Local Muggles and Wizards Alike
Invited to Harry Potter Party
By Martha Slater

When the doors of the Cover to Cover Book Store on Main St. in Randolph open Saturday, July 21 at 6 a.m., it will be a red-letter day for local fans of the Harry Potter book series.

On the same day that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the seventh and final installment of J.K. Rowling’s incredibly popular series arrives on bookstore shelves worldwide, Cover to Cover’s owner Jeanne Ward will have 200 pre-sold copies tagged and ready for their eager owners to pick up.

"Can you believe it?" Ward said happily. "In a little town in the middle of Vermont, we have that many devoted readers already signed up!"

The store will host a simple breakfast to those early riser readers at 6 a.m., draw ribbons from the "sorting hat" to tell the "house" for each of those readers, and have a quiet reading of the first chapter.

"We’ll share paragraphs, with young an old alike taking turns sharing the fun of the story unfolding," Ward explained. "This is our traditional way to greet a new Harry Potter book, but with a bittersweet sensation this year, as this last book in the series works its magic."

What’s the secret of the appeal of the Harry Potter books?

"It’s like baseball," Ward theorizes. "You either could care less or you know all the names and batting averages of every payer since 1952! We who love these books feel as if the characters are family. The good and evil are part of our world, and we can discuss hair color for Tonks, Fleur’s love for Bill, and the dragons in the Tri-Wizard Tournament as if we were there!"

The public (wizards and muggles alike) is invited to attend for a what promises to be a magical morning.

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