When we entered we were given some ultra-hip (somewhat small), white, Harry glasses. We sported our cool spectacles as we made our way around the festivities. First we dropped our raffle tickets into the Goblet of Fire (a large jar). We then made our way to Diagon Alley (the music section) and made some sharp-looking wands and amulets.
Next it was off to the sorting hat! The Sorting Hat was done for fun, and was also an attempt to organize people for book-puchasing. They did not acheive the latter goal, but pulled off the former very well! A very authentic looking Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on our heads, as someone peeking out from behind a bookshelf a few rows back spoke the house name into a microphone (the speakers were hidden under a table behind the sorting hat). The bookstore employees really got into the sorting: I saw a boy visit the Sorting Hat, apparently for a second time, and the hat told him, "You have been here before and the answer is STILL Ravenclaw!" ...Awesome!
A couple of the gals in our group took their O.W.L.s (trivia), and did us proud! We all had our photo taken at Hogwarts Castle (a backdrop in the children's section). And a couple of us each had a school crest painted onto our arm.
Some minor chaos began when they attempted to sort us into our houses and line us up for the book-selling. This effort failed, and it basically turned into an unorganized mass of people attempting to get as close to the cash-wrap area as they could. Very hot (not in the good, Paris Hilton-ese way)! Very uncomfortable!
The count down was great though! Better than any New Year's Eve party count down I've ever been to! The anticipation in the air was palpable. And it was exciting knowing that everyone there was friends with my Harry too, and was just as eager as me to find out what he and his friends are up to next.
Spent all day Saturday, and half the day Sunday, reading the book aloud with my husband. But I promised I wouldn't spoil any of it for those who are still reading, so I will end my blog here for now.
Sounds like a lot of fun. The party I went too was a *bit* of a dud, but the countdown at the end made up for it. :)
ReplyDeleteThe B&N party you went to was waaay better than mine!! We didn't have a Sorting Hat or fun Hogwarts backdrop like that, and our raffle ticket box was just a ticket box, no one even thought to make it the Goblet of Fire! Oh well, we still had a blast anyways and it looks like you did as well!
ReplyDelete