July
Events
Friday July
20, 10:30 pm to Midnight
Saturday July 21, 7am to 9am
Sharing the World of Harry Potter at Otto’s
In the last ten years, 300 million copies of Harry Potter books have been sold and millions more borrowed from libraries. There are 2 to 3 million websites or blogs devoted to Harry Potter questions, answers and comments. Bookies are taking bets on how the next and last volume in the series will end. And Friday/Saturday when the seventh volume is released, Otto’s is celebrating with, not one, but two parties.
Our parties will give knowledgeable fans a chance to share their familiarity with the Harry Potter series. Contests, from the lowly Search-a-word to team relays in the game of Quidditch and searching for and piecing together Prophecies will get the fans involved.
The Countdown Party will run from 10:30 PM Friday until Midnight. As eager fans wait in line they will be entertained by the Uptown Music Collective and challenged by a Jeopardy-style Trivia game of Potter people, places and things. At midnight, the winning entry will be drawn for the free copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows complete with a bookplate signed by the author. (You can still register for that drawing and you don’t have to be there to win.) Refreshments will include Polyjuice Potion to transform yourself and Dragon’s Tears to make you wise in the world of wizardry.
The Early Bird Party, from 7 to 9 AM on Saturday will be patterned after our two previous Harry Potter Parties. When you enter the store, you will see Professor Dumbledore presiding over the Sorting Hat. You can reach into the hat and pull out your nametag showing which school/team you’ll be playing for. Your school monitor will give you puzzles to work on while the rest of the participants get their school/team assignments. Each completed puzzle will win points for your school/team. If you were smart enough to come in a Potter-inspired costume you will have earned 10 points already. A description of a possible ending for the series in 50 words or less will also gain points. When you finish your puzzles, turn them into your monitor and get ready for the relays. There will be six team relays, each inspired by one of the first 6 books. Winning teams will receive 15 points on their score and the runners-up, 10, 5 and 5. The school/teams with the most points will get first pick of the barrel of prizes and each team will follow. Everyone who participates will get a prize.
Refreshments will include the Excitability Formula, Troll Toenails, Cauldron Cakes, Blood Worms, Peppermint Toads, Pumpkin-Cheese Twists, Ton-tongue Toffee and Magic Wands—all served up on the Table of Billowing Mist.