It's not just fandom that's insane...

[drakyndra]

...it's the entire damn world. There were security guards at Borders. Security guards. For a book launch.

I showed up an hour before the opening, and I was still like 100 people from the front of the queue. Which buy the time I got my copy, not only filled the store, but was halfway through Melbourne Central. I honestly think there were more people lined up than for the Stella McCartney opening.

And that was just one store.

And all this for a book.

The world has truly gone mad, in the best possible way.

In other news, I answered the phone when my Mum rang with, "Can't talk, reading."

Oh, and my 100 pages per hour guess at reading speed seems to be holding up. 600 odd pages, finished it about 6 hours.

So, now I've finished: Please feel free to link me to DH-canon fics, icons, and comms thereof. And discussions of the positive sort, since I quite liked it. (Though LOLing at the haters is amusing me).

There will be spoilers in the comments. And in a later post, when I get them all together.

And now, that's the end of Harry Potter. There's no more. End of an era. *is trying not to cry*

Comments

[melliyna.livejournal.com]

It was more than a bit mad wasn't it? (even in tiny little Hobart the line in the main bookstore went all the way outside, round through the shopping centre and out the entrance).

And I liked it - in fact I'd go so far as to say it's going to be my favourite of the series but I must admit I finished it and messaged a friend who had also finished it with the phrase that fandom was going to go a bit mental.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

I hope someone uploads all the news reports here in Oz onto YouTube, so I can see what tonights news says.

I dunno where it fits in my favourites, but it's definitely up there.

[laurenthemself]

There were security guards at Dymocks at Glen Waverley, too. Most of them were securitying. One was taking photos of all the dressed-up people (me).

I'll assume you've already checked out the links from F_W. I don't really have anything to add to them. I did make someone an 'Everything I Know About Harry Potter I Learned From Fandom Wank' icon.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Yeah, one was doing picture taking as well.

Yes, F_W was my first port of call. And that icon amused me, even if I don't feel I could use it honestly.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

We had a security guard for our seven am opening, although he was a bit useless until people actually started turning up around eight. It was absolutely mad, but really wonderful from a bookseller's point of view -- everyone was friendly and civilised and so excited to have the book. Terribly wanky in some ways, though -- we got a memo from head office, forbidding staff to speculate with customers on the end of the series. Too bad I'd just finished interrogating a whole bunch of kids on whether or not they thought Snape was evil.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that was my thought: More people, but a hell of a lot better behaved than Stella McCartney. No shoving or queue-jumping I saw...

I can't see why speculation would be forbidden. Spoiling, yeah, but speculation?

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

Heh, it was not so mad here. Though I didn't bother wandering down there until about 11, cos I cheated and read the carpet copy. (I only meant to read one chapter... But then it was 4:30am and Voldemort was dead and all was well again. Whoops!)

I am chuffed that I was right not only about Snape being good all along, but that he loved Lily. Want fic now, plskthx!

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Bless you and your ship. I don't particularly ship Lily/Snape, but I sort of saw it coming - and I find it interesting, if that makes sense.

[--kali--.livejournal.com]

The number of people running across carparks to get to their copies. And the number of people walking back to their cars reading as they went was impressive. Even the last book release wasn't as crazy as this.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Well, it is the last one.

I saw a couple of people on the Melbourne Central steps reading it. I was amused. No reading while walking for me - I had to be careful I didn't get hit by a car or something.

[longtimegone]

I am totally wrecked in the most wonderful way right now. That was brilliant.

[drakyndra.livejournal.com]

Bless. You're US, right, with the midnight opening? I pity you guys.

[stickmarionette.livejournal.com]

*flails* I need AD/GG fic and I've been out of HP fandom for so long that I've no idea where to find anything. *breathes*

Umm, yeah. I grew up with Harry, so this is...end of an era, like you said.

[sparks-for-sale.livejournal.com]

For all of us in Southern England, there were scenes of sad, wet Harry Potter fans trying to find bookstores that weren't underwater. Even in London, where there wasn't much flooding (it was mostly in the Southwest), all the people in the news coverage had been sitting out in the torrential rain all day.

Obviously I'm not as deidcated as they, as I was happy to get my book the next morning and watch the (very damp) craziness on the news.

The book itself? So worth the ten-year wait. Loved it, cheesy epilogue and all.

[lena-supercat.livejournal.com]

Haven't read the comments to avoid spoilers, but just wanted to say that we went out to Myer in Hobart, saw a pile of books, and a counter with no queue, not even one person, and bought one. :-) Reading your post, I'm rather glad to have missed the queues in Melbourne. Didn't start reading it until Sunday evening though - there were two other books I wanted to finish first.

[saikogrrl.livejournal.com]

Seen potterpuffs' new DH-spoiler art and icons?

Also, the new OTP 'AS/S' is hilarious as is this comm a friend linked to: http://community.livejournal.com/the_ass_ship/