By Jessie Burchette
Salisbury Post
It’s was Halloween and Christmas all rolled into one.
Hundreds waited for the stroke of midnight, when such a clatter arose ó “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” was at hand.
Books-A-Million at Salisbury Mall and the Literary Bookpost on South Main Street became the center of Potter universe for fans waiting to get their hands on the seventh and final volume of the young wizard’s adventures.
Children and adults joined in the fun at Books-A-Million, playing Harry Potter trivia, drinking a green potion and competing for the best costume.
Seven-year-old Devin Gay’s costume was the result of a bit of wizardry.
His mother, Michelle, transformed her black graduation gown into a costume suitable for any wizard. “I was sewing until 5 this evening,” said Michelle.
Grandmother Judy Smith popped the lenses out of a pair of reading glasses to give Devin the right look.
The world of Harry Potter as created by J.K. Rowling has ensnared and enthralled the whole family.
David Gay, Devin’s father, said they didn’t pay much attention to Harry Potter until the second movie, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” came out. They got hooked on the PlayStation version.
David decided to explore the world of Harry Potter. He’s spent hours reading to his son ó 800 pages in the last volume took a while.
How long will it take to get through the “Deathly Hallows.” Gay predicted some will have it read cover-to-cover by sundown Sunday or maybe sooner. He expects to take a little longer and savor the experience.
Along with the youngsters in various costumes from the world of Harry Potter, older fans waited eagerly for their books.
“I’ve read all the books, I love the books,” said Jerry Grimes, a criminal justice student at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. His girlfriend, Karen Nelson, introduced him to the Potter world.
“The books are great, the movies leave too much out,” said Grimes.
“I’m a massive fan,” said Thursa McCoy, who works at the Amoco-McDonald’s on Mooresville Road.
An avid reader since the age of 5, she consumes books, but is wild about Harry.
She’s also an avid readers of the fan sites and has written some of her own stories for Muggle.net and other sites.
McCoy brought along a friend to drive, giving her a chance to start reading. She wasn’t predicting when she would stop.