many Borders employees also admitted to being longtime enthusiasts.
Harold Pfeiffer, the café supervisor, who was dressed up in a big purple wizard’s robe, said he first became aware of the Harry Potter books years ago, when he was working as a classroom assistant.
At the time, he noticed many of the students, who were third and fourth-graders, were reading the books for fun. “I had to pick up the book to see what it was all about,” said Pfeiffer. “I just kept reading.”
Nowadays, when Potter-mania has reached the point where the fictional world has inspired doctoral theses, it’s refreshing – downright reassuring – to hear from fans who appreciate the books just for being good reads.
Seven-year-old Emma Rafferty, a Maspeth resident, is among that group. When asked what she loves most about the books, Emma, who had a Hogwarts-style black robe over an English boarding school uniform, had this to say: “It takes me from my house when I’m reading it. I feel like I’m really in Hogwarts or wherever they are.”
Look for photos from this event in the June 26th issue of the Ledger/Star!
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