Fans line up for Harry Potter

By Matthew Price

Published: July 22, 2007

Hundreds of fans of the "Harry Potter” series swarmed Oklahoma bookstores at midnight Friday to be among the first to read the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

At the Borders store at 300 Norman Center Court in Norman, dozens of wizards' capes were slung over the backs of excited attendees.

Lines snaked through the store as "The Grand Hallows Ball” featured wizard-themed games and employees dressed as characters from the books.

Anxious fans paged through other books about the boy wizard, including "The Great Snape Debate,” with contributors including Orson Scott Card, and "The End of Harry Potter,” by David Langford.

Fans wore T-shirts declaring "I Love Ron,” and "Dumbledore's Army,” and more children sported lightning-bolt shaped scars on their head than could be explained by even the most rambunctious of roughhousing.

Jordan Turner, 20, was making a return trip to Borders for this year's Potter event. She said Borders' grandiose theme party for the Potter releases made for an enjoyable evening.

Turner brought friends Brooke Dockery, 20, and Tesia Zientek, 20.

The three attended Bethel High School together. Turner and Dockery now attend Oklahoma Baptist University, and Zientek attends Notre Dame.

"I love Harry Potter a lot, a lot, a lot,” Zientek said, adding that her mother bought her "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,” the first book in the series, during its original release.

Zientek has grown up with Harry Potter. She was about Potter's age when the first book came out, and she is now finishing the series only slightly older than he is in the final book. "It's frustrating when people talk about how lame and young Harry Potter is,” Zientek said. "When it came out it was targeted toward us.”

Dockery's exposure is limited to the films, and she was at the bookstore solely for the experience.

"I enjoy the atmosphere,” she said. "There's nothing wrong with hanging out in a bookstore for three hours, especially when you're an English major.”

Brent Hazelrigg, 46, of Washington, OK, said he reads the books with his daughters, 10 and 12.

"My wife, Kristi, is a librarian, so we're very into reading,” he said.

Hazelrigg said he is hoping for a happy ending to the series.

"Other than that, I'm just hoping for a good story,” he said.

Turner and Zientek said they would be OK with a more melancholy ending.

"I hope that, obviously, Voldemort loses,” Turner said, referring to Potter's arch-enemy. "(But) I don't want it to be too happy. I think it would be out of character for the last book to be light and happy when the last three have been really dark.”

At Best of Books at 1313 W Danforth Road in Edmond, Kelsey Bozeman, 11, was first in line to buy the new book. The Enid seventh-grader said she'd read the previous six books at least 10 times each.

Decked out in wizard attire were Tory Scott, 10, and his little sister Taylor. Though Tory had only read the first book, his mother, Lori, said she'd read the entire series.

Edmond North High School student Laura Bock recalled reading the first book before her ninth birthday — hoping that she would receive her invitation to Hogwarts.

"I thought it was coming,” she said. "I really did.”

Julie Hovis, one of the store owners, said she was surprised at the turnout; about 70 people filled the store.

"I didn't expect all this,” she said. "This is many more than I thought would come tonight.”

Most Potter fanatics were attempting to avoid spoilers in the days leading up to the book's release.

"I want it to be a surprise,” Turner said.

Zientek said she's stayed away from Internet sites purporting to reveal "Hallows” secrets.

And now that the final Potter book has been released, what do Harry's legion of fans plan to do next?

Hazelrigg said his family would look into another fantasy series to read and would remain interested in future books by author J.K. Rowling.

Zientek wasn't going to let Harry Potter's world slip by so quickly.

"I think after this series ends, I am going to reread them all in sequence to make sure I get it all,” she said.

Contributing: Staff Writer Greg Elwell

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