We're getting our copies of the book at the local Barnes & Nobles tonight at midnight; they're one of several stores that are staying open late. SubBasket and our youngest went there this morning to get the numbered bracelets that they're handing out to those who pre-ordered the books to establish the selling order for tonight. They reported that 15 minutes before they started handing out the bracelets at noon, the line streched all the way around the building; they estimated about 400 people. The actually selling part should be quite intense tonight.
I posted some of my predictions about the book last week; while I realize that putting out "predictions" now -- with copies of the book apparently available on-line -- seems kind of silly, but I'm going to put one more out there. This isn't really a "prediction" as much as a "this is the way I think it would be cool to go" kind of thing. I've mentioned in the past that I think that "Dumbledore = Gandalf" but I'm starting to think that a better analogy would be "Harry = Frodo". (It's already fairly clear that Voldemort = Sauron, so I don't think I'm going out on much of a limb here.) Just as Frodo saved the Shire, but not for himself, I think it would be appropriate to have Harry lose his magical powers in vanquishing Voldemort. That way the last line could be: "I set out to save the wizarding world, and it has been saved, but not for me. Now all I'll have to remember this part of my life is this scar. Sh*t!"
Update 0053 21 July: We got our copies of the book:
Expect light blogging until I get it finished. (We only got three copies for the five of us, and I seem to be about 5th in line to get one, so it might be a few days.)
