Live Blogging from the Fairfax Borders

SUNDAY AM UPDATE: We've added more photos from midnight (see at end of post) at Borders on Friday night.

FRIDAY AM: Got up this morning and got in line to get my ticket for the book when it goes on sale at one minute after midnight. I am told there have been people here with tents since 2:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon. More began arriving at around 4:00 a.m. and the line continues even now. This is just to get a ticket to buy the book later! We'll be liveblogging here - not only on HP of course, but other topics.

We will also be posting at special blog (which it used very often, but today might be a good day) to do some speculations and ultimately it will be at that location where I'll post my review. That way if you come to the cafe, you can decide whether you want to read the reviews and speculation. As frequent cafe patron Art said, " What is this Harry Potter stuff? Is it widely distributed?"

So here we go!

LATER: Just finished our interview with John Granger - great interview. I'm waiting for the recording to process right now. Then we'll do a quick edit and get it up as soon as we can. The normal way of posting the podcast at iTunes is done through the trust MacMini and we're working off the laptop today. It was a great interview.

Tonight we're going to an all-night reading party. Butterbeer will be provided - no, really! We have been wondering if there would also be some Ogden's Old Fashioned Fire Whiskey, but then that may not be conducive to book reading.

3:00 p.m. - Guess who just dropped by to say hi - cousins! My cousins from Rhode Island are in town and they just dropped by to say hi. Cousin Joel is a Harry Potter fan and we both think there's more to Dumbledore's "death" than meets the eye. His mom, Sue, says that if she were dressing up tonight, she'd go as Mrs. Weasley. And Sarah and Joel said they'd be Ron and Ginny.

We're about to have an indepth conversation on Professor Slughorn. If you don't know who that is, it's still not too late to find out!

3:50 p.m. Look who's just stopped by the table - Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix LeStrange - the Black Sisters, otherwise known as Morgan Britt and Brittany Gilroy! They are off to find their "other sister" - Andromeda Tonks, otherwise known as Erin Lindgren. They've been planning these costumes for months - and they turned out terrific. We expect to have more sightings of rather interesting people as the day - and evening - goes on.

4:17 p.m. Christopher Johnson has posted his take on the end of the Harry Potter series in the comments. All we can say is that we are humming, As Time Goes By. In fact, this may inspire your reading time, if Mr. Johnson has the inside scoop (though what he's really scooping may be open to debate):



5:30 p.m. Megan Walnut just stopped in - having checked the blog and saw we are here holding down the fort, stopped by for some chai and butterbeer. Megan and I served together on the Truro Vestry this past year - and what a year it's been. Nice to have a small break for a very fun night. She's off now to see the film, Order of the Phoenix - she figures that every Harry Potter fan in the world will be at the bookstores tonight, she'd probably have a private showing. Though Janet, who is also here at the table (you'll see her soon once she transforms into Bathsheba Babbling, the Professor of Ancient Runes) says that everyone who is a true Potterhead will be at something - bookstore or at the movies. But we've decided that the best bet is that we all will be standing in line to get books tonight.

6:34 p.m. Meghan and Lief Graham arrive. Meghan (who also was with me on the Truro Vestry) is about to have a baby any minute. But apparently Joshua Graham is also a Harry Potter fan (or he loves his mother very much) and has decided to wait until after Deathly Hallows comes out before making his grand debut.

Puppy Potty Paper Training Alert: The New York Times "posts rebuttal" for printing review of Deathly Hallows yesterday. The Public Editor offers no apologies and remains defiant. Read his cynical response here. We wonder if he's polyjuiced and his real name is Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

Professor Bethsheba Babbling has now arrived and is sitting at our table. She is the Professor of Ancient Runes (one of Hermione Granger's favorite subjects - which we believe, at least at this table, is an important, if not crucial, element in The Deathly Hallows). We are honored to have the good professor with us, especially since she will be hosting the all-night reading party. And yes, she also served with me on the Truro Vestry.

Okay, here's the Quibbler Reporter trying her best to fit in with all the Muggles here at Borders.

8:30 p.m. Jeff Livesay just dropped by - he hasn't read the books or seen the movies. "I have perfected the knack of showing up where I don't belong," Jeff just said. We think he knows a good party when he sees one!



Matt Springman just arrived and with him about 500 more people. Borders is really filling up now and we'll walk around take some photos in just a moment.

Just a few minutes ago we had a round-table discussion on the Scholastic Questions, which is now posted on YouTube and below. We're still editing Part 1, but it will be up shortly. It's chaotic and fun and much like this place right now!