Harry Potter!

I walked by Powell's around 1 p.m. in the midst of running errands. Kings Crossing was already up and people were already waiting in the rain for their books.

The people at the start of the line were teenagers. They looked very happy to be starting the line.
That night, Matt went to stand in line for a book. I went to bed. Here is his photo record.
All right, the crowds were way more impressive than I could capture in photos. The line went around Powell's (a whole Portland block) then zigzagged 3 times each direction up and down the street. Unfortunately, most of the drive-by spoilers were on Burnside and I forgot my iPod.
Again, I failed to capture the size of the line. I thought the camera was broken for a while, so I only got a couple shots.
Pretty good costume, no?
Free face-painting.
Get your Bertie's Every-Flavor Beans!
"Can I take your picture?" "Yes, you may."
Hagrid was on stilts and huge to begin with.

Carriages, though no thestrals.
These were my compatriots from 11 to 2. The elbow on the left belongs to Jesse, an 18-year-old kid newly graduated. He planned on getting his book at 12:15 and then catching the last MAX at 12:30. When he called his mom for a ride, and she told him to come home, I told him I'd give him a ride, even though he lived a half-hour away from my place. Dumbledore there is named Aubrey, a film student. She won a calendar for her costume. In the yellow is Barb, whose picture I insisted on taking after she told me she does voice talent for Fred Meyer: "Customer service at the bot-tle re-turn." I hope she doesn't think I was putting her on.
Look hard, you can see Voldemort's pale white face.
And that white spot is one of two Bertie's Every Flavor Beans that the girl in front of me spit out on the ground.
This is my favorite shot of Hagrid. Notice the keys on his hip.

More entertainers.

Fire jugglers.

And this woman on stilts, I like to think is Madam Maxime.

First people getting their books. High fives. Hugs. It's so nice to see people excited about reading.

He's not possessed; he's holding up his book in triumph. I accidentally turned the flash off or something.

More triumphant book-getters.

When we finally got in, there was a sign for Platform 9 and 3/4 and a conductor stopping and starting lines for people going in and out. And helping that conductor was a dementor.

Thank God I preordered. Short wait. Once I got my book, I had the option of getting in a 40-person line to get my book stamped and autographed by someone dressed as a character from the book. Hmm, tough choice. Luckily, Jesse was thinking the same thing and we met up at my car. I offered Barb and Aubrey a ride also, but they disappeared. We went back and looked for them, but then gave up. Barb said that her husband was waiting by the phone, so we didn't feel bad.

After dropping Jesse off, I went home and stayed up till about 5am, slept until about 8, read, slept, read more, and it's almost ten and I'm not even half done. Whew! I thought it was supposed to have bigger type or something.

I was right about Hermione being a boy (there's a passing reference to her Adam's apple) and about Ron being gay, so that he and Hermione can live happily ever after. Sorry if that spoiled it for anyone.

Note: Patricia here again. I only read the first chapter, but I can tell by the way Matt is hooting that he is making up stuff to make you think that he read it in the book. He got a false spoiler from The Onion when Book 5 came out and has never recovered.