If you tried calling the main public library in Downtown Miami Saturday night, instead of a regular greeting you heard: “Hogwarts Library, Dumbledore speaking”.
That’s because the library transformed for the release of JK Rowling’s newest book - a script for the play called “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” And they were not alone: bookstores and libraries around South Florida celebrated with parties, contests and crafts the arrival of the 8th installment in the saga of the orphan wizard boy.
Downton Miami? Or King's Cross Station? @WLRN pic.twitter.com/fgDdWoLCm4
— Caitie Switalski (@caitielee0917) July 31, 2016
By 9 p.m. Saturday, the Miami-Dade Main Library estimated that nearly a thousand people had come to the release party - nine years after the last Harry Potter series book was released.
Long line trickles into the Main Library in DT Miami for the Harry Potter book release party! @WLRN pic.twitter.com/cEf6xPdbWy — Caitie Switalski (@caitielee0917) July 31, 2016
The library went all out for the occasion, decorating its rooms with Harry Potter themes and offering magical crafts, trivia and even the chance to meet Hera and Emrys, cousins of the Harry Potter's famous message owl, Hedwig.
These aren't the only two of 'Hedwig's cousins' in the library tonight! @WLRN pic.twitter.com/BliNYfPfNG
— Caitie Switalski (@caitielee0917) July 31, 2016
At the Main Library release party, Andrea Wolverton said the best local place for a Quidditch stadium wouldn’t be in Miami, where she says, there isn’t any room. “I think possibly maybe north Broward-ish where it’s not so crazy.”
When asked, what’s the South Florida equivalent of butterbeer, the sweet creamy beverage that Harry Potter drinks, Wolverton’s friend Randy Darbro says it would have to be something touristy.“Probably something with key lime in it, probably, I don’t know, maybe oranges?
Pumpkin Juice or Mango Juice? "Oooh, that's a tough one!" -people comparing Harry Potter to South Florida at DT book release @WLRN
— Caitie Switalski (@caitielee0917) July 31, 2016
More Muggles - Potter-speak for humans- were seen in parties in Barnes and Noble bookstores in Sunset, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Plantation and other locations in South Florida.
Wand ready at the #HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild release party at @BNFortLaud @WLRN pic.twitter.com/8tnzTZoITJ
— Katie Lepri Cohen (@katielepri) July 31, 2016
In his Azkaban t-shirt, Kyle Rezek joined the fun to wait for the book’s midnight release. He says any South Florida butterbeer, would have to include a different fruit. “A guava pastry, but like, I guess, a guava beer.”
It's unanimous. #SoFla's butterbeer would be guayava flavored. #HarryPotter @WLRN pic.twitter.com/ordwVU8f8u — Katie Lepri (@katielepri) July 31, 2016
.@Chris_Rasta & @Stacey_Laurel agree you'll likely find a Hungarian Horntail in the #Everglades #HarryPotter @WLRN pic.twitter.com/FN7GAqJnKy — Katie Lepri (@katielepri) July 31, 2016
Parties at Barnes and Noble locations included trivia and costume contests as well as sorting hat ceremonies, a tradition at Hogwarts, the magical school that wizard Harry Potter attended.
Luna Lovegood is in the room. The #HarryPotter costume contest is on! @BN_Plantation @WLRN pic.twitter.com/l1QuQMdmI7 — Katie Lepri (@katielepri) July 31, 2016
#HarryPotter themed cupcakes & Bertie Botts beans await at @BN_Plantation pic.twitter.com/Wi8ki62ndp
— Katie Lepri Cohen (@katielepri) July 31, 2016
Christine & Lilly get ready to get sorted at @BN_Plantation #HarryPotter pic.twitter.com/Zrs4T9xiKQ — Katie Lepri (@katielepri) July 31, 2016
In Coral Gables, more than 300 people joined the countdown celebration at Books & Books waiting for the sale of the book, scheduled to start at 12:01 am on Sunday. This is was the 7th time that the store organized a party of this kind for a Harry Potter book.
Family that dress up together, stays together (and has fun in the meantime) #harrypotter party @BooksandBooks @wlrn pic.twitter.com/UPXUQII0IH
— Teresa Frontado (@tfrontado) July 31, 2016
"We have hosted a party for just about every one [of the Harry Potter books] except for the first one, when nobody knew how much of a success this was going to be," said Mitchell Kaplan, owner of Books & Books. "They all had the same spirit that you see tonight: people enjoying themselves."
Kaplan did point out how much the Harry Potter audience has changed over the years: "The main difference is that you now have Millenials reading this books because they grew up with Harry Potter (...) And then you have older people who read all of the Harry Potter books and are now in the 20 -some of them in their 30s- and they are getting the new one because they remember the books form when they were kids themselves."
At the @BooksandBooks #harrypotter party in Coral Gables. Organizers estimate around 300 people @WLRN pic.twitter.com/E56VtdByYV
— Teresa Frontado (@tfrontado) July 31, 2016
All of the rooms at the Books & Books store in Coral Gables were decorated with themes of the books, including the children's section, which was transformed into "The Chamber of Secrets". There was also a Muggle wall for people to share what the Harry Potter books meant for them, as well as a magician playing music in the courtyard and a popular game of trivia.
In a sign of the changing demographics of the series, volunteers circulated among the crowd offering forms to register to vote in the upcoming elections.
These readers are all grown now:volunteers offer #voterregistration forms @ #harrypotter party @BooksandBooks @WLRN pic.twitter.com/ivXTTcTrkQ
— Teresa Frontado (@tfrontado) July 31, 2016
At 11:50 pm, the revelers started to form in line to get their books. All of participants at Books & Books had bought their copies in advance, so at 12:01 am the staff started to hand them out to a happy crowd.
Happy reading! Fans come out of @BooksandBooks with the #HarryPotterAndTheCursedChild book pic.twitter.com/4Krca8bOm7
— Teresa Frontado (@tfrontado) July 31, 2016
You can see pictures from Harry Potter Countdown parties along South Florida in our Facebook album. Happy reading!