Library hosts Potter Party for area youth

Click here to see a slideshow of the event.

Dozens of kids and adults trekked through the Port Orchard Public Library Friday evening celebrating the release of the seventh and final chapter in the popular Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Just hours before the midnight release at Bethel Avenue Books, the group decorated wands, made magical color-changing drinks and tested their knowledge on the boy wizard and his friends.

The youth services librarian, Shannon Peterson, dressed in a witch’s hat and a silver wig, began the evening sorting the youth into their Hogwarts houses — Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and the ever-popular house of Harry, Ron and Hermoine, Gryffindor.

The kids came in their witches and wizard costumes, and from the very youngest to the very oldest sported lightning bolt scars on their foreheads.

Hours before the fans would have the books in their hands, they continued to discuss theories on what will happen to the characters. The top questions, is Professor Snape good or evil? And will Harry make it through the final book alive?

“We think that Snape is going to be redeemed and he’s going to die,” said Harry fan Juliet Brimhall. Brimhall came with three generations of her family, from her infant daughter to her mother. All sported home-made red t-shirts commemorating the release of the book.

Twelve-year-old J.D. Barret said Harry would come very close to dying, but couldn’t say whether he would make it in the end or not.

Dozens of kids and adults turned out for the event, and continued to trickle in after the start of the party. Peterson said the events brings kids into the library, and she was happy to see a number of new faces.

“A lot of the kids I’ve seen here tonight, I haven’t seen regularly,” Peterson said.

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