Harry Potter and the Deathly Waiting Game

Just under seven hours to go, and alright, so this is going to be a decidedly un-game-like post, but tonight's something of an ethereal moment for those of us who register among the Rowling faithful, and I thought I'd join in the merriment with a bit of a sendoff...

So I'm typing this from a bookstore in the middle of Iowa, where after rolling out of bed this morning some hundred miles to the east and driving through the semidarkness barely awake and listening to a profoundly disturbing piece on dogfighting, I managed to scoop the crowds and snag the tenth spot in line (and, mercifully, a no-wait-in-line wristband) at the bookstore for two glorious, fat, off-orange-and-yellow copies of the 784-page Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Happy? Thrilled! Also: Whipped, bagged, drained, zonked, and desperately seeking a clean spot to snooze.

In case you're wondering, yeah, I couldn't resist a peek at the apparently "leaked" version of those 784 sheets earlier this week to see whether the rumors were legit, and while I didn't linger long enough to spoil anything, I'll say that if it's a fake, it's an ingeniously photoshopped one.

In the meantime, if you're planning to line up with a laptop and wireless (or you're already in line and reading this) you can keep up with the craziness by heading over to Mugglenet or The Leaky Cauldron and following the blow by blow. I'm personally killing time buzzing through a copy of David Langford's The End of Harry Potter. I know, I know -- that's a little embarrassing, but then again, Langford is a 27-time Hugo Award winner...

Oh by the way, just in case you're a particularly sensitive soul, you'll be reassured to hear that Charity Childline is bringing in extra grief counselors to deal with those distraught over the potentially unsettling deaths of any beloved series standbys.

Only for Harry Potter, folks.