PORT TOWNSEND — “The hottest day of summer was drawing to a close.”
One hundred Harry Potter fans packed the Port Townsend Public Library at midnight Friday to hear those words, the opening line in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The gathering marked the release of J.K. Rowling’s fifth book in the popular series about the boy wizard who struggles to fit into conflicting worlds while coming to grips with his talents.
Listeners ranged from four to 84, but most — like the hero himself — were in the 10 to 14 age range.
Smaller fans came in pajamas and staked out spots for blankets on the floor.
————-
The rest of the story appears in the Sunday Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.